Make it snappy
Food physics and the importance of crunch: an article in Physics World, November 2016. pdf
Other
Chartres and the Triumph of the Medieval Mind
A look at the twelfth-century Renaissance through the windows of Chartres Cathedral: from Nature 452, 816 (2008) pdf
Diffract, then destroy
A profile of the forthcoming European X-ray Free Electron Laser, published in Physics World, September 2016. pdf
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: a myth of anthropoeia
This is the fourth chapter of my book Unnatural (2011), which I’m making available for the bicentenary of the publication of Frankenstein. pdf
Forgotten prophet of the Internet
“Forgotten prophet of the Internet” (book review), Nature 509, 425 (2014). Available here.
The Saga of the Sunstones
An exploration of what historians and archaeologists say about the hypothesis that Vikings used “sunstones” with special optical properties to navigate.
Download PDF.
The Crawick Multiverse
An article about an extraordinary meeting to celebrate an equally extraordinary landscape sculpture, in June 2015.
Download PDF.
Quantum Biology: an introduction
The text of a talk given at the Royal Institution, London, January 2015.
Download PDF.
The molecular roots of evolution
Extended version of “Celebrate the Unknowns”, published in Nature 496 419-420 (2013).
Download PDF
From Symbol to Substance
An augmented version of an essay on light art and technology for the catalogue of the exhibition “Light Show” at the Hayward Gallery, London, Jan-Apr 2013
Download PDF.