Reading Roars!

Walking past Debenhams this afternoon, I chanced upon a large crowd of people standing somewhat cheerfully outside Vue. Were they waiting for a movie celebrity? Was Johnny Depp in town? I popped over to investigate, joining more onlookers on the Oracle Riverside bridge.

Hearing an alarm ringing from within the cinema foyer, I suspected a fire. Or something terrorist-related (you can’t discount it these days). Two people standing beside me answered my question (though not conclusively):

A: There’s a fire, the alarm’s gone off and they’re waiting outside.
B: There’s no fire, it’s just a drill!
A: It’s a fire. I used to be a fireman.

So was it a fire or not? I didn’t see a plume of smoke, and late Saturday afternoon is not a suitable time for a drill. It’s a burning issue - can anyone help?

Reading is in a conquering mood these days. Defeats by big boys Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool appear not to have dented their confidence in any way. The Royals are looking quite a potent force - and claimed another victory this afternoon away against London side Fulham.

A right-footed penalty taken by Kevin Doyle gave Reading the three points after he was brought down by Ian Pearce, subsequently red-carded.

The win elevates Reading to 6th in the Premiership table, still ahead of established top flight players Everton, Liverpool, Spurs, Middlesbrough, Man City, Newcastle…

Read the BBC match report.

One week ago, I was having a pub conversation with a friend about the 3 Bs. We weren’t actually at the 3 B’s (I think it was the Allied Arms) - instead the talk centred on what the 3 Bs represented (beer, bulbs and biscuits) and their influence on the town. Thus, we agreed that Huntley & Palmer’s were a significant force and, once we digested that, concurred that beer did add a bit of fizz to the town’s history.

But bulbs? We couldn’t work it out. But now I think I know.

It has to be because of the town’s Christmas lights.  I’m guessing there are thousands of those blue bulbs this year, twinkling in the trees like blue-arsed fireflies. An improvement over last year? If you dig Christmas, then yes. But why blue? Of course, red is harsh, Satanic even, and environmentalists would be up in arms (no pub intended) if the lights were green (green makes a statement - and consider the bulbs’ high energy consumption). But why not a nice golden, er, gold?

Anyway, the psychology of the colour blue is explained by About.com as follows:

Blue is described as a favorite color by many people and is the color most preferred by men. Women tend to buy blue clothing for men because they believe men prefer it.

Is this an attempt to draw male consumers into the town centre? Could be! About.com continues

Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly.

A-ha! A surefire way to instill calm in drunken yobs? Maybe!

Can someone shed some light on the matter?

Here’s an interesting find on YouTube: Reading IDR Timelapse.  The video, taken 12 months ago, is described as

Timelapse footage of traffic on the Inner Distribution Ring (IDR) in Reading, Berkshire (UK) filmed in November 2005 over a period of approx. 6 hrs between 11am and 5pm. As the day progresses, the morning drizzle can be seen turning to a heavy downpour, causing the light to quickly fade and the windows to steam up.

Why is this footage interesting, other than the fact that it’s voyeuristic?  The IDR, the ugly, imposing road strangling the town centre, is an iconic piece of Reading. It is a part of the town’s modern history.  A part of the town’s identity.  Furthermore, the  IDR is set to change forever.  The video therefore captures the IDR (and usage) as we know it in all its absurdly concrete glory.

Someone please put a copy of this video in Reading Museum (Tate Modern might be interested too).

You may have noticed a map on the sidebar. Provided by ClustrMaps, the map depicts areas, or clusters, on the globe where visitors to this blog are located.

As expected, the red dots appear to be mostly concentrated in more developed or connected parts of the planet, but a dot has now surfaced in deepest Amazonia. I’m guessing that this dot represents Manaus, a Brazilian city in the heart of the Amazon. Who accessed this blog in Manaus - and why? I’m eager to find out.

In an earlier post, I mourned the declining interest in science. However, there is hope. Scientists are bringing their ideas to…the pub.

Café Scientifique is an initiative delivering science talks to the Queens Head Pub located near Reading University on Christchurch Road. The next session will be held on Monday 4 December, with Dr Stephen Harrison speaking about glacial melt and climate change. Chris Warrick will address a beery crowd on Monday 15 January 2007 on the subject of fusion.

These sessions have been running for two years, as far as I can gather, with talks ranging from the bizarre (The Science of Middle-Earth; The Science of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy) to topical stuff (Obesity, dietary fats and health). The Café’s organising team has even been congratulated by a member of the Lords’ Select Committee on Science and Technology.

If you want to make science accessible, this is definitely a good approach to take, in my opinion.

University of Reading lecturer Dr Tony Corley is to give a free public talk on how funding from biscuit makers Huntley & Palmer resulted in the founding of the University in 1846.

The lecture will be held at 6pm on Wednesday 6 December at the University’s Wolfgang van Emden Theatre. Biscuits will be provided at 5.30pm.

How times have changed. It could be argued that Reading Uni is now videolar hizli kuryebetter associated with another of the 3 Bs: beer. Something that some students should be lectured more strongly about, perhaps.

My goodness. Days after spanking Spurs 3-1, Reading chided Carlton with a 2-0 victory, with goals coming from cool Korean Seol Ki-Hyeon (18) and Kevin Doyle (72). Charlton, according to the BBC match report

were constantly upstaged by a Reading side who were clearly showed more enthusiasm and zip in their play.

The Berkshire club’s latest win leaves them 8th in the Premiership, above heavyweights Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle. It is a truly remarkable achievement. Forthcoming fixtures include an away game against Fulham, a home match with Bolton and away encounters versus Newcastle and Watford. I’m scenting more victories here.

You’ve seen Google Maps (probably), now check out a cooler mapping service from the past Kings of Cool, Microsoft: Windows Live Local Search.

Live Local offers aerial images of the UK in stunning clarity. Like Google, you can zoom in and out, and see your chosen location in road, aerial or hybrid (an aerial pic with road names superimposed) views. But I immediately preferred Live for its sharper, more detailed imagery (and why not - we are all Big Brothers now, aren’t we?). Reading looks absolutely super. (more…)

Opposition grows to Reading University’s proposal to close its Physics Department. In an open letter, the University’s Vice-Chancellor explains

the number of physics students that have been sent by their school to Reading University during the past (say) 10 years. In each case this would have been a number very close to zero…In any case, student numbers alone are not sufficient to sustain the Department.

It’s a worrying trend. We need more scientists in this country. We really are dumbing down in my opinion (I know how soft we’ve become as I was accepted into university with paltry A Level grades). The University’s decision was sadly inevitable and surely leaves a black hole in learning.