And I learned she lived at Terra Nova. I said “I’m curious that in a Republican part of Ireland, houses are named after British vessels of Antarctic exploration. May I ask why?” She looked delighted and said “My father was Tom Crean.” If you don’t know, I urge you to read about him and be amazed…

David, I was working in Tralee, Ireland thirty years ago, and cycled past two large adjacent houses called ‘Discovery’ and ‘Terra Nova,’ each day. I was curious that in the Republic of Ireland, houses were named after British naval vessels of exploration. One day I met a lady at the hospital …

It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Fiona. I have a very good friend born in Hong Kong, he’s Charlie to everyone. Few will know his Chinese name, and he’s an accomplished surgeon.

Your user name and email name are different, and I like to respect others’ privacy, especially women, in a digital environment. Thank you for the compliment.

Hello Fiona(?) In the foreground with the saxophone. Forty four years ago now…

One of the great joys of my life was playing The Rainbow, in May 1981, with The Specials. I never got to see Bob and The Wailers, although my dear friend and trombonist Rico Rodriguez knew them well.

I’m starting to feel weary and information overloaded since Monday’s inauguration… then Musk’s antics, then the Bishop of Washington… And I’m not American. I worry about the mental health of Americans friends and others with this fascist shift (and not just in the US) 🙏

Josh, it seems they’re very proactive in weeding out trolls, so I hope it’s a safe space and remains so 🙏

Good to see you here! 👋🏼

Bonjour Nathalie! I’m very happy to see you here! 🙂

Thank you for sharing a fascinating and informative article Andrea. In 1982 I was fortunate to meet Hans Pflug, a micropaleontologist, showing pictures of his remarkable slides. Are you familiar with his work?

One of the most charming novels - irrespective of genre - I’ve read in a long time. I hope the forthcoming film does it justice.

I met Isaac Asimov on a couple of occasions, although meeting Fred Hoyle was a personal highlight. And prior to moving to Sri Lanka, I was part of the music movement that helped make pork pie hats popular…(you’re familiar with The Specials?)

David - May I thank you for your eloquently expressed views on the subject of Mars colonisation earlier. I was Arthur C Clarke’s private secretary and research assistant in 1982-83, and you articulated my view on the matter better than I could; so thank you and big respect from me 🙏

To think this galaxy contains approximately 400 billion stars… David, will you forgive me if I suggest that, at a dollar a star…a certain South African could buy this galaxy? Or, as I prefer to think: that works out to a ratio of about 500 stars for every human on the planet…

A wonderful picture! The smaller, apparently spherical (from this perspective) lobe of the nucleus is approximately 2.5 km in diameter.

Am I correct in assuming this has nothing to do with a haemorrhoidectomy on Uranus?

A lucky find, some years ago at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales 🙂

I was incredulous to find a signed copy of her book (co-written with Dorion):‘Microcosmos,’ in the second hand book section of The Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales, some years ago. The inscription reads: ‘For Diana Schumacher and Gaia, Lynn Margulis, Oct 1987, Cornwall.