When I finished my degree I worked in international marketing and travelled the world. I was always proud (and grateful!) that English is the most widely spoken language with about 80 percent of the world being able to speak it. But it is not the real lingua franca any more. The most popular language comprises 0s and 1s--the binary language of computers. GB Shaw said America and England were 'separated by the same language,' but the binary language unites the world.

What's more, the two binary languages of DNA nucleotide pairing and computer coding are set dominate the coming decades in a combination of genomics and computer science. David Baltimore said that Biology is today an information science. Indeed, Bioinformatics combines life and computer science so that they are as interlocked as the strands of DNA.

We will see if genomics lives up to its promise, of course. As another scientist, Neils Bohr, said: 'Prediction is difficult, especially about the future.' Even the exquisite DNA translation process sometimes gets it wrong and proteins end up with the wrong amino acids, impairing their function. Indeed the majority of DNA itself is regarded as 'junk', because it seems to have no function. All of this all sounds a bit like computer code and its creation, another systematic human process.

I have been fascinated by interface between man and machine for more than 30 years. Now it seems more alluring than ever.

The Daily Telegraph reported the social networking antics of doctors who made references to 'birthing sheds' (maternity units) and "cabbage patches" (intensive care, from CABG). The former was regarded as worse by a consultant because it entailed having to work with 'madwives'. On being questioned online about their opinions, the doctors resorted to some unconvincing post hoc rationalisation.

Worse is that a new generation of ICT manager and Directors have spent the last 9 years in meetings watching Gantt charts slide to the right as NPfIT deliverables were continually rescheduled. Existing ICT systems became obsolete; strategic and procurement skills grew weaker, because the world's biggest IT programme would take care of everything.

The NHS will now have to learn all of the old skills again from those left who still remember.

After listening to the platitudes and threadbare academic definitions of the three previous speakers, octagenarian Professor Wolff hobbled across the stage on crutches, followed at a respectful distance by a cushion for his rear carried by the session chair, and applied his razor sharp mind.

The UK's aging population would ensure healthcare became unaffordable, so it would be split into acute and community care, he suggested. Acute care, treating and operating on disease, would be the job of the NHS. Community care, watching out for your neighbours and helping to care for them, the job of the local community. To fund your own community care, you would acquire credits throughout your life by good deeds and community service. Agree or not, at least it was insightful and stimulating.

Which is more than can be said of Dr. Ben Goldacre's after dinner speech that evening. Delivered at the rate of the 36 barrel Metal Storm gun, his speech was too clever, too factual and too long. After 15 minutes I watched Blackberry ® smartphones (yes, I did look up the plural) being unsheathed and eyelids drooping.

But any who did drop off were galvanised to wakefulness by the first chord of Helter Skelter's set, so potent it immediately drove guests at the tables nearest the stage to the exit with the rest of us soon following. 'Was the enterainment no good?' asked one of the cloakroom staff as I left for my hotel 40 minutes later. 'About 200 people left all at once.' The band was very tight, I assured him, but their music inappropriate and too loud.

Though it has been relocated, recovered with go faster stripes and refitted with stereo headphones, the comfortable old chair that was the HC conference stands unsteadily.

Spencer Kelly (presenter of the BBC's gadget gorge Click) told us that the weighty iPad has a stand so you can use it sitting at a desk and comes with a QWERTY keyboard, which he described as "genius". Playing with too many toys has impaired your judgement, Spencer.

See previous discussion on FHIT about data entry and QWERTY keyboards.

I dismissed suggestions that I would become one. One of the spiral-eyed ring wraiths from Morden (and everywhere else) who ride the London Underground white stoppers in their ears and 6 inch square screens before their eyes through which they experience reality while reality passes by.

I was excited. My telecoms provider had called me to tell me that I could renew my contract and become a proud user of iPhone. I called a friend who enthused about its apps and gave me the impression it was the coolest thing since a morning dip in the Ford of Bruinen.

Almost convinced, I was passing a retail outlet and couldn’t resist taking a peek. What a shocker: the touch screen text entry system is one of the worst I have experienced. Even after a bit of practice my typing speed would have fallen by 25 percent at least.

One ring to rule them all? I’ll stick to my Blackberry. When it comes to a method of entering text which is quick, portable and unobtrusive we are still bound in darkness.

"One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."

JRR Tolkien, Lord of the Rings.