Geometry might well kill them in the end, but only a rigorous understanding of its principles could make their situation intelligible, let alone survivable. That quote comes from Part 4 of this novel, but it encapsulates what’s intriguing and (at least potentially) frustrating about the story—it’s about spacetime geometry. I’ve written about Greg Egan before, … Continue reading Greg Egan: Dichronauts
Gear Review: Bolt-On™ Virtua-Trekker
For the last few months I’ve been cutting a dash on the hills wearing the wrap-round headset pictured above. It’s the core component of the new Virtua-Trekker—the first application of Virtual Reality for the hill-walker or fell-runner—and the nice people at Bolt-On™ Cybernetics have been kind enough to give me an early prototype to review. … Continue reading Gear Review: Bolt-On™ Virtua-Trekker
Coriolis Effect In A Rotating Space Habitat
In a previous post describing the Coriolis effect, I mentioned its relevance to space travel—if a rotating habitat is being used to generate simulated gravity, Coriolis deflection can interfere with the performance of simple tasks and, at the extreme, generate motion sickness. As an example of the sort of effect you could expect to encounter, … Continue reading Coriolis Effect In A Rotating Space Habitat
Sidlaws: More About Smithton
I’ve been intrigued by the lost community of Smithton since I climbed Smithton Hill this time last year, and then read David Dorward’s description of its namesake—“Former farm-toun W of Lundie village, deserted, abandoned and demolished within the past half-century.” This was living memory for Dorward, writing in 2004, because he used to visit Smithton … Continue reading Sidlaws: More About Smithton
Magpies & Grasshoppers
I was trying to explain the content of this blog to someone the other day, and I said that it combined two states of mind, the magpie and the grasshopper—the magpie’s hoarding of appealing objects, the grasshopper’s leaping from place to place And that, in a self-referential kind of way, got me thinking about the … Continue reading Magpies & Grasshoppers
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Madeira
To one in search of that peculiar influence known variously as “local colour,” “atmosphere,” and by other generic terms, the first glimpse of the place affords some small disappointment. Not as regards scenery, nor the appearance of the inhabitants. These are all that can be desired by even the most ardent searcher after the unhackneyed. … Continue reading Madeira
Levison Wood: Walking The Americas
I’ve found on these long expeditions that there sometimes comes a point when you grow tired of walking. Walking the Americas recounts the story of Levison Wood’s third epic walking journey—a successor to Walking the Nile and Walking the Himalayas, and a companion volume to the Channel 4 TV series of the same name. You … Continue reading Levison Wood: Walking The Americas
Dave Hutchinson: The “Fractured Europe” Sequence
Very slowly, he turned to put has back to the street, hiding the briefcase with his body. He removed a glove and put his bare hand against the side of the case. It was hot. Not red hot. Not drop-it-right-here-and-run-like-hell hot. But it was still hot. Which, in Rudi’s experience, was a first for a … Continue reading Dave Hutchinson: The “Fractured Europe” Sequence
Sidlaws: The Balshando Hill Expedition
Balshando Hill (NO 278355, 266m) 6.7 kilometres 140 metres of ascent So, Balshando Hill was a bit of a puzzle to me. It’s a bald-topped mound surrounded by a ring of forestry with the charming name of Naiad Wood—a Greek mythological reference that’s unusual hereabouts. And around Naiad Wood there’s a ring of farmland. But … Continue reading Sidlaws: The Balshando Hill Expedition
Hasegawa 1/48 Hawker Hurricane IIC: Part 1
By way of a break from the slow building of my Saturn V, this one is an attempt to model one of the aircraft my father flew during the Second World War. It’s going to be Hurricane LB545, stationed with 135 Squadron RAF at Minneriya, Ceylon, in August 1944. It’ll be a reconstruction, rather than … Continue reading Hasegawa 1/48 Hawker Hurricane IIC: Part 1