An Exercise in Irrelevance

Following my holiday, I’ve decided to create two new categories for my blog, one for all my professional pieces and one for my personal.

This blog fulfils two many purposes. Firstly, it serves as a memory aid for myself; I can look back at the things and the ideas that I’ve had in the past. Secondly, I use it to publish these ideas. I’m aware that the former is the more important than the latter; like most blogs, this site is not heavy traffic.

I do publish about my personal life here, but this is not a full disclosure blog; it’s called “an Exercise in Irrelevance” for exactly this reason. I put occasional reviews of things up; places I’ve visited or music that I’ve listened to. All about my reactions to public events. This blog isn’t meant to be a soap opera.

I also publish posts about my work here. I think, over time, these will become more important; recently, I’ve been the blog as lab book but I think it will also start to become a more formal publication route.

Given this, I think it makes sense to separate the two strands, to enable the few subscribers that I have to choose whether to read about my life outside science or not. Personal, Professional or Everything, the choice is yours.

I’ve just read on BBC news the distressing news that the authorities are going to try and clear the Seals from La Jolla beach. I’ve been there twice now, once last year on holiday and once about 5 years ago while working. I only went the second time because I wanted to see the seals again.

The reason seems, frankly, daft. The pool was gifted to the city if it became a “public area”. But, apparently, it isn’t public if kids shouldn’t swim in it because the seals don’t clean up after themselves.

Well, yes, okay, this is true. But just become some philanthropist in the 1930s made a statement doesn’t mean that we should live be this now; new knowledge has arisen. While a seal reserve might not be the original intent use, it’s still allows the obvious public use of watching the seals.

The real irony of the situation is the philanthropist in question was Ellen Browning Scripps, who also funded the Scripps oceanographic institute, familiar to many, and in San Diego, the Natural History museum, Zoological gardens and Research labs in Balboa park.

We need more public understanding of the life around us. The La Jolla seals are a rare and precious beacon that should be preserved; let’s face it, San Diego is not short of areas for kids to paddle in.