Meantime, curiosity had driven me down other paths: I had started a PhD on bubbles in absence of gravity. This included some zero-G work – how could I resist?
I then worked in different places, including teaching science in schools and university, working for the Environmental Agency (listening to people complaining about noisy neighbours or checking mobile antennas) and at Imperial College London (where I tried to squeeze energy out of bubbles). During this time I obtained another qualification: a diploma in Acoustics and some training in health and safety…and finally reached NPL, where my learning continues. Once one gets the knack of learning, I say, it is like going downhill on a bike without brakes: one cannot stop.
