From my desk

In my spare time, I enjoy reflecting and writing about current affairs, scuba diving, and various other topics. Views expressed in this blog are my own.

Current affairs

Pavel Durov arrested in France (August 2024) on why Durov is not the free speech martyr he is being portrayed as.
Humanity as a relay race (August 2024) on how autocrats break the unspoken intergenerational contract.
On Pride month and Alan Turing (June 2024) on why pride is a powerful counter to shame historically caused by bigotry.
A eulogy to Madeleine Albright (March 2022) where I pay tribute to a life well lived.

Scuba diving and freediving

I have been a PADI Open Water Scuba Instruction (OWSI) and AIDA*** freediver since 2011, although I am only diving recreationally these days. More so than the underwater environment itself, I enjoy reading and writing about the technical aspects of diving, including innovation in equipment, experiments in gas mixtures, and research into the physiology of diving and baromedicine.

Hydreliox: the future of deep technical diving? (April 2024) on the innovative use of hydrogen as a diluent gas for deep rebreather diving.
We are all narced (April 2024) on a little-known mildly anesthetic effect of nitrogen on our daily lives.
On spatial asymmetries (March 2024) on the unreasonable challenges of deep diving.