We've just recorded the 1st episode of the new series of Rare Earth (out on Aug 14th), all about climate & architecture. Can architects shift their focus from shiny new buildings to more creative and more useful modifications to existing buildings? And will we go with them? cc @tomheap.bsky.social

A lovely little bit of physics that you might have spotted if you ever play with a slinky. We should all play more, because we should all embrace our curiosity. And finding out how the physical world works is fun!

Last week I got to hear live an amazing cover of Friday I'm in Love (The Cure), by Charlotte Carpenter. It was made for the @cosmicshambles.com music doc cos I chose the original as one of my favourite songs, and it's 58 minutes in here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=quj8... Do listen - it's fantastic!

This week’s chili pepper harvest, which included the world’s tiniest chili. Cute, but not exactly prolific. @davidho.bsky.social thinks that a tiny chili is better than a radish. I’m unconvinced.

We still think of wildfires as something that happen to other people, in other places. But the world is changing, and the wildfire in Suffolk is a symptom of that. This is how average annual temperature in Dunwich has changed since 1940, from here: era-explorer.climate.copernicus.eu?lat=52.28&ln...

It's the first proper morning at the Latitude Festival and I'm being allowed on a music stage for the first time! I'll spend the rest of the weekend on stage at the @cosmicshambles.com Forest of Science & Culture, talking about science, but it's fab to be part of a live performance of Ocean Songs.

The dates for my Gresham College lectures for next year are now all listed online (six in total, only three shown below), and they'll all be streamed live online. You can also attend in person if you're in London - it's a small but very distinctive venue. www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/se...

Wheeeeeee

I had a lovely day filming for the Everything Electric Show (out mid-August) and not losing my marbles as we discussed the smart homes of the future and a new scheme to help homeowners trade energy at wholesale prices. It was obviously not at all just a pretext for playing with the marble run...

My favourite road sign so far this year, just outside Grasmere. We didn't see one (although when you're going up a really steep hill on a bike it's pretty hard to look), but I hope there was at least one watching us. 🐿️🐿️🐿️

I never quite get over the huge tidal range of the Thames in central London. This is Vauxhall bridge, 40 min before low tide, and it will rise six metres above this level today. And almost no-one in London will notice!

We had a lovely six day cycle trip from Le Havre to Calais. The Eurovelo 4 in that area is fantastic - protected cycle lanes or quiet roads almost all the way, and such beautiful scenery. Ferry from Portsmouth, 370km cycle, ferry back from Dover. Hooray for bikes! cc @davidho.bsky.social

It was great fun to interview David Spiegelhalter about his new statistics book for Intelligence Squared. What does probability really mean and how should we think about it in different situations? Podcast available now on the IQ2 website & feed: www.intelligencesquared.com/intelligence...

Wow. Now there is an idea I didn't see coming. The tiny particles that wear off tyres can apparently act as ice nucleation sites. Cloud droplets need a starting nucleation site & this new paper suggests global tire pollution might matter for clouds. agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Currently at Köln train station. I had checked the temperatures at either end of this journey, but I should also have checked the temp in the middle. Ooof. I asked about the heat, but meeting orgs were clear that they did not see it as a reason not to travel. I should have been more assertive.

Just been out for an early run here in Hannover. 25C at 7am but the reason I could go out is the shade - lots of trees here in lovely long avenues. The UK is going to need much more of this. And trees take time to grow, so we’d better start now!

Londoners, there is a webpage for you to see where your nearest "cool spaces" are when the extreme heat hits - places with water, air-conditioning & shade. Have a look and spread the word, especially to those who may need this but might not think to look for it: apps.london.gov.uk/cool-spaces/

Just finished easily the best book I've read in the past year: Minute Six by @drkevinfong.bsky.social Look out for it in September, especially if you're interested in people, systems & teamwork (and you should be - we all depend on all of them). Absolutely essential reading, brilliantly written.

I think that @carbonbrief.org has done something really interesting with this massive climate science database. Their explanation of the methodology is great, and very helpful for anyone wondering how we know this stuff. But three things jump out to me: [1/n]

Grim timing yesterday as news of the Met Office Red alert flashed up on phones right in the middle of a big event about new Met Office forecasts for June 2056, showing potential peak temperatures of 45C in England. Stopping the CO2 emissions driving this is essential, but we also need to prepare.

**** This is not a drill **** The Met Office has issued a red warning for parts of the UK this week. That means that you *should not* expect to carry on your normal activities. There is a real danger of power supplies & transport failing. Plan now. weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and...

This free fabulous interactive tool is both fascinating and essential. You can click on any location in the world and see its average weather and how it's changed over time. The data shown is from where I grew up & the heating is obvious. Do share! era-explorer.climate.copernicus.eu?lat=50.86&ln...

Ooh, a government consultation just launched on a proposal for a natural history GCSE. The idea has been around for a long time... is it finally about to happen? I love the idea of starting to integrate natural history education on the same level as other subjects. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Hello Cambridge! I'll be talking about my book Blue Machine and all things ocean at the Master's Book Club this Thursday evening (June 18th). It's open to everyone & free, but you do need to register (see link). I'll be signing books afterwards. See you there? www.tickettailor.com/events/churc...

Teachers interested in sustainability, this is for you! UCL's Schools for Sustainable Futures programme is launching & they are looking for pilot schools to run projects and get free support from UCL. See the link for more information. Do spread the word! climateeducation.org.uk/storage/news...

Oh, and here’s the price during that time.

I will continue to be excited by graphs like this one. It shows UK electricity demand over the past 24 hours (white line) and the amount that is supplied by renewables (green). It reached 90% in the middle of the night & was 80% for much of the day. 🎉🎉🎉. Still lots more to do, but we’re on the way.

Right now the UK electricity grid is running on 81% renewable energy and we're here at Everything Electric WEST (in Cheltenham) to discuss, share and celebrate a cleaner greener cheaper world. This is also lots of great news in this area:

It's a great day for renewables on the UK electricity grid: 81.8% renewables, only 7.9% fossil fuels & a negative spot price. I'm not sure why there are still fossil fuels in the mix when the spot price is negative, but I guess it's because of distribution across the country. Anyone know for sure?

Thanks so much to @cerysmatthews.bsky.social for highlighting World Ocean Day (which is tomorrow) on her Radio 6 Music show this morning! It was great to share the ocean love and also to geek out about the astonishing Arctic explorer and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen. 🌊🌊 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...