Mapping the world (and Manchester)

Maps and map-making have a fascination all their own. The need to know where we are touches an ancient nomadic nerve that anticipates later exploration and conquest. It’s a case of putting the cartography before the horse or car or ship, in which today’s GPS devices digitally transform parchment and compass.

In search of Troy

The story of Troy has inspired generations. It used to be thought that it was lost in antiquity, but not so. Troy is made up of several cities layered on top of each other, although only one may have known “the face that launched a thousand ships.”

Frozen Planet: The icing on the cake

Watching the astonishing BBC series Frozen Planet (2011) – for which no superlative is an exaggeration – one is struck again and again by life’s diversity, resilience, and incongruity. Narrated by the inimitable David Attenborough, it is a plum pudding of vistas and facts among which is the astonishing story of the Isabella Tiger Moth.

Shakespeare’s herbal lore

In his plays and poems, Shakespeare shows a distinct familiarity with wildflowers and cultivated plants. Their medicinal properties apart, he also senses their psychological effects. But where did he acquire that knowledge?