What is change? This is one of the 'problem based learning' exercise questions we sometimes ask our new clinical psychology trainees to research and report on, with particular reference to clinical practice. It's a peculiarly science fictional theme too, where the notion of the 'future' as distinct from the present is speculated upon, very often ...

On the Colour and Texture of Intelligence James D. Watson (of DNA double-helix Watson & Crick fame) has recently cancelled several UK engagements to return to the US, having made comments that revealed a belief that black people were 'less intelligent' than whites. The assertion was based on his belief that: 'There is no firm reason ...

For any who might be interested, I've uploaded the short piece that was originally published in the BSFA's Vector 147 (2006), entitled The Search For South African Science Fiction, under the SF in SA section (part 5); although for the sake of continuity, part 3 was added on after I'd written the Vector piece. Tanya Barben, ...

It is anti-racism blog week currently: http://community.livejournal.com/ibarw/ – so I guess it's only fitting I've recently read Steve Biko's I write what I like - a collection of political essays banned at the time in apartheid South Africa. The official (white) line at the time was obviously that his ideas were of extreme, radical ...

I have recently read The Denials of Kow Ten (1998) by Jenny Robson, a South African Young Adult (YA) writer. Jenny has written an interesting take on the future, harnessing ideas from – amongst other sources – Ayn Rand. The novella is "brave" too, in the sense that the ending is less than upbeat, reflecting ...

Stories come in many forms and I heard one recently in Cape Town, all the more impressive for its basis in reality. Having organised with the South African Environment Project (SAEP) - http://www.saep.org/ - to go into a township school again, I ended up spending two mornings at Sophumelela Secondary (High) school near Phillipi in ...

Just a snippet of a dream to share since last time - 'losing' my youngest daughter while busy running around dealing with demands from a variety of people - to which I woke abruptly with a shock and some relief it was 'only a dream'. This was obviously a message reinforcing the need to finding ...

Just a brief update before uploading more information at the end of this month (February 2007) - I have made available several copies of my book The Stone Chameleon for purchasing through Amazon.co.uk - I have done this as I am aware it is difficult getting hold of personal copies through the publisher Maskew-Miller Longman, ...

Happy New Year to all for whom it is a new year- and hopefully a continuing happy 'old' year for those to whom it is not new! I have good news since my last blog - it seems that the High Court in Botswana has ruled in favour of the San against the Botswanan ...