Art historical reference is like learning to drive a car - you always know how to drive even though you're not analysing how.

Design impacts me in everything I do. Because, as I say, everything I own is designed. So the building I live in, the objects I choose to boil water in for example, even drinking vessels.

I was very physical as a child - we lived on a smallholding, and I was always outside making mud pies or building structures up trees.

Artists and scientists both think outside the box. They've got to come with genius experiments or ideas to expose the most interesting phenomena.

I grew up reading comic books, pulp books, mystery and science fiction and fantasy. I'm a geek; I make no pretensions otherwise. It's the stuff that I love writing about. I like creating worlds.

I've always liked all the sciences, like math, physics and biology.

Barring some national security concern, I see no valid reason to keep peer-reviewed research from the public. To be clear, by 'peer review,' I mean scientific review and not a political filter.

Life is not so bad if you have plenty of luck, a good physique, and not too much imagination.