Where the problem with University access lies

The next demo should be about genuinely widening access. Access does not fail at 18 because of tuition fees. Access fails when someone leaves school at 16 for reasons that started much earlier. If the NUS organises a campaign to spend more on the under-fives, I'll be marching with them.

--Nicholas Barr writing in The Guardian

I'd agree with that. Not sure how we're meant to even up the male/female balance in our department if women are persuaded at primary school age they shouldn't aim to be engineers.

Taxing flights

Much as I enjoy being in foreign countries (anyone who says they enjoy long haul flights is either in first-class or a masochist) I have to admit that I also like things like English Oak forests, East Anglia, beaches etc. So... perhaps my days of flying to foreign conferences should soon be rather diminished. So I'm rather pleased that the Tory leader has said he'd be prepared to raise taxes on aviation. Ideally all the leaders of the main parties should announce *before* the next election that taxes on aviation will go up on day one. I won't vote for any party that doesn't promise this - I still think I might have children one day.

Killer Fact!

There are 4 people in the U.S. named Freddie Kruger.

How many have your name?

A science video

As a scientist, but not a biologist, I'm not sure what is going on in this video from Harvard University, but it certainly looks fascinating.