Monthly Archives: July 2011

Meat Feast

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Pete Rowley

This morning’s post is a slight deviation from my usual topics – it’s a guide to cooking a hangi.  My main reason for posting to be honest is that I don’t keep a diary and my memory is terrible, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

A.R.S.E.

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Pete Rowley

Which is of course logically derived from Acronyms Really Send me sillEe. One of the regular parts of a research career is the endless cycle of applying for research funding.  The various research councils open calls for grants every 6-12 … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Geology, Science | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

No need for cheese on the moon – we have enough in orbit.

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Pete Rowley

So the hatches have finally closed, separating the shuttle from the International Space Station for the very last time.  As I posted earlier last week, the shuttle has achieved a lot, and expensive as it may be it’s a shame … Continue reading →

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Interference is awesome

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Pete Rowley

Obviously the title depends somewhat on context, as Micahel Jackson would no doubt attest (I am of course referring to the inevitable regret he must have felt about trying to sort his nose out… honest).  However, in the particular case … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Science | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How rare is rare?

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Pete Rowley

For some time now the increasing use of what are known as the rare earth elements (REEs) – particularly in electronics components – has lead to growing worries about their supply. Depsite their name, many REEs are actually pretty common … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Geology, Media & Perception, Science, Sedimentology | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

News Wars IV: A New Hope

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Pete Rowley

A long time ago, in a street in Wapping far far away… It is a period of of civil war. Rebel journalists, striking against mass-sackings, are seeking their first victory against the Murdoch Empire.   During the battle, Journalist spies … Continue reading →

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Hazard Assessment Part 3: Ashclouds and Aircraft

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Pete Rowley

Probably the last of these I’ll do for a little while, but perhaps the one with the broadest current public interest. One of the interesting things about the shutting of airspace due to volcanic ash is that – for most … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, General, Geology, Hazard Assessment, Media & Perception, Science, Travel, Volcanism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

STS-135

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Pete Rowley

My first memory of the space shuttle missions was being at primary school, and us all sitting around in the 3rd year classroom to watch Challenger take off.  I was a bit young to really gather what was going on, … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Education, General, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hazard Assessment Part 2: Volcanic flows

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Pete Rowley

Yesterdays post dealt with some of the problems inherent in earthquake hazard assessment, today I’m going to focus on something a little closer to my heart – the problems in assessing volcanic risk.  I will say straight away that I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Geology, Hazard Assessment, Media & Perception, Science, Sedimentology, Volcanism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hazard Assessment Part 1: Earthquakes

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Pete Rowley

The conference I was at over the last two weeks was notable for a very large number of sessions on hazard mitigation.  Volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, storms, and even asteroid impacts all fell under the umbrellas of the various branches … Continue reading →

Posted in Earthquakes, Geology, Geophysics, Hazard Assessment, Media & Perception, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments