Sheldrake Lecture - 2004

UK: Should Cambridge University Investigate Rupert Sheldrake? (12.8.2026)

The Buddha does not contain ALL knowledge as if it were lying dormant in his mind at any given moment (therefore he is not “omniscient” in this sense) but he does say that an enlightened being can direct the mind in any direction he or she wishes (like a net enveloping and collecting all things) throughout the world, and in so doing bring any part of it into his enlightened conscious awareness.  This lasts for as long as concentration is held in that direction and then fails away – remember that the true nature of the mind is “empty” and spacious – so that all phenomena seems to arise and pass away within it.  In fact the Buddha states a long list of abilities and powers he possesses – including the ability for his mind’s awareness to travel to other worlds.  What happened over-time is that through various commentaries and translations, the fact that the Buddha could move his mind’s awareness in any direction (or none) became conflated with the idea that his mind’s awareness was already in every place and at every time.

William Whiston (1667 – 1752), holding his drawing of the solar system.

UK: I Once Ran a Half-Marathon over 1 Hr 40 Mins [13.25 Miles] in Hereford During the 1980s – and Neither of My Legs Were Broken! (8.8.2026)

I was born in Oxford (Hitler bombed my mother’s family out of working-class Lewisham in 1940) – and I love the history and “learning” associated with the place (I can walk around with a book about Marx on open display and no one bats an eyelid). I did attend Oxford – but I paid to do so – as I could not attain a place due to my own limitations when I was young. It just so happened that my intellectual abilities matured at the same time when I experienced a decade of wealth. Although Oxford does discriminate, I “paid” to access a “Philosophy of Mind” course – which I passed despite not fitting-in (I was in my late 30s at the time and was surrounded by BBC executives, Guardian Reporters, and UN employees – but my family was proud). However, I was told a story of a young woman who was born into a poor working-class family and brought-up on a housing estate.

US: Gun Crime “Equality” Spreads to Chinese Community! 31.8.2023)

Details from Qi’s social media activity suggest a complex personality. He frequently shared images of his culinary creations, displaying his enthusiasm for cooking. However, his posts also revealed his struggles with his research and feelings of isolation. His final social media post on Aug.1 pondered over postdoctoral positions and the nature of truth.

Observers have noted that his social media activity exhibited some dissatisfaction with his advisor but lacked substantial evidence of wrongdoing. It is suggested that his introverted nature, combined with pressures from academic and personal challenges, might have contributed to his emotional struggles.

Commentaries stemming from this tragedy shed light on the importance of mental health and the need for adequate support systems within academic environments, especially for international students facing cultural and academic pressures. It also underscores the significance of effective communication and understanding between advisors and students to foster a healthy academic environment.

Chinese Structural Biologist Yan Ning Will Return to China to Establish Medical Academy (2.11.2022)

In 2014, Yan’s team analyzed the three-dimensional crystal structure of the human glucose transporter GLUT1 for the first time.

Then she was invited by Princeton to take up the post of Shirley M. Tilghman, Professor of Molecular Biology, in May 2017, and held a concurrent post of professor in Tsinghua at the same time.

In 2019, she was elected as a foreign member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences for outstanding contributions to research. She became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences two years later.