Away from the academic world, my interests are quite varied.

• Technology

  A word that takes in so much. Generally, I like gadgets but I'm too sensible (for want of a better word) to actually buy too many; it doesn't matter how much I want something, I won't buy it unless I can think of a practical use for it.

  Although I did eventually buy an iPad once iPad 2 was announced. The price the iPad 1 came down to on the Apple Refurb Store was just too good to pass up on.

• Home entertainment

  I couldn't think of a better expression for this. My interest in home entertainment isn't about massive TVs and speakers that individually cost more than a house, but more about the content itself and the way it's delivered. My ultimate aim is to have every DVD and CD owned ripped onto central storage and playable anywhere.

  A 2TB NAS device means I've made the first steps towards this goal, but still a long way to go!

• Politics

  I'm one of those lost souls who actually quite likes politics. I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly, but I just find the whole mechanics fascinating, especially in Westminster. I look forward to elections and quite enjoy staying up on election night to see the results come in.

  It's politics that has inspired my PhD research --- when political parties form coalitions, they must somehow revise their beliefs. So can we model that computationally?