The return of the Cynical Scientist

It has been a while, for which I apologize. But over the last month it has been deadline after deadline for work at uni. Now with the Christmas break, time to blog once more.

Items in the news to comment, which are slightly late, for the past month the BBC news as been dominated by "Frozen Britain", for some reason they seem surprised a) it's cold in winter and b) Britain's infrastructure has ground to a halt.

Wiki Leaks also in the news, for some reason the BBC seem to love lapping it up. I can not see how it's news story, all it is out of context quotes for personal opinions in emails and therefore not the policy of the USA government, which would make a much greater news story. The reports they produce could be made to support any viewpoint if the right parts of the emails where used, how is that a reliable source ?

Finally, student protests... the "protests" particularly in London have only cased a negative light on student across the country, by the pointless vandalism, and as a results turned any of the general public against students. See my past post of the Millbank riots.

In other news, recently brought a new laptop to replace my ageing dell xps M133o which had been a very trusty machine, however time had got the better of it.

So I now have an Acer Aspire Timeline X 4820T (tons of wonderful marketing there) however I am so after very impressed with it. Over the coming weeks I hope to report more on the performance of it.

Possible bad news for Science funding...

Afternoon,

Just read this article on the New Scientist website,

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/thesword/2010/11/uk-research-spending-decisions.html,

The article reveals that the job of the head of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and in turn the person in charge of allocation of the UK's science spending, could be for the first time in over 25 year be going to a civil servant and not someone who is from the outside, with background with scientific research. Nor will someone from scientific community be involved in the recruitment of the post. Therefore no checks of scientific creditability with be done.

In my view this could have am negative impact on how the money is allocated to different areas in science. For example a less important scientific project might get more funding than project of greater importance due to the lack of understanding from the new head.

This will remove some of the autonomy that science has from the government and Whitehall in terms on where the research budget is spent.

The new scientist article above does a better job at explaining the details.

Until next time.

Reaction to Millbank Riot

In the last couple hours a small minority caused trouble at Millbank Tower during the NUS protest against the raise in tuition fees and the cuts to university.

What has happened at Millbank Tower today has undermined the true and real reason of the protest. I can't see how rioting and destroying a building helps the cause of the demonstration, of example the science is vital movement ensured that in the spending review the research budget was not cut, they didn't fire cupboard, or clash with police.

I believe that we need to prepare for the coming cuts, the NUS should be putting more pressure of universities to offer scholarships of outstanding students, this insure that students are reward for their hard work, and make people think about uni not as the 3 year party as I fear that many do. Another idea maybe less popular but is to cut the number of pointless degrees.

Also universities should look for other sources of investment, whether that be companies or bodies which represent a subject area and encourage them to help with the scholarships. With the investment from companies this could be beneficial for students, one condition be that the company investing in the course could for the best student in the year offer a job, or work placements over the course of the degree, which work experience would add value to the degrees.

But on a final point, I know the problems today was caused at Millbank was due a small few student and some of the very left wing movement which oppose the cuts, but the focus of the news today was removed from the discussion of the tuition fees and university funding and focused on completely the wrong message.

Until next time.

UK Spending Review

This is a bit late, but I been busy with physics and other matters.

This is a quick post on the spending review and mainly science and university funding.

Looks like the Science is vital campaign saved research was the harsh cuts as the budget was frozen, but this does equal a 10% cash decrease over the time period of the freeze. However I had feared much worse for the science, and this also show some understanding from the government of the importance of science for the future of the British economy.

However, one cut I thought went against this was the cut in university spending, which will affect future generations of young people enter sciences or degrees in general.

Until next time.

University Funding

Now this is becoming a running theme for the blog, which is science and university funding.

A couple of days ago now Lord Browne published his report into the future of university fees in England.

The report has opened the door to unlimited fees for tuition, I have a fear that in future years this could lead to an American style system of huge fees and only the wealthy go to the top university and not people who have the academic ability. This needs to be avoided, higher education should be open for all.

I could have been in the "lucky generation" where higher education was affordable in the UK. Hopefully this won't be the case.

However, if tuition hits £12,000 per year as report for top university, this is still value money in my view compared to the USA, where degrees can cost upwards of $40,000 a year at top universities like Harvard. But the UK universities are arguably just as good as the US one.

One problem I had with the reporting on this story, was the lack of understanding about how tuition fees are paid. I have never been asked for money from the university I am attending, that is taken care by the student loans company. As the system this way I don't feel like I paid £3000+, as for value for money, when people say "why am I paying £3000 for less than 15 hours of teaching a week" that annoys me.

Just look around you in physics, the labs equipment costs thousands, we have a library just for physics and maths, access through the uni to 24 hour computer rooms, access to online journals and being able to knock on a lecturers door and ask for help with a problem. Now for some subjects maybe £3000+ is not good value for money, but in the case of physics, I believe it is value for money.

Earlier today the BBC reported a leak from government for university spending, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11550619 in England.

They could be facing a cut of £4.2bn to their finances, the reports states that this would come from £3.2bn to tuition and £1bn to research.

Now if the higher tuition fee go head then this will plug some of the gap in funding.

However, probably not the research cut, this will have an effect the research universities do, and therefore impact on the future standing of universities in England on the globe stage.

We run the risk on researchers leaving English universities for one overseas, where funding is better and therefore having a negative effect on the future research given to the universities.

Hopefully, this won't happen. Support the Science is Vital campaign to protect science funding and the future of the UK economy.

Until next time.

Science is Vital

It's been a while since my last post, settled back in Aber and just finished my first week of lectures, already getting back into the swing of them.

Anyway, time to pick up on a theme previously discussed here. Spending cuts and science spending.

As the spending review is looming, there needs to be an effect to protect the spending of science, engineering, technology and maths to safeguard the development and progress in this country for decades to come.

In steps the "Science is Vital" campaign, read the website and the reasons for why science is so important to the UK economy. If you want to stand up for science spending sign the petition on the website,

http://scienceisvital.org.uk/sign-the-petition/

Next post will hopefully be on the Lord Brown report in the university fees and my reaction to it.

Until next time.

Back to Aber...

So tomorrow I return to Aber, for my third year there and to start my second year of my degree, it's a long and complex story, but basically wrong A level choices and therefore a foundation year was needed.

This year is shaping up to be the best yet, the physics ramps up in terms of interest and also difficultly. Over the next year more of my time is taken up with space and astrophysics, the area of physics I find most interesting.

But before I get there I have had the joy of packing... should be able to do it by now, but I still hate it.

Anyway, this summer break has flown by very quickly, it doesn't seem possible for nearly 4 months to have past. One minute I was on my school placement, next in Scotland, then packing for starting a new year in Aber. Madness. It has been a busy summer, but also at times very quiet.

Anyway, hopefully the blog will last the next year, so after I am doing my best in three years of trying. Maybe third time lucky.

Until next time.

Spending cuts and hopes in science

As the government's spending review draws closer, I thought I would air some of my views on the subject... so here begins the rant.

Firstly to start with I am of the view that national deficit is being over played by this Troy government to push and enforce right wing welfare and social reform, but doing so under the cloak of "needed" spending cuts.

However, I understand that public spending must be cut, due to the fact that as country as a whole we are not producing as much money back in the economy. But whether the economy is ready for major cuts in the public sector, which will cause problems for the private section which is closely linked the public sector work, ie school building, or outsourcing cut backs etc.

One of the problem with the current UK economy, is the fact that it is far too dependant on services, which in turn needs a consumer. So in times in economic problem, like the last few years, this fails.

Look at Germany, their economy is growing much stronger than the UK, this because they actually made things and export them, therefore making money!!! It's not rocket science, you make something and someone buys it from you, so you then have money to spend on services. This is the problem in the UK, we are missing or have a too small engine to drive and power the British economy.

Therefore, I can not see cutting the deficit and cutting public spending will solve this problem in the short to mid term yes... long term no chance we will be back in the same boat 15/20 years time from now, if we do not change whole economy.

This is the time Britain could become a world leader is science and engineering again. However, this will need investment to grown this, but in return a solid base for the economy lead by science and innovation and not consumer good and services. A good example is this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11150831.

But I fear that the Troy government will fail to see this. Rant over.

Found this interesting http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11218802. Hunting exo-planet is outer space seems a cool job to do.

Until next time.

Two years...

Right, I will be upfront, I haven't got the hang of this blogging lark. I have been trying to keep a blog for the past two years, however I still haven't got it.

Anyway update time, August has been a busy old month, started with Iron Maiden at Sonisphere festival, what away to kick off a month. This was followed by my ending of being a teenager and I enter "true adulthood". Watched the persied meteor shower.

I was a wedding photographer for my uncle in Scotland, which was a

success, dispite some worries before hand, then on to the Lake District, and literally climbed

a mountain, Old Man of Coniston.

View at top.

Then, being a student physicist, I visited Jodrell Bank and the Lovell radio telescope.

This was an enjoyable and very interesting division from the journey home. Hope to return one day and not as a visitor.

O yes I was FINALLY paid for my work at the school, only took 2 months from me finishing at the school. I mean all whole payment problems over £600, it makes me wonder whether if I became a teacher, how long, if at all will I get the "golden hellos" and bursary money from the TDA?

So in three...ish weeks I head back to Aber to start my third year at Uni and I think, wow the past two years have progressed, at a rapid speed, with ups and downs.

But writing this post and thinking back over the past month, the wedding seems as long as the two years ago, I find this the strange and odd thing about time and the human memory.

Time, now there is mystery.

Until next time.

Persied meteor shower

Last night, was the peak activity for this year's Persied meteor shower.

This year I was at home and able to go and sit my garden and look at the skies in wonder. The cloud cover during the day was less than promising, grey and overcast... I wasn't holding up much hope for seeing much of nature's firework display.

However, whilst walking home last yesterday clearing skies, re-engaged my hope of see some meteors.

So at about 10:30pm I ventured into the garden in slippers and shorts...yes in hindsight probably not a wise choice.

Between 10:30 and 11pm I saw only a few faint meteors. One of the main problems for star gazing in the Medway towns is the light pollution.
But slowly as time passed, there was more noticeable meteors, travelling at a great speed across the skies night. It was all pretty magical. Probably counted over 15 meteors that I was sure of over the in hour and quarter I was outside.

However, due to the poor choice of clothing and a stiffening neck, I was forced retreat back to the house. As I got the patio door I noticed an object too bright to be a star, therefore it was most likely to been a planet, from a bit of research it transpired the object was most probably the largest planet in out solar system, Jupiter.

Overall a successful night watching the night's sky.

In other news I have started a Photobox gallery selling my photography work... link is www.photoboxgallery.com/huntphotography. There is a cracking star trail photography for sale on it.

Also on Monday I will be the photographer for my uncle's wedding, which will hopefully be a valuable and useful experience.

Until next time.

Random Sketch

I have not being blogging, (is that the correct term?) much recently.

Quick recap, got my key to my new flat in Aber, awesome place. Looking forward to living, working and generally being a student within it.

On a cynical note, everything the Tory government seem to make no logical sense... health reform, schools and education, the "big" society. The list is goes on and on.

Also the US with BP and Libya. They seem to think that the UK government must as it is told and if we don't do as told, we go to the headteachers office and get told off.

Then they investigate another country's decision of the release of a prisoner, as if the UK is the 51st State of America...

After looking at the work of Ralph Steadman, I quickly sketched this...

Past week...

The past week has progressed at some rapid speed...still not sure how in ended up being Friday so soon.

This week has been fairly quiet, and strangely productive in away... after last weekend at Brands with my camera, I decide to spent some time using Photoshop Elements 8 to created some digitally manipulated images, which can be found on Flickr, link is on the side.

After watching a film on the life the America writer Hunter S Thompson (famous for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.) This re-engage my interest in the work of artist Ralph Steadman, who's work I studied during my art A level. So hopefully over the next week, I will make a start on some Steadman style pieces.

Also this week, certain things the Tories are cutting concerned me one is the planned rebuilding of secondary school, this seems short sighted from the government, I feel that need to be proper investment within children of this country to ensure a strong future. It worries me that this is just the privatisation of the state education system in this country, but labelled as a cut. Also could a multi-million pound school not just benefit the children, but also the local community, ie sports and art facilities.

On a positive note about the new government is the science David Willetts who speech at the RI, seemed positive for the future of science research in this country. "Willetts said that science can help to boost growth in an age of austerity"

See http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/thesword/2010/07/uk-science-minister-research-m.html for more info the speech, as I feel I have written enough for today...

PS Good news, I passed my this year at University with a First.

Weekend...

Not a great deal has happened, therefore a lack of stuff to write a blog on really. Anyway is a run down what has happened since the last post;

Friday evening was very geeky/nerdy, a friend is back into retro/older gaming. So this took us on a memory trip with Crash Bandicoot on the Playstation. I remember first playing it at his at the age of 7... anyway nearly 13 years later and after 3 and a bit hours of spinning boxes and jumping over pits, the game was completed... then I remembered the frustration of playing such platform games. God idea of the level is simple, but getting the timings right...so frustrating at points

Saturday was lazy.

Sunday saw me at Brands Hatch watching classic old Forumla One cars race around the Grand Prix loop which was celebrating 60 years of racing. The old F1 cars are awesome to watch race, the noise and smell is intoxicating.
Some of the guys are not messing around when it comes to the racing...



This was the pass for the lead...close. More photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/eosgreg/

On a different note, but still involving heavy metal. I finally watched the Story of Anvil film.

They are a band from Canada, inspired bands like Metallica, Megadeth...etc
They toured Japan with Whitesnake, Bon Jovi and Scorpions in '84. But they didn't make it, was of poor management and production, but they never gave up...



Pretty good and interesting film, shows how harsh the music business can be.

An evening at the Royal Institute...

Yesterday evening I went to the Royal Institute of Great Britain for a join event between the Royal Institute (RI), Institute of Physics (IOP)and the TDA.
The event was aimed at people thinking of becoming a physics teacher as a possibly career. (This was partly the reason for me attending the event, but more I just wanted to have a look around the RI.)

The RI is located in one the most exclusive parts of London, Mayfair. The impressive building is surrounded by some of the most expensive designer shops known to the Capitalist World.



The evening was made up of two parts, formal talks from the IOP, TDA and RI. I apologise for all the acronyms. The lecture theatre was more like a theatre that would be found it the West End of London. Then there was a "networking" session ie meeting teachers, people who run PGCE course etc, however this took place in what was the labs for Michael Faraday and alike. As a physics geek, I found this very interesting being surrounded with so much scientific history, maybe even more than the talks about teaching.

This event confirmed my feeling and thought about teaching after I completed my school placement.

Now for a bit of Art?

Once I got to London I decided to venture to the Tate Britain, a galley with a good mix of modern and classical art. Now, I did an A level in Art and Photography and they nearly went to Uni to study one.

Well in the main galley I was welcomed by a Harrier fighter jet hanging from the roof.

So the Summer begins...

My summer break really started yesterday, as once I was home from Aber, I start working on the following Monday... so for the past three weeks I been subjected to 6:30 am wake ups and commuting to the school.

I was taking part in the SAS training scheme from the government, and no, it wasn't the secret air service but the student associate scheme. The schemes aim is to encourage physics and maths students to consider a possible career in teaching after graduation. So I spend three weeks working at a local grammar school within the science department.

The experience gained for my time at the school was invaluable, not only did I get a insight in the education system from the teachers viewpoint,something I never really got to see as a pupil. One of the challenging parts, was thinking of ways to explain aspects of physics so the pupils could understand. This came important in the second week due to staff absences, I was placed in physics classes with a cover teacher, but I did most of the teaching. However, some of the pupils questions showed they had a real interest in the subject, therefore showed a real enthusiasm for the subject, whic made in worth while and enjoyable.

So, after spending the time in the school, teaching it a very possible career after I graduation, even if that is still 3 years away.

I would definitely recommend anyone to take part in the scheme, even if you haven't thought about teaching as career...plus you get paid £600 :)

No rant today...

As I posted on Friday, the library has claimed that I had overdue books and a fine greater than £10...

Well, this morning at 8:45 am, I got an apology and confirmation that I didn't have overdue books.

I was impressed at the speed of the reply, normally I am waiting several working days before getting a reply, and that's if get get a reply.

On a geeky/techy note, found this article on New Scientist interesting,

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19065-innovation-microsofts-kinect-isnt-just-for-games.html

New photographs up on Flickr...

Due to working at a local school and before moving back from Aber to home for the summer, I have neglected my flickr account.

So, finally today I upload some "new" photos to it, enjoy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eosgreg/

Hopefully over the summer I will go through the 10s of gigabytes of photographs dating back 2005! And upload and edit my flickr account.

Libraries...

Today, I checked my university email. I found to my surprise an email claiming I had a fine over £10 to pay on an outstanding book.

So I checked Voyager, (this is the computer system at Aberystwyth University use to manage the library resources, as with most computer systems it is unreliable). However, it worked and showed what I expect... no outstanding books on my account. As a physics student, I have only ever taken one book out of the library, in two years of being at university.

So, I emailed the people I think should know, see if I get a reply... if that happens.

The other thing, the email wasn't sent to me, but it was in my inbox?? How can this happen??

On a random note, does South Africa also sounds like bees in the background?

Rant over.

New Summer...new blog idea

For the past two years over the summer period I think to myself "hmmm starting a blog would be a good idea"

However I always lose interest, maybe lack of effort, or a rubbish idea, for example last years one... I was to take and post a photograph everyday for a year... Well one year later and it failed.

The year before...failed.

But this time it will be better, third time lucky and all.

So enjoy... the random rants for a cynical scientist looking at the world and commenting.