I Asked 100 Scientists…. My Royal Society of Chemistry Blog

I wanted to know how scientists and engineers learnt to read professional texts, so I asked some. 100 professional scientists … More

One Scientist Reads A Science Text

In my writing, I claim that scientists read differently. When a scientist reads, it doesn’t look like an English lesson. … More

High-quality textbooks won’t work without high-quality textbook reading.

Last Thursday (11th June), Nick Gibb delivered a speech titled the social justice case for an academic curriculum. As a … More

Of The Cells and Pores of Frothy Bodies

Science is a practical subject. It is also a literary subject. Reading science texts is important. It is the key … More

Writing to Learn (not Learning to Write)

Writing is a process of deep thinking. It slows and clarifies thought: paragraph by paragraph; sentence by sentence; word by word. … More

A Pocketful of Proxies

Progress is in the air. If we could measure progress before it was too late, we could be far clearer about what … More

Where Are The Children’s Adaptations of the Great Works of Science?

Children get a great deal from novels, even challenging Victorian novels. The great themes and rich language are wonderful. And … More

I want you, I need you; but there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you.

I want you, I need you; but there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you. Meatloaf: Two Out Of … More

Textbooks Are Good For You

For two consecutive weeks, I have been inspired to write by Alex Quigley’s brilliant Hunting English blog. This week Alex’s blog … More

Reading in the Wild

There can’t be a piece of wilderness in Britain that wouldn’t be improved by a well written information board. I love … More