in a house of lies [book review]

While I found the latest Rankin’s Rebus novels a wee bit disappointing, this latest installment in the stories of the Edinburghian ex-detective is a true pleasure! Maybe because it takes the pretext of a “cold case” suddenly resurfacing to bring back to life characters met in earlier novels of the series. And the borderline practice of DI Rebus himself. Which should matter less at a stage when Rebus has been retired for 10 years (I could not believe it had been that long!, but I feel like I followed Rebus for most of his carreer…) The plot is quite strong with none of the last minute revelations found in some earlier volumes, with a secondary plot that is much more modern and poignant. I also suspect some of the new characters will reappear in the next books, as well as the consequences of a looming Brexit [pushed by a loony PM] on the Scottish underworld… (No,. I do not mean TorysTories!)

the unsinkable…

shooting oneself in the foot (?)

PhD studenships at Warwick

There is an exciting opening for several PhD positions at Warwick, in the departments of Statistics and of Mathematics, as part of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Mathematics and Statistics newly created by the University. CDT studentships are funded for four years and funding is open to students from the European Union without restrictions. (No Brexit!) Funding includes a stipend at UK/RI rates and tuition fees at UK/EU rates. Applications are made via the University of Warwick Online Application Portal and should be made  as quickly as possible since the funding will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. For more details, contact the CDT director, Martyn Plummer. I cannot but strongly encourage interested students to apply as this is a great opportunity to start a research career in a fantastic department!

Adrian Smith to head British replacement of ERC

Just read in Nature today that Adrian Smith (of MCMC fame!) was to head the search for a replacement to ERC and Marie Curie research funding in the UK. Adrian, whom I first met in Sherbrooke, Québec, in June 1989, when he delivered one of his first talks on MCMC, is currently the director of the Alan Turing Institute in London, of which Warwick is a constituent. (Just for the record, Chris Skimore is the current Science minister in Theresa May’s government and here is what he states and maybe even think about her Brexit deal: “It’s fantastic for science, it’s fantastic for universities, it’s fantastic for collaboration”) I am actually surprised at the notion of building a local alternative to the ERC when the ERC includes many countries outside the European Union and even outside Europe…

“Scientists find genetic mutation that makes woman feel no pain”

A frontpage title in The Guardian of yesterday led me to think this was yet another entry about the Brexit Mayhem. Explaining much of the current mess. After checking it appeared to be unrelated… although the patient’s name being Cameron makes one still wonder.

5,000,883 signatures later…