THE Issue 97
STAG
Feb 2020 July 2020
IS SUSTAINABILITY ON CAMPUS FAILING?
EDITORS + CONTRIBUTORS ISSUE 97 EDITORIAL TEAM: Editor-in-Chief: Chelsey King Deputy Editor: Megan d’Ardenne Features Editor: Charlotte West Entertainment Editor: Isabel Rolfe Lifestyle Editor: Bethany McAtee Literature Editor: Rosa Heaton Opinion Editor: Sophie Pike Science and Technology Editor: Anthony Balchin Politics Editor: Peter Ferguson Issue Director: Charlotte West Issue Designer: Darcey Cleary Front Cover Photography: Joel Russell
WRITERS: Megan d’Ardenne Anthony Balchin Ollie Camilleri Peter Ferguson Rosa Heaton Rahul Kakaiya Bethany McAtee Sophie Pike Fleur Sanders James Tatam Nick Werren Charlotte West 02
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FEATURES
06
OPINION
09
LIFESTYLE
ENTERTAINMENT
20
POLITICS
28
12
LITERATURE & CW
22
SCIENCE & TECH
34
COMMENTARY
A NOTE FROM THE I S S U E DIRECTOR
W
ith a large sigh of relief, we finally release our second magazine of the 2019/20 academic year. Issue 97 was supposed to be released in February, but January’s exam period was intense and at The Stag we will always prioritise our degrees over the society, however important we believe our magazine to be. With the print edition on the back-burner, how were we to realise that looming on the horizon was a global pandemic that would keep us housebound for over three months? Thus, the February issue is now a July one: an online edition rather than in print, shorter than many of our previous issues, and some of the articles are well past their Best Before date, but we truly believe it is a worthwhile read nonetheless. Student journalists are an incredibly underappreciated part of our student body - not just at Surrey, but across the country. The majority of us are full-time students, studying for a degree. Some have part-time jobs. Others encounter family commitments. Any free time we have is spent researching, writing, editing, organising, emailing, liaising with people both on and off campus; not many students realise that running our publication
is a full-time job, and yet we continue to contribute our time voluntarily. At Surrey we have no journalism department and so a lot of the work we produce is based on trial and error, yet I still believe we are an invaluable aspect of our university. I hope we can continue to prove that to you throughout the upcoming year. I’d also like to give a special thank you to our new Head of Design, Darcey Cleary, for designing this entire issue in just a month. She has done a superb job and her enthusiasm is palpable throughout the pages. We hope you enjoy reading!
Charlotte West
Features Editor 2019/20 and Issue 97 Director
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S L E T T E R Welcome to the final issue of The Stag 2019/2020! I’d like to use this space as somewhere to reflect on what has happened over the last year, both in terms of the magazine and the wider world. In 2013, the Black Lives Matter organisation was founded ‘in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer’ and has been fighting ‘to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities’ (from the Black Lives Matter Website), through protests and education. In May a video of George Floyd’s death, at the hands of an American police officer, went viral and once again showed how racial profiling and police brutality are still commonplace within the American law enforcement. Across America, and around the world, there have been hundreds of protests to demand change for the lives of black people. If you are able to help create change, even if it is something small, then please do. After the statement The Stag released online regarding this movement, I know the new committee for 2020/21 will continue the work they have done so far in enabling more Black voices to be heard. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen has been going on for several years but is now degenerating rapidly. The war between the Yemen government and various insurgents has been waging since 2015 and the recent breakdown of a peace deal between two allies has resulted in further conflict. Many people are currently starving to death, as the price of food has been pushed up due to the blockade. Others are dying of disease, as they are unable to fund and supply basic health care with over half of their hospitals not functioning. I urge you all to read about this crisis; educating yourself on these issues is so important, even if you lack the financial means to help. The final event I will briefly touch on is the coronavirus. After several months in lockdown and so much uncertainty, it has really put a strain on our everyday lives. You can never truly know what effect it has had, and so please be kind and patient to all. If you need to talk to someone my personal email is always open (ck00483@ surrey.ac.uk), and I will leave some links at the bottom, in case you would rather talk to someone anonymously. My time as Editor-in-Chief during my second year at university has been a steep learning curve from beginning to end. To create a magazine is a huge amount of work and really is a long-term project, but one that is so rewarding when you see it completed. Those involved in creating the magazines have their degrees, part time jobs and home lives to contend with, so I would like to say a big thank you to everyone for making The Stag one of your priorities this year, as it can be difficult at times. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and thankful for everyone who has helped this year, and I hope next year’s committee 2020/21, enjoy it as much as I have.
Chelsey King
Editor-in-Chief 2019/20 Links: https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/ https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co http://incitejournal.com/black-lives-matter/black-lives-matter-donations-petitions-and-contacts/ https://yemencrisis.carrd.co https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-29319423 https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/yemen Samaritans: 116 123 Surrey Nightline: listening@surrey.nightline.ac.uk
IS SUSTAINABILITY ON CAMPUS FAILING? Wr itte Me n by gan d’A rde n
“The University has a lot of successful projects in place”
ne
07
FEATURES
P
eople & Planet is the largest student network in the UK, campaigning for social and environmental justice. They aim to build an empowered generation of change-makers who are equipped with life-long skills, motivation and networks to then become a force for change, creating a more equitable and sustainable world. Since 2007, People and Planet have been ranking universities using a set of criteria that investigates their environmental and ethical commitments and actions. The resulting league table is a comprehensive analysis that is independent from any university bias. In the 2019 league table, the University of Surrey ranked 113th out of 154, which falls into the category of ‘third-class’, only one above the dreaded ‘failing’ classification. In light of this, I met with the University’s Head of Sustainability, Tom Parrott, to see if there was a reason why we ranked so low, and what the University is actually doing in terms of sustainability. Parrott was keen to highlight that the rubric used to mark universities focuses on taking information from two main sources: 50% from information made public on the University website, and 50% from information published within the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), Estates Management Record (EMR) and other independent and external verification agencies. He acknowledged that the University historically hasn’t scored very highly in the league, but emphasised that this was due to the fact that the website was outdated and didn’t display up-to-date projects which hit the criteria. Therefore, this year, a real target for the department was to make sure all the achievements (both current and past) have been communicated consistently across the website and social platforms,
causing Parrott to suggest he is ‘confident’ the University’s score will improve at the next assessment. The league table breaks down a university’s overall ‘sustainability score’ into 13 sections, spanning across a range of issues, such as environmental policy, student and staff engagement, water reduction, and waste. In the 2019 assessment, the University scored highly in the category titled ‘Sustainable Food’, which could be due to a 5p cup charge that was introduced in the catering outlets on campus. Before the charge was implemented, a mere 5% of all customers buying a hot drink used a disposable cup, which has risen to 45% since the charge. This translates to over 87,000 disposable cups being diverted from waste. In an effort to further increase this percentage, the University has raised the single-use cup charge to 10p, with the profits being used to subsidise reusable water bottles and cups for students. In addition, every Thursday, there is a fresh fruit and vegetable market which provides access to local food on campus and features various produce and street food from local producers. Despite these successes, however, the University still only scored 55 out of 100 for ‘Sustainable Food’, and given this was the second strongest category, highlights the need for the University to do more in this area. The third strongest category was ‘Waste and Recycling’, where we scored 37.5 out of 100. Parrott explained the comprehensive waste management scheme the University uses, whereby the waste collected is sent off-site to be sorted instead of having separate bins on campus for ‘waste’ and ‘recycling’. This process is far more efficient as when the waste goes off-site, it is blown through a series of compartments
sustainability noun
/səsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti/
the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance. reduce water loss, which in turn will reduce the overall usage of water on campus.
that segregate the waste into seven different categories. However, the communication to students surrounding this system is not very clear, as currently, the bins on campus have a lid with separate holes for general waste and recycling, yet these holes simply lead into the same bin. This subsequently confuses students about the University’s waste management process, which again highlights the need for better messaging and transparency. In order to combat this communication issue, in March 2019, the sustainability department took a group of students to see the facility and learn about the waste management process. There are also plans in place to make videos for social media and the website to reach a wider pool of students and staff. In addition to the waste management system, the University also has a water policy that is aiming for a 15% absolute reduction of all water use on campus by the end of 2020/21. This translates to a 26,000m3 reduction in water use per annum. One of the big projects established to achieve this was the installation of an onsite borehole that was completed in January 2020. This created an independent supply of water, whereby 100% of the water used on campus now comes from here, thus reducing costs and the energy required in transportation from Thames Water. Moreover, 16% of the water used on campus is unaccounted for, and to combat this, the department has started a systematic tracing of water leaks across both campuses. The resolution of leaks will help
The overarching impression I got from Parrott was that the University has a lot of successful projects in place, however, it is let down in its communication strategies. This gap is further extrapolated by a sustainability survey the department conducted in May 2019 that concluded that 80% of the 800 students and 450 staff surveyed said that good sustainability credentials made a university a better place to study. The survey results highlight that staff and students really care about issues surrounding sustainability, which compounds the department’s need for better messaging so that we can celebrate its successes. It raises the philosophical thought that “if a tree falls in in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”; which if you are the People & Planet league table it clearly doesn’t, given the universities 2019 ranking. At least the only way is up for the 2020 analysis.
OPINION
ENVIRONMENTALISM
vs
C H RO N I C I L L N E S S Written By Sophie Pike
A
s someone with a chronic health condition myself, this isn’t an article that I thought I would have to write. Environmentalism and the stand against climate change are becoming more and more popular, gaining traction through global strikes and more demand for greener solutions in our governments. With this in mind, everyone is becoming more aware of their carbon footprint. However, it does make me question why I’m seeing headlines like “Asthma carbon footprint ‘as big as eating meat’” from the BBC or “Asthma inhalers as bad for the environment as a 180-mile car journey” from the Telegraph. The BBC state that nearly 4% of greenhouse gas emissions from the NHS are down to metered-dose inhalers. They also discuss how replacing 1 in 10 of these inhalers with more eco-friendly inhalers would reduce CO2 emissions by 58 kilotonnes. Brilliant, you might think. Let’s switch all people with asthma over to eco-friendly inhalers. Here’s what the headlines don’t tell you. Not everyone can switch. For medical reasons, eco-inhalers don’t work on every asthma sufferer, and this brings me to my point. Why are we targeting vulnerable people with health conditions rather than Big Oil or companies that produce way more carbon for significantly less reason?
Broadening this from just asthma sufferers to the wider range of people with chronic illness, are we shouting at the wrong people? If you see my plastic output per day, you would think I was on a one-woman mission to kill the planet. This is down to countless tubes, syringes, bottles and medication vials that I get through. They need to be sterile, and plastic is the cheapest and safest way to keep it like that. What about people with iron deficiencies? Or severely underweight people who need creamy foods to get the required fat to keep them alive? Or the people who just don’t want to take tablets when they have a solution that’s already working for them? You may be thinking that when you shout for veganism and less plastic, it’s obvious that you’re not talking about them! They have a reason. They can justify it. But when you shout into the media-sphere that everyone needs to go vegan or that meat-eaters are single-handedly killing the planet, these people hear you. These people wonder whether or not they’re at fault, if they should change their diet to help save the planet. Regardless of what you believe about the environment, it ultimately comes down to personal choice. There is no reason on the planet for why people should be told to take supplements rather than the natural source of minerals, vitamins and proteins, and these people should not feel guilty for doing so. If you can afford to then yes, cut down on red meats, maybe even completely or switch to veganism. We need to take control of this movement and turn it back to where it should be focused, and that’s at the people who are really in charge. If we allow the media to push us into switching medications that, while they do contribute to climate change, are ultimately saving people’s lives, what does that make us? Why not rally the government to lower public transport costs, so less people drive to work? Or petition for renewable
energy and greener resolutions to national or international problems? Big issues like this are where a lot of the greenhouse gases are coming from. In fact, according to the CDP, 50% of global carbon emissions come from the production and use of oil and gas. You probably already know this. While veganism, plastic-free and public transport are all ways that people can contribute to helping reverse climate change in their daily lives, this just isn’t possible for some people. Bringing the focus back on the people in power who can make big decisions and big differences quickly is what we ultimately need to do as a global community to fix this almost irreversible chain reaction we have caused through greed and self-prioritization. Sources: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ news/2019/04/08/asthma-inhalers-badenvironment-180-mile-car-journeyhealth/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ health-50215011 https://www.cdp.net/en/ investor/sector-research/oil-and-gas-report.
Sustainable Beauty Switches.
// Megan d’Ardenne
P retty product packaging flirts with you. It winks at you across decadent shop shelves, enticing you in. You imagine the way it would look on your bathroom
shelf, the abundance of Instagram shots you could get, and the joy you will get from removing the ribbon, the plastic wrapping, and the box to reveal the product. This decadence is part of the reason we love beauty so much, which in turn has caused the industry to grow to be worth over £675 billion. Yet, the legacy the beauty industry leaves behind is far from pretty. According to Zero Waste, 120 billion units of packaging are produced every year by the global cosmetics industry, many of which are not recyclable. Whilst the majority of products come packaged in plastics containers, there’s also cardboard boxes and paper inserts (which in 2018 caused the loss of 18 million acres of forest), foam, and plastic cellophane wrapping that contribute to the problem. The UN has declared our current situation a ‘planetary crisis’, as if our level of consumption continues, by 2050 there will be 12 billion tonnes of plastic in landfills, the equivalent of 35,000 Empire State Buildings. Therefore, no industry is immune from scrutiny, including the beauty industry.
SWAP MINIS AND REGULARS FOR SUPERSIZE VERSIONS Jumbo versions of beauty favourites are currently a big trend. Given a supersized product uses less packaging and requires less regular shipping, it’s a more ecologically conscious option. (It’s nearly always kinder to your wallet, too.)
Driven by this, there was a major environmental success story in the UK last year, as legislation banning products using microbeads (plastic particles used in many cleansers, toothpastes and scrubs) was passed. What’s more, research from Euromonitor has found that eco-friendly packaging is more important to consumers than ever, as those aged 25-34 in particular now check that packaging is environmentally friendly before purchasing their beauty must-haves. To ensure you’re doing your bit try these simple swaps for a greener beauty regime. SWAP LIQUID SOAPS FOR BAR SOAPS: Bar soaps are back, and this time there’s soap for all needs, from hands and body to hair and facial cleansing. Lush lead the way with bar alternatives and offer them ‘naked’ to eliminate all plastic packaging. SWAP PLASTIC PACKAGING FOR ALUMINIUM AND GLASS Clearly, going cosmetic packaging-free is the best option for the environment, with Lush leading the way in making solid products in the form of hair and body care. However, there’s no denying that we currently can’t replace all our current products’ naked’ alternatives. Aluminium looks to be the best alternative for beauty product packaging, as it is the only material that can be recycled on an infinite loop (allowing it to be reused in the same form again and again). It also has a better chance of actually being recycled, as around 55% of aluminium cans are currently recycled correctly compared to only five per cent of the plastic being recycled effectively. The Body Shop has recently launched a refillable initiative in their Bond Street store for shower gels, where customers can purchase an aluminium bottle and get a discount every time they refill.
SWAP PLASTIC TOOTHBRUSHES AND COTTON BUDS FOR BAMBOO ALTERNATIVES According to The Guardian, it’s estimated that 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds are used in England each year. Around 10% of these are flushed down toilets, ending up in waterways and oceans, adding to the 150 million-plus tonnes of plastic in the world’s oceans. It goes without saying you shouldn’t be flushing cotton buds but swapping to bamboo alternatives for both cotton buds and toothbrushes is more environmentally friendly. SWAP FACE WIPES FOR REUSABLE MUSLIN CLOTHS With the sales of face wipes doubling in recent years, it is clear that for many, cleansing face wipes are a bathroom essential: they’re convenient, cheap and most importantly, quick. However, not only are face wipes bad for your skin (as they contain huge amounts of chemical components to keep them moist), they are also not biodegradable and so bad for the environment. When used with a cleanser, reusable muslin cloths and traditional flannels make light work of make-up removal. Alternatively, Face Halo is a brand for reusable face pads that require only water. These clever dual-sided make-up removers which can be machine washed up to 200 times and ensure a gentle but thorough cleanse. SWAP TO ‘WATER-RESPONSIBLE’ BEAUTY BRANDS As the industry’s most used ingredient, there are concerns that demand for water could outstrip supply. Some brands are responding by formulating with richer ingredients and less (or no) water, with the likes of L’Oréal pledging to reduce water usage by 60% per each unit of product by 2020. It is also an idea to seek out water-responsible brands and those giving back. Aveda, for example, partners with ‘charity: water’, and since 2007 has raised $300 million for clean water initiatives, completed over 29,000 water projects, and served 8.4 million people.
I
n my first year of university, my cooking was all over the place. I tried new recipes weekly, however ended up spending lots on meat and exotic ingredients. Some people I know have the opposite problem in that they don’t have any idea of what to cook and want to save cash. Now nearly half way into my third year, albeit on placement, I’ve finally got the knack of cooking good food at decent prices. Every evening when I come home from work, I spend an hour or so cooking, and it’s very relaxing. I’m not a vegetarian, as I still have meat when others cook it for me, however cooking veggie for myself saves tons of money. Seriously. And there are so many great recipes – you just need to do a bit of research. I’ve written down my favourite five so that others wanting to cook well for less money can have a go. Cooking is an art, so feel free to alter the recipes and add in ingredients that aren’t stated!
RECIPES
Written By Bethany McAtee
K I D N E Y B E A N FA J I T A S
S E RV E S 2
Dash of Olive/Vegetable Oil 1 Onion 1 Red Chilli
Having always been a great fan of the typical chicken and pepper fajitas, I went into this recipe a tad sceptical. There really isn’t much to the ingredients list in terms of flavour, so the cumin and coriander are crucial. Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty these fajitas were. I made them with homemade garlic wedges, which are always delicious.
- Cut up the onion, chilli and garlic then toss into a heated pan with the oil. Keep stirring until the onion has softened, then sprinkle in the spices. Straight after, add the kidney beans to the mix. Occasionally stir for 10 minutes then pour in a little vegetable stock (100ml should be good). Cook until smooth, but not runny.
1 Garlic Clove 1tsp Cumin 1tsp Ground Coriander 400g Tin Kidney Beans A Little Vegetable Stock ½ Lime Juice 4 Tortillas
- Add the lime juice and mash the beans with the back of your mixing spoon enough to see the insides of the beans. Now serve up the mixture in warmed tortillas. You can also buy or make salsa to go inside the fajita too.
ROA S T E D C AU L I F L OW E R D H A L
An absolute classic for me, I cook Roasted Cauliflower Dhal nearly every week. I began cooking it during my second year of university, and found that it was one of the easiest, tastiest and healthiest dishes out there. The cauliflower adds bite and the Tikka paste brings about all the flavour. Pre heat the oven at 180C. Start by getting the cauliflower on the go. Simply take all the leaves off (instead of binning them, why not find a curry or stir fry recipe to add them into for tomorrow’s meal?) and place chunks of the cauliflower into a baking tray. Drizzle a dash of oil over. Set into the oven for 20 minutes, or until browning.
S E RV E S 2
1 Large Cauliflower Dash of Olive/Vegetable Oil 1 Onion 70g Tikka Paste 120g Red Lentils 400ml Vegetable Stock 100g Green Beans
Meanwhile, dice the onion into smallish chunks. Chuck into a large saucepan with a bit of oil and fry at a medium temperature for around 5 minutes. It should be softer and browning. Then, add the tikka paste and stir for a minute. Pour the red lentils into the saucepan now too and give a good stir. Straight after, pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil (I’d recommend having the vegetable stock made up before this point so you’re ready). Once at the boil, bring to a simmer for around 15-20 mins. Remember to add in your cut up green beans about 10 minutes in. You’ll know it’s ready when there is no water left, and the mixture has thickened. At this point your cauliflower should be ready, so tip that into the dhal mix and stir. Ta da! All done and ready to plate up.
HOMEMADE GREEN PESTO Anyone who knows me could be surprised to learn I only started liking pesto after much reluctance at the end of high school. Considering how much I eat of Pesto now you’d think it was in my veins! Finally, I’ve started making my own, and it’s much better than the shop bought stuff.
S E RV E S 2
100g Fresh Basil 3 Garlic Cloves ½ Lemon Sprinkle of Salt Large Handful of Walnuts/ Pine Nuts 2tbsp Vegetarian Parmesan Cheese Drizzle of Olive Oil Dash of Water
Very easy. All you have to do is pop everything into a blender, then mix in with your cooked pasta! If the mixture is too thick, consider adding a little more water, but make sure not to make it too liquid. If you don’t have a blender, finely cut everything up and mix together. It’ll still taste nice. A pestle and mortar does the trick too.
S E RV E S 2- 3
120g Bulgur Wheat Olive/Vegetable Oil 2 Sliced Red Onions 1 Garlic Clove 1tsp Cumin Powder 1tsp Coriander Powder 1tbsp Light Brown Sugar 2tbsp Red Wine Vinegar 20g Pistahcios 20g Chopped Hazelnuts 3 Large Peppers
STUFFED PEPPERS WITH BULGUR WHEAT + NUTS Only very recently have I discovered this gem of a recipe and wondered where it’d been for my past few years of uni. Most vegetarian stuffed pepper recipes I’ve found to be a bit meh, however I’ve hit the jackpot with this one. Can you tell I like it?! Sometimes I find one isn’t enough, so have 1 ½ peppers for myself. Firstly, cook the bulgur wheat by boiling it in a pan of water. Pour the water a cm above the bulgur wheat. Then take it off the heat after 10 minutes. If the water evaporates before then, add a little more water. Add the onions to a frying pan with a dash of oil. Cook until browning and soft, then add the garlic and spices. After a minute stir in the sugar. 3 minutes later, pour in the red wine vinegar. Now the onions are caramelised, add the bulgur wheat to it. Stir in the nuts then leave aside. Cut the tops off your peppers and deseed. Place on a baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes. Once done, fill them with your bulgur wheat and onion mixture. Finally, they are ready to eat.
MANGO & COCONUT C HICKP EA C URRY
S E RV E S 2- 3
Paste: 1 Mango 1 Onion 3 Garlic Cloves 1 Thumb of Ginger 1 Green/Red Chilli 1tsp Turmeric 1tsp Cumin 1tsp Garam Masala 1tsp Coriander 1/2tsp Cinnamon Juice of Lime Bunch of Coriander Stalks Dash of Olive/Vegetable Oil 2 Tins Chickpeas 1 Tin Coconut Milk Coriander 100g Rice
Everybody I make this for, or even speak to about, drools over this dish. There’s something very appealing about using mango and coconut together. The result is so fresh, colourful and flavoursome that I can never get enough of making it. Amazingly, the end product turns out different every time, depending on how big the mango is, or how I blended it. Yet it always tastes great! Cut up the mango, onion, garlic cloves, ginger and chilli, then place into a blender. If you don’t have a blender, just cut them as finely as possible. Add the rest of the paste ingredients to the blender too, then blend together. Sizzle the paste in a large saucepan on medium heat for 5 minutes. Now pour in the coconut milk and tins of chickpeas. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until mixture has thickened. Meanwhile, make the rice so it is ready to serve up with the curry. Garnish with coriander leaves.
MUSIC HIGHLIGHT:
Two Rising Musicians At Surrey
Photos : Sara Cardinale
S
urrey is lucky to have a thriving music community, both on campus and also outside of it, due to the Academy of Contemporary Music’s (ACM) performances in Guildford too. There are three different music degree courses on offer at undergraduate level here at Surrey and multiple music-based societies, so it is clear that we are a crowd that loves and appreciates stellar sound and passionate performances. Here are two student bands that originated inside our campus walls and that you need to know about.
Dude, My Dude // Charlotte West
r h T Mu m o C
Dude, My Dude only formed in September, although you wouldn’t be able to tell, and is made up of final year students and friends, Matthieu Thienpont and Benjamin Lyth. The pair describe their music as being a blend of punk rock and indie pop, creating an individual and unique sound that separates them from the rest. This is particularly
clear in their song ‘Loser’, which they performed at Live From Studio X in December as their first show as a band. The song’s verses have that smooth, easy indie-pop feel but the chorus really packs a punch evidencing those rock inspirations. The song was well-received by the crowd at Live From Studio X, who cheered enthusiastically, clearly relating to the lyrics that reminisced of bleak nights out with cold cheesy chips and being unable to call an uber. Many of their songs often convey that student worry of needing to bridge the gap between our teenage years and adulthood: drunken walks home, morning after headaches, and ineffective tinder conversations – this band’s music is the epitome of student life. Thienpont, computer science student, and Lyth, creative music technology student, really are the blend of two unassuming halves, but Dude, My Dude is standing out against other bands here at Surrey and are sure to have more successful performances on campus in the future. The pair are currently working on demos and releasing their first single, so keep an eye out on their Instagram @dudemydude.band for more information.
g n i v i r c i us y t i n u m m RozZandi
RozZandi is another mix of musical mates, but the band tends to take already released songs and puts their own spin on them, rather than writing their own music. Lead singers James Rozzi and Alex Eyre both met through studying the same degree, Creative Music Technology, a subject they are both incredibly passionate about. They told me all about how it goes above and beyond a standard music degree, allowing them to use computers and understand the art
of composition while still having opportunities to perform. It is clear how this has influenced their sound as their ability to interpret songs, and mix genres adds a refreshing flavour to the student music scene in Guildford. This can also be seen through the way they present themselves on stage. They can mesmerize a crowd through their outlandish costumes and makeup – which was most recently seen in their performance at Live From Studio X where they dressed in stylish suits, each with a red lip and intense eyeliner, all adding to the experience that is a RozZandi show. Not only does this band radiate talent, but also a love for the performance and for each other – their chemistry on stage adds to the fun, free feeling of their show. If you want to keep up to date with all things RozZandi, as well as Rozzi and Eyre individually feel free to follow them on Instagram @jrozzimusic and @zandi.music. Rozzi has a single on Spotify called ‘Used To’ under the artist name ‘J Rozzi’, and is also releasing an EP in the summer centred on collaborations with people that he has met whilst studying at the University of Surrey. Eyre also has music on Spotify under ‘ZANDI’. If you have a band that you want featured, drop me an email at cw00822@surrey.ac.uk
Photos : Sara Cardinale
LITERATURE LITERATURE&&CW CW
Conversations With Surrey’s Anonymous Instagram Poet. Written by Rosa Heaton
T
he writer behind the account ‘Perseus’ is a University of Surrey student studying Economics. In recent years, the increasing popularity of Instagram poetry has divided opinion. While Instagram poets have been celebrated for encouraging and inspiring younger poets, redefining the genre of poetry and adapting to modern audiences, they have been equally criticised for lack of originality and often, laziness. With discourse rife, when the opportunity to speak to the University of Surrey’s very own Instagram Poet came up, I took it. Perseus, known for the decapitation of Medusa, makes for an interesting name for a poetry account featuring poems about love and heartbreak. When asked, “why ‘Perseus’?” I half expected a long-winded, pretentious explanation, because while it may be outdated, the image that springs to mind when thinking of a poet, is very Dickens-esque, writing with a quill and sitting by a fire in a country house. But in fact, I was amused, and somewhat relieved to find out that ‘Perseus’ was chosen via the oh-so reliable Magic 8 ball app. This set the tone for the rest of the interview, which truly depicts Instagram poetry as something that the regular person, student, parent, teacher, or even economics student, can be a part of. In the digital age, I think it would be very rare to come across someone who hasn’t considered, even just once, starting some sort of online platform like a podcast, a blog, or YouTube account, to name a few. I was interested to find out how those initial steps were taken in creating the Perseus account. Perseus explained that they had written poetry for a few years before deciding to dive into the world of Instapoetry and that the abundance of people starting their own accounts was particularly inspiring to them. Perseus explained that when it came down to it, they very much have a “what’s the worst that could happen?” mindset. While this suggests that the creator of Perseus is full of confidence, in actual fact when asked about the reason for anonymity, Perseus explained, with an air of humour, that “the shock of knowing I write poetry would probably have killed some of my friends and family.” It is interesting then, that despite the amount of poetry on sites like Instagram, and the increasing popularity of poetry as a genre, that someone would feel the need for anonymity. Perseus goes on to say that in fact, being anonymous has been helpful as they are able to write “freely” with “no preconceived notions” about the things they should be writing about. This certainly rings true even on a more personal level. As a creative writing
student, I often feel embarrassed when reading a romantic poem that I have written, for fear of being labelled “basic” or “unoriginal”. When it comes to writing poetry, a genre that has existed for so many years, perhaps the appeal of social media as a medium, is the separation from the individual and the art produced, which allows free reign of the author. Coupling this with the “shroud of anonymity” as Perseus puts it, allows for greater artistic license, removing the fear of judgement. It is certainly true that in recent years, Instagram poetry is becoming more and more popular, with many people using their accounts as a source of income, and for getting that first foot into the doorway of the industry. I wondered why it seems that Instagram poetry has become the main source of poetry publication. When asked about this, Perseus explains that part of the appeal of Instagram poetry is that it “takes some of the risk out of publishing a book” if one were to create a loyal readership online first. Speaking to a publisher, I once expressed my interest in getting into publishing poetry. She shook her head, sighed and said, “you know there’s very little money in poetry books, don’t you?” And this tends to be widely accepted. I asked Perseus, as an experienced Instagram poet, why they think Instagram poetry is becoming more mainstream, in contrast to traditional poetry forms. Perseus explained that “the fact that some Instagram poets, such as Rupi Kaur, have made it so big and entered the realm of mainstream celebrity helps too. The increased media coverage for them has really put the spotlight on Instagram poets as a whole and increased people’s awareness.” Equally, referring to Instagram poetry as a style in comparison to traditional poetry Persues says that Instagram poetry “tends to be quite short and easily understood, which appeals to people as other, more classical, poetry requires deeper thinking to really appreciate.” Instagram poetry is modernising the way in which we publish and read poetry, but also in the way we write and understand poetry. This is where most criticism of Instagram poetry lies. I asked Perseus whether any of the criticism faced by Instagram poets can be justified, and simply, they answered “no.” They explained that while criticism is “fair game”, they are in no agreement with the notion that it takes less effort to write poetry
for Instagram. Perseus has just under 50,000 followers. I asked them, what makes their account so successful when so many other accounts, writing about similar things, in a similar style already exist. Humbly, Perseus says that “you would have to ask the people who follow me! I am the first to say that I have been fortunate, there are so many amazing, yet lesser-known, poets on Instagram, and I have been lucky enough to get the following I have. Maybe people find my work relatable, as it’s about love and heartbreak, things that a lot of people go through.” This made me consider what makes poetry good. At school we’re led to believe that sticking to a meter, having a steady a,b,a,b rhyme scheme, using imagery, alliteration, symbolism, metaphors are all components of a good poem. While Instagram poets are acclaimed for being “relatable.” I do wonder whether there is a perfect balance between literary skill and relatability. But the wonderful thing about poetry is that it isn’t my place to say. It is totally subjective. While discussing their followers, I thought I’d ask for some advice, for any fellow students considering putting their poetry online. First of all, Perseus says “post regularly (but not at the behest of quality) and engage with your audience by responding to DMs and comments.” Finally, “be true to yourself in your work and don’t fret about followers or likes. By that I mean, don’t try to write your poetry like X, Y or Z, just write what you feel or are thinking and be real with it.”
P O E T RY Written by James Tatam
Creating Worlds Breathe out galaxies. Arrange the constellations Into skeletons. Construct castles out of clay. Kindle out worlds from the forge.
October On your pumpkin cheeks, There’s a scattering of frost. Leaves of hair rusting, Exhaling pale dragon breath. Nice to meet you, October.
Glasslands Eyes wide like portals, Lost in the sky of mirrors. Glass souls reflected. Trapped inside our impressions. Don’t shatter your reflections.
First Light In Reykjavik Harbour. By James Tatam
They unload the cargo before they unload the sun, Ants carrying their stock beneath the mesh of wires, As early fires char the first snowflakes: hued orange Nuclear fallout. It was the first day we saw Hekla with its ember temper, I knew one of us would be first to erupt, Like the forgery of geysers swollen deep into the earth. The snow was light, the coffee sour. The shower water had a softness, Both of us were too cold at that point. Ran around the thermally-heated city, under the stained eyes of Gothic templates, to the kathedraal, prayers planted on temples. April: still cool, the streams gushing through the fjords. On our last day, standing at the teeth of a waterfall, The all-consuming maw of steamed spew, Tunnelled through thick rock; anything is possible. In the blizzards, the tears in your eyes Crystallised and our smiles were set. Astronomical clock, stars revolved like bullets in a pistol-barrel, More snow fell and we fell, too. We are little but walking volcanos. They unload the cargo before they unload the sun, It is still dark on the final day in Iceland. I see the waters from the balcony; I see the effigies of Vikings, The mountains plump against the skyline, the northern lights A distant swirl. They fade away in their small boats. There is nothing left but memories to lay waste to.
One, Two, Three… By Fleur Sanders The rain was heavy out. One, two, three… I couldn’t relax. I wish I could say the memory was vague, but it couldn’t be any further from that. One, two, three… We’ve gone back ten years. Six years old, the sirens ring in the distance. I could hear them coming closer. One, two, three… You try to breathe. They arrive. You lay there; still. No movement is what I saw. I panic! Are you still alive? One, two, three … This time I try to breathe. Everyone surrounds you… I can’t see you. Their talking merges together; I don’t understand what is happening? Help, please, I beg. One, two, three … My heart beats quicker, a lot quicker than ever before. I try to scream, but nothing comes out. Dad picks me up, I try to fight it. I don’t want to leave you… How can I leave you? I look over, and I see you. One, two, three… Was that your last … There are so many sounds I don’t understand.
The beeping, the talking, the buzzing, and the thudding I can’t forget. But, where’s the sound of your pulse? Your heartbeat, I don’t hear it. Please give me a sign… One, two, three… What does that machine do daddy? All the colour washes from his face. I’m young, but not stupid. I know something is wrong Why is this happening? What is happening? We run up the stairs. My arms reach for you. Mum, please tell me it’ll be ok… One, two, three… Freeze. That thud sound, it comes back again, I hear it through the floor, I try to breath. She’s in good hands, right? Too young to know any different. What happened next? It was all over so quick. One, two, three… Where are you? I hear the sirens, this time they fade away. Are you in the back? Alive or in heaven, I don’t know any different. Are you alive? We get in the car, No clue of how much time is passing. But, we will get there. I’ll hold your hand… One, two, three… Don’t let go. Fight for us, please
E LECTION TWO
E LECTRIC B OOGALOO The Surrey Decides O Survival Guide. Written by Peter Ferguson
n the 12th December 2019, Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party won 365 seats, giving him a resounding majority of 79. Much of Surrey spent the election night celebrating or commiserating in The Basement at the Surrey Politics Department and Society co-hosted event. Now I’m sure that everyone found the election period to be enthralling, but after 76 days of governance or two months and 14 days, there will be another election! Admittedly on a much smaller scale: It’s Surrey Decides 2020!
That’s right, you heard me, get ready for another election period but entirely concentrated on campus. At the time of writing, the Student Union elections are scheduled to take place with campaigning opening on 26th February 2020 and with the results being given on 8th March 2020. (These dates could be subject to change, so for the most up to date information regarding Surrey Decides, check the USSU website and social media for announcements as well at News section of The Stag). For the returning students or keen observers from afar, you will know the drill here. The Student Union has 26 elected positions available. The roles available are, first of all, the Sabbatical Officers: The President, the four Vice Presidents (VP Activity, VP Community, VP Voice and VP Support). All of these roles are full-time positions which earn a salary and take a year out of their university course to work at USSU in their elected role. The rest of the roles are part-time positions, whereby students elected continue their course alongside their voluntary work at USSU. These roles are: The Union Chair as part of the Central Zone with; five members of the Activity Zone including Team Surrey Chair and Societies Chair as executive members; five members of the Community Zone with the RAG Chair and one other member being executive positions; five members of the Voice Zone with 2 being executive positions, and five members of the Support Zone with 2 of them being executive positions. All of the Sabbatical Officers, the Union Chair and the executive members of each zone comprise the Executive Committee of USSU. The exec hold regular meetings at the discretion of the Union Chair whereby any student can have a motion heard and voted upon by the exec. It is also an opportunity for students to hold their elected officials to account and receive updates on projects. It is live-streamed by Stag TV for people to view who cannot attend. Any student, whether they are on an undergraduate course, masters or PhD programme, can run for any position and will have a campaign period of 10 days to show their face around campus, place posters up, do lecture
shout-outs and support other candidates in their campaign, all candidates are able to claim a budget on expenses for campaign materials such as printing or t-shirts. The above information is the basics and its what you will hear a lot about in the run up to Surrey Decides. What you most likely won’t be told is the reality of what it is like to campaign in Surrey Decides. To avoid anyone being caught off guard by the reality of student union politics, I will share some of my experiences from running in Surrey Decides 2019 to be VP Support.
TIP ONE: Stock up on painkillers, vitamins and even get a flu jab. If you are running for any of the full-time roles, or even just planning a high intensity campaign, you are going to need to preserve your health as much as possible. Former Surrey Decides candidate, and current Guildford Borough Councillor James Steel was adamant that the Flu Jab is essential for all serious campaigners as he personally got the flu mid Surrey Decides 2018 and it seriously impaired his ability to campaign. There is nothing worse than falling seriously ill in the middle of a campaign and its best to do whatever you can to avoid it. The likelihood is that at some point throughout the campaign, you will feel run down and worn out. With a little preparation, you can avoid the worst of it.
TIP TWO:
Tip 2: Get your mates involved. Campaigning on your own can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time in an election. Bringing a friend along to talk to people can make it less awkward and help you ease into the flow of your campaign pitch. It’s also good to have some company throughout the election, whether that’s to help you poster campus, share a joke or just sit down for a break.
Tip 3: Sort out as much academic work beforehand as you can. If you want to win, you will need to give it your all and might not have time to fully commit to lectures, seminars and reading. Of course, you shouldn’t abandon your studies but be aware it will be incredibly difficult to fully commit to them, as well as campaigning. At least that was the case for myself and many others, but everyone is different in their time management and capacity. Current VP Activity Lizzie Rodulson, showed exceptional dedication to campaigning by not only balancing the election with her nursing degree but also working night shifts throughout Surrey Decides 2019 on her placement. Getting ahead on your studies beforehand gives you a little slack on the demands of studying during the election, and it also means if unfortunately, you aren’t successful in your candidacy, you aren’t far behind in catching up with the missed workload.
TIP THREE
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This Article Can’t Win An Election . T
here’s a very good video blog on The Guardian called Anywhere But Westminster, in which a roving journalist crosses the nation to chat to ordinary people about politics in the face of an impending general election. At a food bank in Guildford, a homeless man was asked how he intended to vote. He said he’d be voting Conservative to get Brexit done. From my experience, many of the people who run these food banks are women from local church groups. If you discussed the 2019 general election with them, then you will find that they voted Conservative for similar reasons. In defence of public spending, I recently wrote an article detailing the 2007 financial crisis. I recounted the story of how an economic catastrophe was created by an arrogant and unthinking corporate class who avoided responsibility for reckless investments that were unregulated and unchecked. The solution to this crisis required economic and social reform that the Conservative Party could not provide as it goes against their ideological basis (and the personal interests of those who lead the party). In order to
Written by Nick Werren.
manage this fiasco, the Conservative party successfully and deftly diverted responsibility onto “excessive” public spending by Gordon Brown’s Labour government. The austerity that followed has stripped our nation of infrastructure and left people hanging above an abyss, clinging to the final fraying thread that is our NHS. Household savings have collapsed, and people simply can’t spend money because they don’t have any. Regardless, the economy limps on. Meanwhile, food banks have become commonplace, effectively acting as a crutch for our economic system as it slowly succumbs to the illness of Conservative fiscal policy. Prior to becoming a Conservative MP, Miriam Cates founded a private limited company that profits from this tragic situation by charging food banks for promoting the products they need to donors. The financial success of a recently elected Member of Parliament is tied to the continued suffering of poor people who can’t afford to feed themselves – welcome to the next five years. Fortunately for them, the Conservative Party hold incredible influence over the media, who fascinate over the trending issues of the day. This is facilitated by algorithms designed by social media platforms to have a bias towards creating conflict through outrageous content because that maximises online “interaction”. The result is a divided social landscape, within which two nations are nestled side by side. The citizens of the first are generally teenagers and young adults who are very socially and economically progressive. For them, communism is built out of memes, and Remembrance Day explicitly supports England’s history of rampant imperialism. The second nation mostly consists of older people who share and consume content that obsesses over traditional values which are associated with the perceived historic strengths of Britain. They deride many progressive concepts and view them as weak, implausible, and/or laughable. The two have one thing in common: they both overvalue the
impact online experiences have on changing their material reality. And they love arguing, which is good for the algorithm. By blaming economic and social decline on “The Other” (the EU/immigrants/etc.), right-wing narratives of conflict will always be favoured on social media. This is effectively the tabloid press built anew, streamlined and autonomous. Let’s return to the recent general election. On polling day, a pal and I were having a conversation with a man on his doorstep. We were trying to eke out whether he had voted for Labour, “This is a council house, who do you think I’m voting for?!” he told us. My friend awkwardly replied that he genuinely didn’t know“…Labour.” was his eventual response. He was obviously proud to be supporting Labour and made it clear how deeply that was linked to his home. The support provided to his family by the state had ensured he would reciprocate that when he voted. In other words, helping people is good for the Labour party. However, this is not a common situation to be in. Over the last few decades council houses have been sold off and cut up for the private rented sector. Neighbourhoods are constantly dispersing and coalescing as people move from place to place. Community centres have been left unattended, and now we watch on as they are devoured to reduce the deficit. With no community space, people are left isolated. We experience the world through our jobs during the day and can’t do much more than stream a film at night. It’s cost-effective, and you don’t need to leave your house (which you likely don’t own). You don’t know where the local food bank is or who in your neighbourhood needs it. The House of Commons Library reported this year that there are more food banks in Britain than branches of McDonald’s. Maybe it’s fake news? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s by going out to physically experience the incredible poverty present in our society.
E
S E O G “IT D N O Y BE L A R O T C E L " E S C I T I L O P The Labour Party’s campaign in this general election was overshadowed by genuine problems of anti-semitism within the party and the toxic discourse around Brexit. But there was something else too. The movement of collective liberation, and by extension the betterment of humankind, cannot rely solely on the Labour Party and its success at the polls. It goes beyond electoral politics. Why were there no activists at the food bank I mentioned at the start of this article? How can the people already there be empowered to demand a better world? These are important questions, and those that care to answer them must be present in a variety of different community spaces. Moreover, this presence creates the opportunity for very necessary emotional connections and community building. These communities must be the ones with whom social reform is discussed and created. To have a conversation, you have to be there, and if you aren’t, then the media will fill in the gaps for you. If you care about electoral politics, then wresting the narrative from the Conservative Party requires that you get involved in your local community whilst communicating how it ended up in its current dire state. Meanwhile, unions must make a return to our lives and contribute something more meaningful than a discount on car insurance. Furthermore, we have a responsibility to seek out, create, and join a new generation of unions. We must revive the labour movement across Britain. That means engaging with the people around us and creating communities. The future is on the streets, not in this article, Twitter, or some dumb book about luxury space communism.
Personality Tests: Understand and Accept Yourself. Written By Rahul Kakaiya
Personality: “The characteristics or blend of characteristics that make a person unique� (Weinberg & Gould, 1999).
Personality in its psychological form has been inadvertently studied since who knows when. Any self-aware interaction or transaction since the cognitive renaissance can be perceived as a people study of some type and underlines our modern scientific understanding of the mind and mental health. It is then both natural and relatively perverse that psychologists have been so interested in trying to quantise and categorise personality traits for so long now. However, it’s my view that this niche study can do more to help than to separate in modern-day society. ‘The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator’ (MBTI) is the fanciest and probably most widely used iteration of personality test out there. Created by Katherine Cook Briggs and daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, the MBTI aims to answer the common question “what is my personality type?” It is predominately based upon the ‘five-factor model’ (a.k.a. the ‘OCEAN model’, an acronym for the personality traits that it abstracts, which are; openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism). Myers and Briggs’ interpretation (of Jung’s interpretation) of the ‘five-factor model’ was to abstract these personality nodes as four spectra; introversion/extraversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/ feeling, judging/perception. Completion of the MBTI rates one somewhere on each of these four spectra, then to be abstracted into one of sixteen main personality types. For example, one who completes the test and ‘scores’ higher (in each personality pair) in extraversion (E), intuition (N), thinking (T) and perceiving (P) would be categorised absolutely as ENTP. According to Myers and Briggs, this person is someone who “enjoys new ideas and challenges, and values inspiration.” Likewise, any permutation of these
personality combinations results in one of the sixteen personality types. And voila there you have the MBTI, which is far more (scientifically) accurate than any astrological reading you’re ever going to get. However, the MBTI is not all as it seems. Though it resembles some psychological theories, the test exhibits significant scientific and psychometric deficiencies. This includes poor validity and reliability and measuring categories that are not entirely independent from each other. Unfortunately, this means that the MBTI is technically no more than pseudoscience. Never-the-less hoards great numbers of people praising its accuracy (myself being one of them). So even though the MBTI is scientifically as accurate as personality tests such as “what cheese block am I?” or “which musical instrument most accurately represents my future career?”, a strong case can be made as to the empowerment that a logically sound personality test like this one can bring to people’s idea of self-worth. We live in a time of extreme celebrity idolisation, social categorisation, and information saturation. Even though we are so connected, it can be hard-pressed not to feel alone and isolated at some points in life. Tragically this can leave people feeling broken, bruised and busted, whether it be fleeting feelings or long-term mental battles. It can be liberating to know that each of us do belong to a discrete one of sixteen subsections of pseudoscientific psychology with well-understood strengths and weaknesses. Each of us do have worth and meaning in this sense, and it is important to remember that and to be reminded of it from time to time. I think that comfort can be
found in troughs of hard times in the idea that all eight billion people on Earth – from Tyler the Creator to The Queen – can be categorised into one of these sixteen categories, each with very human and very real characteristics. I’d like to take this chance to point out ’16Personalities’, a website which modernises the MBTI framework with a free online personality test. The 16Personalities framework adds a fifth function to MBTI; assertiveness/turbulence. People with a higher turbulence tend to be more doubtful, whereas people with higher assertiveness are more self-confident. The inclusion of this personality element allows 16Personalities to provide a service that the standard MBTI framework tends not to – that service is to therapise. Not only is there community support which helps spark the ‘I am not alone’ feeling through the comments sections of pages, but articles and guides have been written by the community to share knowledge and experiences of how to navigate the ups, downs and baggage that can come with each personality grouping. 16Personalities is a great website, and I recommend it to anyone interested in modern psychology, and more importantly, to anyone who may feel lost or hopeless at the moment. The scientific delve into personality types and traits can be a slippery slope. It has long been noted that it is imperative for social psychologists to avoid intertwining their own self-analysis with their academic study, but the mental health benefits of methods such as the MBTI and the five-factor model – when abstracted sensibly and sensitively – are even more fascinating and arguably a necessary option for self-care in this day and age. But take what I write with a pinch of salt - I may just be saying this because I’m an INTP type.
How Quantum Biolog Than You Think. I
t was six years ago, in 2014, when the first popular science book was published on quantum biology - ‘Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology’. With glowing reviews, the book enlightens the reader on the astonishing truth about the very essence of life’s surprising dynamics and peculiarities. Written by University of Surrey academics, Professors Johnjoe McFadden and Jim Al-Khalili, this arguably kickstarted Surrey’s pioneering research that spans across biology, chemistry, and quantum physics. Heavily funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the Leverhulme Quantum Biology Doctoral Training Centre (QB-DTC) here at Surrey became the world’s first quantum biology centre, the ground-zero for a new wave of exciting and cutting-edge research. It’s hard to imagine that quantum physics has anything to do with biology as the two seem so incompatible. How can quantum physics exist in a system that’s so unprotected and vulnerable – when even in labs under controlled conditions, quantum phenomena are incredibly hard to see? Well, modern research has established that quantum physics does play a significant part in many biological processes, from very small cellular systems such as photosynthesis and DNA mutation, to our sense of smell. We have credible theories as to explain the behaviour of enzymes, as well as the ability some animals have such that they’re able to navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field, i.e. magnetoreception. Quantum behaviour seems to be present in life; the question is:
Why? Well if evolution has led the exploitation of every biological process in the billions of years since life began on Earth, what’s to say that quantum mechanical behaviour hasn’t been exploited at a level we just aren’t able to see? How this quantum behaviour can exist is still an open question, being researched at the QB-DTC.
The research interests of the QB-DTC are ever-growing and expansive. The diversity of the projects requires an inter-disciplinary approach, with each project being undertaken by a variety of experts, ranging from mathematical biologists to optoelectronic professors. To tackle research like this, a variety of expertise and techniques from different fields of study is a necessity: a physicist can create a mathematical model to describe a system, but it has no meaning until a biologist can test the theory, for example. Quantum biology is not a new field of science; the academics at QB-DTC did not invent this field of study – but merely reinvigorated it. The beginnings of thought-provoking discussion about the implications of quantum mechanics on biology can be traced back to the 1940s. Erwin Schrödinger, most notable from his infamous Schrödinger’s cat thought-experiment, had published a book in 1944 titled ‘What is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell’. In the book, Schrödinger talks about the highly ordered processes that oc-
gy Is More Important Written By Anthony Balchin cur within living cells, such as diffusion, but are dependent on the random motion of atoms or molecules, governed by quantum dynamics. Nature seems to find a way to create order from the disordered and chaotic-looking processes. Going deeper into the rabbit hole, Schrödinger talks about DNA, the building blocks of all life on Earth, and the implications of quantum phenomena on DNA. Studying this quantum phenomenon, primarily ‘quantum tunnelling’, is one of the primary areas of research being carried out at the QB-DTC. Complicated and advanced computer models, designed to aid in research, are working hard to explore how DNA-mutations may be caused by hydrogen bonds in DNA to ‘tunnel’ to other areas of the DNA strand. This could have serious implications on our current knowledge of genetic diseases, cancers, and even evolution itself. Quantum tunnelling is not only just applicable to our theories for DNA mutation but rather has been shown to appear in photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Without these quantum phenomena arising in all of life here on Earth, organisms could not grow and survive, and life may have never begun in the first place. The field of quantum biology is still in its
infancy, with a Wikipedia page shorter than most footballers’. This area of research on how quantum effects can occur regardless of temperature and distance is vital. As it is needed to understand the very basics of how life began and, how life was able to evolve from single-celled organisms to incredible birds that can navigate the globe with nothing but the magnetic field of the planet. Who knows how deep this rabbit hole truly goes? We have the potential to truly learn the building blocks of life in their purest form with Surrey leading the way. I would like to acknowledge Nick Werren for his invaluable and insightful knowledge into this remarkable field. References: Gray, H. B.; Winkler, J. R. (2003) ‘Electron tunnelling through proteins’ Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics. 36 (3): 341-371 Nagel, Z. D.; Klinman, J. P. (2006) ‘Tunnelling and Dynamics in Enzymatic Hydride Transfer’ Chemical Reviews. 106 (8): 3095-3118 Schrödinger, E. (1944). What is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell. Cambridge University Press.
Machines Can Learn, But Can They Think?
Written By Ollie Camilleri
- 7 Reasons Why Machine Learning Is a Game Changer for Agriculture. Available: https://towardsdatascience.com/7-reasons-why-machine-learning-is-a-gamechanger-for-agriculture-1753dc56e310.
-Artificial intelligence: ‘We’re like children playing with a bomb’. Available: https:// www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/12/nick-bostrom-artificial-intelligence-machine.
-Vithoulkas G, Muresanu DF. Conscience and consciousness: a definition. J Med Life. 2014;7(1):104–108.
-Michael Nielsen. Using neural nets to recognize handwritten digits. Available: http://neuralnetworksanddeeplearning.com/chap1.html.
References:
I
n 1950, the world was still emerging out of the ashes of war and getting to grips with the dizzying amount of technological progression warfare had created. It was this year that Alan Turing proposed the now-famous Turing test as a method of determining whether or not a machine is capable of behaving indistinguishably from that of a human. The test is quite simple. A human evaluator engages in conversation with two partners, one of which is a machine. The evaluator is aware of this but is separated from both partners and so must converse in order to determine who is who. If the evaluator cannot reliably do so, the machine is said to have passed the Turing test. Computation has become immensely more powerful, complex and commonplace since then, and more than ever it appears as if we are on the cusp of some artificial intelligence breakthrough. Terms like “machine learning” and “neural networks” are now widely touted
by mainstream media as notable such as Elon Musk, make it diffi nore the existential risks A.I pos we explore the possible future in us, let’s examine some of those t terms and the process in which can learn.
Let’s say we want a computer pr to identify alphabetical letters fr data. The solution is not trivial b perfectly easy to understand, it’s reason why those “prove you’re a tasks have become a little hard o sites– at least for me they have. with a single “neuron”:
In this case, there are three inpu single output. We can express th portance of each input connecti assigning them individual numb weights – the higher this numbe more important the connection this a step further, we next assig to the neuron. This is just a num determines how difficult the neu activate, the smaller the bias, the is to achieve a high output. Neu then arranged in layers:
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From left to right, we have the input layer, the hidden layer (there could be many hidden layers) and the output layer. Neurons are activated before going on to activate other neurons in the layer to the right. For our letter program, the output layer could be made of 26 neurons - one for each letter in the alphabet. The highest valued output would correspond to the letter that the program thinks it sees. At first, the program may guess incorrectly, but by tuning these connection weights and biases, the correct answer can be achieved. How does it compare to an actual brain? You can think of the network as emulating clusters of real neurons – the cells used to transmit information in the brain. These networks are biologically inspired but are by no means artificial brains. If, however, you consider the human brain to just be an organic computer, perhaps it seems obvious that one-day simulations will produce artificial consciousness. Unfortunately, here is where things begin to get fuzzy. Just what is consciousness? Thomas Nagel’s intriguing 1974 essay “What is it like to be a bat?” proposes that for a being to be conscious, it must mean that it has some subjective awareness, as difficult as that may be for us to imagine. This brings to mind a notable section of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: “man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.” I do not use this quote to suggest that we should now yield to our aquatic overlords, but to illustrate that a computer that passes the Turing test would only be conscious if it truly experienced some awareness of itself and the world around it – something very difficult for us to ascertain. An enormous amount of effort has been dedicated to forming mores rigorous definitions of consciousness - one paper of note by G Vithoulkas and DF Muresanu provides the following definition: “Consciousness” is the function of the human mind that receives and processes information. Information is crystallized and then stored or rejected with the help of the five senses, imagination and emotion, the reasoning ability of the mind, and memory. As of yet, the exact neurological processes that give rise to consciousness elude researchers, and the likelihood that it can be simulated either through software or hardware is hotly debated. Despite this, plenty of work is still being conducted with the aim of doing just so, and therefore let us explore some implications of a super-intelligent, general A.I. Nick Bostrom, a philosopher at the University of Oxford, is a notable figure in the field of artificial intelligence, and it is his view that a highly sophisticated A.I may evolve strategies to exert dominance. Other than the ethical problems surrounding a detained hyper-intelligence, it could have desires of its own which may not align with that of humanities. Unfortunately, there may not be much room for error either; as soon as a sophisticated general A.I is created, rapid self-improvement could lead to the so-called “technological singularity”. This is the hypothetical moment in which technological progression becomes uncontrollable. It isn’t all doom and gloom, though as research in the field of artificial intelligence has already impacted our world positively. For example, machine learning is being used as a method of predicting crop quality and yield. This is an indispensable tool as our population and food demands grow. As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, it is clear we will face some tough decisions; the pros and cons of A.I need to continue to be discussed - we cannot simply bury our heads in the sand. There is still much to learn and an enormous amount of work yet to be done so rest assured that Siri isn’t capable of silently plotting away in your pocket. For now, at least.
THE STAG ISSUE 97 // JULY 20