h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Don't know if Martine is around much these days, but she always used to like hearing about the Pudding Seminars at my college, so thought I would include a brief report on the last two.

On Friday, because we had a Teachers' Open Day, we took them all along (about 30 teachers), having duly warned the 4th-year Engineering undergrad who was speaking. She was absolutely fine about it, very confident, and gave a terrific performance. She was talking about soil liquefaction as a result of seismic activity and the effect of this 'liquid earth' on harbour walls. She had some great photos and a very clear short video of the experiments she is doing as her final-year project. Lots of questions afterwards, which she handled extremely well.

Last week, the talk was by a Senior Member of the College, an art historian, who was talking about portraits of Virginia Woolf by her sister Vanessa Bell, and in particular about the gaps in these pictures - for example the absence of facial features. Again, extremely interesting.

And delicious cake on both occasions!