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During today's swim there was a downpour. The raindrops on the water made for a fascinating sight. #RWSABC #inverclyde #greenockesplanade #Greenock #openwaterswimming #downpour (at The Royal West of Scotland Boat Club)

I did this swim with Stacey. Strong westerly wind (Force 6). We went in 16:10. High tide at 16:35. Sunny weather with showers. Water temperature 8.9 degC. Swim out was 7m30s while the swim back into wind and waves took 10m30s. We swam 505m. Nice swim! (at The Royal West of Scotland Boat Club)

On the 16th of June seven international clean energy organizations launched a major new campaign aimed at keeping nuclear power out–as in completely out–of all negotiations at the upcoming COP 21 climate talks in Paris in December. To me this is a really bad idea. Existing Nuclear technologies are the best way to decarbonise electricity production. Newer technologies, Small Modular Reactors especially, have the ability to decarbonise electricity production as well as other sectors. Two sectors that come to mind immediately are process heat and marine transport.

We did a really fun hill walk today. This is Tinto Hill from the Wiston side. The walk was around 5km with 450m of elevation gain.

Asgard

WELL begun; half done. That proverbor, rather, its obverseencapsulates the problems which have dogged civil nuclear power since its inception. Atomic energy is...

This article from The economist magazine talks about using Thorium as a Nuclear Fuel instead of Uranium.  Thorium has several advantages over Uranium and in the view of the author of this article the most important is the relative resistance to proliferation compared to Uranium.  I learned a few things from this article.  The things I learned was that the US did build a few bombs out of U233 which is the fissile element formed from the fertile Thorium.  I was always a bit unsure as to whether or not any bombs had been built.  The article also confirms my prior understanding that U233 makes a poor nuclear bomb material because of the presence of small amounts of other radioactive isotopes that emit hard gamma radiation that messes up the other mechanisms required for a bomb.

Boxing Day Swim 🏊 - High tide, Force 7 High Winds Near Gale - David, Ernie and I didn't go far. We went up The Esplanade for around 100m the went towards the MOD slip and then back. We were in for around 12 minutes. The squalls and spray when you in the water are exciting. Water temperature 8.2degC (at The Royal West of Scotland Boat Club)

Check out @jbheffernan's Tweet:

Lovely day - very calm 2 hours before high tide. I did a non wetsuit swim on my own. 675m in 18:24 water temperature 8.6 degC #inverclyde #rwsabc #openwaterswimming #greenock #scotland #theesplanade #clouds (at The Royal West of Scotland Boat Club)

The fuel of the future, unfortunately

WHAT more could one want? It is cheap and simple to extract, ship and burn. It is abundant: proven reserves amount to 109 years of current consumption, reckons BP, a...

This article from The Economist magazine dated April 19th to 25th April suggests that Coal is going to play a large role in providing electrical power for he foreseeable future.  This will be especially true in poorer countries.  What we need is to make nuclear cheaper than coal.  

How do you get through all your emails? I don't

Tonight I am feeling a bit down. I was working on my emails at home when I remembered an important email from a student that needed a reply.  I first had to find the email which took a few minutes.  I then looked out some information.  I couldn't find the exact information I needed but I think I found enough to make a reasonable reply.

The student had written to me about resitting an exam in their home University.  This is a pretty big deal because of the cost involved in travelling from her home country back to Paisley to take a 2 hour exam.  There would probably be some accommodation and meals expenses also.  The email I was responding to had come in on the 9th of December and I was replying on the 17th.  Unfortunately, the 9th of December was beyond the cut off date for making an application to sit the exam outwith the University.  I told her this, gave her some other information and even provided an alternative that might be a better solution.  At that point I was thinking I have done as much as I can.  

I then went to file her email and guess what I found? I found another email from the same student dated 3 October.  I had never even opened this email.  It must have gotten buried before I saw it.  I am now feeling pretty down because had I picked up the first email the ideal solution could maybe have been implemented.

I do wish that this student had pestered me a bit more.  I don't hold it against someone to send a second email if the first hasn't had a response.  In addition, I have my phone and mobile numbers at the bottom of my emails.  Why don't people pick up the phone or text more?

There isn't much more to say. After I finish writing this I have to go an email the student and say I am sorry but I don't think my words are really enough.