Reading a collection of Richard Hamming’s lectures and loved this explanation of the difference between science and engineering, a) because it’s pithy and b) because it makes ethics a fundamental element of what it means to be an engineer.

In Sweden for the annual meeting of IVA, the national academy, and impressed by how comfortably engineering sits here alongside social science, art and culture.

Case in point- this astonishing performance of a newly composed Jacob Mühlrand piece for string quartet and industrial robot.

Fabulous Halloween lunch today at the Royal Academy of Engineering

Small update: I’ve located the book (forgot it was a proof copy) and the card. Decided not to share the text here as it’s personal and all the people are presumably easily identifiable, but it reads differently when you know that everything did turn out all right for her.

This arrived in the post today, a present from my sister. Very excited, looking forward to a big Dickensian winter read

I’m sure this isn’t giving Tom Hardy and co sleepless nights, but shouldn’t the tag line read: ‘Til death do them part’?

‘Three Colours: Blue’ (1993)

A woman grieving a terrible family tragedy finds purpose, and emerges from the shadow of her partner, when she is accepted by an unconventional new group of friends.

I know I KNOW that Pinner-born Elton John got his stage name from two members of Bluesology, but I like to imagine that the lovely grave of John Elton in nearby West Drayton might have had something to do with it #musicsky

Unless you watch The Secret Life of Pets 2.
(I am not advising you watch The Secret Life of Pets 2).

Fifty pages in and this is a such a treat.
Firstly, the unashamedly modernist style.
And secondly, the theme, which I don't think I've seen written about before- the uncanniness of servitude, maybe? And not addressed head on, but gnawed and fretted at.
Yeah, this is the good stuff.