Matthew Cobb
@matthewcobb.bsky.social
Professor Emeritus (University of Manchester), writes on biology, history of science & French Resistance. Biography of Francis Crick, out in Nov 2025.
Link to publications: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8258-4913
Link to publications: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8258-4913
Sutton Hoo burial mounds.
November 30, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Sutton Hoo burial mounds.
The astonishing landscape of Sutton Hoo with the river Deben in the distance
November 30, 2025 at 12:15 PM
The astonishing landscape of Sutton Hoo with the river Deben in the distance
Southwold beach and pier
November 30, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Southwold beach and pier
Southwold beach in the morning
November 29, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Southwold beach in the morning
Southwold beach by moonlight
November 28, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Southwold beach by moonlight
Abebooks (annoyingly owned by Amazon) has a reasonable price but unreasonable shipping…
November 27, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Abebooks (annoyingly owned by Amazon) has a reasonable price but unreasonable shipping…
No Amazon, I don’t think so.
November 27, 2025 at 11:19 AM
No Amazon, I don’t think so.
Or as Raymond Chandler wrote to a pal:
November 27, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Or as Raymond Chandler wrote to a pal:
I'm often asked about the Cricks' Cambridge parties, which are mainly known through rumour and reputation.Here's the late Lisa Jardine, who as Lisa Bronowski was a student at Cambridge in the 60s and a family friend, through her Dad, and went to those parties. This was recorded in about 2009.
November 26, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I'm often asked about the Cricks' Cambridge parties, which are mainly known through rumour and reputation.Here's the late Lisa Jardine, who as Lisa Bronowski was a student at Cambridge in the 60s and a family friend, through her Dad, and went to those parties. This was recorded in about 2009.
Here's a clip from my chat yesterday with @erictopol.bsky.social – this is about Crick's first encounter with the psychedelic poetry of Michael McClure, in 1959. For the full chat (it lasts an hour - you could just listen) go here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns2c...
November 26, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Here's a clip from my chat yesterday with @erictopol.bsky.social – this is about Crick's first encounter with the psychedelic poetry of Michael McClure, in 1959. For the full chat (it lasts an hour - you could just listen) go here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns2c...
You (= I) don’t hear the word “aqualung” much these days. Though more than I expected, apparently. Unless they are references to Jethro Tull.
November 26, 2025 at 9:43 AM
You (= I) don’t hear the word “aqualung” much these days. Though more than I expected, apparently. Unless they are references to Jethro Tull.
Here's an extract from my chat with @erictopol.bsky.social about Crick; this is about his involvement in 1980s work that helped lead to today's "AI"'s. Full video here: substack.com/home/post/p-...
November 25, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Here's an extract from my chat with @erictopol.bsky.social about Crick; this is about his involvement in 1980s work that helped lead to today's "AI"'s. Full video here: substack.com/home/post/p-...
I assumed all of these injuries to footballers, ably portrayed by the genial @davidsquires.bsky.social, were made up… But no. Full list here: www.theguardian.com/football/200...
November 25, 2025 at 2:10 PM
I assumed all of these injuries to footballers, ably portrayed by the genial @davidsquires.bsky.social, were made up… But no. Full list here: www.theguardian.com/football/200...
Obligatory London tourist pic
November 23, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Obligatory London tourist pic
This version isn’t complete either, but you can see that offspring are in the lower part. Doesn’t quite make sense, in that the upper ancestral part is where you would expect more detail…
November 22, 2025 at 9:02 AM
This version isn’t complete either, but you can see that offspring are in the lower part. Doesn’t quite make sense, in that the upper ancestral part is where you would expect more detail…
Ha! Well he wasn't wrong, I don't think. A form of collective hysteria, he told Klug. John Maddox – an anniversary maniac – began preparing the 50th anniversary at the time of the 40th. Sometimes he hit the nail on the head, though, as in this cover of Nature from the *21st* anniversary:
November 19, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Ha! Well he wasn't wrong, I don't think. A form of collective hysteria, he told Klug. John Maddox – an anniversary maniac – began preparing the 50th anniversary at the time of the 40th. Sometimes he hit the nail on the head, though, as in this cover of Nature from the *21st* anniversary:
That phrase is the title of a brilliant handbook, which doesn't deal with oceanic animals, but is highly recommended. Plus it's a great title.
November 19, 2025 at 1:06 PM
That phrase is the title of a brilliant handbook, which doesn't deal with oceanic animals, but is highly recommended. Plus it's a great title.
Correction to the @adamrutherford.bsky.social footnote. This is better, he says:
November 18, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Correction to the @adamrutherford.bsky.social footnote. This is better, he says:
A footnote I have written just for @adamrutherford.bsky.social .
November 18, 2025 at 12:08 PM
A footnote I have written just for @adamrutherford.bsky.social .
The origin of 'pedigree'. This type of C12 figure (not a family tree but a way of calculating relatedness – the titles of various relatives have not been put in the circles) looked like a crane's foot, thought medieval folk. So 'pied de grue' and hence 'pedigree'. Source in alt.
November 18, 2025 at 9:44 AM
The origin of 'pedigree'. This type of C12 figure (not a family tree but a way of calculating relatedness – the titles of various relatives have not been put in the circles) looked like a crane's foot, thought medieval folk. So 'pied de grue' and hence 'pedigree'. Source in alt.
Or this woman taking her goose for a walk...
November 18, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Or this woman taking her goose for a walk...
Fabulous Saxon family tree from the 12th century. This will feature in my next book THE IDEA OF HEREDITY. Source in alt text.
November 18, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Fabulous Saxon family tree from the 12th century. This will feature in my next book THE IDEA OF HEREDITY. Source in alt text.
@adamroberts.bsky.social did you see this interview with David Szalay in The Observer? Not sure if it has 'long been a source of speculation' but you nailed it!
November 16, 2025 at 5:34 PM
@adamroberts.bsky.social did you see this interview with David Szalay in The Observer? Not sure if it has 'long been a source of speculation' but you nailed it!
My attempt at Deightoning
November 16, 2025 at 12:48 PM
My attempt at Deightoning
Len Deighton, the king of cool, apparently the first author to use a word processor (the thing that takes up the right side of the photo), working on his novel BOMBER with cutaway images of a Ju88 and (?) a Beaufort.
November 16, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Len Deighton, the king of cool, apparently the first author to use a word processor (the thing that takes up the right side of the photo), working on his novel BOMBER with cutaway images of a Ju88 and (?) a Beaufort.