If you're stymied about what to buy as a Christmas present, take heart. You're sure to find something in the New Optimists' recommendations about what makes a good read.

They've wide-ranging tastes -- topics include food, computer games, the life of trees, novels and poetry plus biology with gallons of gore as well as other favourite popular science books . . . so there's something in there for everyone. And don't forget to buy their own book, too -- The New Optimists: Scientists View Tomorrow's World and What It Means to Us.

A great way to support science in the region, as well as spreading the word about what these remarkable men and women are doing, right here, to make our world a better place.

note: Profits from the sale of The New Optimists will be ploughed back into science research in the region.

Monday is to be D-Day for local government, as councils and other services including the police discover how much their budgets are to be cut by.

It will also be the day that Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles publishes the Localism Bill, which should tell us exactly what is happening with mayors.

This letter was published in The Birmingham Post today. The letters by the names of some signatories indicate the position they hold - L for lecturer and SL for senior lecturer.

Dear Editor, Students across the city have been leading energetic protests against plans to raise university fees and to cut provision and support. We are writing to add our voices to these protests.

The coalition Government has expressed its agreement with the recommendations of the Browne Review of university funding, with the minor amendment that universities will be able to charge no more than £9,000 per year for undergraduate courses.

The 350th anniversary day of the Royal Society was this last week, and Brum-graduate Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse (about whom I've written before) became President of the said Society. So it seems right that this blogpost should be about one of the "inspirational" New Optimists who can put the prestigious letters, FRS, after his name.

He's Professor Peter Sadler, Fellow of the Royal Society.

He's a chemist. Just finished his three-year stint as Head of the Chemistry Department at Warwick University in fact.

He's an inorganic chemist to be precise. So knowledgable about the hundred or so elements that make up everything in the known universe.

Like any scientist, though, he's more aware of what he doesn't know in his area of expertise than what he does. His optimism is grounded here, in what he doesn't know, and so in the excitement of discovery.

He has reason to be. His discoveries have made our world a better place.