by aastokes | Jun 23, 2026 | Essays, Research
Ask an engineer for the best solar cell and, if they are honest about what “best” means, they will ask a question back: best under what constraints? That return question is the subject of this third essay in my techno-crofting series. Most of the...
by aastokes | Jun 19, 2026 | Essays, Research
From Systems to Societies In my previous post on techno‑crofting I began to write about systems: energy, food, materials, the flows that have to cross the boundary when you live at the edge. But systems aren’t the whole story. People have to want to live with them....
by aastokes | Jun 14, 2026 | Essays, Research
What is techno-crofting? There is a tiny brewery on the shore of a sea loch in the north-west Highlands that has been bothering me for years (full disclosure: it belongs to my parents). It bothers me, not because of the beer—which is excellent—but because of what it...
by aastokes | Mar 31, 2026 | Essays, Leadership
I’m delighted… A phrase that, to me, bears the hallmarks of yet another shameless self-congratulatory LinkedIn post. There is so much delight on LinkedIn. It’s become the default way of starting a post – I’m delighted… It’s lost all meaning, to the point...
by aastokes | Jan 24, 2026 | Essays, Leadership
Below is a letter sent to my institute in January 2026 after a year in post as Head of The Institute for Bioengineering. It serves a purpose as an open letter on my reflections of 2025. Dear colleagues, Welcome back. I hope the winter break brought you a great...
