Bad science

I've just finished reading Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. It was published in 2008 but is still relevant today. Indeed I think it should be compulsory reading for high school students and all journalism undergraduates. There's a fascinating chapter on the placebo effect, an eerily familiar chapter about the denial by some that HIV causes… Continue reading Bad science

But where do you get your protein?

We tried to go and see The Game Changers at the cinema last weekend: we bought tickets, we bought popcorn, but at the last moment we got stopped because the documentary is rated 15+ and Daniel and Elizabeth are not 15. They gave us our money back but I was very disappointed and I felt… Continue reading But where do you get your protein?

Tern GSD – electric cargo bike review

I've had the very great pleasure of testing a Tern GSD - an electric cargo bike - for a couple of days. I picked it up from Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative on Thursday evening and then flew home like I've never done before. Indeed on the way home I cycled up to some traffic lights where… Continue reading Tern GSD – electric cargo bike review

The Last Kingdom

Men fight over women, money, and land and have been doing so since the beginning of time. I suppose money and land are essentially the same thing and we can simply say men fight over women and money. This is exactly how season 2 of The Last Kingdom panned out. The two Viking brothers, Erik… Continue reading The Last Kingdom

Okja – Film Review

A soulless multinational company develops a giant pig which poops less and eats less than regular pigs while providing a greater volume of meat. The company sends a number of these super pigs to farmers all over the world to raise for ten years. One of them is sent to South Korea where the farmer's… Continue reading Okja – Film Review

The Herb Garden, Newcastle

We're in Newcastle! We've come down for the DanTDM concert as a treat for the kids. I tried to get tickets to the show in Edinburgh but they sold out in less than one  hour. DanTDM is a 20-something British fellow with a YouTube channel about Minecraft which is supremely popular wth 6-13 year-olds. Daniel… Continue reading The Herb Garden, Newcastle

Bakfiets vs Butchers and Bicycles cargo bikes

I rode the kids to school in Busby today for the first time since March this year. Since then I've been cycling Harald each day. Here's a photo of Busby followed by a photo of Harald so everyone knows what I'm talking about when I say Busby and Harald. Busby: Harald:   Busby got sick in… Continue reading Bakfiets vs Butchers and Bicycles cargo bikes

The Hövding invisible helmet – a review

I've been using the Hövding - the invisible helmet - for a week now and I thought I'd write about the experience so far. I'm wearing it in this next photo (NB: the helmet is the black collar around my neck. It's an airbag which deploys in the event of a crash): When I first put… Continue reading The Hövding invisible helmet – a review