Damien's Irishperson in Exile Diary

The rabid and almost comprehensible meanderings of a software engineer and psychology student moved to Cambridge from Ireland.

Archive for the ‘Education’ category

I blame Maggie Philbin for having to learn second-order integration.

September 14th, 2009

Image by Damien Ryan via Flickr

It’s safe to say that Tomorrow’s World was responsible for the careers of most of this generation’s scientists in the UK and Ireland.

The show was oftentimes ridiculed for being out of touch and it was joked that having your product featured there meant it would never be seen outside of a research lab, but that half-hour on Thursday evenings gave a love of science to myself and many others over the years and is sorely missed.

While rumors of its return turned out to be nothing more than a cynical branding exercise, the BBC has finally released some old episodes from its archives. Unfortunately, the SDI simulation that I mistook for reality isn’t one of them.

No comments »

Posted in Education, Television, Video

Elbow Patches, Redux

February 25th, 2008

Image via Wikipedia

This is the time of the year when the excitement of a new set of books and a new course with the OU fades with the onset of the first Tutor Marked Assignment.

For the past couple of years, I’ve been leaving these to the last minute, which has ended up with me writing all night before it needs to be in and trying to buy time travel delivery from the local Post Office.

This year, however, I’m trying to be grown up so I’ve decided to get cracking a week and a half early. I’ve used Mind Maps before when taking notes so tried this
open source application. I’ve managed to create my entire outline in the time it’s taken the boss to have a bath. Maybe I won’t be sneaking envelopes through my tutor’s
door this year.