Judith Proctor's Journal

I'm really getting into the flow of the Open University work now. My concentration span is improving and I'm getting a lot more analytical about what I'm reading.

Swimming in this chapter. Dolpins and tuna have evolved very similar body shapes, but their swimming styles are very different. This is only a basic level course, but there's a heck of a lot in it. Sometimes you feel you're being packed full of information, others, you feel that you're only getting half the story.

I'd love to know a little bit about fluid dynamics so as to understand more about the effect of micro-turblence. A lot of fast-swimming species have some form of roughening of the skin/scales to create a micro-turblence layer next to the skin. This (I think) increases the speeds at which laminar flow is possible and delays the onset of turbulence - thus reducing drag.

It's very interesting. I'm nearly half way through the course now and I'm hoping to be able to finish it before Xmas. The shoudler trouble makes it hard to take notes sometimes, and the wrists make it hard to type up the course-work, but I'm still getting there, and most of the time I'm enjoying it. I'm hardly watching any TV at all (some days I'm not watching anything).

I'm starting to consider doing a more detailed course next year. It'll only be viable if the voice holds up as I'd have more course work and have to use the voice-writing software, but I'm still getting tempted.