Ken Appleby
@kenappleby.bsky.social
Science educated, generalist.
Software engineer. Ex Symbolics Inc. Harlequin Ltd. Emacs user.
Musician: applebystone.com
Producer: pindropevents.co.uk
Lapsed wild camper, hill climber.
Published sci-fi author.
Born 314 ppm CO2.
Software engineer. Ex Symbolics Inc. Harlequin Ltd. Emacs user.
Musician: applebystone.com
Producer: pindropevents.co.uk
Lapsed wild camper, hill climber.
Published sci-fi author.
Born 314 ppm CO2.
The Beech is an easy target then.
November 14, 2025 at 9:52 PM
The Beech is an easy target then.
Sitka is even worse. At least Beech is "native" to the UK. Would allowing the Beech to grow not help to counter it?
November 14, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Sitka is even worse. At least Beech is "native" to the UK. Would allowing the Beech to grow not help to counter it?
Wouldn't Beech perhaps be your ally against Sitka?
November 14, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Wouldn't Beech perhaps be your ally against Sitka?
Are those other tree species getting the same treatment as the Beech?
November 14, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Are those other tree species getting the same treatment as the Beech?
I understand, but to me "rewilding" means leaving a place alone: no "management" by humans, apart perhaps from dealing with alien invasives like Rhododendron and Japanese Knotweed.
Having to manage a woodland in perpetuity doesn't feel like rewilding.
And won't beech bring its own biodiversity?
Having to manage a woodland in perpetuity doesn't feel like rewilding.
And won't beech bring its own biodiversity?
November 14, 2025 at 8:13 PM
I understand, but to me "rewilding" means leaving a place alone: no "management" by humans, apart perhaps from dealing with alien invasives like Rhododendron and Japanese Knotweed.
Having to manage a woodland in perpetuity doesn't feel like rewilding.
And won't beech bring its own biodiversity?
Having to manage a woodland in perpetuity doesn't feel like rewilding.
And won't beech bring its own biodiversity?
It does indeed feel wrong.
Please can you give an approximate date in the past to which you are attempting to restore ancient woodland? And if you can, how do you justify that date?
Please can you give an approximate date in the past to which you are attempting to restore ancient woodland? And if you can, how do you justify that date?
November 14, 2025 at 7:32 PM
It does indeed feel wrong.
Please can you give an approximate date in the past to which you are attempting to restore ancient woodland? And if you can, how do you justify that date?
Please can you give an approximate date in the past to which you are attempting to restore ancient woodland? And if you can, how do you justify that date?
That's a really great, informative chart.
November 13, 2025 at 8:48 PM
That's a really great, informative chart.
"This government under Keir Starmer, in a couple of respects at least, looks more Tory that the Tories" might have been a better way of expressing it.
You are not, and have never claimed to be, a politician, so having to be so guarded against dishonest, misquoting attacks is perhaps alien to you?
You are not, and have never claimed to be, a politician, so having to be so guarded against dishonest, misquoting attacks is perhaps alien to you?
November 12, 2025 at 1:56 PM
"This government under Keir Starmer, in a couple of respects at least, looks more Tory that the Tories" might have been a better way of expressing it.
You are not, and have never claimed to be, a politician, so having to be so guarded against dishonest, misquoting attacks is perhaps alien to you?
You are not, and have never claimed to be, a politician, so having to be so guarded against dishonest, misquoting attacks is perhaps alien to you?
I just transferred the wine to a second demijohn to stop the fermentation. It's clear, fine tasting and has a Final Gravity of 990! Which makes it 12.6% ABV.
I am amazed.
#winemaking #englishwine
I am amazed.
#winemaking #englishwine
November 10, 2025 at 4:55 PM
I just transferred the wine to a second demijohn to stop the fermentation. It's clear, fine tasting and has a Final Gravity of 990! Which makes it 12.6% ABV.
I am amazed.
#winemaking #englishwine
I am amazed.
#winemaking #englishwine
On the way back through the town we saw a boy on a bike getting hit by a car. He was in a small group, riding wildly, daring, in the dusk, no lights, no helmets. No broken bones either, happily. We stayed until the police came: two men who both looked younger than my own children.
I feel old.
I feel old.
November 8, 2025 at 10:20 PM
On the way back through the town we saw a boy on a bike getting hit by a car. He was in a small group, riding wildly, daring, in the dusk, no lights, no helmets. No broken bones either, happily. We stayed until the police came: two men who both looked younger than my own children.
I feel old.
I feel old.
Really? Firstly, the phrase "sudden removal of the mirror" sounds alarms. There is no such thing as "sudden" in this context. It renders the idea meaningless.
Secondly Vedral's article claims that relevant physical experiment "was performed" while providing a link to an entirely theoretical paper.
Secondly Vedral's article claims that relevant physical experiment "was performed" while providing a link to an entirely theoretical paper.
November 8, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Really? Firstly, the phrase "sudden removal of the mirror" sounds alarms. There is no such thing as "sudden" in this context. It renders the idea meaningless.
Secondly Vedral's article claims that relevant physical experiment "was performed" while providing a link to an entirely theoretical paper.
Secondly Vedral's article claims that relevant physical experiment "was performed" while providing a link to an entirely theoretical paper.
Douglas Adams was a genius who, in the 1970s, foresaw the absurd state of our world now.
So was Stansilav Lem. If you read Lem's writing, which just predates Adams', you will see the close connection and the inspiration for many of Adams' ideas.
So was Stansilav Lem. If you read Lem's writing, which just predates Adams', you will see the close connection and the inspiration for many of Adams' ideas.
November 2, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Douglas Adams was a genius who, in the 1970s, foresaw the absurd state of our world now.
So was Stansilav Lem. If you read Lem's writing, which just predates Adams', you will see the close connection and the inspiration for many of Adams' ideas.
So was Stansilav Lem. If you read Lem's writing, which just predates Adams', you will see the close connection and the inspiration for many of Adams' ideas.
So you pay the same Council Tax as your neighbours do even though their houses are larger, having been extended?
I agree. It's a weakness in the tax law that could be easily fixed: increase the valuation of a property by the increase in floor area of an extension when the planning is approved.
I agree. It's a weakness in the tax law that could be easily fixed: increase the valuation of a property by the increase in floor area of an extension when the planning is approved.
November 2, 2025 at 10:05 PM
So you pay the same Council Tax as your neighbours do even though their houses are larger, having been extended?
I agree. It's a weakness in the tax law that could be easily fixed: increase the valuation of a property by the increase in floor area of an extension when the planning is approved.
I agree. It's a weakness in the tax law that could be easily fixed: increase the valuation of a property by the increase in floor area of an extension when the planning is approved.
Yes, indeed. So the Council Tax "Improvement Indicator" should be applied when the extension planning is approved, not just when the property is sold, however many years later?
I agree, good idea.
I agree, good idea.
November 2, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Yes, indeed. So the Council Tax "Improvement Indicator" should be applied when the extension planning is approved, not just when the property is sold, however many years later?
I agree, good idea.
I agree, good idea.
You mean coupling the planning approval of house extensions with automatic council tax increase, depending on the scale of the extension?
November 2, 2025 at 9:08 PM
You mean coupling the planning approval of house extensions with automatic council tax increase, depending on the scale of the extension?
The question says "several errors". "Several" is a vague term but it certainly means more than two. So, answering that each ingredient is wrong is not enough. Perhaps the student should not be planning to use a spatula made of calcium carbonate. They are quite rare.
November 2, 2025 at 12:54 AM
The question says "several errors". "Several" is a vague term but it certainly means more than two. So, answering that each ingredient is wrong is not enough. Perhaps the student should not be planning to use a spatula made of calcium carbonate. They are quite rare.
It looks like a bad proof-reading error:
"contained 300gms per dm^3 of CuCl2"
changed to (or from)
"contained 300gms of CuCl2 dissolved in 1dm^3 of water" without the previous version being removed. Unforgiveably sloppy if so.
"contained 300gms per dm^3 of CuCl2"
changed to (or from)
"contained 300gms of CuCl2 dissolved in 1dm^3 of water" without the previous version being removed. Unforgiveably sloppy if so.
November 2, 2025 at 12:35 AM
It looks like a bad proof-reading error:
"contained 300gms per dm^3 of CuCl2"
changed to (or from)
"contained 300gms of CuCl2 dissolved in 1dm^3 of water" without the previous version being removed. Unforgiveably sloppy if so.
"contained 300gms per dm^3 of CuCl2"
changed to (or from)
"contained 300gms of CuCl2 dissolved in 1dm^3 of water" without the previous version being removed. Unforgiveably sloppy if so.
I agree that media bias is a problem for them, but do you think there are there Green party policies that cause support for them to falter? I can think of one.
But I think that they are now showing that they are not a single-issue party.
But I think that they are now showing that they are not a single-issue party.
October 30, 2025 at 9:15 PM
I agree that media bias is a problem for them, but do you think there are there Green party policies that cause support for them to falter? I can think of one.
But I think that they are now showing that they are not a single-issue party.
But I think that they are now showing that they are not a single-issue party.
What, do you think, is holding back support for the Greens?
October 30, 2025 at 8:34 PM
What, do you think, is holding back support for the Greens?
The research will continue, in China, Europe, UK, and elsewhere, albeit at a reduced overall pace because of the USA's absence. But it will continue. The USA will fall back into the dark ages.
October 30, 2025 at 8:13 PM
The research will continue, in China, Europe, UK, and elsewhere, albeit at a reduced overall pace because of the USA's absence. But it will continue. The USA will fall back into the dark ages.
That's brilliant!
October 30, 2025 at 10:57 AM
That's brilliant!
... and many of their launch sites will be under water or uninhabitable, and space will be innaccessible due to the Kessler Syndrome they brought about. :-)
October 29, 2025 at 5:08 PM
... and many of their launch sites will be under water or uninhabitable, and space will be innaccessible due to the Kessler Syndrome they brought about. :-)