What a Fish Knows by Jonathan Balcombe

 

This is a fascinating book for anyone interested in fish, whether you've kept them as pets, eaten them or wondered at them swimming in our waterways. It's full of interesting science, which is complemented by anecodotes, which, the author notes "carry little credibility with scientists, but ... provide insights into what animals may be capable of that science has yet to explore and they can inspire deeper reflection on the human-animal relationship". This mix of science of anecdote worked really well for me, and gave a more well-rounded overview than would have been possible relying purely on science, vital  though that is.

We're told about the evolution and ecology of fish, taken through how they perceive the world and given insights into their social lives from how they travel in groups to their parenting styles. I learned a lot about fish that I hadn't previously known, including how they can use the reflections on the water surface to see things out of their direct line of sight and that they can produce an 'alarm chemical' to alert other fish to danger, they can even use tools and engage in social play. 

My favourite part of the book was the in-depth exploration of the complex relationships between cleaner fish and their clients. Cleaner fish hang around reefs waiting for larger fish (and other animals) to come by and then pick off the mites and other parasites from the larger animals' bodies. 

The author takes a strong moral position on the value of fish as thinking, sentient beings, opposing industrial fishing operations and sport fishing alike. I was very impressed too by how he also outlines his ethical misgivings about some of the scientific experiments he cites to back up his arguments. 

This is an excellent, engrossing read. 

What a Fish Knows by Jonathan Balcombe, published (2016) by OneWorld Publications.  

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I posted a new piece on my Crafty Green Poet Substack today, you can read it here.  

Arthur's Seat

 We had a lovely walk round Edinburgh's Arthur's Seat today, here are some of my photos.

 

The Edinburgh Inquirer today has a very interesting article about the human impact on Arthur's Seat over the centuries. You can read it here. 

 

Latest Collages

 I had a flurry of making collages over the winter break. Here are some of my favourites, all made with vintage papers and the occasional extra item - there's a postage stamp in one of them for example. They're all posted into a book that I'm gradually filling with collages, so some of the photos may not perfectly show the finished collage, but you get the idea! 

For the first one here, I was wanting to give an impression of how motoring was seen in the 1930s, which is very different to the way that I (as a non-driver) see it in the current day.  

  The collage below brings together some ideas for Spring fashion, there seemed to be a strange fashion for tweed for Spring in the 1930s, to me it seems far too heavy a fabric for Spring. 

Next up is a collage for summer, again the 1930s woman seems to be obsessed with the right clothes for Spring (though this time she does seem to be more appropriately dressed!)

 

 

And finally, this is my favourite! The wee bit of text says 'it is human nature to put things off' and the pictures come from a variety of sources including a postage stamp (though again two portraits from the same 1930s magazine - it's proving to be a great collage resource!)

 

 

 

 

Wolf Moon by Arifa Akbar

 Subtitled A Woman's Journey into the Night, this is a fascinating and beautifully written book, looking at various aspects of the night, from late night theatre and nightclubs to women's safety, from prostitution to insomnia. There isn't as much about nature as I had hoped there would be, but just enough to justify me reviewing the book on this blog (where my policy is that I only review books that have some connection with nature or environmental issues). 

The author rediscovered her local park during nocturnal walks during the COVID lockdown and discovers how meeting up after dark in parks became a preferred method of socialising for some people she knew. The nature writer Melissa Harrison is quoted as saying that she feels no danger in walking across fields in darkness and that the "satisfaction of an unmediated relationship with the natural world outweighs any potential risks." Towards the end of the book, the author describes her experience on a nightingale walk, visiting a nature reserve specifically in the hope of hearing this iconic noctural songster, and eventually she does: 

"Two nightingales are serenading. The sound is full-throated, effortlessly exquisite, with melodies that are long and lustrous, but then followed by eccentrically jagged harmonies." 

This is a fascinating book about all aspects of night-time, just don't expect to read much about noctural wildlife!

Wolf Moon by Arifa Akbar, published (2025) by Sceptre.  

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My latest Substack post, all about Scottish Gaelic, Nature and Poetry is now up! You can read it here.  

 

Inside the Box, a short story inspired by Schrodinger's Cat

Schrödinger was bored. He'd been stuck in this box for an eternity. Where was his salmon? Where were his toys? There wasn't even any catnip to be found. He knew better than to touch the strange objects in the corner so scratched the side of the box instead. Outside the two legs were talking.

“According to the Copenhagen interpretation, particles exist in all states at once until they're observed and here we consider the cat to represent a particle” a tall bespectacled female said to a group of young two legs gathered round her in the windowless lab.

“So, professor, you're saying that the cat is both alive and dead?” asked a female with her hair in a tight bun “Awesome!”

“Wow!” Schrödinger shouted from the box “Wow!”

The professor and her students looked round at the noise then shrugged their shoulders.

“That goes entirely against common sense” said a male in a Hello Kitty t-shirt.

“Wow! Wow! Wow!” Schrödinger's calls came to a crescendo.

Silence reigned in the lab for a few seconds before the professor cleared her throat “Well someone or something seems to be impressed” she said before continuing with her explanations. “Schrödinger himself originally used this thought experiment to demonstrate the practical limitations of the Copenhagen interpretation.”

If this is a thought experiment wondered Schrödinger, why am I locked away in this box when there are mice to be chased?

“What about the many worlds interpretation, dude?” asked a thin male with a wispy beard.

Several students giggled.

“Let him continue!” the professor nodded at the bearded male.

“Well, dude, once we open the box then the universes split and in one universe the cat is, like, dead and in the other, like, it's alive!”

Please let me go into the universe where I'm alive! Schrödinger shut his eyes and crossed his paws.

“Doood!” a short haired woman said “Like no-one believes that crap surely?”

More giggles.

“A lot of what we're talking about here is only theory!” the professor said. “And strange though it seems, the many world interpretation has some scientific validity and in fact there may be universes where all sorts of different cats turn out to be sitting in this box – cuddly or bad tempered? Ginger or black?. Many people, like most of you, are cynical, I know but it's worth bearing in mind that much of science is odd, so it pays to keep an open mind”.

Never mind an open mind, how about having an open box, thought Schrödinger. I'm dying of boredom in here.

“Wow! Wow! Wow!” he scratched on the side of the box.

“I think it may be time to open the box and see whether our subject is alive.” the professor said. “Remember, there are only two possibilities: yes or no".

The students gathered around in excitement as the professor carefully lifted the lid.

“Wow!” Schrödinger leapt from the box and looked around the lab. He licked his paws carefully one by one as he looked down on the tiny two legs looking up at him from round the table.

“Delighted to see I've ended up in the universe where I'm in control!” he roared.

He set up the Geiger counter, the radioactive substance and the vial of poison on the counter top then stalked out of the lab before the tiny two legs even registered there was a giant cat in the lab. He locked the lab door and turned to the waiting cats in the hallway.

“According to the Copenhagen interpretation, particles exist in all states at once until they're observed” Schrödinger said “and here we consider the two legs to represent particles.”

Originally published on the Quantum Shorts website.  

 

**

For those not familiar with the original idea, here's the Wikipedia link for Schrodinger's Cat.

Weekend Birds

We went for a walk along Edinburgh's Water of Leith on Saturday, possibly a foolish decision, as the section of the walkway we chose (Roseburn to Dean Village) was very icy... (normal winter weather has at last arrived!). We enjoyed watching this beautiful female Goosander as she swam around the river.

Later, we met this very friendly Pied Wagtail 

Cat Portrait

 I drew this portrait as a Christmas gift for Milly (aka Dusty) the wonderfully friendly tuxedo cat who looks after our local free library. 

 And below is the cat himself, for comparison