Laurence Pearl 🔥
@laurencepearl
Has-been structural biologist FRS (no really) reinventing himself as a computational cancer geneticist in the post-AlphaFold world. Hooked on boats. Picture - outside Leonard Cohen's house on Hydra after sailing there. ORCID 0000-0002-6910-1809
We had a fantastic afternoon walking to the top of Ditchling Beacon and back down to The Swan in Falmer(John Maynard Smith’s favourite pub), with the wonderful Adam Eyre-Walker and Dave Goulson, both of whom are retiring from Sussex University. Towering figures in Evolution and Ecology
Been learning Greek on Duolingo for 1500 consecutive days !! What was I thinking ?? τι σκεφτόμουν;
Only if you ignore his brilliant seven years starring as The Saint on British TV
Rather nice new ‘heritage’ waiting room at Lewes Station - maybe we’ll get steam trains back next ?
The pumpkins have begun their inexorable march towards world domination
This is the best alcohol-free beer I’ve had, but sadly the brewers couldn’t sell enough - all da youf want NEIPA - so they stopped making it. This is the last can …
Having seen the Bayeux Tapestry in situ in Bayeux, can highly recommend. Slightly bewildered why @britishmuseum.bsky.social are showing it horizontally rather than on the wall as it usually is. Here is the ‘frame’ showing Halley’s Comet
Lewes has its own green reflecting pond - we have ducks in it - in the US you’d probably shoot them
While all you colonials are faffing about with your gimcrack arches and green ponds, here in Lewes we’re celebrating democracy on our own terms. Tom Paine who helped write your constitution lived in Lewes.
Weather and tide both coming together nicely - there will be sculling on the Ouse today !
Many congratulations to my second oldest friend Prof. David Abrahams CBE - lead guitarist in the garage band I was rhythm guitar and singer in in Bury in the early 70s. I think the gong is for his contributions to mathematics though.
I once had to sit next to Prince Charles in 1999 and explain how an anti-cancer drug bound to an enzyme active site - we got him to wear some @icr.ac.uk ‘branded’ stereo glasses
Great to be out on the Sussex Ouse again in Bluebell - the new member of the flotilla. Also good to see the prolific swan couple back again with four cygnets although they do limit how far upriver you can row.
It’s a funny thing, but the episodes of RIVALS my daughter isn’t in just aren’t quite as exciting…
If any of you are watching Season 2 of Rivals - and you should be as it’s the best thing on TV - my girl has a small role in Episode 4 airing today !!
In the Giudecca of Ortigia - the Jewish quarter we were expelled from in 1492. Taking it back one aranchino at a time
I have a non-pleasurable row in prospect in an hour - 30 mins in the rain, against the last bit of incoming tide, and fading light. All to get the boat to the rowing club to haul out on high-water so the wonderful Ryan can figure out and stop the slow leak. Wooden boats are a vocation.
This is the one we go on - largest sailing ship in the world. Very much not cooped up and some extremely interesting people on board.