ISSUE 1612 FRIDAY 9TH OCTOBER 2015 The Student Newspaper of Imperial College London An astronaut in You get a Nobel Prize, you get a Nobel our midst Prize, everybody gets a PAGE 3 NEWS PAGE 8 SCIENCE Nobel Prize! UNION TO CUT TIES WITH IMPERIAL HUB • Volunteering charity to continue work without union backing • Students complain they weren’t consulted • Funding confusion at root mperial College Union has chosen to end its formal agreement with the student volunteering scheme, Imperial Hub. This means that the Hub will Ino longer work with the union or have office space within the building. Not to be confused with Student Hub, which is the college’s student support service, Imperial Hub is a national charity that specialises in coordinating social enterprise projects and volunteering for students. It was founded in Oxford and now has bases at several universities. This decision was made by the union during the summer, by which time a new committee had already been elected. The committee are keen to convey that their projects will not cease because of this decision. The union quietly announced the drop in a cheery post on the 29th of September. Snappily titled ‘Introducing our New Approach to Student Development and Volunteering’, the post discusses continued on page 4 th PAGE 2 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk [email protected] Contents News 3 Editor-in-Chief Grace Rahman Comment 6 News Editor A word from the Editor Cecily Johnson Science 8 Comment Editor i there all, and welcome for me, even though 100 copies of Tessa Davey Music 11 to your brand new FELIX are obviously much heavier Science Editor FELIX. What d’you than say, a baby. Film 14 Jane Courtnell think? Wait, don’t tell As always, it’s not too late to get me, I can’t hear you. involved with FELIX this year. Arts 19 Arts Editors What a week we’ve had. It was our Whether you’re a newb to Imperial, Indira Malik, Jingjie H first legit issue after the Freshers’ or just hadn’t got round to writing Games 27 Cheng and Max special, which we managed to put for us yet, drop [email protected] Falkenberg in almost every hall bedroom. This a message saying hello. Even Puzzles 28 Music Editor involved a handful of us minibussing better, if you want to meet section Cale Tilford it around London and throwing editors, generally quiz us and have Hangman 31 copies out of the window like in the some pizza while you’re at it, come Film Editor beginning of a film set in American along to our social. It’s in our Sports 32 Fred Fyles suburbia. Well, not quite, we were shiny new newspaper office down helped by loads of hall seniors, in the basement of West Beit on Welfare Editor who we have hella love for. At one Monday 12th at 5pm(ish). There Noor Mulheron point I was taking copies of FELIX are no hierarchies to infiltrate since Puzzles Editor between Xenia in Waterloo and most of our editorial team are new think we’re missing something, FELIX, Beit Quad, Cem Hurrell Parsons House at Charing Cross this year, and we’ll offer you all the point it out, and most importantly, Prince Consort Road, Hospital on the tube, which made training you might want, so do drop if news is happening in front of London SW7 2BB Sports Editor for very bizarre travelling. Everyone by. We’re well friendly. Well, I am. your eyes, take a picture and let us Tel: 020 7594 8072 Kunal Wagle thought I was some sort of Evening Also, as a final reminder, don’t know, via Twitter (@feliximperial), Printed by Iliffee Print Standard distributor gone rogue, forget to use and abuse us. If you Facebook or the good old fashioned Cambridge, Winship Road, Copy Editors so no one would give up their seat have a complaint, tell us. If you email above. Don’t be a stranger! Cambridge Jack Steadman, Cecily Registered Newspaper ISSN Johnson, Ahmed Ibrahim 1040-0711 & Mattin Mir-Tahmasebi Copyright © FELIX 2015 Technical Babe Luke Granger-Brown Come and say hello! We’re having a social on Monday the 12th of October. 100% casual, meet and greet good times at 5pm. It’s in the FELIX office, in the West Basement of Beit. Come along if you’re a writer, photographer, web editor or programmer, potential puzzle maker, illustrator or pizza fan. We’re having pizza. felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 9th OCTOBER 2015 PAGE 3 NEWS [email protected] Real life astronaut to join Imperial staff The former chemist was born outreach, doing talks on her experiences of space travel. She in Yorkshire, went to space and was recently awarded a science outreach prize from the British now works for the College Science Association. With David Nutt, the Imperial academic sacked Grace Rahman as the next British recruit to be as a government advisor for saying Editor-in-Chief trained as an astronaut. that ecstacy was less dangerous than Now Dr Sharman will be riding a horse, returning to do a dealing with chemists at Imperial. Horizons lecture, could Imperial his week, Imperial Although the role is managerial, be banking on their new resident announced the she told college in an interview on astronaut to do a few talks herself? appointment of a new their website that, “the fact that I The trip that blasted Dr Sharman Operations Manager enjoy chemistry means I just feel to fame, and space, was a joint in the Chemistry department, who right having a home in a chemistry venture by British companies and happensT to have been to space. department”. the Soviet government. When In the late 80s, Dr Helen Sherman After returning from space, British firms didn’t have the was working for the confectionary Sharman focussed on science finances to complete the project, company, Mars, when she heard a and the British government would radio advert appealing for wannabe not invest, Russia made up the rest space explorers. By 1991, she was Dr Sherman of the money. aboard the Mir space station, Dr Sharman has spoken out on conducting experiments with was the first the British government’s reluctance Russian cosmonauts. to spend on space flight, saying that Dr Sherman was the first there are long term gains. In a 2009 Briton in space, and remains the Briton in interview with The Telegraph, she only one, since all other British said that space flight gives people astronauts have had to change their space, and “the feeling that Britain is not adds Imperial to her enviable CV. citizenship, and make the trip under getting left behind when it comes to the American flag. She is likely to remains the technology and worldwide status”. remain the only British woman This sounds pretty Imperial to us. to do so for a while longer, since Having worked for a chocolate the European Space Agency has only one company and then going on to be Only five hundred and thirty-six people have been to space, automatically chosen a male helicopter test pilot an astronaut, Helen Sharman now qualifying Sharman for BNOC status. Photo Credit: amsat-uk.org Imperial supercomputer is named ‘Helen’ Competition to find name honours first female professor at Imperial, Helen Kemp Porter Grace Rahman An analyst from the IT science throughout history”. Editor-in-Chief department, Kay Barrett, won the The supercomputer’s rebrand competition. On choosing the name, coincides with its recent upgrade. she said that Helen “really stood Opening up the naming process to he winning entry in a out” and that “as a woman working the college community has reminded competition to name in the technology sector, I thought everyone that Imperial does in fact one of Imperial’s it was important to recognise the have several supercomputers, and supercomputers has been contribution women have made to that they are available to Imperial announced, and it’s Helen. academics to test their models THelen Kemp Porter joined It was before asking for time with other Imperial’s Biochemistry department more powerful computers. in 1959, making her the first female important to The supercomputer, formerly professor at Imperial. This was a full known as CX2, has just been given ten years after Oxford and twenty recognise the more memory, with the competition after Cambridge appointed their being launched in celebration. first female professors. If Imperial This high powered computer is feels male dominated now, imagine contribution used to generate big data, analyse what it was like then. multifaceted models and predict the Porter was already a fellow of the women have outcomes of complex mechanical, Royal Society when she got the medical and structural set ups. job. The research group she headed made to After retiring from her post up at Imperial was one of the first at Imperial in 1964, Professor few to use chromatography to study science” Porter went on to the Agricultural metabolism in plants. Research Council. This Helen joined Imperial in 1959. Photo Credit: Smithsonian Institute Archives th th PAGE 4 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER 2015 PAGE 5 NEWS [email protected] NEWS [email protected] Goodbye, so long and thanks for all the Imperial says goodbye to popular academic Cecily Johnson in establishing a new laboratory. News Editor After a brief stint at the University volunteering of Oxford, Professor Segal returned Imperial Hub is no longer affiliated with Imperial College Union.