I have recently been pointed to an article link that makes me tingle with excitement (not like that you dirty monkeys) and also balk with trepidation. The idea that a 'brain' grown in a dish can pilot a plane is... well, it is extraordinary and awesome and the stuff that science fiction is made of, only, apparently, now it isn't fiction. Read here. Nevermind robot vaccuum cleaners and nano-technology (cool as these things are), this is the shit. Seriously. This is on a level with fusion. Come on Future, come on !

And, from the near Future to the distant Past, the Giant Trilobite exhibit is coming together in its mocked-up form in my cubby. Peppy, the replica trilobite, and the almost matched trackway are laid out on a table that matches exactly the space requirements of the case. Different staffers have been dropping in over the last day in order to take a peek. Everyone is getting excited about it and there's a real sense of optimism, in that this exhibit marks the first redevelopment in the Earth Sciences gallery in many years. It keeps getting bigger, but today I had to say to the curator, "I'm sorry, that's just too much for me - I only have two more weeks here." Keep those feet on the ground (or in this case, specifically an ancient Ordovician seabed). I really wish I could be here to see the construction, or even stay on to help direct the other development that will sit alongside this display, but, I also realise that this simply isn't feasible. I'm hoping that I'll be able to see the exhibit's opening, at least. I want it to turn out well - I want this to be something I'm proud of - something tangible, something amazing. I wish I could stay here longer.