Total of British Soldiers killed in Afghanistan = 362
Today I've discovered a new heroine.
I was chairing this morning's session of a Westminster Education Forum conference on scientific research. It was held in the swish location of Over-seas House in St James's Street London.
The first of six speakers in my session was the Baroness Greenfield. She is an Oxford Professor and Director of the Institute for the Future of the Mind. Her latest book is an exploration of what it means to be human in a world of rapid change. She sparkled and fizzed in a brilliant blizzard of ideas.
My notes are an imperfect summary and I cannot do justice to her contribution. The transcript will be available soon. But my recollection is that among the things she said were, 'Why have 'Centres of Excellence'? How do we know they are 'excellent' until they've been successful. Why not tell the truth and call them Centres of Mediocrity?' Why can't we have talking toothbrushes that warn us about gum diseases?
She was also provocative and illuminating about nano-technology. On Tuesday I was given the task of writing a report on this exciting subject for the Council of Europe. I will be dipping into her books soon. If she writes half as well as she speaks, it will be a joy.
MP-Pad
It was a mistake in the Welsh Assembly but it will work in the House of Commons.
Allowing the A.Ms in Cardiff to check their e-mails while debates take place destroys any attentive atmosphere - even at First Minister's Questions. They 'do-nut' around the speaker and rarely raise their heads to give the speaker even the odd glance.
In the Commons MPs often wait for hours for our turn to speak in debates. Occasionally the speeches of other MPs are not always fascinating. The new rules will, as far as I understand it, allow iPads but will continue to ban laptops. The Procedure Committee had little choice because at least three MPs on the Labour side are already using iPads - Kerry McCarthy, Alun Michael and Stephen Timms. the rule was changing itself.
It will be a great advantage to use a full size keyboard in the Chamber. Even at Question Time, it's not unusual to wait an hour to ask a question that lasts less than a minute. Odd coincidence that the new rule arrives the day before iPad 2 is on sale here.
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