Steve's Herpetological Blog

An insight into the life of Steve, his research and the many books he reads

Human Biology

#MuseumMonday: Why visit the St Bartholomew’s Hospital Museum?

The St Bartholomew’s Hospital Museum is one of the most significant medical history museums in the United Kingdom. Located within the grounds of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in West Smithfield, London, the Museum explores nearly nine centuries of medical care, scientific…

#MuseumMonday: What is The Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum?

I recently visited a museum I have walked past a number of times in the past. I completed one of my MRes projects while studying at Imperial College London at the St Mary’s Campus and never noticed this museum, despite…

#MuseumMonday: Exploring the Museum of Anaesthesia

Whilst I was in London recently, I took the time to visit the Museum of Anaesthesia, more formally known as the Anaesthesia Heritage Centre. This is a specialised medical museum located at 21 Portland Place in London. It forms part…

#MuseumMonday: Mourning the loss of the Human Biology Gallery at the Natural History Museum

I have had the opportunity to visit the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, multiple times over the holiday period and into the New Year for a couple of meetings. To me, the Museum stands as one of the world’s…

#MuseumMonday: My thoughts on the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, Paris

It is hopefully clear by #MuseumMonday, that I love a good museum! The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, located in the Parc de la Villette in Paris’s 19ᵗʰ arrondissement, is one of Europe’s largest and most dynamic science museums….

#MuseumMonday: Reflecting on my visit to the Musée des Moulages, Paris

One of the more unique museums I visited while in Paris was the Musée des Moulages or Museum of Casts. Tucked inside the historic Hôpital Saint-Louis in the 10th arrondissement, the Musée des Moulages preserves the world’s richest ensemble of…

#MuseumMonday: Old Operating Theatre Museum

Tucked away in the attic of the early‑18th‑century St Thomas’s Church near London Bridge station, the Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret is Europe’s oldest surviving surgical theatre. Originally the hospital apothecary’s herb garret, in 1822 it was converted into a women‑only…

#StevesLibrary: The Body

Bill Bryson is one of those authors that I respect for taking on the challenge of writing books on the most impossible topics. The Body: A Guide for Occupants is no exception. How on Earth do you go about summarising…

#StevesLibrary: All That Remains

When you pick up a book about death, you expect it to be slightly sad and macabre. That is just the nature of the subject. Yet, Professor Dame Sue Black is able to make death a more welcoming subject by…

#SciFri: Visiting the Wellcome Collection

If you’ve ever got off at Euston Station in London, or been for a walk up Euston Road, you’ve probably walked past the Wellcome Collection (and the adjoining Wellcome Trust). I thought it was about time I visited, so a…