Richard Beddard

A cumulus congestus transforming into a cumulonimbus as it reaches the stratosphere. Two birds (a Crow and a Wood Pigeon) fly towards it from right to left. Photograph by Kerrie Ann Gardner.

Watching a cumulus congestus transforming into a cumulonimbus endlessly fascinating. As soon as the upper regions reach the tropopause (the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere) they start to spread out, forming an incus, the well known anvil shape of a storm cloud.

The Zipper Is Getting Its First Major Upgrade in 100 Years By stripping away the fabric tape that’s held zippers together for a hundred years, Japanese clothing giant YKK is designing the future of seamless clothing.

YKK, the Japanese company that makes roughly half the world’s zippers, is making the first major uprade in 100 years to the mechanism that holds much of modern clothing together. Wow!

Camouflage of moths.

One of last week's monoprints.

Golden Snowdon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #442Mountains

YouTube video by The Ezra Klein Show Brian Eno on AI, Art and What Makes Us Human

Loved the conversation between Brian Eno and Ezra Klein. One of the rare skills Eno has is to discuss potentially-pretentious topics with neither a trace of pretension nor a trace of post-modern irony. He says insightful things in a straightforward way. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfYY...

The "testicular pie chart". A lost art.
on.ft.com/4gHlvS8

Claerwen Reservoir from Gorllwyn, an especially remote-feeling mountain in the 'Green Desert of Wales'. Its waters journey through an underground aqueduct, eventually quenching Birmingham’s thirst. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #442Mountains

Yes please!!!!

Stunning. When it is available as a print, let me know!!

A cloud sea surrounds Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) from Aran Fawddwy. July 2025 #442Mountains

Skiary by Loch Hourn. Pic: Quintin Lake

Come and see prints of my favourite photographs from #ThePerimeterBook and hear me share stories from the 11,000 km journey. Join us at Klattermusen King’s Road, London, this Thursday from 6pm — free event! Book here 👉 is.gd/MiJmXz

The Art of Travel The Art of Travel [De Botton, Alain] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Art of Travel

I find myself re-reading Alain de Botton's "The Art of Travel" two decades after the first read. I liked it then but had forgotten quite how much. Such a fun, charming, clever book. amzn.to/3VEBRBk

Nice gift "Plate Tectonics Flip Book" from the author Ch. Scotese to our tectonist J. Lazauskienė 😀

Two Hours: The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon Amazon.com: Two Hours: The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon: 9781451685855: Caesar, Ed: Books

Ed Caesar's "Two Hours" is a luminous piece of sports writing - all about the marathon, elite marathoners, Kenyan running culture, and much else. Loved it.
amzn.to/3JDe0PK

Researchers discover a secret weapon that saves babies’ lives. And it’s not medical To save the lives of infants and small kids in lower resource countries, there are a handful of tools: anti-malarial drugs, bed nets and vaccines. A massive experiment in rural Kenya suggests another.

In a “stunning” result from a Kenya study, researchers discover a secret weapon that saves babies’ lives. And it’s not medical.

Yesterday, I completed backpacking across all 188 Welsh mountains, finishing with a camp beside the summit tor of Mynydd Graig Goch after traversing the spectacular Nantlle Ridge. I’d saved the ridge for last, having heard how incredible it is — and it didn’t disappoint. #442Mountains

The Perimeter is now shortlisted for the @wainwrightprize.bsky.social ! If the book spoke to you, I’d love if you’d share it with others – every word of mouth helps. 👉 amzn.to/4mpt9SH ⛺️📷⛺️📷⛺️📷⛺️

I really like the way you broke the scene down into shapes (and the vivid colours). I'm just trying to start sketching again and I've clipped your pic for inspiration. I'm going to look for a scene I can do like this! We're a long way from the sea, so maybe buildings :-)

A little watercolour colour sketch from the beach whilst we were away. Fishing boats and paraphernalia.

Edinburgh chimneys 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

A full-page opener introducing the #Midlothian chapter of #ThePerimeterBook Order here 👉 amzn.eu/d/3pWJtK6

Today I printed the first edition of this vista of Princes Street from Calton Hill photographed during The Perimeter. Browse the #Edinburgh print shop here 👉 is.gd/L7IlW0

Plockton with Sgurr a’Chaorachain and Beinn Bhàn 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

A full-page opener introducing the West Ross and Cromarty chapter of #ThePerimeterBook Order here 👉 amzn.eu/d/3pWJtK6

It's a good 'un! Take a look at my review: popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2021/10/a-ve...

Looking forward to it :-)

The Perimeter is out today!
Here's a quick flick through 11,000 km and ten years'work!
Pick yours up here 👉 is.gd/fyjJcq

A screenshot of a news article that reads: Elliott & Thompson wins Jim Leary book on Neolithic people in five-way auction

Transcript: Elliott & Thompson has acquired ‘The Seekers. Unearthing the Lost Neolithic People of Britain and Ireland’ by archaeologist, lecturer and author Jim Leary. Publishing director Sarah Rigby secured world English-language rights from Jaime Marshall at JP Marshall Literary Agency in a five-way auction, with the book scheduled for release in March 2027. The publisher says: “Our understanding of the Neolithic has been transformed in recent years as cutting-edge science has brought us ever closer to the people of this pivotal era. The Seekers will tell this new story of the Neolithic for the first time. It is a tale of landscapes and legends, antiquarians and archaeologists, communities and connections; a story of the seekers and the sought.”

Well, this is exciting news!
🏺
thebookseller.com/rights/elliott…

For many of us, it doesn’t cost much to improve someone’s life, and we can do much more of it Most countries spend less than 1% of their national income on foreign aid; even small increases could make a big difference.

My latest article on Our World in Data, looking at foreign aid and the difference we can make with personal donations:

ourworldindata.org/foreign-aid-...

Pagans (SF) - James Alistair Henry ***** There's a fascinating sub-genre of science fiction known as alternate history. The idea is that at some point in the past, history diverged ...

Review: Pagans: James Alistair Henry ***** - Extremely engaging crossover between alternate history SF featuring a still-pagan UK divided between Celts, Saxons and others & procedural police mystery. Great fun popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/02/paga... #bookreview #sciencefiction #alternatehistory

'Forgotten' water harvesting system transforms 'barren wasteland' into thriving farmland The half moons even help replenish the water table.

In Senegal, the “forgotten” half-moon method of harvesting water transforms “barren wasteland” into thriving farmland, as part of the Greenwall Project. Remarkable!