Claire’s Cheery Bye to Cheltenham

Dear All,

I have just got back from Cheltenham and upon reflection I am very pleased to have taken the time to go.

Attending talks outside of even my branch of science let alone my area of science allowed dormant recesses of my brain to be reawakened. I particularly enjoyed being challenged ethically and morally by talks such as the ‘Vegetative State,’ nasally by ‘Insect Communications’ on insect pheromones and on my ability to think infinitely by ‘Life in the Cosmos.’

Even the less memorable talks would have been really good talks anywhere else without having to be compared to such excellent talks.

An association with UCL seemed to crop up in almost every lecture and Dr. Andrea Sella (UCL Chemistry) and Prof. Mark Maslin (UCL geography) seemed to be everywhere.

It was clear through all the talks that it is not necessarily what you are trying to say that makes a talk interesting but how you say it. In the right hands the common rush (juncus effusus) could become the most fascinating plant you have ever heard of and in the wrong hands the majesty of space a snore inducing subject. The power and buzz of good communication was everywhere and has inspired me to try to improve my own communication.

Anyway back to communicate with my computer. I hope that it has been good, while I have been away.

Your Computational Chemist