My James Watson story. My partner (J) worked at Nature and a friend (M) took on the role of book review editor (mat cover) in 2002/3. While M was in the role a new book by Watson came in; sent it to review, the review was published in Nature.

Catching an early LeShuttle en route to Switzerland. My 1977 Michelin map of north France not looking as useful as I hoped - the main autoroutes seem to be missing

@liverpooluni.bsky.social's prestigious five-year Fellowships, launched in 2023, are now inviting applications from early career researchers with innovative AI-focused research ideas that address one of the University’s five research frontiers. Closes: 1 Dec 25 news.liverpool.ac.uk/2025/10/24/u...

Our paper on the flower import industry as a route for Culicoides (and their diseases) into Europe is now out 🙌🏽🦟🌹✈️🌍 resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... This is all thanks to @baylism.bsky.social persistence 🙌🏽 @royentsoc.bsky.social @globalvectorhub.bsky.social #VBD #midges #BTV

Very clear message from @brusselsairlines.bsky.social “Due to a technical issue at Brussels airport, it is only possible to do manual check-in and boarding. We strongly advise all passengers to check in online and to use the Self Bag drop when arriving at the airport” Thanks, I’ll do that.

An AI for an AI - new paper by @liambrierley.bsky.social on machine learning approaches to predict avian influenza viruses are zoonotic based on sequence information: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Aedes albopictus Is Rapidly Invading Its Climatic Niche in France: Wider Implications for Biting Nuisance and Arbovirus Control in Western Europe 🔗 buff.ly/5NGai2L

And the birds of the Pantanal - even better than the jaguars!

A few jaguar pics from Porto Jofre in the Pantanal. We were lucky enough to see 7 different jaguars in two days, some hunting caiman, one eating one

It’s the mad mozzy hour in the Pantanal - about 5:40 to 6:30 pm

one of the rules on Sugarloaf mountain is that you are not allowed to apologise for your crimes (3rd from bottom). So I kept quiet and will seek forgiveness elsewhere

I don’t think there is any city in the world as dramatic as Rio de Janeiro - the mix of hills, beaches and islands is astonishing.

I’ve now been retired for two weeks and I have not been to the local tip EVEN ONCE. Admittedly I spent 7 days on a trip to Australia but even so - this isn’t right.

I spent over a year in Australia in the 1980s and saw none of these in the wild. Two hours today on Magnetic Island off Townsville and saw 3 and a baby. Gorgeous place

Enjoying a £59 single of whisky on retirement night

Great visit to the Western Approaches museum in Liverpool today. Fascinating glimpse into a secret past

Officially unemployed!

I’m in my last 3 minutes of paid employment. What shall I do??

Today I put in recycling bins or threw in a skip the contents of my office built up over 40 years. The only way to do it is to not look - start reading and you’ve lost. Emotionally drained regardless

It’s taken 36 years since my DPhil was awarded in 1989 but I have a new qualification. Level 1 City&Guilds in Plastering!

Come on you beauties. Still not fully ripe but can’t be long now

Pain and suffering on women in Christian art - St Peter’s Church, Leuven

Enjoying a couple of days at a conference in Leuven - beautiful townhall, interesting beguinage (look it up) and home of the world’s biggest brewery (AB InBev)

Wonderful brickwork on this property in Leuven, Belgium - incredible angling to fit with the slope of the roof. Never seen anything like it before

My first proper go at plastering. It’s hard!

Third course done, next up the coping (bricks on side) and we’re done. Have realised that if I just carry on, and leave space for a door and add a roof, I could build a house ….

This completely ignores the structure of the British sheep industry with most lambs for the table being 3rd gen products …. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

In my other life I’m a bricklayer. Raised bed coming along nicely! Two more courses to go.

The apricots cometh ….

After nine months of planning, on Tuesday I married my partner of 37 years, @janerees.bsky.social, in Arezzo, Tuscany. Our guests learned about it the evening before. Wonderful time had by all, but especially by us of course

It is a year of change, the most important being that later today, after 37 years together, my partner @janerees.bsky.social and I are marrying in the Palazzo Communale, Arezzo, Italy. It’s going to be a great day - and future together

Oh, for the good old days of conscription and trenches. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Is it a surprise to anyone that Israel starves Palestinians and then shoots them when they come seeking food? www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

No evidence that Culex molestus in the UK - a voracious human-feeding mosquito - is competent to transmit Oropouche virus. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Let’s all celebrate the end of war - while at least three wars are taking place. Did we learn anything?

In my view, this is actually less bonkers than it sounds - as this gulf indents into Saudi Arabia, not Iran. But why bother? www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Getting excited to see @samreesbaylis.bsky.social staring in Cockfosters at the Southwark Playhouse @swkplay.bsky.social

Wonderful job of restoring Notre Dame.

This is my highlight of the Louvre - scribe with belly, 2600 BC. Definitely not Mona Lisa which was like a rugby scrum; or Venus de Milo which is ok, at worst ‘armless. First time there for 44 years. @thelouvreof.bsky.social

Useful trick when there’s a low ceiling #montmartre

A pint if I know you, or a follow if I don’t, for the first person to name the building I took these photos from. Big clue - Paris

Here's one of the incredible dataviz images that Ron Milo just showed at #EMBOclimateResilience, from the excellent Greenspan et al PNAS paper www.pnas.org/doi/epub/10....

Really enjoying these Chinese AI videos taking the piss out of America.

Culicoides human landing catch from this morning in Trinidad - I think it is a mix of C furens and C guyanensis

Came to the place where Oropouche virus was first discovered!

Nothing going down in Trinidad

It’s going to be a long journey to Gatwick carrying this lot on my own - 3 trains, underground and taxis. #oropouche

Stupendous performance of Mahler’s 3rd symphony by @liverpoolphil.bsky.social tonight. Great evening

Shifting the diel - remember to change clocks by an hour tonight