Findependence Day?

The 6th of December was the Finnish independence day. Not many people know Finland does or stands for. Yes, there's only 5 million of us, but there's only 500 000 Icelanders (that's a tenth of our population!) and everyone seems to know about them much more than they know about Finland. Why? Here, I am going to put forward a thought that this is all due to the complete inability of the Finnish people to fake a smile.

DISCLAIMER: To my kinsmen, I would like to say in advance that I am deeply, deeply sorry - but someone's gotta say it first.

To explain what led me to this conclusion, I need to go back to the most recent Independence Day celebrations. I was celebrating this glorious day with some friends. The evening before, I had prepared some Christmas Stars (or Christmas tarts) that my boyfriend said resemble more ninja shurikens than actual stars (click the links to decide for yourself!). I had also made a Swede casserole (ironic, isn't it. However this is not made out of Swedish people, but the vegetable and it's a very traditional Christmas dish).

These items travelled with me from Manchester to a little village where I work, and back again. Some people on the train suspected I was carrying a covered bomb around in my armpit, when actually it was just a casserole. I felt all this hassle was however just a minor inconvenience, as this is a great day and needs celebrating.

I got to the party. The theme seemed to be old youtube musicvideos of Finnish pop music. Incidentally, the youtube was in Swedish, as our host was half-Swedish. Grr. They'll soon take over the world just like they took over our country!

We ate (mainly meat and rye bread), we drank (mainly Koskenkorva Vodka), we danced (mainly humppa and letkajenkka) - but there's one thing we didn't do. Talk. If there's one thing you should know about the Finns is that they don't talk. Especially we don't do the 'small' variety. Big talk, we can handle. But small talk, that is just far beyond our scope of ability.

Everyone else had only been in the UK for a maximum of 1-2 years. None was a true Angloveteran like me, I have now been here for more than 5. I tried to talk to three new people according to British rules of smalltalk. Soon I decided to give up. I got nothing back. I had asked several people a bunch of questions, none of which was reciprocated. Later in December I realised this isn't just something restricted to strangers - even my cousins seemed wholly uninterested in actually finding out about me during our family gathering around Christmas.

Finland has some of the smartest people in the world. This is testified by the PISA studies, that show that already at a young age, our kids beat the rest of the world in their mathematical and linguistic skills. After all, we manage to develop some of the best mobile phones in the world - Nokias! (However, when I tell most people that Nokia is from Finland, they normally seem very surprised.)

But what use is having a country full of nerds, when we can't make the most of it, I ask? How do we put these these great minds to use in a wider world, when no-one actually knows what Finland does and stands for?

It is often said that the Finns don't do small talk or promote their products and innovaiton because of a lack of confidence. Sure, we were first under Russia then Sweden then Russia again - but that was a century ago! And if we don't catch up to the rest of the world, we will soon be forgotten.

The bottom line here is that our lack of national confidence comes across as rudeness and arrogance. This is how I felt at the independence party and our family gathering myself. If Finns are unable to show a genuine interest in other people (and by extension, other countries and their businesses), how can we expect anyone to reciprocate this interest in us? The answer is that we can't.

So big up and learn how to fake a smile, is what I would recommend to my fellow kinsmen. It's not only the way to get ahead in this world, its actually vital for survival. This I have learned in England. Networking, that dreaded thing. To the Pommies it comes naturally. They are born with the ability (or then it's hammered into them, which is more correct, I do not know). I myself have had to learn this through conferences, job interviews, mingling events - if you don't network, you don't get ahead. That's exactly the same for my beloved Finland. And if we can't smalltalk, we sure as hell can't network. This will in the worst case lead to Finland remaining the 'odd one out' country in Europe, not really Western enough, not really Eastern enough, that most people have know knowledge of. Thus far I have been asked such questions as "Do Polarbears roam the streets?" and "Finland, isn't that the capital of Sweden?" Yes, I been asked these silly questions before.

Maybe this is why the Govenment is worried about our future and has put forth a new 'branding' motion entitled "A task for Finland". Yes indeed, Finns need the Government to tell us to get some self-esteeem, thats how bad the situation is. The newly released report urges Finns to not only make their country a better (reads: 'friendlier') place to live in, it also recommends ways in which we can secure our position in an international business climate and thereby enhance our economy (yes, Finland was also strongly hit by the recent global recession).

As I usher in 2011, I'm very excited to see what the new year will bring for Finland, and most importantly; whether we are up to the task. I pray in my heart that the answer is 'yes'.

Recycle your clothes and get your money back!

We've all heard of recycling glass, paper, metal and perhaps even plastic. However, you may not have heard that the newest trend in recycling is (drumroll) - t-shirts! Yes, Oxfam has existed for a very long time, essentially recycling clothes, so in this sense this is not anything new. What is new is that you can now return used clothes back to the shop where you bought them from and get some of your money back!

Leading this new revolution is the Norwegian sportswear company Stormberg. The vision behind the idea of getting back a "deposit" upon returning your used clothes (called Panteordning in Norwegian), is of course to reduce waste. On their website, Stormberg explains that these used garments often end up in East Europe, where they start a "new life". This is no doubt very exciting for your old t-shirt - definitely more interesting than sitting in your drawer day in an day out, never seeing the daylight (oh, the cruelty!).

In Scandinavia, a similar Panteordning arrangement already exists for plastic and glass bottles. In your local grocer you pay a deposit for them (10-25p) upon purchase and when you return them empty, a neat machine in the wall gives you this back. This is of course a very humanistic set-up, since collecting empty coke bottles thrown away by lazy spoilt rich kids gives scandi-hobos some purpose to their otherwise empty lives (no pun intended), as well as providing them cash for a daily meal. Brilliant! Brits - I suggest you follow lead.

Mind you, the deposit you get returned for Stormberg's clothes is not a huge amount of money - this deposit is usually around 10% of the value of the piece. Needless to say, this trend will probably never catch onto Primark, where a t-shirt costs around £2!

My mother recently got me one of these recyclable Stormberg-t-shirts. It was bright pink, the colour that particularly attracts bees and wasps, with a yellow text written across the chest: "Pink Different!". I wasn't quite sure where she was going with this but I let out a muffled "thaaannnkkksss...?" just to be safe. Then she went on to explain how it was made of bamboo, rather than cotton - not that I could tell the difference! Apparently, this is another way in which Stormberg is doing their bit for the climate. Bamboo garments are 100% degradable, and their production contributes far less to CO2-emissions, compared to cotton. So far it is considerably more expensive to make clothes out of bamboo compared to cotton (Primark is good testimony to this), which is why this trend is not likely to catch on globally anytime soon. Mind you, it does tick the ever-so-trendy I-do-my-bit-for-the-planet-box, so maybe this will outweigh its high cost. So far, bamboo is particularly popular as a material for sportswear, as well as clothing for the vertically challenged.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, the deposit for my t-shirt is 20kr or £2 (see image). I couldn't promise my mother that I'd ever wear it in public - although this would be setting a good example! I think for now I'll keep it safe just in case one day I'm short for bus change.

The circle of life...

... well, of student life.

Today was the official first day of Fresher's Week 2010. The city is yet again in full bloom with bewildered faces and those innocent eyes that are soon to be corrupted by the evils of student life. They seem to prowl the streets in groups, large groups. After all, even the lowest of animals (like fish, for instance) know that there is safety in numbers.

I had to fight the urge to tell them many a wise thing. On the sly, I was curious to spot signs of genuine fear in their eyes - sadly I was unsuccessful. Perhaps they were relieved they weren't in high school hell anymore, or just simply happy to be free from mom and dad's clutches (oh how soon that gloat will pass).

What I wanted to tell them was that university is a test. It's not an easy test. Neither is it a multiple choice test. Most of all it's not a test that you can study for. Nay, but rather, it's a kind of test that you have never taken before. This test called university presents itself with the opportunity to re-invent yourself, to be whatever you always wanted to be (or at least thought you wanted to be).

However, en route to this wonderful fulfilment of finging yourself, one needs to avoid many a temptation. Drugs. Alcoholism. Laziness. Loneliness. Allnighters. But worst of all, one must learn to avoid getting lost in the crowd, where it is safe, and trod one's own route through the forest of life.

This path is beautiful. It's scary. But it's the only on that eventually leads to fulfilment.

To end in a slightly less poetic note, our local milkman said he hadn't seen me for a while. Granted, we had moved 5 minutes down the road so my usual route had been diverted accordingly. I said 'well, I'm not a student anymore'. His reply? 'you still look like one'. Echoing this sad truth, I got ID'd when buying half-price wine in Tesco.



So, what has changed? Not much. Yes, I may be employed and no longer inhabit mice-infested, rotting, safety-hazardous student flats and have instead moved onto greener pastures, literally (see photo). I am still a scared, living-on-a-shoestring teenage girl to the outside world. Apparently.

Roots and Seeds

...and you open your eyes to the realisation that you are done with all the bull***. It isn't attractive in all its glitter and glory anymore. You long for something more substantial. Some thing real. And you accept that you are not just a product of years of independent growing in directions chosen only by yourself, but more than that, you are the yield of your blood, a fruit of your upbringing, the seed that was sown in you years back. A product of domestic soil. It means something. You can't quite figure out what. But that's what really matters. And you're almost ready to give into it. Life. Love.

.. as I finish writing this Sheryl Crow sings "I belong a long way from here". It rings in my ears, "a long way from here". No matter how unconsciously I end up decorating my flat with red and white, it's the unescapable truth.

She continues with that famous slant of Americana in her voice:
"... if it makes you happy.. then why the hell are you so sad?"

Winston wins me over

I know, what a tacky title for a blogpost. But to be frank I don't really care what you think, because I am buddies with Lord Professor Robert Winston - the guy with the big moustache on telly who knows all about human behaviour! By buddies of course I mean we are on email terms - althought I have stood face-to-face with the man himself taking his picture. Now that I've got your attention, please do read on.

On May the 12th good old Bob came to Manchester to give us postgrads a talk to promote his new book 'Bad Ideas', which you can scope out here if you haven't already heard of it. This was a lecture I had been anticipating for weeks, as Winston was a childhood hero of mine. I used to religiously tape (VHS of course; it was the 90's after all!) his moustache-muffled science musings in the form of The Human Body, Human Instinct and The Human Mind.

To a neuroscientist like myself, Winston is what Sir David Attenborough is to a zoologist - practically a God of Wisdom. So when people queued up after the fully booked event, I naturally joined this line, after a quick internal debate as to whether I actually had a clever question to ask him. Disappointingly, many before me intended only to get their picture taken with him with a cheesy grin on. My stomach churned when I saw one of my friends commit this unholy deed. If a musician met John Lennon, would he really ask him to "say cheeeeese!"? I doubt it. Anyhew, the self-indulgent facebook-enthusiasts in the line before me meant that the Professor was ushered out of the building before I got my chance to pose my question.

I pushed aside my annoyance and remembered what Bob had said in the beginning of his talk - that he always replies to students' emails. So I trotted home determinedly and decided to write to him. Despite the Professor's promise, I never imagined I'd get a reply within 45 minutes of pressing 'Send'. What was even more remarkable was that this genius with no less than eight titles behind his name (check out his achievements here), considered my query as "A good question".

I guess at this point you're wondering what I asked him? I'll take you through the essence of it. Winston argued in his talk that the great technological advances of our times - microchips and the contraceptive pill included - have been largely made NOT due to goal-oriented conduction of scientific research, but rather haphazardly, with their wider societal utility having been revealed only retrospectively. Indeed, this is true. In fact, many drugs, such as cancer drugs, penicillin and antipsychotics (used for schizophrenia and hallucinations), were not discovered because scientists set out to find treatments for these conditions. Rather, these successful drugs were designed for for different purposes, and were later shown to work more of less perfectly for the conditions that they are used for today. Only after this discovery did researchers figure out the mechanisms of why they worked so well. In this way, these drugs were produced by a method that can be viewed as the opposite of goal-oriented medical research, which takes the mechanism of a disease as a starting point, and then designs drugs to stop the disease.

My question was: should we change our thinking of how to conduct and fund scientific research when for example much of medicinal research is based on curing diseases (i.e. 'goal-directed science')? I asked Professor Winston whether he had ideas on what would be the alternative to 'goal-directed science', if this is more likely to lead to greater advances in terms of societal benefit?

Winston's reply was that "we need to make sure we continue to devote a substantial part of the budget to non-orientated, blue skies research". This was his suggestion for an alternative to the goal-oriented medicinal research I was talking about. He continued: "Actually I am not sure that you are right about medical research - which mostly is not focused on finding cures, but rather exploring phenomena and mechanisms. Certainly this is true of the MRC and even Cancer Research UK, which funds a huge amount of basic human and cell biology." The Professor had left me corrected. The answer didn't leave me satisfied on what the future direction of medical research should be - but I guess that's why we have politicians!

Coming back from a family Bank Holiday, I saw Winson was back on the BBC again! This time the Professor was probing human personality. I learnt that being 'agreeable' won't get you a big salary, but does forbode good health and better relationships. Definitely something to consider when sorting out one's priorities! I wanted to take 'The Big Personality' test myself - but the website has been experiencing "major technical problem" since the airing of the program. You can try your luck yourself by clicking here: BBC's BIG PERSONALITY TEST

And if this really grabbed your attention, you can read more in 'Bad Ideas?' which is currently on sale for less than half price on Amazon: Hooray for credit crunch price busters!

Photohappiness

My photography is being taken seriously! Hence blogpost to celebrate. Reasons:

A photo I took of rainy Curry Mile (Rusholme) will be featured in a promotional leaflet produced by the Manchester Careers Service Graduate Internship Programme.


You can see the entire showreel of great Manchester photography here. I wasn't shortlisted, but to be fair, I was up against some pretty magnificent photographers, so please feast your eyes on the showreel!

This week I got an email from the WHO, i.e. the World Health Organisation, requesting authorisation to a picture I took of Ellen 't Hoen, an advocate for the UNITAID HIV/AIDS patent pool initiative, in November 2009. The image will be featured in a magazine called Managing IP. My photos have been featured in Student Direct : Mancunion before, but as subeditor I've obviously had the freedom to choose to put in my own images, so this feels like a greater achievement and recognition for my work in comparison.

This leaves me feeling very inspired to pursue my photopassion! :)

The look of love – or the scent of seduction?

My first co-written article featured in Student Direct : Mancunion, originally written by Ms Emma Bishop and edited by me! This article was also published online on the SD website.

Everyone has their own idea of who is their ‘perfect’ man or woman although we can’t always tell why we find someone attractive. So what is it exactly that draws you to some people, and not others? Research seems to suggest that the answer lies within evolution.

You probably thought that good looks is the main factor determining attraction. Luckily, science has shown that humans are not quite as superficial as this, as a person’s unique smell also plays a role. Have you ever found someone’s scent irresistible? This is evolution’s way of attracting you to someone with a different immune system to your own. Why? To make healthier and more infection-resistant offspring. In molecular terms this means that your ideal man or woman will have a different molecule involved in your immune response, called Major Histocompatibility Complex or MCH.

During fertilisation, a unique mixture of the mother’s and father’s genes encoding for MHC will be passed on to the offspring. When the two genes are different from each other, genetic variation is produced and this can in turn give rise to a stronger immune system. Thus, one way to explain attraction is that it is based on the differences in your and your love interest’s genes.

Amazingly, your brain can recognise different versions of MCH and signal a potential partner’s evolutionary compatibility. The smell of these molecules can determine whether someone is an ideal partner if they vary from your own MHC. In fact, some dating websites have begun to use this difference in immune systems to actually match up couples via the internet! These so-called ‘DNA dating sites’, such as www.scientificmatch.com, promise that genetic variation between couples leads to not only higher fertility rates, but also better sex and ‘a lower chance of cheating’ on your partner!

So apart from there being literal ‘chemistry’ between an ideal couple, do superficial traits still contribute to attraction? The answer is yes. In women, large eyes and breasts tend to be rated as ‘more attractive’ to men. Again evolution plays a role, in that women with larger eyes and breasts tend to have more of the sex hormone oestrogen produced by their body. This means that these females are more likely to be fertile, and this is interestingly enough signalled in their looks. So, although most men may not realise it, when settling for a girl with either of these attributes, they are unconsciously choosing a woman that is more fertile and will most likely produce more offspring.

Such scientific evidence becomes even more intriguing when put in a wider context. We must ask ourselves: in a society where women are pressurised to push up their breasts and lash on the mascara – are we actually hampering with natural selection?

Stress – getting the balance right

Trouble sleeping, excessive snacking, heart palpitations? Oh yes - it’s revision time! Although all these negative symptoms can be attributed to the release of stress hormones – you’ll be relieved to know that stress can also help you remember. Just last month, scientists finally cracked the cellular mechanism by which stress hormones boost long-term memory.

The main hormone released during stress is called cortisol, which is a naturally occurring steroid just like testosterone and estrogen. At times of excessive stress, the rise in cortisol levels is accompanied by the release of noradrenaline, a signalling molecule related to the more familiar fight-or-flight hormone, adrenaline. This explains the racing heart and elevated blood pressure that you may experience at peak revision time. But how does a stress hormone affect memory?
We know from animal studies in birds and mammals that stress hormones have dual effects on learning and memory. Short-term stress enhances learning. This is why you can recall traumatic events in detail, but wouldn’t be able to remember what you had on your toast yesterday morning. Thus, a slightly elevated cortisol level is good for strengthening memories.

Exactly how stress enhances long-term memory formation has now been revealed by a study conducted in the Netherlands and The University of California. The study involved mimicking stressful conditions by injecting glucocorticoids, which is the rodent version of cortisol. Results showed that the injection caused an increase in production of proteins needed for long-term memory in the hippocampus, a key brain structure required for memory formation. Interestingly, this effect was mediated by switching on gene production, through direct chemical modification of DNA. In fact, the hippocampus contains the highest density of glucocorticoid receptors in the central nervous system – meaning its activity is easily modulated by stress hormones.

However, as we all know, too much of the good stuff is always bad for you. This is the case for cortisol also, as long-term stress can be detrimental for memory formation. Again, neuroscientists have dutifully provided us with an explanation. Learning and memory deteriorates when elevated glucocorticoids trigger cell death and inhibition of brain cells in the hippocampus. As mentioned above, these cells are vital for forming new memories, explaining why their inhibition leads to disrupted learning.

As a final note of warning, long-term exposure to stress hormones has been shown to cause damage to your body beyond just brain cells. Studies in various species have shown that over time, elevated glucocorticoids ultimately lead to premature death. The reason for this has been related to the fact that these hormones activate severe inflammatory cascades in the body.

So, remember, even though the exams are stressful, they are not worth risking your health and sanity! And in moderation, a healthy amount of exam fear can even be your memory-boosting friend.

This article was also published in Student Direct: Mancunion on the 3rd of May 2010. It can be accessed here.

As I get older, I seem to be getting younger.

It's true.

At 22, a busdriver asks me 'child's fare, yes?'. My pride slightly offended, and without realising this would save me half the bus fare, I stupidly corrected him on my maturity. On my 23rd birthday, a man at the ice-skating rink told me: 'you don't look a day over 18', after calling me a 'grumpy teenager'. At my boyfriend's 24th birthday, his colleague turns over to me and exclamates 'you look way too young for him', thereafter estimating my face to belong to someone around the age of 19.

Of course, at the moment I'd like nothing more but to look my age. Even more so, because I'd like my life experience (which is very extensive for someone my age, I may add) to shine through not only to acquaintances, but also to potential employers. To be frank, I'm pretty sick of being so goddamn babyfaced.

Yesterday I met a man. Not for the first time, but rather from a brand new perspective. I was surprised that the experience left me feeling grateful for my youth.

'You need to let go, you seem uptight', he said.

At first this made me uncomfortable. Myself and my partner were the only two in the room to be firstly under 30, and more importantly, not clouded up on booze and illegal substances. Let's just say it was a celebration for a family friend.

I had no intention on getting less uptight, however. After all I'd had a hellish few weeks finishing up my Master's thesis, with three other deadlines on Monday. He continued.

'You know what you're problem is, you think too much.'

Again, I had no intention on thinking any less than I already was. I was clearly witnessing a celebration of the bohemian lifestyle. A lifestyle, where rules are only there to keep you caged, rather than safe from harm, and breaking them was the only norm. Not to judge, I let them. But chose to watch from aside.

'You have a plan, don't you. You have it all figured out in your head.'

These weren't the words of a bohemian. Neither were they those of an old and wise man. No, these were the words of a broken man. What or who broke him, I will never know. What I did know, was that he was voicing his personal experience. My imagination kicked off and I was imagining what great plans he had himself once had. Was his conclusion of five decades of life-experience, that life isn't worth controlling, as disappointment is what's served anyway? I could only speculate at the dreams this man had once held. Something had clearly taken away his spirit. I felt slightly sad for him.

It suddenly felt great to be a twenty-three-year old, not knowing what lies ahead. The fact is that the fear of uncertainty is ultimately liberating. It gives you the freedom to steer the boat in which direction you like, or to simply drift with the wind and let it take you. Feeling content with this thought, the babyface retired early from the celebrations, and let those with life written all over them get lost in this moment of rapture.

I will leave you with Goldfrapp's 'Let it Take You', dedicated for those of us who choose to drift with the wind, rather than 'thinking too much'...

Oh, my angel, I'm tryin' to get through to you

Summer Camp - 'Ghost Train'

I wanted to share this song as it makes me undescribably happy. I was even more overjoyed to find out that the song can be downloaded here. Needless it's on my mp3 player on repeat reminding me that better times lie ahead. Ghost Train has that spring-vibe of optimism, that I get from sitting in the summer sun with a smile on my face. At the moment, it's a welcome uplift in times of deadlines and write-up's (yes, I was warned that a Master's was a lot of work!). Summer Camp also have that 'fresh' sound that record labels go crazy for, setting them apart from all the cr*p that charts spew out. Even the Guardian has caught on to this vital fact, so it's about time that you discover the magic too!

Just click play :)

For more of their musical material click here !

Yes, it's SUMMER soon! :)

Sentences I thought I'd never utter

'I'm sorry, but I believe my plum just rolled under your foot.'













Needless to say, it was one of those days when my bag was just so overflowing with stuff that it just voluntarily poors out without any manual manouvering involved. This time it was my lunchbox that plunged into a three-feet dive down from the tabletop as it crawled out of my gaping leather underarm companion. The cucumber made it in one piece. The tomato suffered some splittage down its invisible seams. The honey-and-avocado sandwich left some blood on the carpet. But the plum, it had had enough of life in a box and rolled away under this girl sitting at a computer in the cluster. Being a dark and discrete creature, the runaway fruit went unnoticed by the girl under her pumps. Lucky for me she didn't feel an urge to bend her knees to 90 degrees, which would have resulted in plummicide.

After some thorough rinsing, all pieces of lunch ended up victims of my hungry teeth.


'I'm sorry, but I believe my earring is stuck to your bum'

It was the end of our journalism workshop and as always, technology failed us. Four technical staff of the Manchester University were scratching their heads trying to figure out why the newspiece produced by the TV crew just didn't want to play. Anxious to leave and haunted by thoughts of my unfinished Master's report, I started fiddling with my silver snake earring that I'd had since I was 14. Struck by fate once again, the snake suddenly lauched toward the girl sitting in front of me in the auditorium. I was left with only the back clutch between my surprised thumb and index finger. I tried to peer down to her seat, in an attempt to find the stud behind her bum. I soon realised what I was doing probably seemed rather suspicious to people around me, not to mention inappropriate. I couldn't see the stud. Instead I noted that the girl had the most amazing hair, mainly because of its colossal size, but also because of its mesmerising princess-like waves that paved their way down her designer blazer.

The session ended. The girl leaned back on her seat and got up to leave. A silver serpentine had studded its way onto her behind. I had no choice but to tap on her shoulder and say in the politest possible of ways...

Disclaimer: Innuendos were neither wanted nor intended with this blogpost!!!!

'It was only a dog'

These words pierced through me and I could only wonder at the heartlessness of the person who uttered them.

Was it because she was completely void of empathy and regard to other people's feelings, especially those who are suffering at the time? Or was it simply because she is a cat person? I will never know, but I lost an awful lot of respect for this individual, who dared to belittle my feelings and ruthlessly express her subzero-temperatured opinion on my recently deceased canine best friend that was Tiffany the Coton de Tulear.

Of course her utterance couldnt be further from the truth. Tiffany was like the Mother Teresa of dogs. She was a friend of everyone. She made little girls conquer their dog phobias and even dried up old men cried at the news of her death. Even the vet who put her to sleep, who only knew her for her very last moments of confusion and desperation, was so touched by her kind and benevolence-radiating presence, that he shed a tear following her sleeping off to doggie heaven.

Fanny never had enemies, only countless friends. She even had two boyfriends in two different cities, both of which were called Simba, funnily enough. The Simbas have also long since passed away. At least now she's with them.

In addition to the lifelong friendship and altruism, she shared something more profound with me as well. I've always been an animal lover, and this presented itself a problem when my degree depended upon animal lab work. When I glance down at my laboratory mice about to be put into water mazes, I see the same inquisitiveness and innocence that was present in Fanny's eyes. It surprised me that their black beady eyes dared to resemble my Fanny's beautiful chocolate buttons. Perhaps it was simply that animalistic cuteness that is universal to all furry creatures. But more likely, it was a look that was meant to make me question what I'm doing, whether I have any right to experiment on animals that were born into captivity. I still haven't figured this one out, but my respect for living things has deepened. Animal testing will always be needed to get the best possible medicines, but for now, I will give it a miss as a career choice.

Most importantly, to an only child Fanny was something to look forward to when coming home from school, dragging me away from the TV screen - which more or less raised me until computers came into the picture. She was the wet nose and superspeed wagging tail that carefully and playfully woke me up on weekend mornings with her chocolate eyes peering from under the white silky fringe. Leaving her to go study in the UK always left me feeling guilty. After the first few times she started forgiving me - and instead of pretending like she didn't know who I was, she lovingly cried of joy and jumped in my lap everytime we were reunited. Im a few days, she'd trust the fact that I was back, following me around and sleeping by my feet. I always let her down and got on that plane. I always tried to explain that I'd be back, but it didn't ease the heartbreak.

Her heart couldn't take it in the end. Separation anxiety from not only myself, but my travelling mother also, undoubtedly contributed to her heart eventually giving up on her. The final scan showed that it had expanded, causing her trouble breathing. Her backlegs also had had enough, with nearly 12 years of walking in a world of long-legged creatures.

Three of Tiffany's most memorable characteristics were materialised in a cake that I made for her memory - she was white, fluffy and very sweet. Thus I made an ice-cream cake filled with strawberries and topped with oven-goldened mareng (she had a brown 'candy-stripe' on her bum which Coton's sometimes have). For Fanny, or her spirit, I laid down a bowl of carrot sticks and boiled eggwhite, her favourites. I'd like to think she appreciated the thought.

Faithful Molly, my beloved friend Fanny, I will miss you always.

Deleting cancer genes

Scientists are constantly on the lookout for genes that cause cancer, the killer disease of our times that is estimated to affect one in three people. Research conducted at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge has revealed a new twist to the story of how cancer develops. Instead of focusing on which genes are implicated, the question seems to rather be where the genes are located.

The current study was led by Professor Michael Stratton, the co-leader of the Cancer Genome Project. In fact, it was only last December that the Stratton group was in headlines previously, with the report that they had managed to crack the ‘entire genetic code’ of the two most common types of cancer. Our current understanding of how cancers develop involves the deletion or mutation of genes, so that cells cannot maintain normal functions. Stratton’s group have found that in skin and lung cancers, in fact a whopping 20-30 000 genes are mutated.

The most recent study, published just two weeks ago, aimed to investigate “unexplained” gene deletions that have been observed in cancers. It was found that these genes are located in inherently weak regions of DNA. The DNA molecule consists of an intertwined double helix which is itself looped around proteins called histones. Because of all the twisting and turning going on, it’s easy to see how the molecule might get a bit worn out in some bends. In fact, in ‘weak’ locations, breakages of the DNA molecule can occur, and now researchers suggest that this is the reason why there are so many different genes implicated in cancer.

The problem is that such ‘weak’ bits of DNA, is where we often find genes that protect the cell from becoming cancerous. When these regions with protective genes are broken, the cell tries to ‘tidy up’ the damaged DNA by snipping out these essential regions, and the disease develops.

The researchers also found that cancer cells are much more resilient than we thought, compared to healthy cells. Deletion of a whole 11 percent of its genes went unnoticed by the cancer cells, while in healthy cells, anything over 2 percent results in cell death. The fact that cancer cells are so resistant to gene deletion contributes to the difficulty in designing treatments that target and kill these cells.

By focusing future cancer genomics research into such vulnerable regions of DNA, we can gain invaluable insights into how cancer develops.

This article was published in Student Direct on the 1st of March 2010, and can be viewed at www.student-direct.co.uk here.

Winter Olympics: With Glowing Hearts

I'm not a big friend of sports, and I can never get excited about the olympics. But I have to say, the Vancouver Winter Olympics have surprised me - it must be the ice and snow that lures me in! Just as they're coming to an end, I'm trying to reap the last fruits of the competition.

It's not only because snow and ice bring both aesthetical value and an added adrenaline kick to sports. Winter Olympics are just cool to watch. Well, not every type of winter sport. I mean the curling isn't even a sport, it can really only be described as a housewives or witches' sport, after all it consists of people waving a broom on the floor. Bobsledging and luge are more a thrill ride than they are a sport (they must be going 'wheeeeeEEEEE!' in their heads while they plummet down that icy tube) - although I shouldn't say this for respect to the recently deceased Nodar Kumaritashvili, may he rest in peace. As for skeleton - let's all admit it's a sport for those of us who wish they were superheroes, but because of the sad fact of laws of physics, can't!

By 'cool' sports I mean something like freestyle aerial skiing. Imagine it, 'Hi, I'm Jack, and yes, I get paid to flip and turn in the air like a clown'. It's kind of like gymnastics with skiis on their feet, which is very inventive of the sportsmen! I had to wonder how you train for aerial skiing, does it not end in a heap of broken bones and cracked skulls bobbing upside-down a few metres above air? I found the answer on the Olympics website, and I recommend you watch it here (trampolines and water are involved!).

Skicross also belongs to the 'cool' category. It's the newest winter sport added to the Olympics. I get a massive kick from watching people fly effortlessly down mountains, with a quartet of skiiers all racing to the goal. This is again being thanks to my mirror neurones, given that I'm myself sat on my behind on my home sofa.

The snowboarding version of skicross is even cooler, of course. Simply because it's snowboarding, which is always going to be cooler than skiing. This is the reason why I'll never be cool, namely because I can not master boarding. I've tried a few times in my life in Norway and Germany, but even with lessons I constantly end up with hip bruises and a wet bum. Which would be fine, if there would be even the slightest hint of improvement. But there never is, so I have given up and stick to good old, boring skiing, where your feet are free to move, as opposed to being glued to a weird piece of plastic. You can see why I respect snowboarders so much - they can do something I can't!

Meanwhile, Korean figureskater Kim Yu Na always makes me cry, mainly because she cries and my mirror neurones go berserk and empathy kicks in. But also because she simply is the most graceful and elegant performer on ice I've ever seen. She lives in her movements and perfects every twirl and landing like she was born on skates. Although I know that figure skaters get technical points for their lutzes and quadruple jumps, but honestly, isn't ice skating more of an artform than a sport? The judging can't avoid subjectivity, surely.

I'm going to end this blog on a sad point - no, nobody died (had enough of those lately) - except for perhaps a smudge of my national pride. Finland got beaten by the Americans 6-1 in the ice hockey semifinals last night. It was painful to watch. On the first goal I let out a disappointed sigh. At 2-0 it was just annoying. The third one was significantly embarrasing. 4-0 was a moment of despair. Five down I wanted to cry. And by the sixth, my mind had gone blank - it was pure disbelief. I was hoping the Lions (the Finnish national emblem is a golden lion) would score just one pity goal, so they wouldn't get quite so drunk tonight when drowning their sorrows. This they managed, thank God. Tomorrow I'll be watching the bronze match against the Slovakians, who funnily enough have a player called Satan in their team.

Alas, in 2010, I can't take pride in my athletic kinsmen, who stem from the land of snow, yet fail to impress when moved a few thousand kilometres westward. So instead I turn to my cultural kinsmen, the Norwegians - who are currently at 4th place in the competition, overall. Heia, Norge! After all, it's sometimes better for your self-esteem to cheer for the winners, than the losers.

It doesn't a l w a y s need to be 'fine'.

Warning; this blog entry contains analyses of human behaviour and emotion.

I recently wrote a pretty steep critique on with Katherine Heigl as the leading lady. As much as I loathed the film there's something about her girl-next-door-y cinematic aura that made me want to watch The Ugly Truth27 Dresses again on my sickday at home. And while the latter film is heaps cuter, there's one thing that majorly bothers me in it. Not because they decided to put it in the film, but because countless teenage girls will watch this film, and subconsciously decide that the way Heigl is acting in it, is the way society expects us to act.

But let's get to the point here. The character played by Heigl, Jane, is remarkably bad at speaking her mind. Even to the people closest to her. Even when the people closest to her are making her hurt more than ever. Even when she loses the guy she has been madly in love with for years, to her sister. Even when her father gives her deceased mother's wedding dress to her sister, who is to marry her dream man.

Yet, in all these situations, a forced smile stretching from New York to Calcutta is observable on her baby-skinned face, and the words "I'm fine" and "that's great" are repeated as if she'd just had an orgasm (albeit a fake one). Why, oh WHY? As someone raised to have a mind of her own, this fact baffles me no end.

I can get behind the tying her boss' tie, doing his laundry etc, as this is clearly just an attempt to be close to, and needed by him. What I can't seem to answer is whether this really is accepted, normal - or even worse - expected, behaviour? Then I thought that probably is the case, in the United States, or the States of Smiles and Sunshine, where everything always IS f***ing fantastic! I can't say I have lived in the States since I was the age of a Kindergardener, but if this kind of behaviour is the reality over there - I can't say I particularly want to in the future, either.

I've seen hints of this in England, where mostly everything is meant to be 'alright'. In fact this word is so ingrained in the culture over here, that people exchange this word as a question itself - supplemented with a 'y', short for 'you' in the form of 'y'alright?' Luckily, the Britons have a commonplace reply to this which is much better than simply lying and saying 'good, and yourself?'. This being namely 'not too bad'. This very expression nearly comes close to the bleak expression of the Germanians and Scandinavians 'it's going', which leaves the questioner neutral for an answer, after all things can't ever really be so great that you'd want to brag about them to your fellow human being!

OK so we have slightly moved off topic here, but I truly think that the 'everything is fine, always, and if it isn't - don't freckin' show it'-mentality is unhealthy. And no, I'm not saying this because my boyfriend is a psychologist and has brainwashed me to think so. I honestly belive that if you can't tell your own sister that she's just stolen the man of your dreams and that she's walking all over your heart in the process - then there will be serious consequences to your mental health. More importantly, it's probably a sign of you not having very much self-respect.

So to all the Jane's out there: speak up or move to Northern Europe for a while to learn a thing or two about a beautiful thing called honesty.

Japanese chemists make plastic from water and mud

In January, top science journals Nature and New Scientist reported the invention of a new type of plastic, made by mixing clay and water. The new material, which has been nicknamed “smart mud”, was made by a Japanese research team, led by award-winning chemist professor Takuzo Aida. In a simple reaction, which takes less than a minute, the chemists have succeeded in making what can be viewed as the world’s first “green” plastic.

Conventional plastic is made using oil, and with experts warning us that this non-renewable resource will run dry in the next 40 years or so, there is an aching need for alternatives. It seems the first step towards this goal has now been taken.

The new plastic is based on a water-based gel, also called a hydrogel. This novel substance is not much different from plastic as we know, namely elasticity, transparency and strength. What’s more, it is remarkably simple to produce, and it forms in the matter of seconds. The hydrogel is made by mixing 2-3 grams of clay in half a glass of water, with tiny amounts of so-called “molecular glue” and sodium polyacrylate, thrown in. Clay is naturally found as a mineral salt formed of several layers. In the hydrogel, the layers are stuck together by the molecular glue. The sodium polyacrylate is added to absorb as much water as possible, as it can soak up up to 300 times its own weight in water. That’s the same as you trying to support three elephants on your shoulders!

The new plastic offers many advantages to conventional plastic, including an array of environmentally friendly qualities. The hydrogel is degradable and does not require any recycling facilities. Also, with the majority of the gel being clay and water, the material are generally safe. The organic compound, known as “glue” that holds the gel together, has even been approved by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Meanwhile, sodium polyacrylate is conventionally used in baby diapers as a urine-absorbant powder, and is not classified as hazardous.

The elegant simplicity of the manufacturing process means that “smart mud” could potentially be made by anyone, without any knowledge in chemistry. This means it can be feasibly produced, even in developing nations lacking industrial facilities.

The new plastic promises to provide hope into a political climate where an “oil crisis” is at hand, and green solutions are at high demand.

This article was also published on the Student Direct : Mancunion website.

BBC to celebrate science in 2010

Science enthusiasts will be delighted to learn that the BBC has announced that 2010 will be it’s Year of Science. The choice was made in support of the Royal Society, the oldest natural sciences society in the world, in celebrating their 350th birthday.

Science is a topic that is very “in vogue” in the media these days. Stories of Nuttgate, the Hadron Collider and the MMR vaccine were amongst the biggest stories of 2009. However, science in the media has been said “to be in rude health”, according to Fiona Fox of the Science and Media Expert Group. The BBC is doing their bit towards trying to correct this, as their third Impartiality Review will focus on the accuracy and impartiality of its science reporting. Richard Tait, the company’s Chair of the Trust's Editorial Standards Committee, said “the BBC has a well-earned reputation for the quality of its science reporting, but it is also important that we look at it afresh to ensure that it is adhering to the very high standards that licence fee payers expect”. Focusing on science is a new turn for the broadcasting giant, as previous reviews have been directed at coverage of business news and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In support of the scientific theme of the year, Liberal party-leader Nick Clegg announced in a talk to the Royal Society three weeks ago, his views on the importance of science and innovation in re-building the British economy. ”The challenge that faces us is the reinvention of our economy according to new principles. Science, maths, engineering and technology must be at the heart of that project.” Clegg also stressed the need to improve science education in schools, to cultivate “children’s natural curiosity”. He also addressed the imbalance of the female-to-male ratio that exists within the scientific community. As the nation’s most widespread channel of free education, it is likely that BBC’s efforts in 2010 will help in these two areas.

So, what to look out for? Well, you can expect a number of science-focused TV programs, and also look out for country-wide events relating to science. The idea is not just to educate, but also to stir up debates in order to engage the public in decisions about the philosophy, and policy of conducting science. BBC’s Director of Vision Jana Bennett told the Royal Society that the objectives of Year of Science are “to illuminate, celebrate and evaluate science in the 21st Century and how it’s shaped our history and culture”.
Expect to see and hear popular science figures, such as Sir Richard Dawkins for some heated God versus science-debating. Also, keep your eyes peeled for big-name actors such as Brian Cox getting their feet wet in some serious science action in TV shows including Seven Wonders of the Solar System.

However, there’s no need to stay at home, as there’s plenty to get involved with. For example, BBC Radio 4’s Material World programme is launching a competition called So you want to be a scientist? If you’re wondering why chicken soup boils faster fish soup, or you have a dazzling theory on why some people need umbrellas in the drizzle, while others don’t – throw any self-doubt out of the window and enter the competition! After all, “it's not just working scientists who have light bulb moments. Anyone, anywhere can have a brainwave that's worth investigating.”

Who knows, you might even learn something new!

A shortened version of this article was published in Student Direct : Mancunion on Monday 8th of February, 2010 and can be accessed here.

My appetite for destruction

I stopped today on my way home to admire St Mary's Hospital being torn down by a giant crane. In case you're wondering, "admire" is the right word. I was in awe of this event I was witnessing for the first time, and found myself having to stop and stare at the demolition process, with my mouth slightly open. Soon, more people joined me.

As I was watching the spectacle, it came to me that cranes must have been modelled on dinosaurs, not birds - as the name suggests. Its big jaw, hungry for concrete and metal, was happily devouring the building, floor by floor, window by window. It reminded me of the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park tearing off bits of buildings - and occasionally people's heads, of course. These "bits", sometimes the size of buses, smashed down five or six stories down to the fenced grounds. I could feel the thud of the impact on the pavement below me. I thought to myself that the vibrations must, ironically, feel much like it would when a Tyrannosaurus Rex takes a step towards you (and then eats you). Yet I was safe, as this was only an urban T-Rex, roaring away within its enclosure.

There was a method to the gluttony, however, as the beast had to chew through pipes and supportive cables, before it could rip off a separable chunk. It was probably just more playful than hungry though, since it spat out everything it could bite off. Sparks were visible in the nightly dark as concrete slabs frictioned against each other on their plummet down.

I guess the correct term for these monsters is "excavator", although the machine was doing more munching away, than it was "excavating" - a word which to me only conjures up images of archaeologists dusting away excess sand from an ancient clay pot.

I let out a faint "wow" blended in an indetectable sigh, grabbed my LIDL shop and walked on home with a smile on my face.

Dr Ellen ’t Hoen: Changing the face of drug policy

In November, I was humbled to meet politician and eager humanist, Dr Ellen 't Hoen, when she visited Manchester as a key speaker at the inaugural event for Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM). The article was my first one-page article, but I learned alot from it. Not only as a journalist, but also about the capitalism of the drug industry. I recommend this as a read for anyone interested in how drug companies actually manage to reel in those big bucks.

The article was published in Student Direct : Mancunion on the 7th of December 2009, and can also be accessed here.


Scientists tend to get caught up in a so-called ‘research bubble’, forgetting to consider the real world-implications of their research. An interview with Dr Ellen ‘t Hoen, key speaker at the Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) inaugural event that took place two weeks ago, is evidence enough that this bubble is in need of some serious bursting.

Dr Ellen ’t Hoen has been ranked as one of the top 50 most influential people in intellectual property for two years running. When confronted with this, ’t Hoen responds with a humble smile: “Well, anyone can draw up a list, right?”. Despite such humility, she has an impressive resumé as an advocate for the Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines. In addition to a ten-year history at the Médecins Sans Frontiers’ (MSF) Policy Director, she is currently Senior Adviser for UNITAID, an international interest organisation that aims to initiate a patent pool for HIV/Aids medicines.

The idea of a HIV/Aids medicines patent pool was first suggested by MSF in 2006, where ’t Hoen was working as Policy Director. While at MSF, ’t Hoen gained personal experiences of the reality faced by those out of reach of medical treatments. This period in her life undoubtedly helped shape the motivation with which she drives her patent pool cause forward today.

For those who may not be familiar with the subject, a patent is a form of intellectual property that describes the details of a drug, thus serving as a list of instructions for its manufacture. Currently, pharmaceutical patents last 20 years, meaning that a company can charge whatever price they choose during this time period. After the patent expires, other pharmaceutical companies can start producing the drug at a lower cost.

The current patenting system finances research into improved drug treatments through revenue from sales. This system is effective in developed nations, such as the UK, thanks to what ‘t Hoen refers to as the “safety net” that we take for granted – namely the social security system. In Britain, Aids patients are offered anti-viral treatment by the NHS at no cost. However, in developing nations, patients are required to fund the cost of these drugs themselves. “In a world where the patent system is globalised, but not the social security systems we’re used to in Europe, we will face huge problems. Developing countries must at the same time comply with these rather stringent ideals (of intellectual property rights), but there are no safety nets to deal with the consequences.”

Thus the pharmaceutical patenting system does not work in favour its main patient group, i.e. Aids sufferers in low and middle-income countries. ’t Hoen explains that this problem stems from the fact that Aids drugs are developed mainly in the US and the UK. “Most of Aids research goes toward developing new drugs for Western countries. After that we try to figure out how they can be used in developing countries. There isn’t a specific research and development (R&D) agenda for Aids in the developing world”. There are many disadvantages to this system.

A staggering six million Aids sufferers (that’s more than the population of Scotland) are without access to existing drug treatments. This results in a few million yearly deaths among Aids sufferers. Now imagine how large this number will be in the space of 20 years – how long it takes for a patent to run out.

Can we really afford to wait 20 years to make Aids treatments affordable? Dr ’t Hoen feels passionately about this. “If lives are lost because our R&D system is based on exclusion of people, then we need to think of another way to finance R&D – because at the moment it is done through high drug prices. We can hardly call it useful medical innovation, if it is based on as system of excluding people.”

’t Hoen is referring to exclusion on two levels. Firstly, patents prevent the competition allowed in a free-market economy and lead to monopoly on life-saving treatments. Secondly, an estimated 80 per cent of the world’s population cannot afford the newest Aids drugs, due to their high prices. This notion violates the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Human Rights declaration, which states: “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being.” By subscribing to the current Aids drugs patenting policies, we are indirectly allowing this violation to continue.

The Aids drugs patent pool initiative by UNITAID aims to change this injustice, by joining several organisations to share their patents. Third-party pharmaceutical companies can then, against a fee, use these patents to produce affordable drugs. This incurs no profit loss for initial patent holders, as they would receive royalties from third-party sales. More importantly, patent pools allow combining several drugs into one pill. Combined treatments have the advantage of being effective for those resistant to traditional Aids therapies.

However, combining drug formulations is only possible if no legal boundaries exist. Until 2005, this scenario was a reality in India, as product patents for medicines were not allowed. This intellectual property freedom allowed the Mumbai-based company Cipla to join three anti-HIVdrugs into one pill, known as a triple fixed-dose combination. ’t Hoen refers to this event as “revolutionary” for Aids care in the developing world. “They could achieve this only because no initial patents existed. Here in the UK, combining treatments would not have been possible, due to different parties owning the intellectual property rights to each treatment”.

The sharing of drug patents has already been carried out on a country-wide scale. This can be achieved by the government imposing a so-called compulsory licence, which involves forcing a pharmaceutical corporation to give up its exclusive rights to a drug patent. “When Thailand issued a compulsory licence, it was facing a huge backlash from the industry for doing so. Following this, people around the globe mobilised in support of the Thai Government’s decision, gathering in Thai embassies in ten different capitals in the world.”. ’t Hoen underlines this particular case as a good example of the solidarity that is necessary to mobilise the HIV/Aids drugs campaign on a global scale.

’t Hoen explains that another advantage of a patent pool is that it makes scientific innovation more available. This aspect makes the initiative attractive for particularly university researchers. Indeed, The University of Edinburgh has already embraced the patent pool initiative by signing a global access policy, with no reported losses in profit. As one of the largest research organisations in the UK, the University of Manchester is also encouraged toward changing their intellectual property policies. This is the main aim of the student-driven UAEM Manchester.

I asked what the response has been from the pharmaceutical companies, such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). “The opposition is huge. Some companies are more willing to cooperate than others.” ’t Hoen coins a term for this opposition, “GSK attitude.” In spite of this, she remains hopeful in terms of the future. “There is willingness amongst the pharmaceutical industry to be more flexible with its intellectual property, and allow others to work with it.” At the moment, the Aids medicines patent pool implementation plan awaits a board decision on whether to move ahead.

So, what can we do as students? ‘t Hoen is convinced that university students “really have the potential to change things.” In particular, she praises the achievements of UAEM, which started in the U.S. in 2001 as a student movement. UAEM campaigners at Yale University were successful in lowering Aids drugs prices in South Africa from an annual price of $1,600 per year to $55.

Dr ’t Hoen stresses that in order to change people’s attitudes, it is vital to reach as wide an audience as possible. To achieve this, ’t Hoen has made her recently published book entitled The Global Politics of Pharmaceutical Monopoly Power, freely available online. As I was handed a copy of the book, the humanitarian in me felt a tingle of hope, in knowing that I was holding what could potentially change the lives of millions of people.

To find out more visit www.essentialmedicine.org and www.unitaid.eu

Will ‘smart pills’ make it to campus?

The article investigates the notion of psychostimulants, also nicknamed "smart drugs", entering the British student population. Across the pond the scenario already exists. However, the drugs work in the same way as amphetamines, thus causing much controversy in the eyes of the health industry. I interviewed Manchester-based bioethicists John Harris for his rather unorthodox views on these drugs and their safety.

The article was published in Student Direct on December 7th, 2009 and can also be accessed here:

We’ve all been guilty of the odd Red Bull and ProPlus to boost our problem-solving skills. But what do we turn to when these hailed methods stop working?

Over the pond, a good chunk of American college students are resorting to so-called psychostimulants, which mimic the actions of amphetamine. These drugs are prescribed for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as they help sharpen one’s focus. The most famous example is Ritalin, which has somehow found its way out of this patient group.

Although the use of psychostimulants among British university students remains anecdotal, Manchester-based bioethicist John Harris predicts that this may soon become a reality. Harris would like to see Ritalin legalised and freely prescribed to healthy adults. At the moment, a five-year prison sentence is in store for those in non-medical possession of Ritalin. Harris argues that if Ritalin is safe enough to give to children, it should be safe enough to give to adults. Earlier this year, Harris expressed his views on the website of the esteemed British Medical Journal, causing much media attention. Despite being controversial, it seems Harris’ views are already having an effect; the Home Office has commissioned an enquiry into whether the regulations for the use of psychostimulants should be re-evaluated.

One of the reasons this topic is under hot debate is that psychostimulants, just like amphetamines, are potentially addictive. But why should we restrict their use when we can freely consume other addictive stimulants like nicotine and caffeine? The answer lies in that the vast array of associated side-effects, such as hallucinations and insomnia. Medical experts also warn of detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system, including palpitations and blood pressure changes.

Another danger of “smart drugs” is that they will inevitably make us lazier. John Harris, however, disagrees. Harris claims that students that work hard in the first place will be the main consumers of these pills, as being the top of their class is their priority. This clearly bears the risk of dividing the student population into those who take “smart drugs”, and those who choose not to. Harris responds: “Ritalin will create no more of a barrier between students, than that which already exists between those who work hard and those who do not”. Harris emphasises that if cognitive enhancers are to be used off prescription this process must be carefully monitored. In these circumstances, “I wouldn’t mind if my students were taking Ritalin, as it might make them better students,” Harris concludes with a smile.

Bright Ideas Public Talk at University Place, Manchester

My first newspaper article! It was published in Student Direct : Mancunion, on the 8th of November 2009. The article reviews a public talk that aimed to highlightsome of the best research to have come out of the University, in addition to giving the audience a chance to ask the researchers some tough questions afterwards. The original article went well over the word limit, so unfortunately I had to leave out the interesting questions that were asked at the end, including "How can university research costs be justified, when there are so many problems in society that the money could be better spent to solve?". The final piece remains over the word limit, but since it was our first science page, and as science editor, I was given some slack by my co-editors! It was a remarkable feeling seeing my name in print, nothing like it. You can also read this article on the Student Direct website at:
http://www.student-direct.co.uk/2009/11/bright-ideas-top-manchester-researchers-share-their-careers-and-thoughts-on-the-future/


Levitating frogs, Spiderman gloves, a computer that simulates the human brain and fat that actually helps us lose calories, were discussed in an inspiring event entitled “Bright Ideas”, held at University Place on Thursday October 29. The lecture launched the Local Heroes programme series, organised by The Royal Society in association with their 350th anniversary.




Obesity expert-turned brain scientist Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, is hailed for discovering brown fat, which burns calories especially at lower temperatures, when extra heating is needed. For Rothwell, changing her speciality within science paid off. Using her background in obesity research, Rothwell hypothesised that a molecule called interleukin 1 (IL-1) increases metabolic rate in disease, causing patients to “waste away”. Interestingly, her research later showed that IL-1 also contributes to brain inflammation in stroke. At the moment, Rothwell’s group is developing a drug that blocks the effects of IL-1, and this compound has already shown success in stroke patients.

Computer scientist professor Steven Furber started his talk highlighting how remarkably fast his field has advanced. Did you know that modern day computers are 50 billion times more efficient than the first computer ever made? This was of course in Manchester back in 1948, and the computer was affectionately named ‘Baby’. To emphasize just how remarkable this change has een, Furber pointed out that if this number was only 50 million (rather than a billion), iPods and laptops would not exist. Furber’s research team is developing SpiNNaker, a computer that simulates the human brain. Did you know that although the human brain works at a timescale one million times slower than modern computers, it is actually better at computing than even the latest laptop or PC? The SpiNNaker project aims to ‘borrow’ some of the brain’s methods of computing large masses of information, to make modern computers even more efficient.

Physics professor Robin Marshall gave the audience a video tour of how particle physics experiments are conducted. Whereas biology requires laboratories, measuring particle collisions demands an underground vault, involving tunnels and reactors, as well as ‘superconducting magnets’ and ‘colliding beams’. Marshall’s talk was entitled ‘What did Particle Physics ever do for us?’ His answer: the world-wide-web. The audience could only assume this example would persuade us of that great things can be expected from this scientific field.

Acclaimed physicist Andre Geim has an impressive résumé of science ‘firsts’. Going against what was believed to be possible, Geim’s research gave birth to the ‘super material’ graphene. The audience was showered with superlatives when Geim described graphene as the densest, strongest material in the world, albeit being the thinnest, at only one atom thick. Andre Geim was also the first to levitate a live frog in an electric magnet. Yes, you read it right. Luckily, from what I could tell from the video, the frog didn’t seem to mind. His current project is known as ‘Spiderman gloves’. The inspiration for this nanotechnology project is taken from the tiny hairs in geckos’ toes that give them the ability to climb walls. Unfortunately, attempts on students have failed so far. In what was surely meant as an inspiring statement to young scientists, the professor bluntly concluded saying “there’s still plenty of stuff to find out.”

Bright Ideas was organised in association with the Manchester Science Festival. The Royal Society celebrates their 350th anniversary this year. For more information on the Local Heroes programme, go to www.royalsociety.org/Local-Heroes