|
Six members were present at the County Hotel on Tuesday 4th February 2014: Brian Angus, David Appleton, Clive Bloxham, James Henry, Adrian Morley & Chris Wright. This meant that the conversation sometimes fragmented into groups or pairs and not all topics covered may therefore be included here. Members are requested to add missing items.
Because some members had been confused about the date of the meeting and a forthcoming public lecture on memory and ageing, the first item (partially) covered was the brain, in particular the default mode network, about which David had been reading in a book he recommended: it is called ‘Nothing’ and published by New Scientist. This led to discussion of the fact that Peter Higgs had been walking and not sitting at his desk when he came up with the idea of the Higgs boson. Members had had similar experiences, though as yet none have led to a Nobel prize. There is still hope: Higgs’ 1964 paper was rejected by the first journal it was submitted to.
The relative merits of real books and Kindles were compared.
Brian had to borrow a pair of spectacles to read the menu, he and Clive requiring nourishment while the others refrained though Clive was subsequently generous with his chips. Brian confessed to having accumulated six pairs of specs under his bed at one time.
Adrian mentioned a firm, Laser Profiling North East, which had done some metal cutting for him. It is rather strange that it can cut steel and aluminium but brass reflects the laser beam back on itself and ruins the apparatus. (Newer machines can overcome this but it is still regarded as difficult because of the high conductivity of the metal.)
Clive introduced members to the Lindy Hop and Balboa, forms of swing dancing. This was done purely verbally and without demonstration as we were not alone in the bar.
Some musical topics were covered, varying from the career of Clive’s son Jonathan, an up-and-coming cellist, to ‘Blues my naughty sweetie gave to me’. This led on to Spotify, a digital archive which gives one access to millions of songs.
This in turn led on to other aspects of the internet and specifically MOOCs – massive open online courses.
Animal experimentation was discussed, Adrian recalling a time when he was in a local bookshop (sadly no longer in existence) and heard a group of animal-rights activists discussing a raid on the General Hospital.
As the Superbowl had just been played there was some discussion of the shapes of American football players and rugby players and the likelihood of injuries in the two games.
Other topics, apparently unconnected, though no doubt some sort of continuous thread was followed, included Michael Portillo’s shirts and jackets, Hamlet, fake Chagals, and the fact that Abraham Lincoln’s favourite poem was ‘Holy Willie’s prayer’.
|
