Fusion Reactors are about 40 years away! When I first heard this, I thought it was a reasonable and uncharacteristically honest estimate of the time it will take to develop an as yet untested technology into a reliable energy source for the future. As the discussion developed though, it became apparent that this was an in-joke amongst fusion scientists - the joke being that fusion reactors have always been and will always continue to be 40 years away!

Recent rulings by a US Judge that Apple's approach to keeping its software locked onto its hardware are not actually secrets have taken an unexpected turn. Recent prototypes by a French company show the iPhone OS running on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Science and the city. Two events yesterday. First, I dropped into the buzz of 150 people, top-notch scientists and ordinary citizens, gathered at the showcase event held at the Aston Research Centre for Healthy Ageing, whose Director is Roslyn Bill, one of the New Optimists. There was pure science stuff, high tech stuff -- and the social policy stuff, all bent around enabling thee and me to have a great old age. I approve!

Then in the evening you could have found me and others providing a running commentary under the hashtag #scicap at Science Capital's meeting in the city centre. Science Capital is where scientists, businesspeople and investors meet.

Two brill scientists, both New Optimists, Charlie Craddock and Paul Moss led the first half of the evening. In the second half, Charles de Rohan of The Binding Site took over along with Gordon McKenzie who co-founded Michelson Diagnostics in 2006 after completing his PhD at Warwick.

Steve Jobs is one of the richest men in the world. However, whilst this may also be true financially, I think his true riches actually come from the supreme achievement of creating beauty and happiness in the world. He was, until a few days ago, Chief Executive of Apple, the iconoclastic leader of a company that created some of the most desirable products of our age.

It is such a shame that biofuels have a bad name for themselves. Last week, at the monthly Birmingham Café Scientifique, we had an incredible evening with Prof Andreas Hornung from Aston University on the subject of biofuels and in particular, the technological and engineering advances that he has made, such that they are a very realistic alternative fuel of the future. What was particularly great to hear was that Aston University is very soon going to put into operation a biofuels reactor that will provide heat and power to the campus - in a significant way.