My uncontrollable curiosity has led me in some weird and wonderful directions. I once led an experiment in post-apocalyptic living in the Scottish Highlands. On another occasion I made a film for British TV which got banned. I have worked as an interpreter for a Marxist Catholic nun and a Zulu, trained as a Lacanian psychoanalyst in Argentina, and been censured for sharing a scientific paper about fruitbats. I've also taught at various universities around the world, written several popular science books, and set up two companies.