Inventing Africa is the title of a fascinating book by Robin Derricourt. It traces several themes of how outsiders have told the history of Africa in order to bolster their own worldview. There are terrific examples of archaeologists who have either contrived to present evidence to suit their own agendas or challenged the prevailing views… Continue reading Telling Africa’s story
Category: Feature
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
What links this Ethiopian postage stamp, the Trojan War, Thomas the Tank Engine and Pink Floyd?
Star of wonder, star of light
This is a short book – you could read it in an evening – and doesn’t need any hard science to understand. There are no equations or even pictures, but he explains some tremendous concepts in astrophysics, cosmology, plate tectonics and particle physics with infectious enthusiasm.
New Horizons – Old Harmonies
[Originally written for New Zenith, newsletter of the Vectis Astronomical Society, 3 January 2019] Early on New Year’s Day [2019], the New Horizons spacecraft successfully achieved its long anticipated flyby of Ultima Thule. At about 43 times the distance from the Earth to the Sun, this was the furthest encounter yet with an object in… Continue reading New Horizons – Old Harmonies