Sheila Bridge Blog
Physicists have been looking for some time for the 'theory of everything'. The theory of everything is a hypothetical framework explaining all known physical phenomena in the universe. Basically there are a set of scientific rules that explain very large objects (relativity) and there are another set of understandings (quantum mechanics) which 'explains' how very... Continue Reading →
This is a review of the book Factfulness by Hans Rosling which was published in 2018. But if ever there was a time to read this book it is NOW! Yes, okay, it was written pre-pandemic, but it addresses 10 of our most basic human instincts and why, if we trust our instincts rather than... Continue Reading →
"Captain's Log Star date 01 01 2021 ..." I grew up with Star Trek, not the movies, the TV programmes with the doors that went 'swish', the devices into which 'beam me up Scotty' was the most frequent and desperate request, the inscrutable and ever logical Mr Spock, the pessimistic doctor 'Bones' (pessimistic inspite of... Continue Reading →
The opening episode in the BBC's Blue Planet II series was absolutely extraordinary. So much diversity: fish of all colours, some with crowns on their heads. Sea creatures that look totally as if they'd come from a movie about aliens, dolphins and whales that appeared to be friends and a tiny little fish that knew... Continue Reading →
This is an amazing read! It leaps from relativity to Cubism to Surrealism, to the optimism in Star Trek and the nihilism in Casablanca. It explains quantum mechanics using a hilarious analogy of Putin punching a kangaroo. From there it goes on to existentialism, individualism and the space race. Higgs has written a factual book... Continue Reading →
This blog is a further reflection on the book Cure: a Journey into the Science of Mind over Body by Jo Marchant. In my previous review, I noted how people who meditate have more highly organised and coordinated brains with higher levels of activity in the prefrontal cortex. When I read this it felt a bit... Continue Reading →
This is an absolutely fascinating read. Written by a scientist, it explores the research into ways our minds influence our physical well-being, our tolerance of pain and our immunity. The first chapter is all about the placebo effect. So far so good, most of us have heard of this and feel slightly self-conscious about the truth... Continue Reading →
In my garden there is a gift. This gift is a beech hedge. Every season it gives us some new joy but I think it glows brightest in autumn. Having changed my header photo to reflect the season, I thought I'd just put up a poem in honour of trees and all they give us/teach... Continue Reading →
Well it looked like a nice day from my bedroom window. Even better it is my day off, I feel a bike ride coming on... better just check the forecast. "Stock markets are crashing, sub atomic particles are moving faster than the speed of light and Nasa predicts space debris falling from the sky" Great!... Continue Reading →
I really enjoyed yesterday's story about the Large Hadron Collider. Apparently after investing 'Mega-Enormous-Huge' amounts of money trying to find the 'God Particle' (Higgs bosun) scientists have announced that if they if haven't found it by the end of next year, it doesn't exist! To my untrained, unscientific ears this sounded very odd. What if... Continue Reading →
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