Stars on eBothy Blog

reflectioneering

Fri, 19 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Normally I write up a walk on the day or a day or two later but since doing this one, I’ve walked St. Cuthbert’s Way and like a fine wine, its memory has matured over the last few weeks. In fact there’s been a fair bit of maturing going on in my reading material. Sometimes, when a book is published, its true value isn’t apparent at the time.
‘Ach, I do that all the time’ is an oft heard ripost, especially from the ranks of walking and climbing clubs. Such was the general reception in my old mountaineering club when Mike Cawthorne’s “Hell of a Journey” came out in 1997. Climbing the 1000m peaks in winter? ‘ach, we do that all the time!’.

the changeling gaiku

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I was sitting outside with a nice 5am Saint yesterday, sheltered from a light north westerly and watching huge cumulonimbus build over Knoydart and musing on the lines of clear air which marked the arms of the sea and lochs, as if a relief map of the mountains had been created from cloud and raised high into the air. It was fascinating to watch towers of cumulus congestus rise over Ladhair Bheinn then dissipate into dirty coloured vapour and drift over the clear air across Loch Hourn. For the clouds were working their way upwind. In the soft ochre hues and subdued light something just clicked and the Muse awakened from her summer slumber.

extreme extrapolation

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Take a bunch of researchers, a couple of seals, one planetarium, a laser pointer and loads of spare time. Train the seals to head for Sirius and feed them each time they bump into the wall below the star. Remove the laser pointer and observe the seals head for Sirius every time. Apply Extreme Extrapolation. Seals navigate by the stars. The story is here and the paper is here.