QMUL’s first student-led science magazine!
January 2012 | Issue Issue #1 | December 2011 01
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HOW FAST WERE YOU GOING, SIR? Neutrinos caught exceeding the speed limit. GENDER Is it really as binary as it seems?
ILLUSIONEERING The science behind magic.
Editor in Chief Aamna Mohdin Managing Editors Jennifer Toes Nisha Bargota Design Ismail Uddin
Welcome to the very first issue of QMSCI – Queen Mary, University of London’s, science magazine. The magazine will provide a platform for students and lecturers to debate and discuss information and insights about science and technology, and their roles in global affairs.
Features Frah Abdullahi Alexander Badrick Rob Blackler Priyanka Bulsara Poppy Coppins Sam Gardiner Almira Khaliq Sunbal Khan Duncan McClean Bagha Mohamud Siva Nagarajah Ammaarah Said Rebecca Scott-Jupp Chris Simmonds Nikita Singh Michael Willis Rose Wolfe Lucy Wyatt
Fellow budding scientist, your voice is not only important, but also vital. Remember there are no answers, merely suggestions. Everything is made up and everything can be destroyed; even the so-called ‘facts’ you commit to memory. So, wander around blindly, bump into walls and then tear them down. Science is revolutionary; it’s cutting edge, the front line of human knowledge. We are the new generation of thinkers who can lift our fear of the unknown, ease the suffering in the world and invent more ludicrous dimensions in which to watch predictable Hollywood films. QMSCI is here to help facilitate the exchanging of ideas between scientists, science students and science enthusiasts. The format of QMSCI allows for great diversity in tone and topics. Many of the writers will focus on the bridge between science and other fields such as philosophy, sociology, music, art, gender and race, and literature. This magazine would not be possible without the help from both Dean for Taught Programmes in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Peter McOwan and the brilliant science communication department within QMUL. I’d also like to thank all those who contributed and of course the amazing managing editors, who I’m lucky enough to call my friends.
Reviews Faye Curran Ismail Uddin Photography Keeren Flora
So what better way to start than by focusing on our end? We dedicate our first issue to the never ending threat of ‘Armageddon’. What are you waiting for? Turn the page and satisfy your morbid curiosity.
Illustrations Mariana Abasolo Priyanka Bulsara Copy Editing Rose Wolfe Kelly Burrows Sian Halkyard Special thanks Peter McOwan
Aamna Mohdin
Front cover illustration by: tHs Acid - Adam Fandre http://ths-acid.deviantart.com/
Editor in Chief
Contents 4
QMUL News
16
6
Faster Than Light Neutrinos
24
10 12
Gender and sex
Is it as binary as it seems? Research and Outreach at QMUL
26 30
The End Is Nigh
(Armageddon Theme) Science Jokes
The Last Great Fool Dr. Brendan Curran Interview
Books and Reviews
News | What’s the latest at QMUL?
New Fogg Building
Congrats to...
Queen Mary has won a Green Gown Award in the category ‘Sustainable Construction and Refurbishment’ for the renovated GE Fogg building. Home to the college’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, the £4m project uses a striking colour palette which relates to the living organisms and plants that are studied within the building. The Green Gown judges described the project as ‘an excellent all-round entry which managed to take occupier comfort into consideration while simultaneously transforming an operational building.’
Dr Karin Hing a medical material engineer who was awarded one of four 2011 silver medals by the Royal Academy of Engineering for pioneering a form of bone graft with enhanced structure and chemistry to boost healing. Dr Akram Aloimainy, from the school of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, was honoured with an Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award Lecture by the The British Science Festival. Dr Alomainy discussed how electronic engineers can apply their physics and engineering skills to create materials which can make objects invisible.
Queen Mary Scientist in Audio Research Initiative
Dr Michael Proulx, from the school of Biological and Chemical sciences, has won the prestigious Drapers Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr Proulx was nominated for the award by his students.
A BBC led research collaboration will bring together Britain’s finest audio experts, including scientists from Queen Mary. The BBC Audio Research partnership will last at least five years. The corporation’s research and development group will work in close collaboration with leading universities.
QApps Professor McOwan joined forces with Queen Mary Innovation Ltd (QMI) to launch a new venture to distribute smart phone and social networking apps produced by students and staff from across the college. As well as working with students and research teams, QApps has also teamed up with Always On Message, an award-winning smartphone development company, to ensure the apps enter the market with maximum impact.
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Image by Keeren Flora
QMUL League Table Success
Queen Mary is now ranked 29th out of 184 higher education institutions for overall satisfaction. The Science and Engineering Faculty should especially be proud; Aerospace Engineering is placed second in its field and Mechanical Engineering is equal fifth. Biology has jumped up 17 places, whilst Chemistry is up 14 places.
Dr Sarah Martin a lecturer based at the Barts Cancer Institute is one of two recipients of this year’s Cancer Research UK Future Leaders in Cancer Research Prize. Dr Martin’s work has focused on investigating DNA damage repair as a target for new cancer therapies Professor Peter McOwan, Dean for Taught Programmes in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, has been awarded the prestigious Mountbatten Medal for his excellence in communicating computer science to diverse audiences.
qmsci | January | 04
News | What’s the latest in science?
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Stem Cell Patenting Banned The EU
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The ruling will prevent the commercial exploitation, through patenting, of discoveries which involve the destruction of human embryos within the EU. The ruling mentions ‘respect for human dignity.’ Stem cell researchers warn the ruling could damage research within the EU and drive much of it abroad to America and Asia. They argue patents are important as it allows pharmaceutical companies to earn their investment back and turn a profit.
Ultrapowerful Laser Planned To Tear Apart Fabric Of Space
© Colin Brough, rgbstock.com
Those physicists have been at it again, trying to destroy the universe with their gadgets! A laser has been developed that is 200 times stronger than any current lasers that exist. The Extreme Light Infrastructure Ultra-HighField laser has been developed to literally rip apart the fabric of space, with the aim of boiling a vacuum to expose the ‘virtual particles’ that are yet to be proven to exist.
Multi-disciplinary Team Of Researchers Develop World’s Lightest Metal An ultra-light metal has been developed that is one hundred times lighter than Styrofoam, and is able to stand atop a dandelion and not crush it, say researchers from University of California, Irvine, USA. The metal is fashioned from a lattice of nickel-phosphorous tubes, with walls 1/1,000th times the thickness of a human hair. This invention could mean a lot for engineering works, including production of vehicles and weaponry.
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‘Fluid Cloak’ To Help Submarines Leave No Wake Submarines may soon be able to glide through waters without leaving a trace of their existence. If the fluid is able to be channelled in a particular streamlined way around the submarine, then they may seem completely invisible to anyone actively searching for them.
qmsci | January | 05
Features
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Epigenetics - The Next Big Thing? brought more questions and highlighted more complexities. It gave science the building blocks, the field of Epigenetics was set up. Epigenetics literally means ‘outside the gene.’ It states that the gene for a characteristic can be switched on and off by attaching certain molecules to the DNA sequence. Both your parents might be bald, but you may not be; this is because although you have the gene for baldness, it is prevented from being expressed by a certain molecule. These molecules can be passed down through generations, so your children may also be prevented
In July 2010, Scientist announced the completion of mapping the human genome. It was to bring ‘an era that will bring new ways to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure disease’. So why are so many genetic diseases still so prevalent in modern society? Eleven years have passed and the human genome project
from becoming bald. It’s useful to think of the DNA in humans as a computer, with all the hardware to make the computer work. However, you can install Mac, Windows or Linux on the same hardware. The software will make the computer run completely differently. Epigenetics is a brand new and exciting field of study that will surely produce results that the Human Genome Project failed to deliver. The European Union recently approved 30 million euro worth of funding into the Blueprint project.
America also pushed 120 million dollars into a project of its own. Epigenetics questions old science and beliefs and shows how little we know about our own genes and the way they are expressed. In our lifetime, we may be having treatments that disable the genes for ageing or some genes for cancer, while genetic disorders may be a thing of the past. This isn’t just for new generations but for people alive today. by Michael Willis
Caught exceeding the speed limit One hundred trillion neutrinos pass through every person in just one second. They are a billion times more abundant than all other particles that make up the Universe, the Earth and us humans. To understand the Universe it is important and useful to first understand neutrinos. However, neutrinos are only affected by the weak sub-atomic interaction which is of very short range, and gravity which is extremely weak on a sub-atomic scale. This is why they have been very difficult to study in the past as they can travel very large distances, even right through matter, without being affected. Recently though, a lot of progress has been made in the study of these particles. Neutrinos was first predicted by Wolfgang Pauli in 1930 to preserve the conservation of energy, momentum and angular momentum in β-decay. He theorised that a particle (the neutrino) was carrying away the difference in energy momentum and angular momentum in the initial and final particles.
Image by CERN
Neutrinos are electrically neutral fundamental particles with a very small but non-zero mass. They come about due to certain types of radioactive decay and nuclear reactions, for example those that take place on the Sun. . In 2006, CERN sent the first neutrino beam across Italy to the Gran Sasso lab. The Oscillation Project with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus (OPERA) experiment was authorised and studies on neutrinos began at the LHC (Large Hadron Collider). This year, the OPERA experiment gave very surprising results. On their frequent run
Three flavours of neutrinos:
electron neutrino
muon neutrino
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tau neutrino
measurements to fully assess the nature of this observation.” At the moment the results of this experiment are under scrutiny, but in the future neutrinos could possibly change a lot of our understanding of physics. Although let’s face it, nobody really understands physics in the first place. On the 18th of November the team, after repeating their experiment, were able to confirm their results. If confirmed by other across Italy, the neutrinos decided studies, this could undermine one to travel faster than light! The speed of the basic principles in science. of light is nature’s cosmic speed Physicists are hoping limit; everything else can only ever that this project will unravel some be second best. In fact, parts of of the mysteries surrounding the Albert Einstein’s theory of special neutrino. These particles could relativity are based on the fact that possibly be contributing to the nature will not allow for anything Universe’s mysterious dark matter, to travel faster. which makes up 83 percent of Due to the scientific the Universe. A better knowledge impact these results could have, on the neutrino would also OPERA are continuing their allow physicists to complete the studies on this experiment. They puzzle that is the theory of the say “the potential impact on science fundamental forces of nature. is too large to draw immediate conclusions or attempt physics interpretations.” The team are also by Sunbal Khan “looking forward to independent
“Neutrino is italian for little neutral one... they are the lightest elementary particles in the Standard Model”
General characteristics of neutrinos: Class: Leptons / Fermions Charge: 0 e Mass: <15.5MeV/c2 (heaviest) Spin: 1/2
qmsci | January | 06
Features
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Erratic Extreme Weather Puts Climate Change in a New Light If you haven’t noticed, it’s getting cold outside. That time of year when the hats, scarves and central heating are on is finally back, and the energy costs of our heaters aren’t simply financial. In an ironic way, cold weather induces warmer weather. Everyone is used to – maybe even bored with – hearing about climate change on the news. Each week seems to bring with it a different shock story or bid to cut carbon footprints, recycle and go green. As distancing as some media articles about shrinking glaciers thousands of miles away may seem, climate change is still there if you look up from your newspaper and out of the window. Climate change is heralded as the cause of global warming, but despite the fact that we have just had a record breaking warm October, climate change is drastically affecting our cold weather too. Sceptics point at the frozen winters of the past few years to negate the idea of global warming. November has brought with it some cold snaps and the dark evenings expected of this time of year, but average temperatures are much milder than normal. The reason it seems so much colder is
the contrast from the late September summer that is fast becoming part of our normal seasonal weather pattern. Lovely as it is to enjoy an extended summer with extra days in the park and more barbecues than anyone could dream of, it might not be the best thing for those who share the planet with us. Phenologists, who track subtle changes in the seasons over time, have reported that the signs of spring and autumn have been occurring earlier and earlier over the past decade. But this year, alongside the early autumn, there have been distinct signs of a “second spring”. In the past few weeks crickets have been chirping alongside Christmas carols, fruit has been ripening, flowers have been blooming all over the English countryside and many creatures that would normally be in hibernation by now simply aren’t. It is hard to tell whether this strange behaviour is an extension of this year’s breeding season or if the poor summer and mild autumn have fooled nature into thinking that next year’s spring has already arrived. Experts are worried that animals and insects are using up vital energy reserves while they should be hibernating, whilst others are less concerned as
Image by Barun Patro, rgbstock.com
But this year, alongside the early autumn, there have been distinct signs of a second spring”
Image by rgbstock.com Image by Scott Liddell, rgbstock.com
there is still plenty of food available, allowing extra time to breed. The real concern is that some species may be adapting faster and better than others with the potential to desynchronise their respective life cycles. Birds must lay eggs at certain times of year to ensure that there will be enough food around when they hatch; if the ecosystem is out of sync then the chicks may starve, and pollinators such as honeybees may become confused meaning crops aren’t fertilised – contributing to massive agricultural and socio-economic problems. There are things we know for sure about climate change; most importantly, perhaps, is that the earth is getting measurably and indisputably warmer. Sceptics claiming that this is due to natural effects such as continued thawing since the last ice age need only look at the time scale. When observing
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global temperatures over time, we can see that temperatures start to peak at the time of the industrial revolution when we first started belching huge quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Factor into that equation the fact that greenhouse gas emissions are at a record high and it’s hardly surprising that global warming is such a ‘hot’ topic. It’s obvious just looking out of your window on a rainy day in July or sunbathing in late September that global warming is a real phenomenon. It is not some far off consequence for our great-great-great grandchildren to deal with it is affecting us right now. But, the important questions are what we still don’t know. By how much is our climate changing? What does this mean on a long term global scale? Could our seasons be permanently shifting into a new pattern?
Although it is highly unlikely to expect an overnight climate shift akin to The Day After Tomorrow, the subtle changes in seasonal patterns, shrinking glaciers all over the globe alongside increasingly severe weather all seem to correlate. By the end of the Century there is every chance that we could be living on a very different planet to the one we know and love, if we’re even here at all.
by Rebecca Scott-Jupp
qmsci | January | 07
Features
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Importing Doctors - Should We Train More Domestically?
The debate on British trained doctors versus imported doctors is one that has been ringing in the nation’s ears for decades. Physicians migrate to and from Britain in their masses annually for a variety of reasons including better career opportunities, increased pay, higher standards of living and personal or medical goals and challenges. However, is this affecting the quality of care, patient safety and satisfaction? In 2007 there were 22,000 posts for 30,000 junior doctors. Some blame the inadequacies in the NHS training system for leaving 8,000 doctors without jobs, however, others claim its due to competition from overseas doctors, be they from the EU or elsewhere. Plans to restrict jobs from overseas doctors have been tried and abandoned by the government. In 2008, the House of Lords mulled over a proposition to restrict overseas doctors in NHS posts except in positions where suitable UK doctors were not available. In other words, giving priority to British trained doctors and leaving the unwanted posts ‘no British doctor would take’ for the many foreign applicants. One has to wonder, are these plans ‘just’ and ‘fair’? But why the hostility? In the last few decades, foreign doctors were practically pulled from
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overseas in an attempt to cover up the shortages of physicians in the NHS. Post-war in the 20th century saw a “Brain Drain” in the country as British “born and bred” doctors emigrated to countries such the US for a variety of reasons including better pay and
compared to those who have been trained in Britain. Some claim language is a barrier that many physicians must overcome, but how true are these claims? Physicians must be able to communicate effectively in English to treat patients in a satisfactory manner.
“ ...foreign doctors were practically pulled from overseas in an attempt to cover up the shortages of physicians in the NHS ” standards of living. In the latter half of the 20th Century, Britain imported masses of foreign doctors substantially from India. In the 1980s, Britain reported one quarter of the NHS workforce as foreign due to substantial shortages in the numbers of British physicians. Thus it has been proven in history that foreign doctors have played vital roles in the NHS keeping it afloat and it could be seen as hugely hypocritical if we use overseas doctors ‘when and how’ we like. One has to consider the moral implications on the lives of the many foreign doctors working and who have worked for the NHS. Nevertheless, many continue to argue that there are considerable differences in the actions and approaches of foreign physicians
There are the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) tests to test the communication skills of overseas doctors. Doctors within the European Union are not required by EU law to undertake these tests and can practice unhindered without speaking a word of English. In theory, individual health trusts should take it upon themselves to ensure all health staff can communicate appropriately for effective patient management, yet this is not always the case. In 2008, a German doctor Dr Daniel Ubani accidentally killed patient David Gray on his first ever shift as a locum GP. He administered 100mg of diamorphine, an analgesic, which proved fatal to Mr Gray and
would only have been tolerated by either a drug addict or a terminally ill patient on regular doses of the drug. Later Mr Ubani admitted to the sons of Mr. Gray that he wasn’t familiar with diamorphine because it wasn’t routinely prescribed in Germany. Dr Ubani was able to evade British court system and practices as a cosmetic surgeon in the German town of Witten. This case is often used in favour of disallowing foreign doctors to practice in the UK, arguing that they lack specific training particular to the British NHS. However, tougher measures in induction training and language tests, to ensure all overseas doctors including those from the EU can effectively work on a safe and satisfactory level, can also be implemented. Overall the debate on foreign doctors versus doctors trained in Britain is a complex one marred by many intricate factors. Although foreign doctors in a British healthcare system can be seen as taking valuable jobs or undermining patient safety and standards of care, this is mainly due to scapegoating. Foreign doctors provide vital and valuable services in many areas of the NHS that previously suffered severe shortages. by Ammaarah Said
qmsci | January | 08
Features
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Cat Got Your Tongue? Recreational drug use is greatly on the rise within the United Kingdom, predominately amongst the 16 to 24 age group, but one area of particular interest is that of mephedrone, and the myths that surround it. Mephedrone, or meow-meow as it is known, is a substance that faced extreme scrutiny last year, and was subsequently banned but it is still taken illicitly, along with other legal highs. A government report has recently indicated that one person a week in Britain is killed by the drug, and has been associated particularly to 98 deaths. An outcry in April last year, hyped by the media, led to it becoming banned and despite the knee-jerk reaction being well acclaimed by many, critics have suggested that this action has not reduced its usage at all. Several people have pointed out that stories seen in newspapers have exaggerated the effects of its use, and that sensationalist headlines have put fear into the public. Very little is known about how mephedrone works inside the body, other
than it has many comparisons to ecstasy and has a tendency to cause takers to re-dose therefore effectively leading to the risk of an overdose. However, there has been some new research undertaken by PhD student Craig Motbey, a researcher at the University of Sydney, on the effects of the drug on rats, which give a clear indication that mephedrone
“ one person a week in Britain is killed by (Mephedrone) ” provides a stimulant effect on various regions of the brain including the ventral tegmental area which shows similarities to ecstasy and methamphetamine. Yet, the long term problems are still inconclusive. Another issue with taking mephedrone, or any recreational drug, is that its contents are unknown. Professor Les Iversen, of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
(ACMD) has urged young people especially to realise the effects that this substance can cause. He stated; “users are playing Russian roulette. We are not seeing just a nice party drug but something that can kill.” The drug, that is snorted or ingested, can be bought effortlessly online, and as a result, can be tampered with in the laboratories, to make it considerably cheaper. This, as well as current suggestions that it is now Britain’s favourite party drug, has caused new concern for the government. The meddling with the synthetic make up of mephedrone is helping evade existing laws and consequently, the ACMD are pushing for a wider ban that encompasses even chemically similar compounds to become illegal. Whether it is additional scaremongering or genuine anxiety, as research furthers and more deaths are associated with it, mephedrone is certainly a drug that we will not have heard the last from. by Chris Simmonds
Image by Hannibal Poenaru
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qmsci | January | 09
Features
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Gender and sex Is it as binary as it seems?
Traditional values of looking at gender in a binary fashion grow less important, as studies are beginning to show that gender identity is diverse in nature and is caused by many biological and social conditions. The same can be said for sex. Geneticists are finding genes outside of the X and Y chromosomes that are seen to play a role in gender identity. But what are the darker implications of sticking to rigid gender binaries? Due to the formation of UNWOMEN, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in January this year, the long standing debates surrounding the inequality of opportunities and treatment of men and women globally have re-emerged. New quantitative measures charting women’s global inequality through the Gendered Empowerment Measure (GEM) show not only how divided the sexes are, but also the strong correlation between equality between the sexes, country development, decreased governmental corruption and human rights adherence. This is not to say that male majority ruling governments are intrinsically corrupt or tyrannical but that greater social cohesion between peoples of all race, creed, sexuality and gender will benefit the entire community. As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon remarked on the formation of UNWOMEN earlier this year: “When we empower women, we empower communities, nations and the entire human family.” Currently inequalities between men and women are universally experienced, if to different degrees. GEM is fundamentally a measure of agency (the ability to act) for men and women within a country. It draws together three components to rank from 0-1 Gendered Empowerment: Percentage of Seats in Parliament held by women; Percentage of Female legislators, senior officials, managers, professional and technical workers; and Ratio of estimated female to male earned income. Of the 93 countries that data has been gathered from, not a single
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one has a GEM rank of 1, although Norway comes first at 0.910 and Yemen last with 0.129. The United Kingdom’s GEM of 0.783 ranks 14th one place above the USA at 0.762. However the question remains – how did these inequalities arise in the first place? Why has it become socially acceptable that women receive less pay than their male counterparts and currently lower state pension by virtue of being a woman? Whilst the defence of this lowered pension is officially explained away through ‘child rearing years,’ it has lead to the more inquisitive social academics thinking more about the complicated nature behind what we, as a society, define and understand as the mechanics behind what makes a woman a woman and a man a man. Science versus The Social Condition. Sex versus Gender. Sex, the real biological separation between male and female, is
accorded to reproductive differences between the bodies. In layman’s terms: the sperm and the egg. Women’s bodies house the offspring until the embryo develops into a foetus and then into a baby. Women have the ability to lactate to nurture the subsequent offspring. The male body provides the other half of the genetic information required to produce a being different, yet linked, to its parents. There is nothing, then, which requires the mother to be the sole carer of the child. Advancements in technology have allowed mothers to provide milk for their babies in other ways - through powder and use of breast pumps - meaning there is less need for a mother to remain 24/7 in the reach of their child. The father can just as easily care for the child and both parents can share equal ‘child rearing’ responsibilities. Why then are women treated so
differently within society? Research conducted by the Royal Geographical Society’s Women and Geography Study Group committee suggests this links to social constructions surrounding the ideas of what a woman is and how one should therefore behave and, as a result, be treated. The colours associated with boys and girls are another clear link to how gender is socially constructed. Until the 1930s, boys were dressed in pink and girls in blue. Blue was perceived as a genteel colour as opposed to pink being the watered down red of strength, battle prowess and vitality. How a woman should sit, speak, eat, dress, who they date and how many people they do date to be seen in a good social light is vastly different from male constructions surrounding the same. World champion middle-distance runner Caster Semenya sparked a global debate on gender and sex politics when she was forced to take a gender test. These tests require endocrinologists, geneticists, gynaecologists and psychologists and the results can still be inconclusive. Maria Patiño, an athlete, was banned from competing in women’s sports after it was discovered she had XY chromosomes. Even though Patiño has female genitalia and always considered herself to be female, her genitalia were at odds with her chromosomes and the latter were taken to determine her sex. Patiño went on to successfully fight to be recognised as a female athlete. The persisting social construction of the male and female roles has led to real inequalities globally because in many areas worldwide there are only two legally recognized genders, people who cross gender boundaries cannot exist in a legal and social sense. We have to accept sex and gender for what it is: a spectrum. by Poppy Coppins Image by The Lady Jester
qmsci | January | 10
Features
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Can You Consciously Identify Subliminal Advertising?
I want you to think about the most recent purchase that you made. Got it? Now I want you to think about why you bought it. It may be that you bought a new dress that you look great in, or a phone with the latest apps and gadgets, but I want to know why you bought it. The answer you give may just be that you simply wanted to. But I can tell you that’s not true. It’s too simple and in science, nothing is ever simple. If I told you that the decisions that you have been making in your life regarding what you wear, what you buy, and sometimes even what you eat, are not down to you, you may begin to criticise my credibility but I promise you there is reason behind the madness. Peer pressure, social influence, and the power of the media have been widely acknowledged and disputed for a very long time now. We’re
all being told to disregard the constant stream of images, shows and magazines that tell us how to look and how to act, and some regard it as simple as that. But again, in science nothing is ever simple.
that none of us have been aware of, up until now. Think back to a recent film or programme that you watched and focus in on the products placed in the background set of the various scenes. Think hard and you’ll start
“the decisions that you have been making in your life ... are not down to you” So what has the media to do with science? Well, it’s all due to cognitive psychology, which is the scientific study of the mind. The media attempts to change our own views and opinions and thus control our minds. Now you may believe that you are well aware of this and that I’m just another warning beacon to guide you to individuality and independence, but there are hidden influences
to realise that the same images of products reoccur involving popular brands. It has become the latest advertising tool used by commercial companies to influence oblivious consumers to buy their products. Examples include, more recently, a nationwide cash machine in an episode of Coronation Street or a PG tips mug on the Deal Or No Deal table. Product placement
has even been used in a remake of the classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s movie, which has been digitally altered to include a branded store front. But the idea is that you see the product and the next time you decide to go for a shop, you subconsciously recognise the product and due to a feeling of familiarity, buy it. Product placement was legalised earlier this year after broadcasters lobbied the government into a law change which now allows them to include products in shows and films. Although restrictions have been placed stating that no harmful products must be used, such tobacco or alcohol, and that the advertising must not be placed in children’s or news programmes. So the next time that you decide to make a purchase, I urge you to think twice about why. by Frah Abdullahi
Image by Ethan Hein (via Flickr)
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qmsci | January | 11
Research at QMUL | Biological Sciences
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Lucy Wyatt speaks to your lecturers to find out about the interesting research being undertaken at SBCS.
Stops Making Sense and Spatial Patterns in Biology: Dr Steve Le Comber Dr Steve Le Comber has a very imaginative range of research experience. His most recent interests include the application of a molecular genetics method previously used to catch serial killers and the tracking of invasive species. The genetic code is structured so that most single-point mutations result in minimal change to the expressed protein of a gene. A signal to stop is needed so that proteins will actually finish. But the universal code and almost all known variants have more than one. Why? The more stop codons
there are, the greater likelihood of a given triplet mutating into one, and spoiling the protein. Which contradicts the idea that the code is designed for minimum damage. Unless - a theory imagined by Steve and Conrad Lichtenstein - having more than one possible codon increases the likelihood that after a misread stop, there is another one that will prevent a protein gaining too many superfluous amino acids. Steve gathered a team and tested the theory this year. Downloading and examining a vast proportion of GenBank, it appeared that there are backup stops, in frame, near the real stops. The crucial point, and the
Confused Moths, Sunburnt Whales and Insect STDs: Dr Rob Knell Dr Rob Knell describes himself as an evolutionary ecologist. Most of his research is on the borderline between individuals and populations; environmental effects on things and population ecology. His current research is an examination of the effect of temperature on the transmission of sexually transmitted disease in ladybirds. ‘The question of how climate change is going to affect infectious disease transmission is one we don’t have a good answer to at all.’ says Knell. ‘You’d predict that higher temperatures should
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lead to higher transmission rates but what we found in fact is that it seems that food availability swamps this completely - where they’ve got lots of food, they mate a lot, and where they haven’t they don’t. This means that in these ladybirds at least, the effects of climate change on disease won’t be what we’d predict - on the basis of an incomplete understanding
prediction, was that if the theory were true, there would be an optimum amount of possible stop sequences; a balance between having a contingency codon and stopping a protein too early. They checked genomes for average coding length; and found a reasonable amount of support for the idea that genomes with longer average coding lengths had fewer possible stop sequences. Their mathematical model correctly predicted that no genome should exist with more than four stop codons. ‘That’s not proof, but it’s good that it matched our theory. That was a very nice paper and I’m quite proud of it.’ Steve has also recently done some work into a very new way of examining infectious diseases - using geographic profiling. This is a technique used in criminal profiling, whereby locations on a map are mathematically analysed, and used to calculate the source of something. In criminology, it locates a criminal. In biology, it locates the source of a disease, or invasive species. ‘It’s a widely
and successfully used technique globally. And I nicked it.’ Dr Le Comber and his team successfully used geographic profiling to determine with a vast degree of accuracy the source of the 1854 Cholera epidemic of London, and a more recent outbreak of malaria in Cairo in 2001. Alongside PhD student Mark Stevenson, Steve is now applying the method to sourcing invasive species populations. ‘Invasive species are a massive problem. They’re rivalling habitat loss as a cause of biodiversity loss’. The evidence suggests that geographic profiling is much more efficient than all other models that currently exist for locating areas where invasive species have entered the country, including the more sophisticated Kernel Density method. ‘This means we can predict, especially in the early stages of an invasion, where a species originated; and can take measures to prevent it spreading around the country.’
of their biology.’ In addition, Rob is tendering for funding for a project examining the effects of proposed new street lighting on biodiversity. Current, orange street lighting is unlikely to be visible to insects because of its wavelength. However, Hampshire County Council have instigated a scheme to install blue-white lamps which will be highly visible. ‘They’re going to disrupt all sorts of things to do with insect life,’ Rob argues. ‘All the moths are going to have a really hard time.’ Hampshire is the location of a current large-scale reintroduction program of an endangered cricket species, so research into the effects of this lighting into their activity and reproductive effort could be vitally important. In a recently published paper on how different environmental parameters affect immune responses in moths, Rob has demonstrated that the relationship is far less simple than previous researchers would like it
to be. ‘People say climate change won’t affect invertebrates because they bolster their immunity when it’s warmer, and what this is showing is that sometimes they do but sometimes they don’t, depending on other things like like population density.’ He hopes to expand this research further in a version which models these dynamics over an extended period of time. Rob is meanwhile in the final stages of an investigation into mating behaviour in dung flies. It appears that a specific mechanism exists to increase reproductive output in the event of a dangerous infection. He also has a recently graduated PhD student who worked on whether whales get sunburnt. “The answer is yes, they do. Quite badly, in fact. They spend a lot of time on the surface.”
qmsci | January | 12
Research at QMUL | Biological Sciences Mammals That Act Like Social Insects: Dr Chris Faulkes Dr. Chris Faulkes specialises in evolutionary ecology. Specifically, social behaviour and how it evolves. Mainly using mole rats as model species, he tries to answer the ‘ultimate question’ of what it is in an environment that leads some species to evolve to become social and others to become solitary. Naked mole rats are a particularly interesting species because they live in large colonies with only one reproductive female dominating all of the others. This is the only example of this sort of behaviour among mammals. They also live for an extremely long time - one individual may live over 30 years,
which is profound for a small rodent. ‘What you can find out in these unusual and unique species can actually tell you a lot about other mammals and other animals.’ says Faulkes. A large section of current, cutting edge research on the naked mole rats is age-related, and escalating. Recently, Chris has been involved in a Naked Mole Rat Genome Project. Specifically, the team are interested in looking for genes which are implicated in their unusual adaptations to underground life - a low oxygen, high carbon dioxide environment
Interpreting Genetic Patterns: Dr Richard Nichols Professor Richard Nichols’ work involves interpreting patterns in genetic differences through populations. Most often, geographic patterns: finding that alleles are not distributed uniformly across a landscape. A joint project with Trent Garner, an amphibian expert from the Institute of Zoology, examines the spread of Ranavirus - a disease which affects amphibians - across Britain since its emergence in the south east. By sequencing the genome of the virus and following the distribution of different mutations, the team can determine the routes of infection. Once they know that,
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by the shared rare mutations, they hope to reconstruct what actually happened and give policy advice to prevent further spread of the Ranavirus throughout Britain. ‘The other possibility is that we will actually find out something about what makes the virus virulent. Or, is there something distinctive about the virus in those places where the frog population size has been most severely reduced by the disease?’ reflects Nichols. The major area of Richard’s research sees him spend two weeks every summer
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- which may be related to their longevity, and their apparent resistance to cancer. ‘For a rodent of relatively small body size, their lifespan is incredible,’ he observes. ‘They live for so long, but so far they don’t appear to get cancer.’ Chris has also been peripherally involved in supplying a bigger consortium with genetic material and facilities in order to progress their work - published in PlosOne in early November - looking at genes in naked mole rats which are overexpressed in comparison to mice, which may contribute to their longevity. Chris is also involved in a more comparative study which examines levels of sociality across the species in the family. ‘We’re interested in what makes them different - what makes the social ones able to live together and form social bonds, and also to express behaviour such as alloparenting [where animals help rear another individual’s offspring].’
Classical studies on voles have demonstrated that it is heavily influenced by where certain neurotransmitters are expressed in the brain. These hormones are expressed in completely different places in different species of vole depending on whether they are monogamous and able to form affiliative behaviours, or whether they are promiscuous and do not. This could be the case in the mole rats, because some are strictly solitary and very aggressive toward one another and others are highly sociable. “More interestingly, and where I come in a bit more,’ says Faulkes, ‘ is that underlying those different patterns of expression of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors are associations with mutations in those genes. What we’ve got are possible genetic differences that ultimately then give completely different patterns of behaviour.’
in the French Alps; catching grasshoppers, pickling their legs and testicles and examining them under a microscope. Sounds very mad scientist, but it represents an opportunity to examine a very unique phenomenon. Two populations of grasshopper are evolving on either side of the Alps. One has what is essentially a Y chromosome (dubbed a Neo-Y), which is passed along the male line, while in the other population that same chromosome is passed down generations as a regular autosome. Theory which suggests that chromosomes such as this one should start degenerating. This chromosome, specifically, is an interesting model because it’s only in the first stages of this degeneration and still appears very similar in size and shape to the original - whereas the human Y chromosome has shrunk and lost most of its genes. ‘One of the exciting findings of this year is that we may have found sequences which allow us to distinguish the Y chromosome from the autosome from which it
originated.’ says Richard. So, how fast do mutations causing this degeneration accrue? This can be answered because in the hybrid zone, a peculiar instance of the two different species meeting and interbreeding in a 1km-wide band, which stretches right along the French Alps - the Y chromosome, by a series of crosses, can end up in hybrid females. This is because it is not sex-determining, it just happens to be passed from father to son in the Neo-Y species. It appears, however that having this Y-chromosome would be deleterious in females, but what they do not know is how strong that effect is. ‘If we can find some genetic markers to distinguish it from the autosome from which it is derived, in the middle of the zone where all these different combinations are being created, we can question whether it actually go to the daughters. In the event of species crossing, it must, but the question is whether or not they die as a result.’
qmsci | January | 13
Outreach at QMUL
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G.Hack - QMUL’s first women’s hacking club
Images by G.Hack
Yo u might have heard about G.Hack – a women’s hacking club set up at QM to strengthen female student confidence and abilities in the use of technologies. Founded just over eight months ago by a group of research students from the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, G.Hack provides their members with a women-friendly learning environment while offering the time and space for skill sharing and creative collaborations. G.Hack is a 2011 awardee of QMUL’s Small Grants for the Development of Learning and Teaching. Some of the group’s activities include skill sharing workshops run by G.Hack members, such as an introduction to LaTeX, how to install a blog/wiki, building a soft circuit, programming a microcontroller/radio, hacking a cell phone detector and learning how to wield a soldering iron. The last few months have also seen exciting collaborations and new work coming out of this rather active group. The first project was a successful collaboration with textile students from Central St. Martins College of Art & Design (CSM) and
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involved the development of an interactive storytelling table covered with a sea of flowers. Threads & Yarns, an intergenerational textile project, explores personal accounts of health and well-being over the past 75 years since the founding of the Wellcome Trust. Earlier this summer, G.Hack was invited to take part in a Chi-TEK project, initiated by MzTEK. 20 leading women designers, artists and technologists were brought together for a showcase of ChiTEK at the Victoria & Albert Museum. This was the first time so many contemporary women artists working with technology had gathered under one roof. Chi-TEK, based on the acronym for Computer Human Interaction, aimed to raise the profile of women artists; an under-represented group in this pioneering field. World-renowned artists Shu Lea Cheang and Tine Bech were among the participants who also included interaction designers, sound artists, industrial designers, bio artists, architects and performance artists as well as women who work with wearable technologies and sustainability. The Chi-TEK brief was to mend a teapot by a creative use
o f technology to modify or to enhance it. The G.Hack team took another route. Instead of hacking into a teapot, they made an interactive map of London allowing V&A Tea Party visitors to navigate through its contemporary tea culture. Under the title ‘Sound Mapping London Tea Houses’ this interactive installation mapped sound recordings of one tea-house per each of London’s 33 boroughs. By placing the specially marked teapot on one of the boroughs the sounds from a teahouse in that borough were played. To design this interactive surface the G.Hack team used the reacTIVision tracking system which tracked fiducial markers attached to physical objects. The teapot was marked with infrared LEDs, the map of London boroughs was constructed in Adobe Illustrator and made interactive in Processing, while corresponding sounds were driven by the interaction between reacTIVision and Max/MSP. During the two months of preparation, members of G.Hack armed with audio recorders, headphones, video cameras and iPhones embarked on a mission to visit and record 33 tea houses scattered around
Greater London. The stretch was both physical and technical, however; G.Hack walked the walk and delivered a rather pleasant interactive journey experience. The installation was popular with the visitors and many felt inspired to share the locations and stories of their own favourite London tea houses. G.Hack also hosts a variety of outreach workshops. Just a few weeks ago, G.Hack ran a DIY electronics workshop at which graphite and conductive fabrics were used to create switches for collaborative musical instruments for Interweave at the V&A. On November 19th at SPACE in Hackney, G.Hack will run the T.HACK workshop. This is a follow up workshop to teach basic techniques involved in the construction of an interactive table top as seen in use for Sound Mapping London Tea Houses. For more information please visit: www.spacestudios.org.uk/whatson/courses/mztek-t-hack-with-ghack G.Hack is community open to anyone at QM interested in sharing technology and skills through hands-on explorations. You can find out more about G.Hack at: http://ghack.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/. by Ilze Black
qmsci | January | 14
Outreach at QMUL
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Science - It’s Certainly A Kind Of Magic
Scientist solve mysteries, magicians and conjurers create them. Perhaps surprisingly these two seemingly different groups also have much in common. In ancient Greece when the high priests of the temple wanted to prove the powers of the Gods, they would wheel out the statue of a bronze horse. Offered a bowl of water, the horse statue would drink and the water would be seen to flow through the horse and then out at the back, where it was expected. Miraculous enough to have a metal horse that drank, but then dramatically the priest would pass a sword right through the neck of the drinking horse. Not only did the horse still drink, but the head remained attached to the body – the power of the
clever ratchet mechanism ensured that as the sword passed, it pulled a tube away and then pushed it back when the sword had passed to allow the drinking to continue. Fast forward to Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, a famous French magician in the nineteenth century. Robert-Houdin was what we could call today an ‘early adopter’; he loved playing with the new technology of the time and was one of the first to have electric lights in his home in France. He also used clever science to create some of his magic. One of his most famous tricks was the light and heavy chest, in which a wooden box was first easy to lift and then, at the snap of a finger, too heavy to lift. The trick worked using electromagnetism which,
“Magic is always being reinvented as new bits of science and engineering come along” ancient Gods was truly great. Except of course it wasn’t; the horse statue was an amazing bit of magical engineering created by mathematician and engineer Hero (AKA Heron) of Alexandria. The horse contained clever pronged cog wheels that held the head in place but also allowed the sword to pass through. As the sword passed through the series of cogs, the neck would click around, allowing the sword to pass but ensuring that there were always some in place able to hold the head on. As for the drinking, a
in his day, was a new and largely unknown technology. A metal plate was hidden in the chest and an electromagnet hidden in the floor below. When the magnet was on, it attracted the metal plate and so the box couldn’t be moved. Napoleon III even convinced Robert-Houdin to use his ‘magical powers’ to help quell an uprising in Algeria. Local tribesmen were being led by shamans professing magical powers. Robert-Houdin used his light and heavy chest trick to prove that French magic was stronger and so helped
discredit the local leaders. Magic is always being reinvented as new bits of science and engineering come along. There is a classic trick called grandmother’s necklace where two ropes are used to tie beads into a seemingly inescapable loop, yet the ropes seem to pass right through them. This trick has its origins in the first ever book to describe how magic could be
is seems. The modern version of this classic can be done using rare earth magnets which are small and incredibly powerful – they’re hidden in the ropes, which can be examined and then secretly linked into their two connected loops for the trick to work. New forms of magic have even been performed in space; a number of astronauts have been amateur magicians, but in 2008 video game pioneer and
faked using science. In 1584, Reginald Scott published his infamous book ‘The Discoverie of Witchcraft, wherein the Lewde dealing of Witches and Witchmongers is notablie detected’ exposing the tricks of medieval witchcraft. The trick involves making the audience believe that two ropes both pass through the beads, while in fact the ropes are loops joined together at the center then fed through the beads. This means that when a simple knot is tied in the front, and the ends of the ropes pulled tight, the central link breaks releasing the beads and making it look like the ropes have passed through. It works by cleverly hidden maths; the topology is not what
space explorer Richard Garriott, a lifelong collector of magical props, performed the first full magic show on board the International Space Station. Working with experts including us at Queen Mary, he created new effects that would work in the microgravity of earth low orbit. Throughout history, new types of technology and hidden science have been used to make the impossible possible. There are careers for scientist and engineers in creating new professional magic effects, and loads of fun in using science and engineering to entertain and fool your friends. If you’re interested in exploring more, illusioneering. org (created here at Queen Mary) has a range of clever magic effects, including links to the space magic, that are all based on science like chemistry, physics, mathematics and engineering. Enjoy but remember it’s a secret, and don’t break the magician’s code. by Peter McOwan
Image by David Rowyn from Richard Garriott’s private collection of Magical Artefacts and www.illusioneering.com
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qmsci | January | 15
Armageddon
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It’s The End Of The World As We Know It
With 2012 looming around the corner, and the constant bombardment from the media on how the earth is to face its doom imminently, we thought it fitting that our specialist theme for this issue was that of ‘Armageddon.’ Every day we’re reminded of the finite resources that are slowly running out and as a world now
completely dependent on the availability of these unsustainable resources for our economy and agriculture, it’s fair to say our society would completely collapse if we suddenly found ourselves without them. Passing the recent population milestone of seven billion people, it’s a scary thought to imagine
how much damage we’re causing our planet, with rising sea levels, fluctuations in temperature, and decimated ecosystems all spawning because of human interference. With mankind now the most technologically advanced it has ever been, we are able to implement technologies with consequences we cannot guess. We can now also peer
into the past and learn lessons from what we see – there have been five major mass extinction events in the history of the earth, wiping out entire populations, so when will the next one be – and will we be able to survive?
Image by James Vaughan (via Flickr)
Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Short History
WE WENT to war in Iraq to find them; Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by them; is Iran developing them? Years after the Cold War threat has dissipated, weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) are still controversial. The 1937 bombing of the Spanish town Guernica by Germany and Italy inspired two things: one of Picasso’s first cubist works, and a new phrase – “weapons of mass destruction” from the then Archbishop of Canterbury: “Who can think at this present time without a sickening of the heart of the appalling slaughter, the suffering, the manifold misery brought by war to Spain... who can think without horror of what another widespread war would mean, waged as it would be with all the new weapons of mass destruction?” The trenches in World War I saw the first use of biological and
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chemical warfare, by both British and German sides, including the deadly phosgene and mustard gas, killing more than 80,000 people and injuring a million people, including a young Adolf Hitler. To date, the only use of nuclear weapons was during the close of World War II when the United States bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and later Nagasaki, killing approximately 250,000 people. The A-bomb works by employing the power of nuclear fission, in which atoms are split, producing neutrons, gamma rays and colossal amounts of energy; the mushroom cloud formed when the bomb dropped on Hiroshima produced an iconic image of war and destruction. Albert Einstein, who had signed a letter a letter to President Roosevelt recommending atomic bombs were constructed, said: “I made one great mistake in my
life — when I signed the... but there was some justification — the danger that the Germans would make them...” The British government justified the 2003 invasion of Iraq based on the claim that Britain was vulnerable to a ‘45 minute warning’ WMD attack from Saddam Hussein, although some officials suggested that the 45 minute warning report had been ‘sexed up.’ Recently, there have been terrorism scares involving the use of ‘dirty bombs’ which combine radioactive and explosive material, which if exploded would cause radiation poisoning. After the Cold War, a period of tension between the communist and Western worlds spanning from the 1950s to 1990s, we often talk about World War III. The most devastating WMD now imaginable is the H-bomb,
which employs nuclear fusion, in which atomic nuclei fuse together producing huge amounts of energy. Countries with nuclear weapons include The USA, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea. Intelligence also suggests that Iran could be developing nuclear weapons and that Iran and North Korea could pose a future nuclear threat, and could be the most likely opponents in World War III. A nuclear war would be potentially devastating for human life. Albert Einstein said: “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones,” by Alexander Badrick
qmsci | January | 17
Armageddon
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A Real-Life Contagion Image by Yasser Alghofily (via Flickr)
its natural host, Pteropodidae fruit bats, and into pigs, acquiring the ability to infect humans in contact with infected livestock. This initial outbreak killed 105 people, including abattoir workers in Singapore who handled exported Malaysian pigs. A further 12 outbreaks have occurred in South
Contagion, a film released this September depicted the outbreak and development of a new global pandemic and the frantic rush of public health officials to contain and limit the damage. While taking some liberties for the sake of storytelling, the film was made especially chilling by its basis in real life epidemiology. In fact the pathogen responsible for the chaos depicted is a partially fictionalised version of a very real disease. The film’s virus, MEV1 was inspired by the real world Nipah virus, an emerging zoonotic (diseases which jump species from animals to humans) infection first identified in Nipah, Malaysia in 1998 where it crossed over from
Viruses can only ‘live’ inside another host.
“Nipah kills between 40 and 75% of those infected” Asia since then. Most worryingly the virus has shown personto-person infection in several outbreaks in Bangladesh and India, with extremely high case-fatality rates. Like MEV-1, personto-person transmission of Nipah is thought to be via droplets of water on the breath, but can arise from contact with other secretions, as in Bangladesh where fruit contaminated with bat urine was implicated as the outbreak’s source. The film focuses heavily on fomite transmission (virus particles left on tissues, door handles, surfaces etc and transferred to people who touch them), which may
While the similarities between MEV-1 and Nipah are striking, some noticeable changes were made. Nipah deaths usually occur around two weeks after infection, while several characters in Contagion die within 3-4 days. MEV-1 is also more infectious, reaching all corners of the globe in days, more akin to SARS, while Nipah has never been confirmed to have left South Asia, thanks to careful quarantining during outbreaks. Pteropodidae are, however, present throughout Africa, so there may still be a hidden reservoir of infection there.
In an uncharacteristically subtle touch for a Hollywood disaster movie, the deadliness of Nipah has been toned down somewhat, while the case-fatality rate of MEV-1 is given as 25 percent, Nipah kills between 40 and 75 percent of those infected. So for all it’s realism, could Contagion actually happen? Nipah is on the World Health Organisation’s list of potential pandemics, and it is clear that the effects it has when an outbreak occurs are devastating. Currently it would seem that Nipah virus lacks the infectivity to cause devastation on quite the scale seen in Contagion, but the more smallscale infections occur in pigs and humans, the more opportunity the virus will have to mutate into a more transmissible strain. Meanwhile the threat of pandemics from other emerging infections, and more worryingly from those we don’t know about yet is still very real, and far more terrifying than any film. by Sam Gardiner (Neuroscience Society)
Image by Eneas De Troya (via Flickr)
Viruses are a class of infectious agents, that are on the borderline of living and nonliving.
also occur with Nipah. Symptoms such as severe respiratory distress and potentially fatal seizures resulting from encephalitis (brain inflammation) are also shared by Nipah and its fictional counterpart, likewise the lack of any currently effective treatment or vaccine.
Typical virus structure:
T4 Bacteriophage
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qmsci | January | 18
Armageddon
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Peak oil - Time is running out Image by Andrew Sanders
There is currently an overwhelming sense of anxiety filtering through the ranks of politicians, government officials, environmentalists and scientists all over the world. According to the latest BP Statistical Review of World Energy released in June of this year, total global oil has been measured at 188.8 million tonnes - enough to last roughly 46.2 years, should global production remain at the current rate. Given this information, it is fair to assume that the world will reach peak oil production - the point at which global oil production peaks before going into terminal decline - in less than 50 years. As the world wakes up to this unfortunate truth, oil companies worldwide have, in recent years, been eyeing previously ‘untouchable’ reserves in the Arctic with a keen interest. A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report conducted in 2008 suggested that almost one quarter of the undiscovered, technically recoverable hydrocarbons in the world might be contained
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in an area just to the north of the Arctic circle. For large-scale oil companies, the majority of the hydrocarbons to be found in the Arctic are concentrated underneath what is now the
world’s last remaining pristine marine environments. There is the option of drilling in the Arctic, but are we really prepared to desecrate one of the world’s last remaining pristine wilderness areas for the
“total global oil has been measured at 188.8 million tonnes - enough to last roughly 46.2 years” Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), a veritable stronghold for Arctic biodiversity. It is fears for this valuable ecosystem that have previously prevented anything more than surface exploration. However, with the world’s recoverable reserves being exploited at the current rate, exploration of Arctic reserves is looking more and more likely In August of this year, Shell Oil was granted permission to drill exploratory wells off the coast of Alaska in 2012, thus marking an important milestone towards opening up to oil and gas development on Alaska’s outer continental shelf - one of the
sake of oil? Environmentalists are quick to put forward the suggestion that the migration patterns of a range of different species may be disrupted by the addition of drilling rigs and stations in the Arctic. It is also argued that the construction of roads and therefore compaction of ice and snow would cause early thawing of the permafrost, leading to pools of water forming and the eventual death of most plants in these areas. The most prominent of threats related to oil extraction in the Arctic is, however, the potential for oil spillages. Alaska has not yet recovered from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and
the possibility of further oil spills and destruction of large percentages of marine fauna and flora is a sobering thought. Many supporters of extraction in the ANWR believe that oil from this region will undoubtedly alleviate the US in particular from it’s dependency on foreign imports. While this is probably the case, it would come at the expense of one of its most pristine and biodiverse regions. Whilst it is easy to criticise the decision to explore the hydrocarbon potential of the Arctic, it is a fact that other forms of accessible energy are still mostly inefficient, expensive or geographically restricted. For the problem to be overcome and for both parties to be satisfied, a situation must be reached where the thirst for oil is quenched and the environment is managed sustainably. by Rob Blackler
qmsci | January | 19
Armageddon
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It would be arrogant to assume that we are the only life forms in this vast universe, and the nature of the human conscience has provided us with many a tale involving the existence of alien life. The mystery surrounding the US military base ‘Area 51’, colours the stories of alien abduction and contact. The area surrounding where it is thought to be situated is permanently off-limits to both civilian and military air traffic. Radar stations protect the area, and unauthorized personnel are quickly expelled, ensuring one wrong turn and a highly trained secret agent could make you disappear. Of course this is all speculation, but you have to wonder why they would be so aggressively protective over such a small area, and consider what they have to hide. The secretive nature and undoubted connection to classified aircraft research, together with reports of unusual phenomena, have led Area 51 to become the focus of conspiracy theories surrounding UFO sightings and alien contact. The Roswell UFO Incident in New Mexico during June 1947 is a popularised supposed landing site for a damaged alien ‘saucer’, carrying alien crew that may or may not have escape out into the world. The media hype surrounding this event and consequent conspiracies surrounding it, has made Roswell the place to be for any and all things extraterrestrial. Crop circles have also been indicators of visitors from outer space; they are large
“Sadly, it is more likely to be secret infiltration by an alien race, complete earth occupation or a short alien raid, (such as abduction.)” circular areas of flattened crops believed to be caused by alien spaceships. The short time span in which most have occurred and the apparent lack of an explanation has caused many to jump to the conclusion that it must have been the martians. However, these could of course be explained through man-made occurrences – teenagers playing a prank, the wind blowing down the crops, escape livestock etc. But mysteries such as these are rarely ever so simple. The UK doesn’t have an official Area 51 base dedicated to these mysterious weapons and possibly alien technologies, but in August 2011, the Ministry of Defence released nearly 6,000 pages of information on UFO sightings between 1985 and 2007. These range from lights in the sky in Glastonbury to flying saucers over
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Nottinghamshire. These included a sighting in Birmingham, in 1997, where it was claimed that a “large blue triangle-shaped” craft hovered over a garden and left a strange “silky white substance” upon its departure. Furthermore, there have been reports of a “toblerone-shaped” UFO hovering over Scotland in 1994. They believe that the reason behind the sighting was a chocolate craving. Beyond possible sightings, the possibility of an alien invasion has several terrifying consequences. Given all possible scenarios in which aliens make contact, it is unlikely to be as comforting as a slightly batty man in a fez that travels through time and space in a police box. Sadly, it is more likely to be secret infiltration by an alien race, complete earth occupation or a short alien raid, (such as abduction.) These have all been speculated about for many years and fascinated the scientists that search the cosmos for contact. Despite the droves of theories, no extra-terrestrial life-forms have been discovered, as far as we know. However, the SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence,) Institute, collaborating with NASA, have prepared for the eventuality that we are not alone. Given the large amount of electro-magnetic waves that earth now emits, it would be easy to identify us in the universe, and have sent mixed signals to the martians. The Interstellar Radio Message Project has been broadcasting radio signals into deep space since 1974 in the hopes of making contact, whilst at the same time developing technology to disguise earth from any alien technology. Alien conspiracies have plagued us for many years in the same way that legends of unicorns and vampires persist – because we are obsessed with the supernatural and the possibility of the paranormal, and until we can observe and test these occurrences it will remain a mystery.
Image by Martin Houlden
Beam Me Up, Scotty
by Bahga Said-Mohamud W. M. Keck Observatory (used in SETI project); Keck I (right) and Keck II (left) domes at Mauna Kea.
© W. M. Keck Observatory / © California Association for Research in Astronomy (CARA)
qmsci | January | 20
Armageddon
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Black Holes Image by NASA (via Flickr)
Of all the doomsday scenarios imaginable, being engulfed by a black hole must count as one of the most terrifying. So why would a group of scientists working deep beneath the French-Swiss border knowingly seek to create them? Black holes are incredibly dense areas of space with gravitational fields so powerful that once entered, nothing can escape; a decidedly unsettling prospect, but one that is a reality in the research undertaken by scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The LHC is the world’s biggest and most powerful particle accelerator to date. By colliding particles at high velocities, the LHC aims to recreate an environment similar to the conditions found immediately after the Big Bang. These collisions, while possibly answering many questions of the universe, are also the cause of many concerns. The primary worry is the formation of black
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holes. By focusing the collision of the high powered beams into a minute area, a micro-black hole could be formed. Then what? Surely the black hole would grow at an exponential rate, sucking in the rest of the world and ending all life as we know it, right? According to Dr Eram Rizvi, a
his co-workers in the search for unseen extra-dimensions, enabling them to gain further insights into the workings of gravity. Rizvi’s team is working on the hypothesis that gravity may exist in dimensions other than the three spatial dimensions and one time dimension in which we live,
“the black hole would grow at an exponential rate, sucking in the rest of the world” scientist at the LHC, this fear is unfounded; “A micro-black hole, unlike an astronomical black hole, is incredibly hot and would radiate its energy so quickly that it would decay immediately. Therefore if a black hole were created, it would exist for less than one billionth of a second before evaporating.” In fact, the creation of microblack holes could aid Rizvi and
and that these other dimensions could be unveiled at the moment a micro-black hole is formed. However, sceptics argue that there are real dangers in the LHC research. They contend that as a micro-black hole has not yet been seen at the LHC, there is no definite way of knowing if it actually would evaporate as predicted. In response to this,
the most poignant and telling argument for the safety of the LHC is that anything the LHC can do, nature can do better. Since its formation, the Earth has been bombarded repeatedly by cosmic rays of vastly greater energy than anything that can be created by the LHC and it has withstood every one of them; not one Earthdevouring black hole has been created yet. The same can be said for all astronomical objects, from the Sun at the centre of our Solar System to the 13.2 billion year old red giant HE 1523-0901. They have all been hit by cosmic rays a multitude of times and yet they remain intact (Physical Review). As Dr. Rizvi succinctly put it, “If black holes that could swallow the world could be created, we wouldn’t be here now.” by Duncan McLean
qmsci | January | 21
Armageddon
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The Ultimate Fate of Our Universe When Edwin Hubble observed the redshift of distant galaxies the result of wavelengths being stretched out due to recessional velocity - he went on to describe the phenomenon mathematically. Hubble’s Law explains that the acceleration of these receding galaxies is proportional to their distance from the Earth, which led to the rather surprising discovery that our universe is actually expanding. It took a while for the implications to be fully realised, but this discovery eventually gave rise to what we now call the Big Bang theory - the idea that the universe as we know it today sprung up from an infinitely small and infinitely dense state, a singularity, that expanded outward in every direction at the birth of our universe. A large amount of thought has since gone into not only the birth of our universe, but also its ultimate fate. Some of the early responses to the discovery theorised that the initial force from the Big Bang, thought to be propelling each constituent galaxy further away
from its originating location, would eventually be counteracted by the gravitational attraction between bodies leading to a “Big Crunch” - a contraction. With the overall density of the universe being large enough to cause a contraction, everything would eventually return to the singularity from whence it
concept of time and space would become completely meaningless. However, another surprising development conflicted with this idea when it was discovered that far from slowing down, the rate of expansion is actually increasing. The force that repulses each galaxy further from its neighbour
“As the universe compacts into an incredibly small volume, slight irregularities would result in increasing chaos” came under the crush of gravity experienced by every piece of matter in the universe. As the universe compacts into an incredibly small volume, slight irregularities would result in increasing chaos. Depending on the direction in which an observer fell into the eventual singularity, gravity and the warping of space-time would vary hugely. As the observer inched closer and closer to the singularity, space-time would warp ferociously and every
has been termed ‘dark energy.’ The idea of an eventual Big Crunch has not been entirely abandoned yet; brane cosmology postulates that M-branes (upon one of which our fourdimensional visible universe lies) collide periodically, resulting in a reversal from contraction to expansion and vice versa. Another cosmological theory put forth by Peter Lynds suggests that time is actually cyclic. The theory of an oscillatory universe, in which it simply expands and
contracts infinitely, is known as The Big Bounce and precludes the necessity of a singularity. Current evidence, however, sees the universe expanding indefinitely. Energy will either slowly dissipate, with all matter falling into black holes or decaying as the cosmos grows cold and empty over a period of 10^100 years (the Big Chill), or dark energy will cause an ever-increasing rate of expansion eventually leading to the structure of the universe tearing itself asunder (the Big Rip) and creating a singularity in which all distances diverge to infinite values. Still, it’s incredibly unlikely that we’ll be aware of a chill, a rip, a bounce or a crunch; quite aside from such theoretical events lying hundreds of millions of years away, we’d find it rather difficult to survive the conditions immediately preceding such a bombastic closing ceremony. by Rosemary Gotto
Image by NASA (via Flickr)
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qmsci | January | 22
Armageddon
qmsci
Last Beast Standing Image by Steven Meyer-Rassow
Whether it be a nuclear explosion, a meteor collision or world-wide epidemic that gets us, when the end of days comes, it’s pretty certain that there won’t be any humans left standing . But what will? We have all heard of the almost invincible microorganisms, able to rapidly adapt to changing evolutionary pressures from the environment, so it is likely these organisms would survive even the most destructive of forces. But how many multicellular organisms are there out there that would survive the apocalypse? One possibility is the hardy cockroach – these critters are tough and have been discovered to have been crawling this earth for around 250 million years, surviving the five mass extinctions, even the one that the colossal dinosaurs couldn’t survive. Cockroaches are able to restore damaged body parts, go without oxygen for 40 minutes or water for weeks, and rapidly reproduce in high numbers. The
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cockroach is a fighter, surviving long periods of time under harsh conditions. A Brachiopod (also know as a
unique ability is due to altered gene expression changing with environmental conditions. The Mummichog has even been sent
“They are able to bear the most extreme temperatures (between -273 and 151°C)” shell) is entirely built for survival. The brachiopod Lingula has a hinged shell and a long ‘tongue’ for feeding and has been traced back through all five mass extinctions, with fossil findings suggesting very few traits have changed. It has been theorised that this organism’s success is due to its avoidance tactic of burrowing into the sea bed. Staying in the water, the Mummichog fish, at 15cm long, is known to survive and adapt to changing environments, including polluted areas, extreme hot and cold waters, and even changing salinity. This
to space, where it was able to adapt to weightless life, using light as a gravitational pull to adjust themselves. Due to the way the Mummichog is able to activate and deactivate genes, it can evolve to survive many different conditions. However, nothing beats the superior Tardigrade. Standing at about 1mm long, the commonly known ‘water bear’ is the most robust organism alive and extremely widespread. They are able to bear the most extreme temperatures (between -273 and 151°C), irradiation, solar winds, extreme dehydration
and pressurised and vacuumed environments, as exemplified last year when they were documented as the first organism to survive exposure to space. In the history of the earth, five destructive events have occurred causing major mass extinctions, but the humans have never had to overcome such a colossal attack on our survival. Many would argue that with our scientific knowledge and superior intelligence, humans would be able to predict and prepare to survive in harsh conditions. Our brains have aided us through millions of years of evolution, enabling us to adapt to a spectrum of environments and availability of resources. There is a sobering probability that the human race will face a catastrophic extinction event, though it is still uncertain if every one of us will be able to survive, if at all. by Priyanka Bulsara
qmsci | January | 23
Features
qmsci
A Great Fool
Image by Kit (via Flickr)
‘There is no system foolproof enough of astronomical breakthroughs to the to defeat a sufficiently great fool,’ said British Astronomer Sir John Herschel Edward Teller. As a scientist, I know first – it was said that he had discovered a hand that this is true. Throughout my range of new planets, star systems and scientific career, I have been ‘breaking’ had, quite simply, solved every problem science. Dramatic? Maybe. Honest? that ever had, or ever would face the field Completely. of astronomy. But this was nothing in False theories and scientific errors comparison to his biggest ‘discovery’ – have been following me around my whole intelligent life on the moon. And not in life -- but it is a comforting thought to the form of bacteria or any other micro know that I organisms – am not alone he allegedly with them. found a “The researchers had made The c o l o n y the error of simply reaching Institute of blue of Animal unicorns out and taking the wrong Health in l i v i n g sample from the refrigerator” E d i nbu rg h amongst recently the huge declared that they had detected traces of lilac coloured pyramids within the vast ‘mad-cow’ disease in what were believed forests he supposedly saw on the surface to be sheep brains infected with Scrapie of the moon. When Herschel was later (a fatal, degenerate disease affecting questioned about his findings, he had no the nervous system) – the results were knowledge of them – and indeed, was astounding, as they suggested the disease completely unaware of what he had been had surpassed the species barrier, moving credited with. The Sun had completely from cows to sheep. The experiments fabricated the story, and even after it was carried on for five or so years, and cost revealed the story was a hoax, continued more £200,000. However, it was revealed to sell copies of the article. that the brain samples being tested were Nevertheless, it must be said that in fact from cattle – not sheep. The science itself, for the most part, is researchers had made the error of simply a certain uncertainty – it is full of reaching out and taking the wrong unanswered questions, theories that are sample from the refrigerator – and then proven, disproved, and misunderstood. continuing to test this sample for half a One thing is for sure – these mistakes are decade. the basis of the discipline. They are what Of course, sometimes it isn’t just the keep us moving forward – they keep us scientists making the mistakes – more fresh, they keep us alert. often than not, it is the media who get a little… over excited. In August 1853, by Nikita Singh the New York Sun attributed a myriad
Science jokes in 140 characters
Are you a smooth operator? Follow us @qmsci and tweet your best science pick up lines. You could appear on the second issue!
@ehehdavid
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I’m positive I’ve lost an electron, I’d better keep an ion that. #sciencejokes
The name’s Bond. Ionic Bond. Taken, not shared. #sciencejokes
@dylanfabrega Dylan Fabrega
@beetommy Thomas Barber
A Neutron Walks Into A Bar And Asks: “How Much For A Drink?” The Bartender Replies: “For You, No Charge.” #sciencejokes www.qmsci.com
If anyone wants to start tweeting #sciencejokes now, you’re too late. All the good ones Argon. qmsci | January | 24
Features
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Human 2.0 Image by Thomas B
On 1st December, QMUL held an excellent event: LIREC, (LIving with Robots and IntEractive Companions). This EU funded project explored the definition of robots in the world of industry and research. The robots on display included Queen Mary’s amazing state of the art ‘emotion recognition system’ which detects your mood. The discussion was chaired by Olivia Solon (Wired. co.uk) and featured four panelists: Professor Peter McOwan (Queen Mary, University of London), Ghislaine Boddington (body/ data/space), Dr Dan O’Hara (Weavrs), and Matt Jones (BERG). The theme of robothuman interactions has been widely documented in popular culture. From Wall-E (which suggests that we rely too heavily on them), to Battlestar Galactica (which has us at war with them), the topic clearly divides opinion. Given that IEEE Spectrum reported that the robot population had reached 8.6 million in 2010, should we be concerned - just how much do we rely on robots?
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Well, if you own a car or have ever purchased an item from GAP or Staples, then the chances are a robot will have
such as washing laundry, tidying up and to even get you a beer from the fridge. It might seem odd now but fast forward 50 years into the
“She has skin sensors that allow her to perceive touch, and these are so sensitive that she can tell the difference between a simple touch and pain.” helped in the production or transport of those items. From warehouses to factories, robots serve a wide variety of functions in a range of environments, the list of which is ever expanding. Indeed the development of the Da Vinci surgical system has arguably even made traditional surgeons obsolete. And they are not limited to professional settings either. Just how many of you have you taken your laundry home to dear old Mum, to get it washed? Yeah, we’ve all been there and Willow Garage are a company that are working on creating personal robots to complete mundane tasks
future and you might just find that personal robots have become the norm. There are football tournaments affectionately titled ‘Robocup’ which uses fully autonomous robots to compete in international teams, just like regular football – so who says robots can’t have fun? Humanoid robots are also becoming more advanced. Take Aiko, for instance. She is a robot that bears a striking resemblance to humans, in both appearance and behaviour. She has skin sensors that allow her to perceive touch, and these are so sensitive that she can tell the difference between a simple touch and pain. Not just that,
she can also greet people and engage in conversation. And perhaps most interestingly, she can learn information such as instructions and names, which she then relay when she sees some-one’s face again. This is all co-ordinated by her Bio Robot Artificial Intelligence Neural Systems (BRAINS) software. However, while she appears to be emotionally advanced, she cannot walk, showing that are still advancements to be made. Whilst the benefits that these robots can bring us are unquestionable, how long will it be before they cater to our every whim? Current research has focused on specific specialised functions, like movement or sensitivity so it would be necessary for this research to be collated before a fully humanoid and autonomous robot can be developed. It does, however, only seem to be a question of when, as opposed to if. by Almira Jahan Khaliq
qmsci | January | 25
Interviews | Academics
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Blast From The Past - Dr Brendan Curran Senior lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences, Dr Brendan Curran, tells us about both his professional and personal life.
surfaces. So the next time I put it on, and went to open the lid, the rotar fell on the floor. It was ten thousand pounds worth of damage - I wasn’t popular.
Star Sign: Taurus Music: Enya, River Dance, Pink Floyd, & The Beatles. Films: Foyles War, Chariots of Fire, and Kung Fu. Favourite Saying: “Be in the Now” Most influential book: The Power of Now
Image by Tomislav Alajbeg rgbstock.com
found it fascinating- always have!’
In fetching sun hat with two ‘friends’ he met on holiday aged 3yrs.
Why Genetics?
A very interesting story actually. I read in the paper about a boy playing rugby who broke his neck, and I wondered why spinal nerves couldn’t regenerate but peripheral nerves could. I thought because it was the same nucleus in the cell, it must be something to do with the way it’s expressed, so I looked into genetics. But I always loved genetics. When I was at school, it was like someone turned on the lights.
Tell us about experience:
your
university
I didn’t go to university first. In Ireland you do the leavers certificate and I could only do biology or chemistry, I couldn’t do both. And, I also was interested in basketball,
How did you decide to do a PhD? What type of student were you?
I’d like to say I misbehaved, but I didn’t. When I was at university I was very ordinary. I mean,
I always wanted to do a PhD because I knew to do the research; I had to do a PhD. I went into university to do a PhD, not to do a degree. But I had to do a degree first.
What do you enjoy about your job?
“It was ten thousand pounds worth of damage - I wasn’t popular”
I like students. I like interacting with students. I like thinking about genetics and doing research when I can. But research is kind of a selfish pursuit and I am not comfortable being selfish. I am just
I was reasonably good but I didn’t do anything extraordinary. I might have played basketball for the university for a while. I lived at home. It was a 15 min cycle to university. But doing a degree in Dublin is very exciting because it’s in the middle of Dublin, and Trinity College is beautiful.
Pointing the way! - Aged 1
I wasn’t any good at it but I loved it! And I thought, I don’t want to go to university for four years, so I’ll become a hospital technician. Now in Ireland becoming a hospital technician is very difficult; there’s only one course in the whole of Ireland and you have to qualify to get on it. And I managed to get on that course. So I became a technician first. But then I had an eye accident playing basketball and decided that my basketball career was over, not that I had one, and that perhaps I should get my act together and do something useful.
What was your biggest practical mishap?
During my postdoc, I used a centrifuge with a large rotar that I used to prop on the edge of the centrifuge and open the lid. But somebody came to service it and put silicone polish on all the
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Top right in photograph of a winning basketball team 1977.
Still pointing the way aged 3 yrs whilst driving a tractor with brother John!
Where does your big genetics come from?
love
of
I honestly don’t know. When I was young my brother used to give me books on genetics for Christmas I couldn’t get enough of them-I thought it was the most unbelievably fascinating subject. That was when I was 18/19. That’s not to say I was stuck in it all the time-I wasn’t. The idea of DNA and RNA encoding protein and the complexity rising from such simplicity; I just
not built that way. So I like to be more embracing. I wouldn’t fight to fend my research but I’d fight for my students.
That’s pretty honourable
No it’s not. This is the thing….you know people often say I ran in to a fire and actually I wasn’t courageous - I just ran in because I had to. They are right. They are not courageous. If they were terrified and then ran in, they’d be courageous. And so it’s the same with this. I shouldn’t get any appreciation for being who I am because that’s who I am. I don’t choose to be that way. Well, I guess you could say I could fight it (laughs).
qmsci | January | 26
Interviews | Academics
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Blast From The Past - Dr Brendan Curran Why did you name your book “A Terrible Beauty is born”?
It’s a play on words. Because Dolly was beautiful but her potential was terrible. It’s terrifying what we could do now. An abuse of life, a feeling that we are in control, a feeling that we can manipulate animals or even humans.
But isn’t the whole point of genetics to understand in order to create effective change? For instance the boy who broke his neck?
There is a difference between interfering with life and in somebody’s life. If you clone a human, which is what you could do, (not just yet, but will be possible at some point,) you just don’t have the right to do that. Because when that person is born, your technology has made them
not. We are asleep. A different level of asleep but were asleep. When you are walking down the road you are thinking about lunch, you are not taking in the road. So in our dream state which is what is normal, there is no free will. Because you respond out habit and you respond out of memory by in large. However when you are aware, you create the space to reflect before you react. So your actions are always fresh, always appropriate, and always in the moment. And those are actually free because you have a choice. You can decide not to do it’s you can decide to be aware or not aware but after that there’s no choice.
Brady lived in a high rise block of flats in one of the most dangerous areas of Dublin.
How do you become aware?
At award of PhD at Trinity College Dublin, with then soon-to-be wife, Virgina, in 1984.
You have to train your mind to become aware. Meditate mostly.
Anthony Brady sat beside me and one day when I came home to do my homework I realised “Oh my goodness, I’ve got Anthony Brady’s book”. I was out in the back lane and I wasn’t wearing my glasses-. And this boy came along who I thought was Anthony. And ‘excuse me’ I said ‘I have your book’. Only now I realised it wasn’t Anthony
“That your trust is rarely betrayed. I trust everyone.” School photograph, 1961.
what they are. And if they have any deficiencies, as lots of dolly’s sisters did,that’s your fault! Because you were arrogant enough to think you could do it. And a clone of another person has the awful connotation that they are going to be the other person-they are not. Even if I were to clone myself, to have a son, Brendan Junior, he would grow up anticipating he’s going to be me but he isn’t. Then look at his relatedness. So I am his father but I am not. My father is his father. It’s a bit like splitting the atom - you can use it really well and you can make electricity or blow people up with it. It’s that sort of power and it’s terrifying.
If we are the product of Genetics and our environment, do we have free will?
The answer is yes and no. This is very philosophical. Awareness -true awareness- is a rare phenomenon. So we are aware when awake, when we go to sleep we are not aware and were aware when we awake. True awareness is being aware all the time, every second of the day. If you could train yourself to be in the moment 24/7 that’s what I’d call an aware person. We are
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School photograph, 1967
What is the single biggest lesson life has taught you?
That your trust is rarely betrayed. I trust everyone.
Is that not dangerous, making yourself vulnerable - why do you do it?
Because I am a great believer in people. Most people trusted will repay you by being what you trust them to be.
Isn’t trust something to be earned like respect? ‘I think not because sometimes you meet someone and you haven’t got time to earn that trust. So you just trust them the way they are. I’ll give you an example because this is what actually changed my life. I was at primary school and I sat beside a boy called Anthony Brady-I never forgot his name. And Anthony
Brady. And he said to me ‘Oh I know Anthony Brady-give me his book’. So I said ‘oh ok’. And my two brothers said ‘Brendan you are an idiot, he is never going to get that book’. I went in the next day and I said to Anthony ‘Did you get your book? ’He said ‘no’ and my brothers died laughing. But, he got it two days later. For kids living in the roughest part of Dublin, getting a copy book which means nothing to most of them, keeping it and giving it to Anthony Brady-that impressed me no end. That if you trust somebody, they rarely betray your trust. So I always trust people. I am 50 odd and I don’t think I could tell you three times in my life where my trust has been betrayed. Perhaps I am wrong. Even statistically, most people are decent. You are waiting on the 90 percent to prove themselves as well as the 10 percent you cannot trust. On average you are better of trusting them all.
by Siva Nagarajah
qmsci | January | 27
Societies various & Events Psistar
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Science Societies Boffin Soc
Perhaps the most successful science society at QM, The Physics Society aims to provide interaction between science students and enthusiasts, whilst providing a base for gaining physics knowledge and exploring the best science attractions in London. With guest lecturers, quizzes, paintballing and a possible trip to CERN on the cards, it’s hard to stay away.
You may remember a time when science meant strange, bubbling potions, weird animals, secret symbols, explosions and eccentric geniuses with fuzzy hair. This is what we hope BOFFINSoc will come to be about: remembering how to love science like that again. Anybody who is interested can present on any science subject they feel passionately about
Neuroscience Society
Biol. Sciences Society
Neuro Soc aims to inspire students through lectures and workshops on all aspects of neuroscience imaginable. As well as, monthly journal clubs to improve research skills and experience with scientific journals. With so many activities, it’s a fantastic society to prepare you for a career of neuroscience or even neurosurgery.
New this year, Bio Soc aims to create interdisciplinary interaction on courses of the biological sciences. We will create socials to get to know each other and blow off some steam after a hard day in the lab, organise museum trips, special lectures and other exciting science events, as well as providing opportunities to get involved in science in your community.
Engineering Society
The Engineering society organises a spectrum of social events, from paintballing to go-karting, and competing in an international competition, to design, build and race their own Formula racer. With outside trips to exhibitions and specialist lectures as well as providing possible links to graduate employment companies.
Chemistry Society A strong social community is a highlight of the ChemSoc, for all chemistry students, chemistry enthusiasts and related disciplines. A plethora of science trips and events for entertainment and education, as well as some fundraising for sciencerelated chrarities, makes for a fun and thought-provoking academic society that shouldn’t be missed at QMUL.
Out With Your Editors: Science Show Off
Got something scientific you want to shout about? Science Showoff is the perfect opportunity – it’s an open mic night for scientists, science communicators, science teachers, historians and philosophers of science, students, science popularisers and anyone else with something to show off about science. Science Show off is a new idea from some of the people who brought you Bright Club, The Geek Calendar and it’s brilliant. Science showoff provides science enthusiasts with a place to drink a pint and completely geek out. With three successful events under the belt, science shows off is on the road to becoming bigger and better. Stand up performances range from musical mini lectures to side-splitting science comedians. A personal favourite was a performer who attempted to educate the audience in the world of chillies... while eating them whole. There is
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something available for everyone in this free monthly event, and I can’t recommend it enough. There is an event once a month, on a weekday evening, 7.30 to 10pm, in the Wilmington Arms (on Rosebery Avenue, near Exmouth Market in London).While the events are free, there is a voluntary collection bucket to pay for the room, and all the proceeds afterwards go to a charity, chosen for that month’s gig. Interested in being a science show off? An online sign-up sheet is published every month. The first seven people to sign up are guaranteed slots of up to ten minutes on the night to do whatever science performance they like. Come on, we are all dying to hear your ballad on the joys of studying science.
Image by Science Showoff
qmsci | January | 28
Societies & Events
qmsci qmsci
9 Nov 2011 - 5 Jun 2012
Where would we be without the little heroes that underpin our everyday lives? Could you be bothered to brew leaf tea five times a day or fish the beans out of your morning coffee? Hidden Heroes: The Genius of Everyday Things is an innovative new exhibition giving the spotlight to the miniature marvels we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live without.
Natural History Museum
Hidden Heroes
Extreme natural events Extreme natural events, such as floods, droughts or hurricanes, are expected to become more severe and more frequent with changes in climate. This meeting will review the environmental, ecological, societal and economic challenges posed by predicted changes in the occurrence and severity of extreme natural events.
The global decline of mangroves: is there a sustainable future? 14 Feb 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6pm - 7.45pm
This meeting will bring together leading scientists to highlight the global importance of mangrove ecosystems, discuss threats to their existence and consider options for their future management, conservation and rehabilitation.
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Wellcome
13 March 2012, 6 pm - 7.45pm
Drapers Lecture Theatre
Institue of Zoology
Institue of Zoology
Science Museum
Upcoming Events Veolia Environement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011 Now- 11 March 2012
After months of anticipation, the winners of Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011 have been announced and the exhibition is now open at the Natural History Museum
Theology vs. Geology: Victorian faith & science 23 Feb, 6pm
Join Chris Hilton to explore the impact of The Victorian period - when geology was the new frontier, and scientific discoveries were challenging the bible and the struggle to reconcile ones beliefs with emerging contradictory evidence.
The Solar Wind An Invisible Maelstrom 31 January 2012, 6.30pm
David Burgess, professor of Mathematics and Astronomy, presents a lecture where computer simulations will be used to explore the dynamic behaviour of solar wind, revealing the connections between the smallest plasma scales and the nature of the solar wind.
qmsci | January | 29
reviews | books
Harvard University Press
Coming soon
How Economics Shapes Science by Paula Stephan
Bantam Books
The beauty of science may be pure and eternal, but the practice of science costs money
The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking & Leonard Mlodinow
Little, Brown and Company
This book outlines our latest theories in cosmology and describes the history of what we have come to learn in chronological order
How Music Works by John Powell
A scientific approach to explain the wonder of music and how it works www.qmsci.com
qmsci The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot
Globally scientist are working towards a better world for the human race, understanding, preventing, and eradicating thousands of different medical issues which threaten the population. In the struggle to understand the intricate complexities found at the cellular level that most scientists battle with, it may become easy to neglect the real human beings that form the original test subjects used in these experiments. This book follows the story of a young, black mother in 1950s Baltimore who unknowingly had some of her cancerous cells harvested by George Gey who then managed to make these cells into the first ever to be classed as ‘immortal’ in a scientific lab. They are known to us today as HeLa cells and they have been used all over the world in developing treatments for all sorts of medical issues. The keen young scientist won’t be disappointed in reading this book as the full story from raw material to scientific breakthrough to ethical dilemma is followed in full, with a truly panoramic view on the impact that science can have on all involved. From some angles it is an inspirational story of one mans repeated failure and dismissal by his peers which eventually culminates in a victorious discovery. However, Skloot looks
A Planet of Viruses Carl Zimmer
“If you lined up all the viruses in the ocean end to end, they would stretch out past the nearest sixty galaxies” These are some of the brilliant facts you are likely to walk away with after reading ‘A Planet of Viruses’. Written by Carl Zimmer, a popular science essayist and author of the award winning blog ‘The Loom’ over at Discover magazine, his latest science book is collection of short essays on some of the most prominent viruses in human history that will no doubt change the way you think about viruses. Each one of the chapters is comprised of concise yet immensely revealing essays that will undoubtedly have you yearning for more, and ultimately lead to the big question facing biologists today: ‘Are viruses living?’. According to Zimmer, they are, and this book is sure to convince you through
Pan macmillan
beyond that and finds a family of motherless children, too poor to pay for their own medical care despite the many lives that their Mother’s cells made it possible to save. An intriguing and at times heart wrenching tale of human interest is wound into this story of scientific triumph and it follows Henrietta Lacks’ children’s’ paths through life; exposing the full effect that being constantly hassled by the media about the Mother most of them never knew, had on them. In summary, Skloot’s writing satisfies the needs of the knowledge hungry scientist in me, the book lover looking for a story that I can’t put down and the human being that finds themselves somewhat morbidly intrigued by a terrible event. by Faye Curran
University of Chicago Press
examples such as viruses that seem to defy the well accepted notion of a typical virus. The small size of this book also means you’re most likely to read this book cover to cover, and truly enjoy it. If you’re looking for a great book that is both educational and entertaining then this is definitely the book for you. by Ismail Uddin
qmsci | January | 30
reviews
Image by Valerie (via Flickr)
Frozen Planet
available on
DVD / Blu ray
qmsci David Attenborough is a broadcasting deity. Frozen Planet only adds to the mounting evidence that this man should have a microphone in front of him 24 hours a day. True to form, the 85-year-old was not intimidated by the prospect of journeying to the location of his latest wildlife documentary. Sub-zero temperatures and battering winds? No problem. The investment in the skills and time to make the programme is an example of the continuing ability of the BBC to create landmark broadcasting. Frozen Planet continues the upward trend from the likes of Blue Planet, the opening episode includes unreal ice landscapes and roaming glaciers. It becomes increasingly difficult to work out
how anyone was able to get such unbelievable shots . Frozen Planet is a visual feast giving access to a world beyond the imagination. We witnessed the sheer beauty of wildlife at the remote high latitudes with jawdropping images of white wolves savaging migrating birds and devouring arctic hares. The familiar sight of animals stalking one another for food has been filmed countless times for nature documentaries, but footages of seal pups being pursued by polar bears and polar bear cubs being swept to their deaths as rivers thawed broke a million hearts across the nation. One of the most fascinating gems of the series so far was
the 14 year old caterpillar. The Arctic summer is too short for the caterpillar to put on sufficient weight to change into a moth. So for 14 years the caterpillar eats and then gets frozen for the winter to awake again in the spring to put on a little extra weight. Then, finally, it wakes up for one last spring and prepares its cocoon in which to undergo metamorphosis. A truly incredible life cycle. The only criticism I can think of is the background music, which was at times intrusive .However, Attenborough narrates with such passion and commitment to nature that as a viewer you simply can’t help but be gripped. Is this what the licence fee is for? Yes. A resounding yes.
Podcasts
Heredity The podcast that is “for scientists, by scientists” is produced in the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London. The Heredity podcast discusses the latest research in all areas of genetics, in the words of the researchers themselves. An exciting new competition for students interested in science communication has recently been announced. There are two categories: one for postgraduates and one for undergraduates. The task is to record an interview with an evolutionary biologist about their research, then edit it down to a 4 minutes piece including a 30 second introduction, in the style of the Heredity Podcast.
Subscribe at http://webspace.qmul.ac.uk/ranichols/podcast/
Chemistry World An exciting series with a clear focus on chemistry. For those who may not hold a chemistry influenced background have no fear as it is surprisingly simple and easy to follow. Some of the topics recently discussed were: Patching up patients with a heart of gold and Bacteria: the ultimate secret agent. It is another weekly podcast and is ideal for the inquisitive as it explores the possibilities that can be achieved by manipulating minuscule molecules.
Subscribe at http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/podcast/CWpodcast.asp
Tech Weekly A weekly podcast that focuses on news in digital technology, gaming and the internet. It is produced by The Guardian and is hosted by Aleks Krotoski; an American broadcaster and journalist. An example of interesting and controversial subjects discussed is Google-Motorola, riots and social media. So if you are passionate about any of these things, or are simply curious about modern technology in general, this fascinating podcast will help you keep track of it all and even discuss the some of the problems that come with it.
Subscribe at http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/series/techweekly
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qmsci | January | 31