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REGULARS 02 INTRODUCTION Hello, Britain 03 NEWS UPDATE Science in the granite city 05 EVENTS Meet a scientist 07 FIELD DAY Monster hunting in the South Pacific

FEATURES 08 BIO-ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY What is it and why should we care? 09 CARNIVAL OF THE Exhibition 13 APPEAL TO REASON Can games improve our minds? 15 SEPTEMBER SCIENCE Things to spot in the great outdoors 17 WILDLY INSPIRING SUCCESS Celebrating conservation wins 19 ADRENALINE JUNKIES Not all thrillseekers skydive 20 CHEMICAL ARTISTRY Meet the Nanoputians 21 THE GREAT HCP PROJECT Discovering the brain 22 SLIP OUT OF REALITY What are dreams made of? 23 GUEST ARTICLE Of politics and particles 24 REVIEW Would you get a science tattoo? 25 FRACTALS ON THE MIND through mathematical eyes 27 PUZZLES Wordsearch

Au AUTUMN 2012 01

IMAGE COURTESY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS HELLO, BRITAIN! Welcome to Au, Aberdeen’s student science magazine

anks for picking up this issue of this issue EDITOR 09 Th Au! Welcome to Aberdeen! It’s a new Heather Doran academic year and it kicks off right here “takes with a bang; the best, most amazing science CO-EDITORS shows, activities, speakers and scientists from a close Gina Maffey around the country are here for the British look at Sean McMahon Science Festival 2012. We at Au are naturally extremely excited and have been looking the never ASSISTANT forward to it all summer! And if you are ending EDITORS reading this after the festival, you can re-live Daisy Brickhill some of the fun online. We will be covering mystery of Josh Doyle events from the festival at www.aumag.co.uk our brains Amy Hayward and on twitter @ausciencemag, and you can Kirsty Nutt follow the festival account at @britishscifest ” This issue takes a close look at the never- NEWS EDITOR ending mystery of the inner wirings of our Daisy Brickhill brains. At the moment we know relatively little about NEWS TEAM how our brains send messages, and where Zoe McKellar those messages travel. amy hayward talks us through The Great HCP Project (p 21), which CREATIVE EDITOR Sean McMahon aims to answer those questions. And we could

argue we know even less about what happens 15 CREATIVE TEAM when we drift off at night, and our minds Josh Doyle can take us on a journey beyond our wildest Diana Marosi dreams. gwendolyne knight invites us to Maria Sussmilch Slip out of reality (p 22). christina mcleman takes a mathematical look at nature and our WEBSITE brains in Fractals on the mind (p 25). Amy Hayward craig horton takes a look at ‘brain training’ Iain Learmonth (AUCS) apps, and asks if they really work in Mind games (p 13). sophie gibson realises that even FINANCE though she doesn’t do extreme sports, she Samir Miah might still be an Adrenaline junkies (p 19). 17 Step outside and try and spot some of the SPECIAL THANKS amazing wildlife and geological features that Communications Team, Public are right on our doorstep in the North-East Engagement with Science Unit in September science (p 15). nichola lacey Dr Ken Skeldon MBE takes us on a monster hunt in Field Day (p 7). Craig Munro Copyright © 2012 Conservation is often associated with failures, Science Journalism but kirsty nutt takes a look at some successes Society in Wildly inspiring success (p 17). Our Guest Opinions expressed are not necessarily Article explores the politics of the Higgs boson those of the Society or the in Of politics and particles (p 23). University of Aberdeen Finally, we mix up art and science and reality, sean mcmahon takes a look at the 22 Aberdeen Bestiary's Carnival of the animals (p 9). A miniscule race of people comes to life in josh doyle’s Chemical artistry (p 20). And gina maffey asks the Au team to design their 25 own tattoos in Review (p 24). The University of Aberdeen Science Journalism Society produces Au. If you want to get in touch. Contact us at ausciencemag@ gmail.com. Hope you enjoy it!

Join our team! EMAIL ausciencema HEATHER DORAN, EDITOR [email protected] NEWS UPDATE Huge hidden valleys revealed Aberdeen researchers use radar to reveal hidden valleys under West Antarctic ice sheets

CHILLING OUT. Tents pitched on the Ferrigno Ice Stream, West Antarctica. IMAGE: ROB BINGHAM

Researchers have discovered a vast rift nessed consistent and substantial ice valley underneath the Antarctic ice losses from around much of its coast- which may have serious implications line. For some of the glaciers, includ- for how fast the ice sheet melts. Us- ing Ferrigno Ice Stream, the losses are Prize for picture ing radar technology the team found especially pronounced,” says Dr Robert a valley of a size that rivals the Grand Bingham, a glaciologist working in A prestigious Wellcome Image Award Canyon under the Ferrigno Ice Stream has been presented to Kevin Macken- the University of Aberdeen’s School of glacier in West Antarctica. The West zie, who manages the Microscopy and Geosciences and lead author of the Antarctica ice sheets are of crucial im- Histology Core Facility at the Institute portance as they are thinning faster study. “What this study shows,” adds Dr of Medical Sciences, for his startlingly than any other part of Antarctica and Fausto Ferraccioli from British Antarc- detailed picture of a moth fly below( ). are currently contributing nearly 10% tic Survey. “Is that this ancient rift basin, of global sea-level rise. The study re- The larvae of these flies normally and the others discovered under the ice vealed that the valley is connected to live in domestic drains and the adults the sea, which can increase the rate that connect to the warming ocean can are subsequently found near sinks of ice loss. “Over the last 20 years we influence contemporary ice flow and in bathrooms or kitchens. Far from have used satellites to monitor ice loss- may exacerbate ice losses by steer- swatting it away as many would es from Antarctica, and we have wit- ing coastal changes further inland.” have done when discovering it in the kitchen, Kevin, who has worked in microscopy for more than 33 years, was intrigued. “Even to the naked eye this fly was unusual in appearance—like a tiny moth, holding large wings across Pathogenic fungus likes it hot the top of a distinctly fuzzy hairy body. I’d seen nothing like it before so it The fungal pathogen, Candida definitely warranted a closer look.” albicans, despite having evolved to live Kevin then used a scanning electron only on warm blooded animals like microscope to capture the image, ourselves, can not only survive heat adding the blue colour to highlight its shock but can adapt well to sustained detailed features. hot conditions, researchers from Aber- deen University’s Fungal Group have found . This unpleasant fungal patho- gen, which causes thrush and can even become life threatening for those with weak immune systems, activates a cel- YOU GIVE ME FEVER. C. albicans up close lular defence mechanism by produc- ing particular proteins which protect against damage from high tempera- although the cells do initially need tures. Fever, as an immune response to to activate mechanisms which pro- infection, impedes some pathogens by duce protective proteins, at sustained causing heat damage to invading cells. high temperatures these can return to However C. albicans adapts remark- normal levels once the cells have adapt- ably well to such conditions. “Here we ed.” The heat shock response of fungal have shown that this pathogen shows pathogens is linked to their virulence ‘perfect adaptation’ to high tempera- and learning more about how such tures,” says Dr Michelle Leach, the lead responses occur will hopefully lead to author on the paper. “This means that effective new medical treatments.

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Read more at www.aumag.co.uk 03 East or West: Bottlenose pick sides New research shows that Scottish dolphins belong to two distinct populations

Researchers at the Lighthouse Field dolphins local to Scottish waters. The Station in Cromarty have discovered east coast population, which is nor- that bottlenose dolphins off the west mally seen from the Moray Firth to coast of fall into two distinct Fife, is around 195 strong. This is much groups that stick to their own patch, larger than the two communities in the while those in the east travel up and west, both local to the Heb- down the coast and frequently mix. “In rides, which together fact,” says Barbara Cheney, lead author only make up on the paper, “there was even a con- around 45 in- firmed sighting of a group of dolphins dividuals. first seen in the Moray Firth near the mouth of the river Tyne, showing that “Despite this population is highly mobile.” The the dif- study, which has brought together data ference in population size, the from dedicated research, sightings populations on both coasts from the public and historical records are considered small and isolated and has concluded that there are between therefore vulnerable to natural and an- 200 and 300 individual bottlenose thropogenic threats” says Ms Cheney.

Climate change hits Northwest Scotland A sunny outlook

University of Aberdeen asks: where have all the flowers gone? It can lift your spirits, dry your washing and in the last few months we’ve all Climate change is an ongoing story in less rainfall. “It is striking that one longed for it. Now researchers at the many ways, but new research has now consequence of climate change is the University of Aberdeen’s Institute of revealed that it has drastically affected loss of the specialist species adapt- Medical Sciences have shown that upland in northwest Scotland ed to cool, wet conditions, ” says Dr sunlight can even help regulate your over the past half century. Along with Ross. Researchers suggest that reduc- immune system. By studying patients colleagues, Aberdeen University’s ing other pressures, such as grazing, in the north of Scotland who were Dr Louise Ross carried out may help communities to adapt being treated for skin conditions botanical surveys on specific study to a changing climate, although they caused by autoimmune reactions, the plots which were first assessed 50 years warn that some changes may be irre- researchers found that the action of ago. The comparisons show a decline versible. “We may see the disappear- uv-b light, which mimics sunshine in in variety of plant species, and more ance of some specialist habitats in the allowing the body to produce vitamin dominant plants have merged with pre- far northwest of Scotland, where they d, also boosted the production of regu- viously separate plant communities. are being replaced by more uniform Dwarf shrubs, flowering plants and li- grass-dominated vegetation. This ‘ho- latory t-cells. These specialised cells chens have all suffered, giving way to mogenisation’ effect is a worrying in- prevent the immune system from at- grasses and other plants which prefer dication of the loss of plant diversity in tacking the body itself, which is what a warmer more acidic climate with the Scottish landscape,” warns Dr Ross. causes autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabe- tes. “Our study shows that uv-b light [...] can have a striking effect on the immune system of patients,” says Dr Anthony Ormerod, Clinical Reader in Dermatology at the University. “Our findings have important implica- tions for future interventions includ- ing the recommendations for healthy lifestyle and a possible role for pho- totherapy or vitamin d supplementa- tion in the prevention or treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory dis- eases.” Dr Helen Macdonald, a sen- ior lecturer, adds a cautionary note “We would also want to stress that we are not advocating sun bed use since this is not the same type of radiation MOUNT DOOM. Seana Bhraigh near Ullapool produced by sun beds which already have well-documented health risks.” ■

Au AUTUMN 2012 News compiled by Daisy Brickhill EVENTS For all the latest information on science events in aberdeen: ■ University of Aberdeen public engagment website, www.abdn.ac.uk/science/ ■ British Science Festival, www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/britishsciencefestival/ ■ Au Science Blog, www.aumag.co.uk ■ The Au Twitter account @ausciencemag, and the Au team @hapsci, @ginazoo, @jo_do

th - TH 4th - 9TH SEPTEMBER 4 9 SEPTEMBER The British Science Festival Au Science Magazine “Treasure Trail” A whole host of science events will be right here in Aberdeen! Download and read the brochure online at Learn about the rich scientific history of Aberdeen with www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/british- our treasure trail that takes you on a circular tour of sciencefestival/ Twitter: @britishscifest the heart of the city. Win free cinema tickets and other science goodies! Take part by picking up a trail from the Get involved! Belmont Cinema or online at www.aumag.co.uk and everyone gets 10% off tea, coffees and cakes at Bibi’s Bakery and Kilau Coffee on Little Belmont Street! th - TH 4 9 SEPTEMBER 7th SEPTEMBER University of Aberdeen University of Aberdeen “Pharmacopoeia” “Cannabis: Weeding out the Highs and Lows” Discover rare and fascinating manuscripts and archives that demonstrate some of the earliest recorded Interactive talks from Professors Roger Pertwee and understanding of the natural sciences - a history Ruth Ross from the University of Aberdeen describing of health. The documents explore the study of the the history of cannabis use, the body’s endocannabinoid medicinal qualities of plants in the treatment of disease. system, current research and a talk from a medi-activist campaigner. Free, University of Aberdeen New Library Part of the British Science Festival Free, 1.00 pm Fraser Noble Lecture Theatre 3 Until the 29th SEPTEMBER University of Aberdeen 20th SEPTEMBER “Winter Art” Skeptics in the Pub “Unravelling Statistics in the Media” A photographi display exploring Arctic sustainability. Exhibition of northern images by environmental How do we weigh up risks reported in the media? artist and professor of Art Education at the University of When does a danger merit real concern? How should Lapland, Timo Jokela (with Dr Donald Gray, Senior Lec- we interpret reported risks? Dr Gordon Prescott dis- turer, School of Education, University of Aberdeen). cusses the complexities of the presentation of scientific findings. Twitter: @abdn_sitp Free, MacRobert Building, Free, 7.30 pm Cellar 35, Rosemount Viaduct 10th OCTOBER 25th OCTOBER Café Scientifiqué Skeptics in the Pub “Smart Signaling” “A View of the Brain with Creativity” Imagine holding your smartphone at someone using Most people stop producing visual art because sign language, and their words start to scroll across areas of the brain which suppress the motivation for art the screen. Discover how computing scientists in production become more dominant. But what happens Aberdeen may soon make this a practicality and try it if these brain areas become damaged by disease or out for yourself. injury? Free, 7.00 pm Waterstones, Union Street Free, 7.30 pm Cellar 35, Rosemount Viaduct

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Support us at www.aumag.co.uk 05 Considering a PhD? King’s College, Aberdeen,

6th & 7th November 2012

£20 includes lunch & ceilidh dinner

@PhDJourneyABDN

Come along to the PhD Journey Conference and learn all you need to know including what to expect after a PhD, how to present your in association with work, and how to manage research.

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/phd-journey/

UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN STUDENTS:

Do 06 1495 something Au BE Science TIFUL today!

JOIN US! We need creative and enthusiastic illustrators, journalists, feature writers, editors and proofreaders. Students in all subjects at all levels are welcome and no experience is required: we’ll teach you the skills you need. Get in touch via www.aumag.co.uk. see the world scientifically. FIELD DAY Monster hunting nichola lacey takes us to the South-West Pacific

e deepest parts of the ocean, of little amphipods, typically up to 0.2 – Th reaching nearly 11,000 m, are 2 cm long. On the last day of sampling on called the Hadal depths, and are named my first cruise however, a very different after the Greek god of the underworld for catch surfaced. Lying alongside the good reason. Dark, cold, with very few normal, tiny specimens were seven nutrients and pressures that are equal to a massive amphipods, measuring up to 27 ton weight pressing on a single fingernail, it cm in length. These gigantic specimens is unsurprising that only a few decades ago were a complete shock. No-one had any the world was convinced that nothing could idea that these monsters were in the survive in such places. However, ever since Southern Hemisphere. This incredible researchers began to sample these murky species of giant crustacea had only been depths they have found a diverse array of recorded five times before and only in specialised life, including fish, sea cucumbers the North Pacific and North Atlantic, and crustaceans; on almost every trip a new with no records since 1987. No species is discovered. As a PhD student I am more than four individuals had lucky to be involved in this exciting journey ever been caught at one time and CREDIT: EMMA GIBBIN (UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA) of discovery. yet we had just pulled up seven My research focuses on a particular of these ‘supergiants’, and group of crustacea found at such depths: when the camera surfaced the amphipods. I am trying to understand there were photographs which species live there, the depths they of a further four! After a inhabit, what they eat and how they locate second cruise we now and travel to food. I also want to know how have nine individuals. their biochemistry has adapted to allow them The possible to thrive at such huge depths. To do this I benefits of gigantism must sample them directly; I spend 12 days are seemingly at a time at sea in the South-West Pacific, just obvious, if you are north of New Zealand, over the Kermadec larger than your predators Trench, which at its deepest is 10,047m. you may be more likely to survive, Through the use of baited cameras and traps or you may be able to travel greater attached to free-fall landers I observe and distances to locate food or sample the thousands of amphipods which swarm the bait and can completely devour an more favourable conditions. entire jack mackerel in a matter of hours. However, currently no-one My day typically starts early in the knows exactly how, or why, morning, trying to climb out of my bunk gigantism occurs. So my while the small ship rolls around in the swell, next questions are: is there to be ready for when the equipment returns a physiological trait, such as to the surface. When the ship receives specialised gills, that might the signal that the landers have surfaced explain gigantism in this species; everyone grabs a pair of binoculars and races and how closely are the South to be the first to spot the small orange flag and North Pacific and North Atlantic populations related? up to a mile away indicating the location of CREDIT: ANNE-NINA LOERZ the lander. The pressure is then on to reach Hopefully, this will provide some (NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF WATER AND ATMOSPHEIC RESEARCH) the equipment as quickly as possible and get insight into the ability of amphipods it on board before the catch is washed away. to travel the huge distances Once the equipment is on deck I retrieve the between trenches and even oceans. samples, plunge them immediately into icy Understanding the ecology of the seawater and sort and preserve them before deepest environments is certainly a challenge, they deteriorate under the heat of the sun. and investigation has been extremely In the afternoon, the landers are baited and restricted historically. However, with the use OCEAN ADVENTURE_ returned to the seafloor at the next research of free-fall equipment every sample provides From top to bottom: the landing_ station. new and invaluable insight into what is equipment; Nichola at work;_ An average sample will consist of hundreds really going at the bottom of the ocean. ■ an amphibod._ Nichola Lacey is a PhD student at Oceanlab

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Read more at www.aumag.co.uk 07 Bio-economic uncertainty

diana feliciano unveils the bio-economy to young and old

the ite House promotes a bio- climate change, promote renewable “Wh economy”; “Towards a sustainable energy production, reduce waste “bio-economy bio-economy in Europe”; “The bio-economy and develop bio-based products. goes global”. Bio-economy: it’s the latest buzz The bio-economy is considered key to is considered phrase to join terms like ‘sustainable growth’ promoting economic growth while dealing key to and ‘green growth’ in headlines across with these challenges. In the European the globe. Yet, to many these terms and Union, the bio-economy already generates promoting topics remain impenetrable and confusing, a turnover of almost two trillion euros and economic just vague political jargon. So why are the employs more than 22 million people which European Commission, the United Nations, accounts for 9% of total employment. In growth. and Barack Obama’s administration so economic terms, it is expected that investment interested in the bio-economy, what is it and in bio-economy research and innovation ” what is being done to help people understand will generate huge returns in bio-products. it? CONTROVERSIES WHAT IS BIO-ECONOMY? Some bio-economy proposals are

CREDIT: EMMA GIBBIN (UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA) the word bio-economy refers to economic controversial. The intensive production activities that utilise biological products and of biofuels, which in some countries, for processes to create ecologically sensitive example Brazil and Indonesia, will lead products and renewable energy sources. For to deforestation of tropical forests and example, producing renewable biological drainage of important wetlands, is a well resources and converting them into products known example. This argument has become that are traditionally made using fossil especially prominent this year in light of the fuels. These include biofuels, where fuels extreme drought experienced in the United such as ethanol and methane are produced States. The United States produces vast from crops and biomass, where agricultural quantities of corn used for both feed by-products such as manure are often and as a food source in poorer countries. The used to create energy. The bio-economy United States is also committed to producing includes agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food a growing percentage of fuel from biofuel production, as well as parts of the chemical, sources. The droughts have dramatically biotechnological and energy industries. limited corn production causing protests calling for the mandate on biofuel production How important is the bio-economy? to be lifted to allow access to corn for animal In a world facing climate change, an feed and food. In order to take on transparent unprecedented population increase and fossil and well supported decisions in the future, fuel depletion, science, industry and other it is essential that the general public is stakeholders must work together in order to informed about the pros and cons of bio- find methods to produce affordable, healthy economy proposals. a nd nutritious food. In addition to this they must address the pressures How can we inform the public? on fossil fuels and The answer to this question may lie in the fish stocks, bioprom project consortium. The project combat brings together science centres, museums, academics and other stakeholders to develop a travelling exhibition to communicate bio- economy science to the public. Professor Dominic Houlihan, who represents the University of Aberdeen in the projects, says: “Our aim is to excite children and adults about the possibilities of biology meeting the challenges of climate change and food security”. This interactive exhibition will be shown at science centres in four different countries, including the Satrosphere in Aberdeen, for more information about the project visit: www.bioprom-net.eu ■

Diana Feliciano is a student in geography and environment

Au MAFFEYGINA AUTUMN 2012 08 The Aberdeen Bestiary illuminates pre-scientific ideas about nature, write scott byrne and sean mcmahon

holars and artists in medieval lessons and essential Christian beliefs. Britain were amazed and fascinated The Aberdeen Bestiary is an exquisite by the natural world. Unlike modern scientists, from the 12th however, they learned about animals century and is one of the most important and plants primarily by reading ancient and precious examples of its type to survive authorities rather than conducting their own anywhere in the world. Now in the care of the research. They learned of everything from University of Aberdeen Special Collections, to by studying fables and the book’s beautiful pages describe a medieval treatises handed down from Ancient Greece, understanding of the natural world including Rome, and the Middle East, with no way of plants, and beasts, both real and separating myth from reality. fantastical, in a marvellous demonstration of In the 12th and 13th centuries, this the extraordinary artistry and craftsmanship knowledge was compiled in — of the age. Many other illustrated bestiaries medieval encyclopaedias in which survive, but few if any are as lavishly GILDED BEASTS From top to bottom: a tales about animals and plants were decorated as Aberdeen's, whose pages gleam hoarding eggs, a , and an used to illustrate moral and spiritual with gold leaf and glow with rich colour. owl in the Aberdeen Bestiary.

IMAGES COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS SOURCES AND ORIGINS

Little is known about the early life of the Aberdeen Bestiary, but an accumulation of evidence suggests it was made somewhere in the north of around 1200. The text is made up of a collection of stories from many different sources. At its heart is , a collection of stories compiled in Alexandria during the fourth century ad. It is inspired by the myths of the Middle East, and influenced by the writings of Pliny the Elder and philosophy of Aristotle, with the author adding a Christian moral to these tales. In addition, the Aberdeen Bestiary includes extracts from Hugo of Fouilloy’s study of birds, Aviarium, and also from Etymologies, a body of writing by Isidore, medieval Archbishop of Seville, in which the historian explains the origins and meaning of animals’ names. Many of the illustrations derive from ancient classical sources, faithfully transmitted by monks over hundreds of years. In the same way that the text of the Aberdeen Bestiary has its roots in earlier originals, we can see models for many of the illustrated beasts on Roman floor mosaics, depicting hunting scenes or popular myths. Descriptions of natural history in the bestiary were often fantastical, but some correct field-observations survived from ancient times despite the many intervening centuries of Chinese Whispers. The young pelicans feeding from the beak of their mother are one example, and although the text inaccurately identifies the as having no knees, it is right in recording that they have empathy and help each other when they are down.

DECODING THE CODEX

Understanding how a medieval manuscript like the Aberdeen Bestiary was produced is a fascinating piece of detective work. Blank areas outside the margins should have been trimmed away and finished. The fact that they remain uncut provides exceptional evidence about the stages of making a manuscript, and the operation of a busy and productive scriptorium. The main text appears to have been written in black ink by a single scribe. The scribe left tiny letter indicators for the illuminator who was filling in the painted capital letters, with codes used to advise the colour required for specific areas of the illustrations (rather like a familiar colour-by-numbers). A quick medieval way to make multiple copies of an image was to prick holes around its outline, place a blank sheet below and MONASTIC MARVELS sprinkle charcoal over the holes. This Top: (c. 560 – 636 AD). depicted at work. Isidore's Etymologies () process was called pouncing. Several of the feature as an important source in the Aberdeen Bestiary. Below: returning to the hive. The Bestiary describes their habits in some detail. Bees are said to be born from the rotting illustrations in the Aberdeen Bestiary are carcasses of oxen, recalling the ancient belief in the "spontaneous generation" of life that passed perforated in this way, indicating that it was unchallenged until the Renaissance and was finally discredited by Louis Pasteur (1822 – 1895). used at some stage to generate further copies.

IMAGES COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

burnished, traditionally with a ’s tooth HIS DARK MATERIALS MEDIEVAL MENAGERIE mounted on a handle. Facing page, clockwise from top left: Adam naming the The Aberdeen Bestiary is, appropriately, animals; the tigress; the dove made from beasts. The book is written on and (symbolic of church JOURNEY TO ABERDEEN and state); the (in Latin, vellum, a papery material made from calf, ursus); the panther with a or skin. A quill pen was used, likely The Aberdeen Bestiary is first mentioned retinue of other animals a or swan feather, dipped in an ink pot in the 1542 inventory of the royal library of attracted, according to the made from a hollowed-out cow horn or oyster Bestiary, by its voice—except for the Tudor king, Henry viii. Henry's agents its enemy, the , which shell. The ink itself is made from galls, the probably collected the manuscript from hides in a cave. This page, small tumours formed in oak around the a rich monastery following the split from top left: the Peridens , developing larvae of gall wasps. The hardened Rome in 1534. James vi and i inherited the sheltering doves from hungry cocoon is rich in tannic acid, which reacts to royal library on his accession to the throne in dragons. Top right: the , form a pale brown liquid when crushed and devouring a man. Above right: 1567. It was probably Patrick Young, the son an exquisite illuminated initial "A". mixed with green vitriol (ferrous sulphate). of the Royal Librarian, who gave the book to This ink turns slowly black and darkens on Thomas Reid, Regent of Marischal College the pages of the manuscript. at the time and Latin Secretary to James vi More of the Bestiary The delicate illustrations were coloured and i. Reid gave it, along with about 1,350 can be seen and read with mineral inks: lapis lazuli for the rich books and manuscripts, to Marischal College online at www.abdn. blues and malachite for the greens. Real in 1625. Marischal College amalgamated ac.uk/bestiary gold was applied in thin sheets and heavily with the University of Aberdeen in 1860. ■

FORTHCOMING EXHIBITION: PHARMACOPOEIA

In celebration of the British Science Festival 2012, the Special Collections Centre at the University Library will host Pharmacopeia, an exhibition featuring rare and fascinating printed and manuscript material that demonstrate some of the earliest recorded interpretations of the natural sciences—a history of health. Illustrated and annotated, the documents explore the study of the medicinal qualities of plants in the treatment of disease, making links with contemporary scientific research and practice at the University of Aberdeen. For further information please contact the Special Collections

Centre at: www.abdn.ac.uk/library/ (Email: [email protected] Tel: 01224 27 30 49). Scott Byrne is Exhibitions & Public Programming Officer for the University Aberdeen of Special Collections. Sean McMahonis a PhD student in Geosciences. 5 8 0 6 5 8 8 1 4 9 6 8 1 4 1 9 5 5 8 6 5 7 5 6 7 8 1 6 1 8 8 4 7 4 7 8 5 5 6 4 2 2 2 8 3 8 8 7 6 2 2 2 1 5 9 6 1 0 3 0 5 6 1 2 5 7 6 5 4 9 5 6 0 1 1 2 4 3 2 6 6 1 2 2 APPEAL TO REASON 6 7 2 9 5 1 8 7 8 3 1 6 0 6 0 6 7 8 5 3 2 7 1 5 4 5 4 1 3 1 7 7 3 9 9 3 4 5 5 6 4 1 6 9 5 6 6 4 4 2 1 2 1 0 2 4 5 1 2 5 2 7 2 1 2 1 4 2 9 2 0 9 1 8 6 4 4 7 1 8 7 1 4 0 Mind games3 1 6 3 6 0 2 1 5 7 1 3 4 7 4 3 7 8 3 2 6 1 6 0 8 7 8 3 4 2 4 7 4 8 6 5 1 3 8 1 6 4 5 1 1 6 2 0 1 0 0 9 3 5 4 2 6 7 5 6 8 1 9 1 4 2 4 4 3 1 4 8 6 2 2 2 2 5 4 2 4 6 7 9 Can you really train your brain by playing0 3 games?3 7 1 6 3 4 8 0 8 6 6 4 8 7 1 7 1 3 3 1 0 0 3 9 0 6 craig horton investigates 7 7 8 6 6 0 4 3 1 2 0 5 8 5 5 8 1 5 8 8 3 2 3 6 4 2 7 1 6 2 3 6 3 2 2 3 9 5 5 3 8 0 3 8 2 4 2 8 4 1 7 4 5 3 3 0 e idea of training our brains to Nintendo Vice 2President1 2 of 2Marketing9 8 and9 4 7 6 0 3 5 5 9 3 4 3 9 4 0 5 1 9 0 3 8 2 the people Th perform better is an old one, but Corporate Affairs,8 in6 Catherine4 7 Arnst’s1 820069 7 7 2 3 6 2 1 3 3 4 8 8 1 7 3 4 9 7 8 3 3 Nintendo’s 2006 release of Dr Kawashima’s Bloomberg article on Brain Training, that “behind these Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? “we’re in the entertainment3 6 2 business,”6 7 does7 7 5 0 1 5 6 6 2 0 8 1 4 7 1 2 3 4 6 5 9 4 6 brought the concept fully into the limelight. not instil much confidence in the supposed apps are Since March 2009, 17.41 million copies of benefits of using6 mainstream5 6 brain7 6training.7 5 concerned8 9 9 3 1 7 3 5 8 6 0 7 6 3 6 0 6 2 8 1 5 Brain Training and its alternative version However, it would be unjust to simply dismiss Brain Age have been sold worldwide, and it out of hand. 3 6 7 0 7 7 1 first6 4 and4 3 5 6 6 6 6 5 8 1 1 1 4 8 4 1 2 1 6 the ‘brain training’ industry has become very In September 2009, the bbc series Bang foremost lucrative. In recent years, it has expanded Goes The Theory 6put brain8 9 training9 6to the0 9 3 2 1 5 4 2 2 8 5 0 5 8 0 6 2 2 3 3 5 6 2 into the ‘apps’ market, arguably making brain test with the launch6 5of their4 8Brain4 Test2 1with3 3 6 6 4 6 4 0 1 2 9 4 9 4 6 3 6 2 9 4 1 training more convenient than ever before. Britain experiment. Over six weeks, 11,430 profit. Searching for brain training apps in the participants were successfully8 3 8 put1 through1 5 5 7 2 5 4 5 4 7 5 3 6 3 9 4 8 6 9 5 1 5 3 2 iTunes Store produces a plethora of results— various brain training exercises. They ” choosing the right app is a mental workout were split into three3 groups:5 5‘Experimental7 4 7 3 3 7 7 2 3 4 1 6 4 0 6 1 3 3 4 3 4 9 9 8 9 in itself. Four popular examples are listed Group 1’ focused on “reasoning, planning and problem-solving”;5 2 ‘Experimental7 5 2 7 5 1 2 5 8 7 9 4 1 6 6 4 8 2 4 8 0 4 5 4 6 2 below. All these apps are free to download (at Group 2’ had “tests of short-term memory, the time of writing) and compatible with the attention, visuospatial3 3processing2 5 and7 8 9 1 1 7 7 7 6 1 7 1 3 0 2 6 1 4 0 4 9 6 8 7 iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (although the mathematics similar 6to those1 9commonly1 4 1 2 3 3 9 2 6 3 9 6 8 7 7 6 9 4 7 6 8 0 4 6 1 iOS requirement varies). found in commercially available brain- training devices”; and Group7 1 3, 0the control7 6 5 2 0 4 1 1 1 5 0 4 4 6 7 7 8 3 5 4 2 5 7 5 2 group, “answered obscure questions from DO THEY WORK? six different categories using1 7 any1 available2 6 4 7 1 8 3 0 7 3 7 5 7 3 9 8 8 4 8 5 5 2 2 2 6 online resource.” It is likely that the people behind these The paper containing2 the 5results7 (Owen8 5 6 7 8 6 9 8 0 5 3 6 8 1 2 1 4 9 1 5 2 7 8 3 4 apps are concerned first and foremost with et al. 2010) was published2 the4 following0 1 6 7 9 7 8 1 6 3 4 3 1 7 1 3 0 8 4 8 5 2 4 5 4 4 making their app profitable. Certainly, the summer in Nature, and the verdict was clear: statement made by Perrin Kaplan, former “These results confirm that3 4 six 7 weeks4 of 8 4 7 8 3 5 0 7 3 2 2 8 5 7 3 3 0 1 1 2 8 4 3 0 7 5 9 5 8 5 6 1 2 8 0 5 1 3 0 7 1 9 6 1 0 7 4 6 6 1 1 6 THE GAMES Charge Your Brain 1 8 8 7 7 6 8 8 2 4 5 4 4 1 7 7 9 9 3 8 1 3 5 4 0 1 8 4 ■ © 2011 Unusual Things ■ Developer: Ruslan Morozov 4 4 1 2 7 5 2 9 5 1 7 6 5 1 3 3 1 6 9 9 6 2 6 5 5 7 2 2 Conundra ■ Requires iOS 4.3 or later. 2 3 5 1 4 8 4 4 3 7 4 6 9 1 0 5 2 3 5 6 0 8 5 3 4 6 5 0 ■ © 2010 Megafauna Software ■ Charge Your Brain is instantly charming, with its ■ Developer: Sarah Pierce young guide ‘Kate’ encouraging the user0 from3 the first1 4 1 8 8 3 2 4 3 3 3 1 0 4 9 7 8 3 8 9 7 9 3 2 8 7 ■ Requires iOS 4.0 or later. play. Bronze, silver and gold medals are earned in four free mini-games: ‘Find A Pair’, ‘Flash Memory’, ‘Maths Conundra is a simple, easy to use app that challeng- ■ Problems’ and ‘Blocks’. Additional mini-games1 4 can9 3 4 3 7 4 1 0 7 9 6 3 8 6 8 5 3 0 2 2 6 8 9 1 8 1 es the user to unscramble rounds of five anagrams also be unlocked for money or points earned online. against the clock. The app’s description claims that a 7 1 6 7 5 8 5 4 5 2 2 5 4 6 2 1 8 3 3 8 1 3 8 4 7 9 2 5 week’s worth of playing Conundra can dramatically improve performance in games like Scrabble. Clockwork Brain 5 3 8 3 6 6 6 1 2 1 5 2 5 3 8 6 1 3 9 9 5 5 2 1 9 3 3 2 ■ © 2012 Total Eclipse Conundra Math ■ Developer: ZEFXIS O.E. – A. & D. Bendilas3 5 3 3 9 5 8 4 3 5 4 7 7 1 5 5 4 1 3 2 0 8 1 2 8 2 1 8 Requires iOS 4.0 or later. ■ © 2011 Megafauna Software ■ ■ With its Steampunk theme and ‘Sprocket’4 the3 ro- 6 8 2 2 3 2 4 4 6 3 6 8 0 3 3 1 5 2 5 4 1 1 3 5 7 2 ■ Developer: Sarah Pierce bot as a guide, this spin-off from The Clockwork Man Requires iOS 4.0 or later. ■ Games is certainly different in terms of style.6 Much5 6 1 4 5 8 1 4 8 6 3 4 4 7 3 7 8 3 9 4 6 1 6 3 3 9 7 ■ Of a similar structure to its predecessor, Conundra like the previous app though, Clockwork Brain is also Math focuses instead on numbers. The challenge is a mini-game compilation, with both free and 5unlock5- 1 8 6 4 7 7 2 1 2 7 0 6 1 5 4 3 6 4 6 3 0 2 0 3 7 7 reminiscent of Countdown, as several numbers are able content. The four initial games are ‘Scrolling given, along with a total to create from them before Silhouettes’, ‘Chase The Numbers’, ‘Anagrams’2 and8 8 1 7 1 5 2 1 5 8 5 3 7 7 9 6 1 3 3 2 6 8 7 1 4 6 0 the clock runs out. ‘Missing Tiles’. 4 1 4 4 5 3 2 5 4 8 5 8 8 6 6 4 4 9 2 6 2 1 8 7 4 7 7 4 Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Read more? at www.aumag.co.uk 13 5 8 0 6 5 8 8 1 4 9 6 8 1 4 1 9 5 5 8 6 5 7 5 6 7 8 1 6 1 8 8 4 7 4 7 8 5 5 6 4 2 2 2 8 3 8 8 7 6 2 2 2 1 5 9 6 1 0 3 0 5 6 1 2 5 7 6 5 4 9 5 6 0 1 1 2 4 3 2 6 6 1 2 2 regular computerised brain training confers note of previous wrong moves, crystallised 6 7 2 9 5 1 8 7 8 3 1 6 0 6 0 6 7 8 5 3 2 7 1 no5 greater4 5 benefit4 1 than simply answering intelligence comes to the fore, guiding 3 1 7 7 3 9 9 3 4 5 5 6 4 1 6 9 5 6 6 4 4 2 1 general2 1 knowledge0 2 4questions using the our fluid intelligence and helping us make internet.” progress through the apps. Even so, this 5 1 2 5 2 7 2 1 2 1 4 2 9 2 0 9 1 8 6 4 4 7 1 8During7 1Brain4 0Test Britain, some ‘progress’ does not necessarily constitute an improvement was seen in the ability of improvement in our overall brain functions. 3 1 6 3 6 0 2 1 5 7 1 3 4 7 4 3 7 8 3 2 6 1 6 participants0 8 7 to 8 complete3 their specific The emphasis on medals and achievements cognitive challenges, but besides these tasks in Charge Your Brain and Clockwork Brain 4 2 4 7 4 8 6 5 1 3 8 1 6 4 5 1 1 6 2 0 1 0 0their9 brains’3 5abilities4 2remained the same. also tricks the user into believing that the 6 7 5 6 8 1 9 1 4 2 4 4 3 1 4 8 6 2 2 2 2 5 4Might2 our4 chosen6 7 apps9 suffer the same apps are making them smarter. Attaining a shortfall? When using Conundra, Conundra new high score or a gold medal produces a 0 3 3 7 1 6 3 4 8 0 8 6 6 4 8 7 1 7 1 3 3 1 Math,0 0 Charge3 9Your0 Brain6 and Clockwork feeling of euphoria, yet as suggested by Brain Brain, brain trainees might feel that they are Test Britain, the mastery of these games has making progress; but are they really getting 7 7 8 6 6 0 4 3 1 2 0 5 8 5 5 8 1 5 8 8 3 2 3 6 4 2 7 1 no significance for general intelligence. smarter, or—as Brain Test Britain suggests— A more useful mental exercise might 6 2 3 6 3 2 2 3 9 5 5 3 8 0 3 8 2 4 2 8 4 1 do7 they4 just 5become3 accustomed3 0 to the games be to consider the irony of brain training. they are playing? Brain training is widely marketed to older 2 1 2 2 9 8 9 4 7 6 0 3 5 5 9 3 4 3 9 4 0 5 The1 9answer0 3may8 lie 2 in psychologist 8 6 4 7 1 8 9 7 7 2 3 6 2 1 3 3 4 8 8 1 7 3Raymond4 9 Cattell’s7 8 theory3 3 of ‘fluid’ and generations, usually alongside the phrase ‘crystallised’ intelligence. Essentially, fluid “use it or lose it”. This “it” could be interpreted 3 6 2 6 7 7 7 5 0 1 5 6 6 2 0 8 1 4 7 1 2 3intelligence4 6 is5 related9 to4 logical6 thinking and as fluid intelligence, which in reality peaks problem solving, and crystallised intelligence at around 20 years of age and then starts 6 5 6 7 6 7 5 8 9 9 3 1 7 3 5 8 6 0 7 6 3 6is related0 6to using2 8collected1 5knowledge and to decrease. As has been discussed, many experiences. Although connected in some brain training apps actually add not to 3 6 7 0 7 7 1 6 4 4 3 5 6 6 6 6 5 8 1 1 1 ways,4 8 fluid4 1and2 crystallised1 6 intelligence fluid but to crystallised intelligence, which 6 8 9 9 6 0 9 3 2 1 5 4 2 2 8 5 0 5 8 0 6 involve2 2 disparate3 3 systems5 6within2 the brain. increases throughout a person’s life. The When we first play these apps, the logical possible end-result of the older generations 6 5 4 8 4 2 1 3 3 6 6 4 6 4 0 1 2 9 4 9 4 and6 problem-solving3 6 2 9 strengths4 1 of fluid using brain training apps is the filling of intelligence are most useful. However, when their minds with experiences of how to 8 3 8 1 1 5 5 7 2 5 4 5 4 7 5 3 6 3 9 4 8 we’ve6 played9 5 a number1 5 of3 times,2 growing excel in playing apps. What, then, can this 3 5 5 7 4 7 3 3 7 7 2 3 4 1 6 4 0 6 1 3 3familiar4 3with4 the9 interface9 8 and9 making be used for? Playing more apps, of course! ■ 5 2 7 5 2 7 5 1 2 5 8 7 9 4 1 6 6 4 8 2 4 8 0 4 5 4 6 2 Craig Horton is a student in geography 3 3 2 5 7 8 9 1 1 7 7 7 6 1 7 1 3 0 2 6 1 4 0 4 9 6 8 7 6 1 9 1 4 1 2 3 3 9 2 6 3 9 6 8 7 7 6 9 4 7 6 8 0 4 6 1 ADVERT 7 1 0 7 6 5 2 0 4 1 1 1 5 0 4 4 6 7 7 8 3 5 4 2 5 7 5 2 1 7 1 2 6 4 7 1 8 3 0 7 3 7 5 7 3 9 8 8 4 8 5 5 2 2 2 6 2 5 7 8 5 6 7 8 6 9 8 0 5 3 6 8 1 2 1 4 9 1 5 2 7 8 3 4 2 4 0 1 6 7 9 7 8 1 6 3 4 3 1 7 1 3 0 8 4Development8 5 2 4 5 4 4 Trust 3 4 7 4 8 4 7 8 3 5 0 7 3 2 2 8 5 7 3 3 0 1 1 2 8 4 3 0 7 5 9 5 8 5 6 1 2 8 0 5 1 3 0 7 1 9 6 1 You0 7 don’t4 6have6 to1 be1 Albert6 Einstein to make a gift to science 1 8 8 7 7 6 8 8 2 4 5 4 4 1 7 7 9 9 3 8 1 3 5 4 0 1 8 4 e you mad about science? If so, then without this scholarship I would have missed 4 4 1 2 7 5 2 9 5 1 7 6 5 1 3 3 1 6 9 9 Ar6 2we 6have5 an 5explosive7 2 opportunity2 out on so many experiences. The support 2 3 5 1 4 8 4 4 3 7 4 6 9 1 0 5 2 3 5 6 for 0you. 8 If you5 have3 ever4 dreamt6 5 of 0making has made a huge difference to my academic a contribution to science like Albert Einstein, life and achievements at the University of 0 3 1 4 1 8 8 3 2 4 3 3 3 1 0 4 9 7 8 3Marie8 Curie9 or7 Alexander9 3 Fleming,2 8 then7 now Aberdeen. is your chance! “During my time in Bolivia I lived in a mud 1 4 9 3 4 3 7 4 1 0 7 9 6 3 8 6 8 5 3 0 Following2 2 on6 from8 the9 excitement1 8 of1 the hut for six weeks which was also my research British Science Festival, the University of station. During the day I collected data for 7 1 6 7 5 8 5 4 5 2 2 5 4 6 2 1 8 3 3 Aberdeen8 1 Development3 8 4 Trust7 has9 established2 5 my science project from the Bolivian jungle. I 5 3 8 3 6 6 6 1 2 1 5 2 5 3 8 6 1 3 9 the9 “Eureka5 5 Fund”2 to1 help9 budding3 3 scientists2 could not have invested in this research trip work towards the next big scientific discovery. if it had not been for the additional support I 3 5 3 3 9 5 8 4 3 5 4 7 7 1 5 5 4 1 3 2The 0Fund8 will1 be used2 8to support2 1 science8 received from a generous donor.” students at the University of Aberdeen with By supporting the next generation of a range of exciting initiatives some of which 4 3 6 8 2 2 3 2 4 4 6 3 6 8 0 3 3 1 5 2 5 4 1 1 3 5 7 2 scientists you will be contributing to their include: future successes and major scientific 6 5 6 1 4 5 8 1 4 8 6 3 4 4 7 3 7 8 3 Laboratory9 4 6 placements:1 6 3 — 3 developing9 7 EUREKA FUNDWINNER_ developments. Above: Emma Clyne_ lab techniques and increasing student 5 5 1 8 6 4 7 7 2 1 2 7 0 6 1 5 4 3 6employability.4 6 3 0 2 0 3 7 7 Please donate £10 today by texting 2 8 8 1 7 1 5 2 1 5 8 5 3 7 7 9 6 1 3 Research3 2 trips6 8 — broadening7 1 4 mindsets6 0 “NEXT 12 £10” to 70070 or by visiting www. and developing a fuller understanding of abdn.ac.uk/giving. Alternatively you can 4 1 4 4 5 3 2 5 4 8 5 8 8 6 6 4 4 9 research.2 6 2 1 8 7 4 7 7 4 call +44(0)1224 273595 or email giving@ Scholarships — breaking financial abdn.ac.uk to request a donation form or barriers and making science accessible to all. make a gift of any amount over the phone. Undergraduate Tropical Environmental Collectively we can make scientific Science student Emma Clyne received a breakthroughs happen at the University of scholarship enabling her to pursue a research Aberdeen. project in Bolivia. Emma said, University of Aberdeen Development Trust ?“I would like to say a big thank you as Charity No. SC002938 September science

Sun, sea and science: the au magazine team finds six local natural spectacles to inspire this month’s visitors

erdeen locals and visitors to the Ab British Science Festival should step q SALMON outside this September and make the most of the North East of Scotland! This area of the The dramatic leaping of salmon up the fast country is home to a wide selection of wildlife, flowing rivers of to reach and unique geological features. The Au team their spawning grounds upstream can be have come together to produce a guide of seen at the Falls of Feugh, a short (half a mile) things to see in late summer early autumn. walk outside the Deeside town of Banchory. If you do spot any, let us know via facebook, email or twitter @ausciencemag and we can let everyone else know! Remember not to disturb the countryside and always leave everything how you found it. q NEWBURGH DUNES

The sand dunes that stretch a mile inland from the shore at Newburgh—a coastal village near Aberdeen—feel strangely out of place; a stranded patch of desert or the opposite of an oasis, perhaps. A treat for geographers and geologists with a liking for coastal sedimentology, this unusual and beautiful environment is also perfect for a q DOLPHINS relaxing stroll. The bottlenose dolphin can be seen throughout the year around Aberdeen harbour, although these are best spotted from the coastal route near south pier lighthouse. If you’re lucky it is also possible to see harbour porpoise in the same area.

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Read more at www.aumag.co.uk 15  GREY SEALS

Just north of Aberdeen is the Ythan Estuary, the perfect area to spot both harbour and grey seals. This pituresque site is recognised as a specially protected area due to the populations of wader birds, eider and terns that can also be found here.

 PINK-FOOTED GEESE

Pink-footed geese breed in eastern Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. In September they begin their migration to their wintering grounds in Europe. One of the best places to see them is rspb Loch of Strathbeg-about 45 minutes north of Aberdeen-in late September and early October when up to 80,000 geese will roost on the loch and feed on the fields nearby. Look out for them with their characteristic “wink-wink” call flying in v-shaped skeins over Aberdeen throughout the early autumn.

red  RED DEER complete “ Together with lochs and mountains, red the iconic deer complete the iconic image of the Scottish image of landscape. During the summer months the stags are in velvet, so called due to the the scottish velvety appearance of their growing antlers. landscape. From the end of September to November the stags begin to rut, competing for females ” with impressive displays of dominance and territorial roars. Red deer can be seen throughout the highlands, with one of the best spots for sightings being Loch Muick  STONEHAVEN near Ballater in the Cairngorms National Park. Scotland. Stonehaven near Aberdeen is, as the name It is also possible to see roe deer in reserves implies, a geologist's paradise. The great in and around Aberdeen and at times even in Highland Boundary Fault runs all the way Aberdeen University arboretum. across Scotland to emerge here by the sea. ■

Au AUTUMN 2012 16 Wildly inspiring success

kirsty nutt finds hope for the world in a recent book about conservation’s unsung success stories , mans thrive on hope; it’s what and the National Ecological Network. The nature s Hu makes us loyal to our favourite sports network involves reversing decades of teams and why 32 million of us buy lottery drainage and industrialisation and building “glass is half tickets each week. It’s what makes charity huge motorway bridges. These bridges or campaigns like Sport Relief so successful at “ecoducts” are unlike any most of us will have full: there raising money even in the pit of a recession; a seen before. One at Crailo—the longest in are things harrowing story followed by an easy-fix, just- the world—is 50 metres wide, nearly one a-fiver, big dollop of hope. Conservationists kilometre long and even has a pond in the we can do, have become good at being negative, to middle of it. It crosses a main road and two if we act make people understand the severity of the railways lines that carry 16,000 cars and 400 situation. Maybe conservation needs to offer trains beneath it each day. quickly. a little more hope. These ecoducts are designed to reduce Cambridge Professor of Conservation the effects of fragmentation; to allow natural ” Science Andrew Balmford takes this movements, dispersal and migration of stance. In his recent book Wild Hope, he animals, plant pollen and seeds, and to uses case studies of unlikely conservation protect wildlife and vehicles from collisions success stories in an “attempt to understand on the roads. It’s not a cheap strategy, with conservation success, celebrate it, and learn each ecoduct costing up to €15 million, but in from it”. a country where a new roundabout can cost The book begins by taking stock of where €5 million, maybe it’s not that expensive for we are “Nature’s glass is half empty”. Many what’s gained. conservation measures fail, the The budget is immense for this project: €410 population is increasing fast (more than five million per year (equivalent to £320 million). babies are born every second), consumer The ambition—that a Red Deer might safely consumption is at an all-time high and one travel from the Oostvaardersplassen, near in five species is threatened with extinction. Amsterdam all the way to Germany (more Threats to charismatic species are often than 400 kilometres) without risking crossing better known; hunting has reduced the a road—equally big. world’s population by more than 60%, The Dutch courage for dreaming big wild numbers have decreased by 95% doesn’t stop there; they aim to create 3000 and numbers of Africa’s large mammals have km2 of new wildlife habitat by 2018. The BRIDGE OF GREEN. motivation comes from concerns for wildlife Below: Ecoduct crossing halved since 1970 inside protected areas, Highway A1 through nature area while outside these areas they’ve all but and an appreciation of nature’s benefits the Veluwe, the Netherlands. disappeared. Current extinction rates are for people; new wetlands store floodwater AERIAL PHOTO COPYRIGHT 1000 times higher than any recorded in the and mop up pollutants, growing forests SIEBE SWART fossil record. absorb co2 and offset some emissions, and And that’s just the tip of the iceberg; climate such areas help meet recreational needs. change is happening. By 2050 the world’s Furthermore, two once-in-a-century flood oceans could have dissolved so much carbon events in 14 months in the mid-90s prompted dioxide, which converts to carbonic acid, that an extensive de-engineering of rivers. It species will not be able to form calcium-based seems rewilding in The Netherlands proves shells. Despite this, environmental concerns bigger really is better. are often not prioritised. But perhaps we have focussed on the empty for too long, “there’s a great deal left MINING MORALLY to fight for”. Nature’s glass is half full: there are things we can do, if we act quickly. All It’s not just conservationists and politicians, it takes is ambition, optimism, money and private companies are also leading the some good old-fashioned hard graft. way. Poor mining practice has led to habitat damage, contaminated water supplies and illness, leading to a legacy of distrust. DUTCH COURAGE Moreover, 25% of mining sites are within 10 kilometres of high-priority conservation The Netherlands is one of the most densely areas, often because the unusual geology populated countries on , yet the Dutch that makes minerals available also supports government has committed to having species-rich communities. 17.5% of its land managed for conservation Bauxite is used to make aluminium. It by 2018, using existing natural habitats cannot be mined non-destructively; it

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Read more at www.aumag.co.uk 17 requires vegetation to be areas that are about to be lost to mining, cleared, topsoil to be removed but keeping within 20 kilometres of the and covering rock to be blasted mine to maintain local genetic adaptations, before excavation can begin. they managed to increase the proportion But near Huntly, Western of species returned to 80%. But this still Australia, at the world’s wasn’t enough. So they made partnerships largest bauxite mine, the and collaborations and invested in state- company Alcoa is doing things of-the-art cloning and tissue culture to get differently. This area is also more difficult species back. Alcoa discovered home to Jarrah Eucalypt forest; which species’ seeds need to be heated and it’s one of the most species- more unusually which need to be exposed rich forests outside the tropics, to smoke (these forests have regular fires) particularly at ground level to germinate and are creating more than where there are more than 100,000 plantlets each year in a multi-million 800 species of plant. Jarrah pound tissue culture lab. trees are impressive too; they grow to 30 metres (three times The process is now so efficient that the size of a two-storey house) rehabilitation is happening as fast as mine tall and two metres wide in a creation and species composition is almost climate where it doesn’t rain identical to that before the extraction began. for six months and summer They’ve also helped unravel the mystery of temperatures reach 30 degrees a dieback disease that was devastating these Celsius. habitats, and are helping eradicate non- In the early days, Alcoa native predators that are causing declines did only what was legally in native animals by spending au$100,000 a required, which wasn’t a lot, year on air-dropping poisoned sausages. just to replace the topsoil. With Alcoa produce one seventh of the world’s rrp £13.00 incredible foresight, Alcoa were concerned aluminium and are the only mining company about public disapproval of unhealed mining to be on the un Environmental Programme’s scars and decided to do more than was Global 50 Roll of Honour. One employee required: a lot more. It wasn’t just about involved in the rehabilitation sums it up meeting current expectations but anticipating perfectly, saying his team “used to be just future needs. Within five years, more than a dozer operator...now they’re responsible 30 people were working on rehabilitating for putting things back, a lot of the guys are the mine sites; hydrologists, microbiologists, bloody proud of what they do”. And so they botanists, and a dedicated rehab group. The should be. first environmentalist recalls, “[there was] So, what motivates a mining company to never any real question of whether we could carry out environmental protection on this have the money – the company were totally scale? Ethical concerns and it makes good and absolutely committed to doing the right business sense; it prevents licenses being thing. It just took a while to work out what [that] was”. withdrawn in the future, it’s a good pr boost, Since making this commitment, Alcoa the increased cost is not huge compared to have worked tirelessly to discover how to operational costs and many customers prefer restore the habitat. They discovered that to buy from responsible suppliers. the majority of seeds were in the top five-to- Consumer demand can have a real ten centimetres of soil, that seed abundance impact. Conservation starts in the is higher in the summer, but seeds quickly supermarket and it starts with all of us. We died if soil was stockpiled, so they worked on can make a difference; all we have to do is minimising storage times. try. How’s that for a big dollop of hope? Then, using commercial seed collectors to gather more than 400 tonnes of seed from You can find more conservation success more than 100 target species, focussing on stories in Richard’s book.

CAUSES FOR HOPE, CLOSE TO HOME

In 2007, red kite re-introduction started cull of non-native mink. It left a large in a secret location close to Aberdeen. In area (four-times the size of Belgium) free 2009 the kites bred, for the first time near of mink for the first in decades and will Aberdeen in 150 years. Sea have help protect endangered water voles and also been successfully re-introduced other native wildlife such as Arctic terns. to the east coast of Scotland and the Further afield, there is a trial return of Ospreys to the Highlands might re-introduction taking place at Knapdale be one of the biggest conservation Forest, Mid-Argyll. This is the first formal success stories of the 20th Century. re-introduction of a native mammal in In 2011, Professor Xavier Lambin of the the uk and these are the first University of Aberdeen led a team of 180 to live in Scotland in over 400 years. volunteers in a monumental £1 million The trial will continue until 2014. ■

Kirsty Nutt is a PhD student in tropical ecology

18 Adrenaline junkies

Do you seek fear without knowing it, like sophie gibson?

r many people the three pillars of Base jumping is a prime example of an Fo a happy and contented life are good adrenaline junkie pastime. Participants leap family and friends, an engaging and fulfilling off tall objects wearing a parachute and often career, and financial security. For others a wingsuit, enabling them to glide until a satisfaction is gained only from the ‘high’ of critical altitude is reached before opening death-defying stunts and extreme sports. a parachute for a safe- The fight-or-flight ish landing. This sport is response induced from dangerous activities and _adrenaline extreme enough; however stressful situations is an has been some feel the need to go echo of our past, when our “ one stage further, ‘wingsuit ancestors were in frequent described proximity flying’. Instead of danger of being attacked as the jumping off and away from or eaten. The release of objects, the idea is to glide adrenaline is controlled by physiological as close the surface of the the sympathetic nervous manifestation structure as possible—often system, a subconscious within touching distance— reflex affecting blood vessels, of fear. _ where the slightest error airways and metabolism. It is thought to have promoted ” could be fatal. survival in early organisms Jeb Corliss is one of the by priming the body for most notorious wingsuit action. Stressors such as pilots; he was featured in a physical threat, excitement, documentary about extreme noise, bright lights and high adrenaline-seekers called, temperatures trigger the Daredevils: The Human response; it results in the in September 2009. secretion of acetylcholine, Jeb seeks out situations to which promotes adrenaline confront his fears and this release from the adrenal gland. Physiological has led him to leap from the responses to adrenaline world’s highest buildings include increased heart and and mountains. respiratory rate, dilation You don’t need to be a of airways and pupils, skydiving danger-seeker to decreased blood flow to get your fix; there are much the gut and breakdown of more subtle was to add glucose stores to provide excitement to an otherwise muscles with energy. boring life. The following These changes prepare habits are hallmarks of an the body for action. This also happens when people are everyday adrenaline junkie: attracted to each other, and H OH ■ Working best under it’s why you feel butterflies H pressure in your stomach if you are HO N nervous! ■ Having a packed schedule, Adrenaline has Adrenaline but taking on even more if been described as the C9H13NO HO 3 things you start to relax. physiological manifestation of fear, and yet some people ■ Starting assignments intentionally put themselves in dangerous or projects at the last minute and having to or extreme situations so they can feel the work all night to finish. excitement of an ‘adrenaline rush’. Adrenaline junkies are frequently found in the world of Although these traits are less extreme extreme sports and often push themselves to than a constant desire to risk your life, absolute physical or psychological limits in you should remember that, as with all pursuit of their fix. addictions, after the high comes the low. ■

CARTOON: Harry Boddice Sophie Gibson is a PhD student in medical sciences

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Read more at www.aumag.co.uk 2519 Chemical artistry

josh doyle discovers the creative side of chemists

llowing a shipwreck in 1699, synthetic schemes, the molecules themselves Fo Lemuel Gulliver found himself are inanely useless, why did serious journals the prisoner of the tiny people of publish such nonsense? Lilliput, each no more than six inches tall. It The reason for the creation of the is Gulliver’s Travels’ “Lilliputians” for whom Nanoputian race was to spark interest in James Tour’s and Stephanie Chanteau’s organic chemistry. Since then, Tour and “Nanoputians” are named. his research team have progressed to In 2003, articles in the Journals of publish numerous papers on “Nanocars”, Chemical Education and of Organic “Nanotrucks” and “Nanoworm”. NanoScholar Chemistry described a Organic chemistry is reaction that could be used not the only science in- to make molecules that look _ nanoputians touch with its creative side. like people. Microscopic were created Researchers at Harvard representations are no “ University have managed to great revelation in organic to spark form long strands of dna into chemistry; molecules interest complex lattices, ribbons, shaped like balls, cubes, tubes, three-dimensional houses, chairs and boats in organic crystals, and simple shapes. are all common place. chemistry. _ They have succeeded in Anyone familiar with creating everything from molecule-building kit will probably have basic hearts” and triangles, to all 26 letters of made the “propane-dog”. the alphabet, punctuation marks, and a few Back in 1997, the Journal of Chemical Chinese and astrological symbols. Education printed a story about Professor C. P. Snow’s The Two Cultures states that for Macdonald’s synthesis of cow, giraffe and science to have any future, the arts must ‘enynenynols’ in an attempt to get his find reason to take interest in science. NanoChef students interested in organic chemistry. With a There is certainly no shortage of art along similar goal in mind, Nanoputians succeed scientific themes. The field of nanoart both in sparking interest, and teaching a processes images of nanoscopic landscapes lesson in synthetic pathways. The life-goal of and structure to create large-scale the Nanoputian race is to allow non-chemists artwork. There are countless artists to appreciate the splendour of chemical drawing inspiration from scientific themes synthesis. and now ‘nanoartists’ are discovering The first Nanoputian was the Nanokid, the canvas of the chemical artisan. ■ prepared by synthesising the top and bottom body portions separately, then joining them at the waist. A process using microwave radiation referred to as a “head-conversion reaction” led to the ‘birth’ of new NanoMonarch Nanoputians; including NanoMonarch, NanoChef and NanoScholar each derived from a different alcohol molecule. In a separate experiment, the entire Nanoputian population was synthesised in one microwave oven reaction by adding the appropriate reactants to a single flask containing NanoKid. Even more impressively, a solution of NanoKid in propanol was injected into a printer’s ink cartridge and used to print Illustrations adapted with images of NanoKid and NanoTexan, each permission from Chan- image itself made up of millions of molecular teau, S.H., et al., 2003. J. copies. Chem. Educ., 80(4), p.395. The publication of Nanoputains in a Copyright 2003 American scientific journal was criticised by some. Chemical Society. Nanoputian synthesis offered nothing new in NanoKid

Josh Doyle is a student in chemistry

Au AUTUMN 2012 20 The Great HCP Project amy hayward investigates the Human Connectome Project

levision shows can lead us to and money. Funded in part by the National Website: Te believe that neuroscientists interpret Institute of Mental Health, the first phase of humanconnectomepro- colours from brain scans to decode what a the project cost around $40 million to run ject.org subject is thinking. (2010-2012); the second phase will cost $30 This is, of course, total nonsense. They can million (2012-2015). The data generated will tell what parts of the brain are being used, be available to everyone and anyone. Twitter: or what areas are malfunctioning, but the Much like the array of images that show a @humanconnectome reality of the fancy scans, seen in medical veritable rainbow of information on screen, dramas from time to time, is that they show the hcp is a colourful beacon of hope. It is a relatively little. thing to look upon with pride and So far, it has been nearly to be observed as it blossoms. The impossible to track a signal downsides of such a project are travelling through the brain the tiny perhaps easy to overlook because of with any accuracy. All mental wirings of its potential, but that doesn’t mean activities use pathways; from “ they are not important. Similar to object recognition to catching a the way we advances in genetic technology, ball. The simplest task could use the most complex route. General think are there ia great responsibility to be areas are easy to locate, but actual something shouldered. As our understanding connections, the tiny wirings of of neural pathways and disorders the way we think, are something of a grows so must the need for caution. of a mystery. mystery._ We must consider where the line between treatment and improvement ” lies, and whether to even approach it. It is hypothetically possible that the isolation of a particular neural pathway could prompt people to seek to alter their own Left: White matter fibres, brain composition in an effort to improve or Sparse and Fine. change who they are. We must ask ourselves Below: White matter fibres, what can be defined as treatment and what as HCP dataset Red Corpus enhancement. Callosum, However, as we have yet to predictably map IMAGES COURTESY OF THE the pathways, this is not an argument that is LABORATORY OF NEURO IMAGING AT UCLA AND MARTINOS CENTER FOR likely to crop up in the near future. For now, BIOMEDICAL IMAGING AT MGH, the hcp will continue to provide the world CONSORTIUM OF THE HUMAN with the knowledge it has been missing. ■ CONNECTOME PROJECT. Emerging research under the Human Connectome Project (hcp) is beginning to take the field of neuroimaging a step further. Run by eleven institutions 36 investigators, are using the brain scans of over a thousand participants. The project began in 2010 and its aims are ambitious. hcp offers a huge step forward in brain imaging and understanding of neural pathways. As the project continues investigators are refining and developing new scanning techniques, meaning by the time hcp has run its course there may be better diagnostic tools available. It is hoped that as a result of this we may gain insight into disorders that may be a result of disrupted neural pathways. Schizophrenia, autism and Alzheimer’s might all be better understood, and even treated, using the brain maps being created right now. A scientific endeavour this large takes time Amy Hayward is a PhD student in psychology

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Read more at www.aumag.co.uk 2521 i y Slip out of rerealit gwendolyne knight ponders the stuff of day dreams

st people, upon which become active when dreaming. Both Mo reading the phrase engage in aimless thinking without sensory ‘altered states of consciousness’, input, and both involve disjointed thoughts are likely to think first of that are often centred on the self. Studies psychotropic have also shown parallels between brain drugs. activation patterns of the default network and Whatever dreaming. Although these studies do not yet your appear unified on the extent of these parallels, stance on the Domhoff suggests that, on the condition of likes of lsd, more empirical evidence, dreams could be there is one thought of as a more sophisticated, “form of altered state of consciousness mind wandering.” that we all The degree of continuity between dreams experience: sleep, and waking life is one of the foremost debates and with it comes dreams. in the scientific study of dreams. It was The reasons we presented clearly in a discussion between dream—and what these Allan Hobson of the Harvard Medical dreams mean —remain School, and Michael Schredl of the Central contentious not only among Institute for Mental Health in 2011. Dreams Diana Marosi dream researchers but are discontinuous, according to Hobson, also in the public consciousness. because rather than drawing upon waking Professor Wiseman Some individuals try to attribute meaning life experience the brain creates original will be speaking about to dreams, while others attest that they have but relatively everyday content that, when no purpose. Prominent dream researcher dreams, dreaming not so bizarre as to be completely unreal (e.g. Professor Domhoff from the University of flying), projects forward rather than reflects and Dream:on at California, framed the issues in ‘either- backwards. Continuity theorists, however, the British Science or’ terms: either dreams are nonsense or emphasize the possibility of metaphors in Festival in Aberdeen they are deeply meaningful, and either dreams. Although bizarre dreams seem to they serve no purpose or they possibly fulfil on 8 September 2012. be rare, in many cases they can be explained some important adaptive function. Despite by metaphors. Flying in one’s dream, for the linking of function and meaning in Dream:ON website: popular culture and pseudoscience, Domhoff instance, often correlates with people who http://dreamonapp.com suggests they might in fact be independent of experience feelings of elation. one another. Increasingly, evidence indicates As we learn more and more about that the mind may in fact engage in dreaming how dreams function, we creep closer for no other reason than that has the capacity to understanding our own states of to do so. consciousness, and even how to influence An area of dream research that has begun these states. Well known psychologist to produce more definitive results has asked Richard Wiseman of Hertfordshire University the question, where in the brain do we has turned his attention to dreaming, and dream? Pinpointing this has the potential initiated a mass participation experiment to tell us more about how dreams are this past April aimed at influencing dreams formed, and how dreaming may be linked using an iPhone (and soon Android) app to other states of consciousness. Domhoff called Dream:on. The app senses body has described the possibility of a, ‘neural movement, and once the body is still (a substrate for dreaming’. In other words a signal for rem sleep) it begins playing a network of spatially distinct areas of the brain ‘soundscape’. The idea is for the soundscape that together function to enable dreaming. to influence the dreams of the sleeper. This substrate may be a subsystem of what is Another goal is to enable users to engage dreams known as the brain’s default network. in lucid dreaming, or the ability to remain could be What’s interesting about this default “ aware while one dreams. At the conclusion network is it also explores daydreaming. thought of When bored in a meeting, a person might of the dream, Dream:on awakens the sleeper as a more fantasise about the coming weekend; in that so that he or she can record their dream moment they are using their default network. in a ‘dreamcatcher’ database. Wiseman sophisticated Domhoff and others have found a told the Daily Mail following the launch convincing overlap between the areas of the of the project: “Despite this, we know form of mind brain which alter wakeful consciousness very little about how to influence dreams. wandering. towards day dreaming, and those areas This experiment aims to change that.” ■ ” Gwendolyne Knight is an Aberdeen graduate

Au AUTUMN 2012 22 GUEST ARTICLE Of politics and particles , Big Science is in big trouble, argues The Times dr. nicola davis. Do events at cern provide reasons for optimism?

e Higgs. Now so famous that we’ve on anticipation, with charismatic advocates the hunt Th dropped its last name. But was the working ceaselessly to convince politicians champagne-popping excitement of July 4th and the public that cern has something “ for the a glamorous farewell to further column to offer the layman. It has been quite a inches? And, in hushed tones now, has its success story. Capturing the imagination higgs has gracious appearance at cern really changed of newspapers, radio and social media, the shown that anything? hunt for the Higgs has achieved something The experimental evidence of this elusive rather special in today’s research climate. It big science boson is undoubtedly a triumph for the has managed to convince an audience that standard model, confirming rather than can and does understanding is as exciting and beneficial changing our current view of the mechanism achieve its by which we, and anything we interact with, a target as application. But it is more than have mass. But arguably it is the political that. The discovery is a confirmation, an goals. implications of this discovery that will carry affirmation, that big science can and does the most weight. achieve its goals. ” Big Science is in trouble. The end of And in today’s delicate financial climate, the cold war and subsequent periods of this boost will be felt far beyond the lhc. recession have cooled political enthusiasm Deep in the South of France 90 hectares of for high cost, super collaborations since land have been scooped out by bulldozers, the Manhattan Project first showcased foundations laid and construction begun their might in the Trinity test of 1945. In to create an enormous nuclear fusion 1993, the world’s largest particle accelerator, facility. Originally called The International the Superconducting Super Collider, was Thermonuclear Energy Reactor, iter is cancelled after nearly two billion dollars had designed to produce ten times the energy been spent on the project and 23 km of tunnel it consumes by fusing hydrogen nuclei to had been excavated in central Texas. And produce helium, mimicking the very process only last year, construction of the enormous that keeps the sun burning. James Watt Space Telescope narrowly A fairly worthy goal, you may think. Yet escaped being cancelled amid drives to cut costs by the us government. iter has struggled with financial stability: “We want to make the next step towards a emergency funding was finally found by really unified view of nature and it’s a tragedy the eu in April this year amid escalating to imagine that this is going to come to an construction costs. And the outlook is far end in our own time.” Nobel Laureate Steve from bright, with discord within the eu Weinberg said in his address to the World rumbling on about future outlay. Science Festival last year. The Higgs boson itself may well have Large-scale projects suffer from a host of reached its pinnacle of glory, but it has secured problems. Competition for research funding for big science a sense of fundamental is cutthroat, meaning that it is rare to find worth in high-risk blue skies united support from the scientific community projects. iter and other scientific for huge long term, expensive projects. As collaborations must capitalize on Weinberg put it “There are scientists who this wave of public enthusiasm are not particle physicists who feel that the for such experiments to garner money being spent on expensive things like support from politicians and accelerators would be much better spent in funders. For as Weinberg reminds other fields of science, for example, their own us “No scientific discovery fields.” And with such projects bearing a price is remotely as important to a tag of billions of dollars, governments are legislator as the economic interests understandably reluctant to be seen to pour of his or her own constituents.” It money into a black hole of scientific inquiry. is vital to invite all those who Which is why the appearance of the Higgs contribute financially to feel a boson has been heralded with such fanfare. part of the process of discovery— Since the much ballyhooed creation of the something that cern excelled at. World Wide Web, cern has been running And that could change everything. ■ , Dr. Nicola Davis writes for The Times Eureka Magazine

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Read more at www.aumag.co.uk BOOK REVIEW Inspiring ink

A tat or two? carl zimmer’s Science Ink demonstrates the intriguing creativity of the energised mind

MY TATTOO e white coat, the safety goggles, Garcia who submitted an image of her entropy Above: My research centres Th the unkempt hair. Arguably, all tattoo to Zimmer’s blog in 2008. The tattoo around conflict in deer attributes of the stereotypical scientist, but that signified her transition from an English major management. I also like stereotype is undergoing review. Scientists photographing deer in to a Chemistry one. However, four months my spare time! are increasingly moving into the public later Abigail’s mother wrote on the blog that eye, branching out to showcase additional her daughter had been killed in a car accident talents in music, literature and even comedy. and that in memory of her daughter she would Review by No longer shying away in a dusty lab corner be getting the same tattoo the following week. gina maffey science is stepping out and expressing itself. A year later another lady wrote on the blog that she had found out that her mother had received AMY HAYWARD, PHD Abigail’s lungs in a transplant following the STUDENT IN PSYCHOLOGY Below: I would get the outline of crash. As Zimmer writes, “Life and memory the dopamine molecule. It is so alike defy the relentless grind of entropy”. important to brain function. It's nice to There are plenty of other examples of look at, too, and quite subtle. people that have been inspired to get a tattoo following a move towards science, either as a career change or as a new way of thinking. But Zimmer doesn’t just look at what has motivated people to get the tattoo; he also provides short, succinct explanations of the science behind them as well. Covering all manner of topics the reader is taken on a journey from the discovery of the benzene ring to the cause of mass extinction events. This integration of science, art and the individual keeps the stories both fresh and compelling. HEATHER DORAN, PHD So compelling that despite being conveniently STUDENT IN MEDICAL SCIENCES broken up into disciplinary chapters it is easy Above: If I was brave enough, I might to find yourself reading from cover to cover. get the chemical symbol for oestrogen In fact, this is just what I did. Intending as a tattoo. Although thought of as a 'female' hormone, it is present in men, to read the book over the course of a week I although in smaller amounts. started and did not put it down until I had read My PhD investigates how it it all, and that made me wonder, if I were to exerts its effects in the body. get a tattoo what would I have? For years I have wanted one but for whatever reason have £16.99 always found an excuse not to. So as I come rrp in to the last year of my PhD is now the time And as Carl Zimmer demonstrates in his to start thinking about getting a permanent newest book, Science Ink, the researcher’s tribute to the past few years? I posed the same body has also become a canvas for scientific question to the Au team and throughout this appreciation. article you can find examples of their tattoo The story started in 2007 when Zimmer, ideas, elements of their research that have after noticing a professor friend had a dna inspired or motivated them to continue down KIRSTY NUTT, PHD tattoo, posted a question on his blog The STUDENT IN ECOLOGY the long academic road. Above: I picked a seed from a Loom asking if there were any other scientists Like the tattoos in Science Ink each of these species of dipterocarp tree out there with tattoos. The response was images contains a personal significance found in Southeast Asian overwhelming, and Science Ink is the outcome. that may not be immediately visible to the rainforests because I am Lying somewhere between a picture book and reader, and Zimmer successfully manages to investigating their reproduction. a popular science read Zimmer manages to present these individual stories as a striking Most dipterocarp species don't flower every year but only in balance striking images, human interest and catalogue of scientific feats and discovery massive synchronised events; scientific explanation. etched on the human body. This leaves the at my field site, the mass- While many of the stories offer light- reader with a final question though: which flowering in 2010 was the first hearted recollections of the tattoos there are a scientific discoveries of today w ill we be seeing one in 14 years! few that strike a chord, notably that of Abigail on the bodies of researchers tomorrow? ■ Gina Maffey is a PhD student in ecology

Au AUTUMN 2012 24 Fractals on the mind

Fractals are complex irregular shapes with surprising applications. christina mcleman explains

e shape of the human brain and structure of river networks is 1.85. Th a bolt of lightning may appear to Therefore, they are quite close be completely unrelated. They do, however, to being space-filling. However, share common mathematics. Along with we only measure the dimension rivers, cauliflowers, blood vessels and many of the surface stream network. In reality, other natural phenomena, they are fractals. there are many sub-surface streams, which Fractal mathematics has been in development also help to drain the catchment area. since the 17th century, but it wasn’t until the Therefore, the complete surface and sub- 1970s when the term ‘fractal’ was coined surface river network will drain the entire by Benoît Mandelbrot, the ‘father of fractal catchment area and thus the network can be geometry’. considered to have a fractal dimension of two. What is a fractal? Geometric shapes may Another important property of fractals is be one-, two- or three-dimensional, like lines, self-similarity, which can be either visual squares and cubes. A fractal is a complex or statistical. If a shape is visually self- irregular shape that resists traditional similar, this means that magnifying any geometric analysis: we cannot measure part of the shape will produce an image that the length of a fractal with a ruler, for is exactly like the unmagnified shape. This example. Many other fields of mathematics type of self-similarity is normally found in are required to define and analyse fractals mathematically generated fractal shapes. accurately. Statistical self-similarity is found mostly One important property of fractals is a in nature. In this case, when we zoom into fraction known as the fractal dimension, part of the shape we do not get an image which describes how their intricate that looks exactly like the original shape. structures fill space. The more convoluted a Instead, we get an image that has the same fractal becomes, the more space it fills and mathematical properties as the whole image. the higher its fractal dimension. A shape with These mathematical properties include the a fractal dimension of 1.6, for example, could fractal dimension. An example of this is be drawn on a flat two-dimensional surface, the coastline. If we zoom into any coastline, but would fill less space than a shape with a we will extract more and more detail. The fractal dimension of 1.8. zoomed-in image will not look like the The closer the fractal dimension is to two, original one, but it will have the same fractal the more of the two-dimensional plane it fills. dimension. If the object fills the entire plane, it is known An interesting aside here is the coastline as space-filling. The same theory applies paradox. This states that the length of a to objects with fractal dimensions between section of coastline depends on the length of two and three: the closer the dimension is the ruler we use to measure it. If we measure to three, the more of the three-dimensional a length of coastline with a ruler one-mile in space the object fills. length, we would get a much shorter result This property can be illustrated by river than if we were to measure the same section networks. All input to the catchment area of of coastline with a foot-long ruler. The reason a river is eventually drained out by streams. behind this is to do with self-similarity. As The characteristic dimension for the we zoom into the coastline, we are revealing

BUILDING A FRACTAL_ From left to right: This_fractal_ _is named after Koch,_the_ _Swedish mathematician_ _who discovered it in 1904._ _The pattern is constructed by_ _dividing each line segment_ _into three and then replacing_ _the middle third with two_ _sides of an equilateral_ _triangle. Repeating this_ _process leads to ever greater_ _levels of complexity and a_ _fractal dimension of 1.26._

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Read more at www.aumag.co.uk more nooks and crannies whose length can branch many times to form a self-similar be measured by the foot-long ruler but is pattern. The main function of the axon is to completely missed by the mile-long ruler. transmit electrical signals to other neurons As we continue to decrease the ruler size and the purpose of the dendrites is to receive towards zero, in theory the length of the signals from other neurons. The self-similar coastline will tend towards infinity! structure allows all neurons to be well We do not find ‘true’ fractals in nature. connected and hence very efficient. We cannot zoom into an object infinitely like we can with mathematically generated fractals, we can only scale over a finite FRACTALS IN THE BODY range. Therefore, nature is only approximately fractal. It is for The outer surface of the human brain cortex this reason that we do not have is an intricately folded structure consisting coastlines of infinite length. mostly of grey matter (the bodies of neurons) with an approximately self-similar pattern of ridges (gyri) and depressions (sulci) and FRACTALS IN THE BODY a fractal dimension between 2.2 and 2.6. Any changes to the brain structure due to ageing The networks of blood vessels in the human or disease can be quantified by the fractal body are structurally very much like rivers. If dimension. Children have brains with higher we work upstream from the mouth of a river fractal dimensions than adults. Patients to the source, we find that at several points with schizophrenia have brains with higher the river branches from one stream into two fractal dimensions than healthy brains. This streams. Every time the network branches, makes sense because it is known that there the new streams are smaller both in length is a loss of brain tissue in schizophrenic and in width. The river network is statistically patients and this is thought to make the self-similar and this is also true of networks brain surface more convoluted. Therefore, in the human body. This property allows the the fractal dimension is a tool which can be networks to penetrate further into areas of used to quantify differences in brain anatomy the body to transport oxygen and blood and between different subject groups. Scientists to remove poisonous carbon dioxide more hope that one day the fractal dimension could efficiently, thus helping to keep us fit and be used to diagnose brain diseases along with healthy. other techniques such as mri. Another important part of the human Fractals are almost everywhere. They body is the central nervous system, which are all around us in nature and even inside transmits sensory and motor information our own bodies. Knowing that a process through neurons. Each neuron consists of a or an object is fractal gives us access to single axon and many dendrites that extend a range of mathematical tools to help us from the main cell body (the soma) and investigate its function and behaviour. ■

FRACTAL DELTA_ Right: River networks develop_ _a fractal dimension_around_ _2.0 because they drain_ _a complete 2D area._ _IMAGE: NASA._

Christina McLeman is a PhD student in physics

26 PUZZLES

Au Science Wordsearch N°. 1

Clues 1. Sigmund — (1856 – 1939): 11. Chamber in the heart (9) Founder of psychoanalysis (5) 12. Famous Australopithecus 2. Animal between zygote and skeleton (4) foetus (6) 13. Swinging weight studied by 3. Michael — (1791 – 1867): Galileo (8) English physicist (7) 14. Common pathogenic 4. Machine (5) bacterium (abbrev.) (1, 4) 5. Greek empiricist 15. Johannes — (1571 – 1630): philosopher (9) German astronomer (6) 6. Charge-carrying particle (8) 16. William — (1578 – 1657): 7. Empty space (6) English physician (6) 8. The sun, planets 17. Common calcareous rock (9) and moons (5,6) 18. Simple test of chemical 9. Photosynthesizing concentration (9) organelle (11) 19. Marie — (1864 – 1934): French- 10. Second-most common element Polish physicist (5) Wordsearch by Sean McMahon. Solution: aumag.co.uk in the universe (6) 20. Organism's environment (7)

Riddle eginning of eterni the b ty, th every end and t at is e en g of he end Wh d o nnin of eve f ti begi ry place? me and space; the

Craig Munro

Craig Munro is an illustrator and graphic designer living in Aberdeen. Contact him at www.craigmunro.co.uk

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Read more at www.aumag.co.uk 2527 FROM OUR SPONSORS Planning Success

oceaneering discuss how they ensure offshore services run as well as the London Olympics

it is vitally e success of the London Olympics their disciplines and then included within the Th was not due to chance, but was a plan to ensure that the asset is safe to operate. “important result of effective, integrated, planning. The master plan is a live document The planning was to ensure the venues and constantly evolves as it is subject to that planning were ready on time, logistics were all thought constant change. This overall plan is is an integral about in sufficient time and, constant review constructed by combining all discipline and fine-tuning both prior to and during led plans running in parallel to each other. part of the the event. Plans took account of thousands A sample of the type of plans incorporated offshore of activities in order to assure a successful within the master plan includes: conclusion and a fantastic Olympics. culture. The offshore oil and gas industry relies • Production Plans ” on similar principals of planning activities • Maintenance Plans on a daily basis for what is a very high- • Integrity Management Plans risk environment to work in. Gary Hare, Oceaneering’s Planning Discipline Lead All of the above require resource allocation eginning of eterni believes, “it is vitally important that planning together with materials, transport to the asset the b ty, th every end and t at is e en g of he end is an integral part of the offshore culture”. along with, what is often a controlling factor, Wh d o nnin of eve f ti begi ry place? Not only is the environment difficult for the bed space on board the facility. Balancing me and space; the personnel who work offshore but, it is also the needs of the above plans with the limited difficult to supply the assets with all the number of bed spaces available on each required services they need to maintain asset and the limited number of specialist production in a safe and timely manner. resources required often proves to be a While the cost of failure for the Olympic challenge, but it is a challenge that must be committee may have been delayed events, overcome to assure safe ongoing operations. in the case of offshore facilities the cost In addition, within each of these plans of planning failure may result in higher will be their own critical path items that risks to personal safety, environmental need to be completed by certain dates damage, or interruptions to production. and this is where good planning and It is, therefore, incredibly important that communication skills come in to their own. there is a robust plan in place which is flexible Operators typically rely on a number of enough to withstand the unavoidable changes key contractors working in conjunction with in requirements. To enable safe conditions THE OLYMPIC STADIUM: their own personnel in order to implement for production there are various elements Image: Gerard McGovern from all the necessary activities. Typically, these London, United Kingdom within the plan, which have to be considered. all come together within a plan within These elements are normally categorised by the Operators Management Information System (mis). Within the mis all components monitoring, permitting informed and all activities required are stored. decisions to be rapidly taken on The mis not only forms a key part of required actions, thus optimising the the planning process but also becomes availability of plant through visible an invaluable repository for historic control and effective management. records on maintenance and inspection This tool enables the user to activities, which provides a clear carry out a Risk Based Assessment (rba) of auditable trail on offshore activities. an asset by using the latest data concerning that individual component health. The data is ACET THE CONTRATOR’S ROLE entered in to the software within this system Tasks Management Risk Based allowing actions required to maintain or Primavera Plan Implemented Information System Assessment As a key contractor, Oceaneering provides enhance the life expectancy of a particular integrity and inspection services to a asset to be planned. Through constant (RBA) Process review within acet risks are effectively number of operators around the globe. But, managed, and the output requirements can Oceaneering does not only supply services be directly entered in to the operators mis. when requested. Like all key contractors Typically, the requirements supplying services within Master Plan of the output risk based plan the Oil and Gas market; oceaneering require intervention by third Oceaneering is required to provides parties. For example, in order act in a proactive manner, “ to inspect a component it is in providing detailed integrity and not only essential to ensure 5 year Resources implementation plans for inspection that competent personnel are input to Operators mis. made available at the facility for Gateway Equipment To assist the process services for the duration of the activity, Plan Cost Oceaneering has around the often specialist equipment developed its own system needs to be transported on for managing asset globe. to site. Similarly, following Integrity, referred to as the inspection the site may need Asset Condition Evaluate Tool (acet). This to” be re-instated to its original condition. 2 year Resources tool is used to determine needs, store data Where third parties are involved, they need and assess information regarding integrity, to be made aware as early as possible so as for Gateway Equipment by both operators and support companies. not to delay the planned work. Further to Plan Cost As an integrity tool, acet is able to assess the this, the operators own operations teams failure threats on offshore components, both may need to be involved to ensure there are age related such as corrosion and fatigue, and no detrimental consequences on production. non-age related threats such as overload and One days lost or deferred production may impact. acet then assists in the assessment cost an operators tens, or even hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost revenue. 1 year Resources of the risk and facilitates inspection and As the plan remains live and is subject to monitoring assignment to ensure sufficient Pressure for Gateway Equipment change until completion, close monitoring data can be collated for review and assurance Systems and checking of activities within the Plan Cost of safe ongoing operations. The system stores operators mis on a regular basis is essential, a collection of information relating to the and any consequence of change in activities, Structures equipment design (materials, calculations, such as delays or deferment, needs to be schedules, classes, drawings) within its communicated to all parties involved. comprehensive library of look-up tables. In Regular meetings are required to discuss Sub Sea 12 week Resources addition to a variety of modules, which are these ongoing changes and the effects they Pipe Lines used to store and assess the various data are having on what may at first appear to be for Gateway Equipment formats gathered through inspection and unrelated activities within the overall plan. Plan Cost

RIGHT: Chess, a game of strategy and planning. Emma Line. flickr. 6 week Resources for Gateway Equipment Plan Cost

2 week Resources for Gateway Equipment Plan Cost

Au AUTUMN 2012 Like this? Support us at www.aumag.co.uk 29 A typical high level planning process is shown highlighting the need for various plans on differing timescales, which each tie in with the mis in order to ensure everyone is fully informed on upcoming requirements. The process for compiling and managing plans within the master plan consists of a number of ‘gateways’. The gateways ACET are defined as the criteria by which the Management Primavera Plan Tasks Risk Based individual tasks within a particular plan Implemented Information System must comply with before they are allowed Assessment to proceed to the next gateway in the master (RBA) Process plan. If the tasks do not comply with the gateway criteria then they are not allowed to move to the next gateway in the plan. The gateways are there to ensure that all Master Plan the information required to complete a task is in the right place at the right time. THE PROCESS The process itself is subject to constant 5 year Resources change as it is continuously reviewed for Gateway Equipment against best practice, through a procedure Plan Cost called the Forward Improvement Plan fip within Oceaneering. The fip records all suggested changes to the processes or procedures currently used, including changes by legislation, changes in best practice, general comments from users and 2 year Resources recoding of the evolution of the processes. for Gateway Equipment The net result is assurance that Plan Cost activities occur when anticipated, leading to a safer environment for oil and gas workers, while ensuring continued production. While not as spectacular as the London Olympics, the value of proper offshore planning can easily be seen. ■ 1 year Resources Pressure for Gateway Equipment

Systems Plan Cost LEF T: A typical planning process Structures

Sub Sea 12 week Resources Pipe Lines for Gateway Equipment Plan Cost

6 week Resources for Gateway Equipment Plan Cost

2 week Resources for Gateway Equipment Plan Cost

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