See also my publications.

Like most people I occasionally get worked up enough about some matter to write a letter to a paper or a magazine about it, and sometimes editors are kind enough to publish my letters.

Normally, that would be that. But recently I have been receiving requests for reprints of some of these letters. When this happens it is flattering, of course, but also worrying: something that I had regarded as a rather throw-away item has acquired an unwanted (well - unwanted by me, at least) gravitas; it is also worrying to think that one's grumpy or facetious thoughts on something have become a subject of earnest study by another person.

Anyway. I have decided to put copies of my correspondence on the web, so that I can refer reprint requesters to them and save my University the cost of a certain amount of photocopying and postage.

Most of these letters were published in The London Review of Books or in The New Scientist, with occasional ones appearing elsewhere. When possible I have included other people's letters that led up to - or that followed - mine.