Friday 10 August 2012

Science Films Are Awesome

Right now I'm half way through watching 'Sunshine' directed by Danny Boyle. I'm loving it, and it has inspired me to post about the great science films (I guess that includes Sci Fi as well). In all honestly, I've seen loads of sci fi films, who hasn't? I can't remember having seen too many 'science films'. One I can remember is 'Moon'. It's still a sci fi, but it's much more than that. It's probably too complicated and mind bending of a story to describe to anyone, however I would highly recommend it.

Another good one is 'A Beautiful Mind', very clever and doesn't take the elitist approach that could have quite easily been used, presents complex mathematics that can be understood by anyone with a basic grasp of maths, but without making you feel like it has been dumbed down for you. A very difficult thing to do.
Are there any films you would recommend? I'd love to see a great autobiographic of a scientist, I don't know if these exist, maybe they aren't of high enough interest to be a blockbuster. I can't help but feel a film about Einstein must be out there somewhere. Who knows, maybe we've hit on a niche here. There you go guys, get inspired and then happy film making!

Poster for 'Moon'

Thursday 9 August 2012

Money or Love?

With a year left of my degree, I'm starting to have to face a difficult choice about what to go into after university. The dream is to get a PhD studentship. Easier said that done. In the likely event that does not happen I face a decision that many young science graduates will face. Suit or lab coat? From my course, approximately 50-60% of students go on to work in a lab, often analytical chemists, DNA experts etc. Around 30% find corporate jobs, working on the business side of the scientific industries. Inevitably the corporate jobs pay more, a lot more. Is it worth hanging up the lab coat for the money? I think I already know which was I will end up going... The love of science is a far better friend than money could ever be.

Would you rather be the suit or the lab rat?

Sunday 5 August 2012

My New Favorite Website

I highly recommend everyone checking this website out sometime soon. I found the first version of it about a year ago, and spent a good hour going in and out (you'll understand what I mean when you click the link). I've just found out there's a new version with even more stuff on it. It's hard to explain why this website is so awesome, but it just is. For anyone who's just starting to work with scales and measurements such as nanometres, angstroms etc it really could be useful to help you get your head round it and put a bit of perspective to it. Maybe i'm making it sound a bit boring, but I promise you it really is a lot of fun!

London 2012: Inspiring a nation... and a scientist.

A less science related post than the usual intelligent, mind-blowing, interesting (OK, i'm going a bit over the top, but my blog, my rules) posts you avid readers (again, over the top I know). Firstly, if in the unlikely event any of Team GB's brilliant medal winners are reading (I hear Jess Ennis spends her free time doing titrations), congratulations to every single athlete. truly doing Britain proud. I'm quite a sporty guy, have done too many sports to count in my 20 years. You could call me a jack of all sports, master of none. All the sport talk going on right now took me back to my first visit to Kent for my course open day. When one of the 3rd years showing us round got to the 'any unrelated questions' part of the tour, no one said anything apart from me... 'What are the sports facilities like? How much is gym membership?' His reply? 'How should I know? I'm a physicist...' I almost punched that douche straight in his face. Obviously I wouldn't, i'm a lover not a fighter. I just really hate the idea that you can't be smart, a geek or even be interested in science and still be interested in sports. The notion that you can only do one or another really gets to me, and is completely untrue. Both Vitali and Wladamir Klitschko, who hold pretty much every heavyweight boxing belt right now, both have Ph.Ds for fuck sake. Anyone who ever tells you that if you take up science you'll always get picked last in sports are lying. Rant over. I watched every moment of the kayaking and canoe slalom this week and was enthralled. So much so, that as soon as I get back to uni i'm going to join the canoeing/kayaking club. 4 years ago Heather Stanning, who just won a gold medal in rowing a few days ago, had barely ever been in a boat before, let alone considered professional rowing and the thought that she could win an Olympic medal. 4 years from now in Rio, I will be in my boat, paddling for my country to bring you back a gold medal. You heard it here first.



Jess Ennis wins gold for Team GB
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Thursday 2 August 2012

No greater sight.

This image is not one I took using my own camera. I can only say I wish it was, and someday I will (I hope). Can there possibly be any more amazing sight on earth? Perhaps the polar ice caps? Or Ha Long Bay perhaps. All of these sights I want to see. Next year when I graduate I am planning on taking 8 weeks or so to travel and see a few of these sights and already my list of places/sights is a page long, when in reality I will only be able to fund a select few of these. Where could I go to see the most perfect sights on earth? Please comment with any ideas on things I should go and see.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

The most beautiful picture ever taken....

Just a quick picture I wanted to share for anyone who has never seen it before. It's, in my opinion, the most amazing picture ever taken. It shows Tracey Caldwell Dyson looking down at the earth from 'The Cupola' in the International Space Station. I'm incredibly jealous of anyone who ever gets to see our fragile and complex planet from this vantage point. 


The Boring, Boring News Channels.

Since you've made your way to this blog, you've probably already heard, researched and dissected the announcement that physicists at CERN believe they have proved the existence of the 'Higgs Boson'. There's also a good chance you understand the nature of this mysterious particle better than me (I'm a chemist, it would take a physicist to properly explain the 'Higgs Boson' to anyone). Whatever, that's beside the point. The point is, the morning of the announcement I woke up, turned on the radio, and heard a very short snippet of this exciting news. The most important thing to happen, in scientific terms, since man first walked on the moon. I turned on the TV, and flicked to the news channels to hear all about this announcement, expecting it to be the biggest headline. To my shock, on every news channel, they were discussing a banking scandal that had already been running for well over a week. I waited and waited, and the Higgs Boson news was awarded less than 5 minutes at the end of a 1 hour show.

This kind of brings up the question as to what is wrong with society when people would rather watch people discuss how rich, greedy fat cats find ways of ripping them off rather than hear about such an important discovery. Is there anything wrong? Am I the one with the problem here? Perhaps. I'll let you be the judge of that. Maybe I should just be grateful that the discovery got any kind of media discovery at all.

The Big Bang

Bang. It begins. This blog is a take on the world of science. I am a Forensic Science 3rd year at The University Of Kent. Science is something I have a true passion for, and this blog is my attempt to make the world a better place, talk about the latest developments in science and technology, and a place for me to vent my rare, but fun, rants on certain things that really get to me. Some posts may be purely news from the scientific community, others are likely to be my personal opinions on anything from within the world of science and some posts could well just be outside of the world of science and just personal thoughts/feeling/things that happen in my life. A healthy mix for everyone you could say.

Watch this space.