I have not managed to post about my OU experiences as much as I would have liked. Last year I studied MST124 – Essential Mathematics. I did also begin S141 but very quickly found I didn’t enjoy it so stopped that. I seriously enjoyed MST124. One reason for beginning this degree in Astronomy and Planetary…

This is an indulgent post, so forgive me. I have categorised it under Personal so that does explain it away. Since I lost my wife last year, I keep getting these sudden, crystal-clear insights into ideas. One that frequently hits, and hit they do, is the concept that in a sudden moment, all of your stuff,…

So, I’m in one of the many queues here at defcon, but never has queueing been such fun. Everybody talks to everybody else and then there is the blow – up world ball acting as the crowd volleyball – great community. Not sure what I will purchase when I get in but need to see…

I can’t quite beleive that I am off to defcon 25 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Booked it on a whim last September and it’s arrived., quite scary. Being a newbie at defcon isn’t for the feint hearted I understand, so it will be an education. I will endeavour to write here as it…

Okay so I took the exam in Canterbury. It was really a very pleasant experience. Exams I had taken in the past determined my future, my career. This was for the hell of it and as such made not a jot of difference to my life. In fact I was in the mindset, well I…

I intended to blog quite frequently on my way through my first module with the OU. Part of the problem has been that it has overtaken my life! On reflection, how could it do anything else but that. What I will do in this piece is try and describe my expeience as an OU newbie…

Not just a very smart name, this a capella band are outstanding. I was vaguely aware of them from BBC’s Naked Choir last year which I quite enjoyed I remember. But my youngest daughter is a great choir fan and talked me into taking her to see Gareth Malone at The Royal Festival Hall last…

I love it. I could leave it there. This course is wonderful. Each page I turn brings something else that simply makes my day to know. I’ve always had an interest in most science, but to learn it to some degree of detail and MAKE yourself understand it as properly as you can is different….

I saw Ascension Island mentioned on the BBC News website today. Having recently gained a great interest in Geology and Earth Sciences, I thought I would have a look using the satellite view in Google Maps. A lot of the imagery of the island is ‘redacted’, I assume because there is an air base there….

Well the title sounds grand and I’m hoping the course will be. I unexpectedly found myself with a lot of time on my hands and a great need to fill it with something meaningful and worthwhile. Enrolling for this course was the answer. I remember as an 11 year old, I would wake early in…