Issue 4 of Broadsheet is now available online and around campus. Pick up your copy, where we feature science in politics, and your future in science communication. It’s free!
Puzzles: March 2013
Win Tickets Tickets are up for grabs! We are giving away tickets to the RCSU Summer Ball! All you need to do is find the first correct solution to any puzzle (unless stated otherwise) and send your answer in to broadsheet@imperial.ac.uk. Hidato Solution: Caption Contest Write a caption for this photo and send it in. The best caption (as decided by us) wins a prize! Nonogram – There’s no place like home Slitherlink Solution:
Spotlight: Adult Science and Bubble Tea
Adult Science Almost all of you will have been to the Science Museum at some point in your life (if not, go now). However, you probably have never heard of, let alone been to their ‘Adults-only’ annex, the Dana Centre. The modern complex, slotting next to the Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum, is home to discussions on science, administered nightly to the human brain through the unusual means of stand up, music, art, and debate. An integral part of the Dana Centre is its licensed bar, very much part of the whole ‘adults-only’ aspect of the venue. Attendees
Volunteering by students, for students: meet Childreach
As always, plans for how to spend the summer seem to turn into an agonising game of fox, lettuce and rabbit. You want to relax, you need to earn money, you should do some wizzy internship, and it would be good to do some charity work. Is there any way of combining these? Childreach International is a London based project which relies mainly on student fundraisers: Childreach organises “challenges” for students to go on, such as climbing Kilimanjaro or crossing the Sahara. Students then fundraise to go on these challenges and the money mostly goes to the charity projects that Childreach
Breaking into the BBC
Do you love science but can’t see yourself working to the grind of the lab? If this does sound like you then perhaps science communication could be a perfect alternative. It is a brilliant way to allow you to keep shoulder-to-shoulder with the latest and cutting edge science, yet step away from lab research. The BBC’s Factual Broadcasting team has earned huge amounts of praise for the quality, quantity and accuracy of its scientific content; they have been successful in producing many award winning television series, such as Wonders of the Solar System by the dreamy Professor Brian Cox. What
Working in-between Science and the Humanities
In Enduring Love, author Ian McEwan writes about how his male protagonist, having just been rejected from an academic interview, goes into the Natural History Museum. There, observing the public, he spontaneously outlines a book to address the general level of ignorance regarding dinosaurs. After writing his book, it is published with ease and kick-starts his successful career as a science communicator. I’m sure it isn’t as easy as this for most of us. Writing an entire book is a daunting task, especially a popular science book. Luckily there are many jobs available under the umbrella of science communication. Here
A Victorian Pastime
Have you ever seen that episode of Postman Pat where his keys go missing and he’s forced to climb a tree pursuing a magpie? When he eventually gets there, thanks to Mrs Thompson’s ladder, he finds a hoard of glittery things: sweet wrappers, tinfoil, a marble, his keys and even Mrs Thompson’s own wedding ring. Pat saves the day. Even if you’re not familiar with this highly erudite episode, magpies’ proclivity for stealing shiny stuff is well-known, and in case you haven’t already spotted it, that was a bit of introductory blather to lead you on about what I actually
Licence to Doodle
Yet another lecture begins, and you start off with the best intention of noting down every single word your lecturer utters. But as the minutes drag on, you find yourself steadily losing concentration…before you know it, everyone is packing up and all you have to show for yourself is a page of mindless doodles. At first glance, this act of aimlessly drawing may seem to be a waste of time – after all, the word “doodle” was originally used to mean a fool or simpleton. However, findings at the University of Plymouth suggest that doodling may actually be beneficial. Psychologist
Science for the Masses
We are all children of the televisual age and it is important to understand that the broadcast media is a powerful tool which can be used to communicate, educate and even influence the public. It certainly seems that the 21st century is science’s moment to shine. Just by doing a quick scan of the BBC iPlayer home page one is struck by a number of increasingly popular science television programmes. In the last two months alone we have seen series with a wide range of diversity such as Wonders of Life, Africa and The Genius of Invention. A good question
Imperial Research, March 2013
Plenty of exciting work goes on inside Imperial’s hallowed halls. This term, Annina Sartor gives us an update on two exciting pieces of research in the field of Physics. Tiny magnetic sensor in orbit around Earth In September 2012, CINEMA (CubeSat for Ions, Neutrals, Electrons and MAgnetic fields) was launched into orbit alongside ten other tiny, cost-efficient satellites after hitching a ride on an American rocket launching a spy satellite. CINEMA was built by a group of scientists – both students and professors – from all over the world, including one team from Imperial College London’s Physics department. The team
