My name is Jon James. I am a retired scientist living on the Camarthenshire-Pembrokeshire border in West Wales. My first degree, from the University of East Anglia, was in theoretical thysics. I then went on to study for an MSc in ‘The Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations’ at Reading University while on day release from the Uk Meteorological Office, where I worked on numerical weather and climate prediction.
Returning to academia I obtained a Phd with a dissertation based on the brain imaging technique Magnetoencephalography. I then joined the physics and engineering department of the Open University where I worked on the use of neutron diffraction to measure residual stress in engineering components and archaeological artifacts.
I enjoyed contributing to various Open University courses before retiring as Senior Research Fellow in 2016.
Rockpools
Since moving to Wales I have become involved in various wildlife charities concerned with the marine environment.
In particular I have developed, in conjunction with the Fishguard based Sea Trust1. charity, the Pwll y môr2. website which uses a novel application of photo-mosaics to provide explorable habitat images which are used for research (monitoring and recording habitat change) and education.
Note. This is a revision of an earlier website*. I have found it hard to find the right format to record various activities and interests in the past – but the urge to do so is still there. For this reason I have decided to move to a simpler Blog/diary that can cover whatever I find interesting at any particular time. I sincerely hope anyone reading this finds it enjoyable or interesting, but, as it can be inhibiting to worry too much about design and maintaining coherent themes, I have decided to just write what seems good to me at the time.
Synopsis: The main thrust is likely to be some sort of real-time, philosophical enquiry embedded in nature writing. Recurrent sub-themes are likely to include Birds, Rockpools and the sea, The Preseli hills, Physics and Philosophy. The presentation will mainly be written prose, but there may be poetry and music at times!
* Material from the previous version of this website is being added to the ‘Archive’ section of this one.
Jon James 