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        A selection of articles that illustrate the pre-occupation of governments with monitoring and controlling their citizens. This post re-instated 03/2017 after being, somewhat mysteriously, deleted from the blog – yet again. Apparently there are some who do not believe in the freedom of the press. 2018 […]

Air pollution levels around the world have already disrupted much of nature – now they threaten life itself. And diesel cars are the culprit. My opinion …

Update 08/12/2016. Recent research under the EU’s Graphene Flagship programme (http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=170781&CultureCode=en) has shown how graphene’s electrical properties can underpin much more powerful sensors. The benefits of such sensors can be double-edged. Graphene’s ability to sense impact could be used in a very positive way – for example enabling an in-helmet […]

Today, Saturday September 24th, I thought I would treat myself to a print copy of The Guardian. I like the Saturday paper, and it’s always more relaxing to spread it out and dip into the various parts at random, rather than be limited to robot-like serial consumption that characterises reading […]

          Tales from a Brussels bar – Brexit 3 The bar was quieter tonight. The usual suspects were there – we had planned to discuss Brexit again. But no-one wanted to tallk about it immediately – Maj and co. had gone off to play darts, others […]

          Tales from a Brussels bar – Brexit 2 Stassos was quoting Shakespeare, but in slightly modified form. “Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of European fortune – or to take arms … that’s what you want to do.” He […]

          Tales from a Brussels bar – Brexit 1 It was a fine Spring evening in Brussels, the sun lingering on the pavements – quite the best time of the year in the city. Steve the Bar had put a couple of barrels and stools outside, […]

      By Odimegwu Onwumere Gideon Emenike and Chibuisi Nwafor were aged between 16 and 17 years when in 2013 they launched a rocket they’d made into space. Thrity minutes and five kilometres later, it crashed into the plot of Augustine Eke, a retiree. The clatter of the crashed […]

Brussels, 03/03/2016. Those prized Burgundy or summer truffles apparently have something more than just the ability to add flavour to fine dishes – they can also resist radioactivity!. Swiss and German researchers have analysed Burgundy truffles collected across regions of central Europe, and found that unlike other fungi, they possess […]

Brussels, 02/03/2016. The European Parliament’s car-pollution inquiry committee (better known as Dieselgate), set up to investigate last year’s scandal on particulate pollution from cars, has just met for the first time. The committee is set to deliberate for 12 months. Its brief is to investigate the regulatory breakdown in the […]