Introduction

I suppose I'd better use the first post to explain a little about this blog.
I'm a University Research Fellow working in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Birmingham, UK.

I've decided that I spend enough time both practicing physics and reading about interesting developments in various related fields that I can contribute a little to the ever-increasing pool of information freely available here on the 'blogosphere' and the internet in general. Why a blog? I like to post things as I find them, and I enjoy a dynamic, interactive medium. Why cake? Well, I like cake, and I always think that mulling over a difficult physics problem always seems easier with a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake.

So what could one potentially expect from this blog?

News from the lab - I haven't been able to find many blogs written from an experimentalist's point of view, so I thought I'd write my own. Expect to find pictures of lovely lab equipment and interesting devices along with stories of experiment success and tales from those days where it just won't work (more often the case).

Physics developments - I like to think that I am 'fairly' in touch with the wider perspective of advancements in the field of physics (particularly solid state physics) so I hope that I can do some good explaining these to both a scientific and a non-scientific audience.

Book reviews - I'm quite interested in popular science and the public understanding of science in general, so I will potentially be writing comments on any books I read of this sort.

Links - I like to hunt down interesting, unusual and comical Physics and Engineering related links on the world wide web.

Cake - There may also be random posts pertaining to cake.