What I have been reading #7

In 2021, I set myself the goal of reading more and of reading more widely. To help me with accountability, I started sharing short reviews on Instagram and, later, here on the blog. However, these reviews turned into so much more than a record of what I had read, that I decided to continue doing … Continue reading What I have been reading #7

December 2021 round-up

I know from experience and logical reasoning that December is a tricky month because of the "busyness" of the end of term, the school holidays, the festivities, and, of course, the many little things that life always has a way of throwing at you. This time, child 2 fractured a finger which meant spending 4 … Continue reading December 2021 round-up

Musical diary 2021

It’s that time of the year when I share the playlist of songs that marked the past 12 months, an initiative inspired by a practice by Austin Kleon. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fiChExzGDknAI4C3HKXWm?si=32d526ce6c6a4b60 There are songs connected to Covid-19, too, of course. For instance, track 4 is part of a YouTube video that I usually show in my class, … Continue reading Musical diary 2021

The easiest, safest, fastest way to save someone’s life

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a paper where the authors had used machine learning to discover the best predictors of blood donations. Why was this an important application? Because blood donations save lives; and because, despite its importance, blood harvesting is, usually, a not for profit venture. Thus, any insight that can … Continue reading The easiest, safest, fastest way to save someone’s life

The Race for a Vaccine

This week, I had my Covid-19 booster jab, which came with some nasty side effects. I was feeling very sorry for myself – on the one hand, unable to sleep because my arm hurt; on the other, unable to do much else because of high fever and a splitting headache. So, I decided to revisit Intelligence … Continue reading The Race for a Vaccine

What I have been reading #6

16th book of 2021 - “Jog On” by Bella Mackie Neither brilliant prose, nor glorious storytelling. This book reads like a chat with the author about how exercise - or, rather, running - has helped her and many others to manage anxiety, panic attacks and other mental health problems. And maybe that’s the right tone … Continue reading What I have been reading #6

November 2021 round-up

This month was significantly better than the last one. It was my busiest month, as far as teaching is concerned, and there were lots of things going on in the home front. However, I did not feel like the month was slipping through my fingers, as I had felt in October, and I managed to tick … Continue reading November 2021 round-up

October 2021 round-up

October was not a good month, overall. Productivity was low, I burned some bridges, and there was a bereavement in my other half’s side of the family. I even thought about not writing a round-up post this month. But, in the spirit of authenticity that I try to bring to this blog, here is a … Continue reading October 2021 round-up

September 2021 round-up

I heard on a podcast, at the start of the month, that “September is the new January”, with its inherent sense of fresh start. That’s certainly the case for me, with the kids going back to school / university and a new term starting for me. The “fresh start” was also evident in the return … Continue reading September 2021 round-up

What I have been reading #5

13th book of 2021 - “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales” by Oliver Sacks I added this book to my “to read” list back in 2015, when I read Oliver Sacks’s obituary in The Guardian, and became really intrigued about Sacks and his work. Sacks was a neurologist, … Continue reading What I have been reading #5