i gave a talk this afternoon as part of a regulatory conference at the Royal Institute of Great Briitian. It's an amazing place bursting full of historical science.

the lecture hall we were in was where faraday first demonstrated electricity (around the mid 1800s). it's also where they do those christmas lectures you see on TV at ... er ... christmas.

Faraday's table (the lecturing desk) has little gas pipes either side of the main desk for bunsen burners (which i didn't use).

and i got to stand and wave my arms around and point at photos i'd taken of street cleaning vehicle to explain the progress of Broadband Internet access in the UK. how bizarre/fantastic is that !