I,SCIENCE editors-in-chief THE SCIENCE Nicola guttridge MAGAZINE OF Douglas heaven IMPERIAL COLLEGE I,SCIENCE Deputy editor Peter larkin design & Layout peter larkin pproaching mid-Sep- academic year, but wish good luck to tember is bittersweet next year’s editorial team in making Editorial assistants for this year’s edito- their mark on the magazine, as we siobhan chan rial team; we have now feel that we have done. It would not vanna barber A completed our MSc have been possible without the help courses with the Science Commu- from all of our writers, contributors, News Editor nication Group, and will be leaving assistants, editors and proofreaders Conor McKeever Imperial College for pastures new. It – so a big thank you to all who have is fitting, then, that we go out with a lent us their time. We hope you’ve Sub-editors bang – and bring you this issue en- enjoyed this year’s issues of I, Science Helen Wilkes tirely dedicated to science commu- magazine, and read on to enjoy this Lorna Stewart nication, its activities, aims, achieve- one! Julia Robinson ments, and all other facets of the Jade Hoffman field. We’re also sad that this is our Samuel Cavenagh last instalment for the 2011-2012 Nicola, Douglas & Peter Proofreaders Conor McKeever Karin Valencia Julia Robinson Maciej Matuszewski This issue ofI, Science is funded by neering medical research. After his Helen Wilkes the Wellcome Trust, in conjunction death, Wellcome’s will provided for Mimi Li with the 21st birthday of Imperial the creation of the Wellcome Trust. Josh Howgego College’s MSc in Science Commu- Alice Goodyear nication. Today the Trust focuses its fund- Rayner Simpson ing on three key areas of activity: The Wellcome Trust is an inde- supporting outstanding research- Social Media pendent global charity dedicated to ers, accelerating the application of Lucy Van Dorp achieving improvements in human research, and exploring medicine siobhan chan and animal health. The Trust sup- in historical and cultural contexts. vanna barber ports biomedical research, and work Its research challenges pressing and in the medical humanities. Their fundamental problems that confront breadth of support includes pub- human and animal health. These lic engagement, education and the research areas include maximising application of research to improve the health benefits of genetics and health. genomics, understanding factors that Cover Design & Illustrations affect ageing and chronic disease, by peter larkin The trust was founded by Sir understanding the brain, combating Henry Wellcome (1853-1936). A infectious disease, and connecting I Science, Felix Office, Beit Quadrangle, businessman, collector and philan- environment, nutrition and health. PrinCe Consort Road, London, SW7 2BB thropist, he was born in the Ameri- Written by Vanna Barber can Wild West but ended his days Tel: 020 7594 8072 Email: [email protected] as a knight of the British Realm. Wellcome co-founded a multina- Printed by: tional pharmaceutical company, and Bishops Printers, Walton Road, Portsmouth, he invested his profits in collecting Hampshire, PO6 1TR historical objects and funding pio- 1 I, Science www.isciencemag.co.uk COVER FEATURE IMPERIAL NEWS Highlights from Science communication 3 the College Introduction on PAGE 9 World NEWS News from contents beyond Imperial 11 Science communication at imperial 5 Stephen Webster reflects on the past 21 years of Imperial College’s MSc in Science Communication. imperial Festival 13 engaging the public Reviewing Imperial’s “No ‘one size fits all’ in terms of how a university can best support its community”. 7 first festival 15 Science behind the photo A look at one of Hubble’s most impressive images and its role in science communication. Science policy Have priorities 17 what’s all this science journalism for? changed or not? Felicity Mellor explores whether science journalism aims 25 to inform, educate, or evoke an emotional response. 18 science, radio & culture Rachel Souhami Gareth Mitchell looks at the relationships between science, society, geek culture and radio over the last twenty years. On interacting and engaging with objects 19 an interview with... 27 Wendy Barnaby discusses the changing world of journal- ism, and how she prepares students for it. Alice bell 28 For a visual anthropology of science On not being Bob Sternberg reflects on how the world of science is por- trayed through the media of film. 29 afraid to disagree www.isciencemag.co.uk I, Science 2 Imperial News Section Editor: Conor McKeever NEWS FROM IMPERIAL COLLEGE Imperial reaps research rewards at New 35-storey Imperial campus gets go-ahead Royal Society mperial College has been as an ongoing part of Imperial’s outreach t their Anniversary Day given the green light by programme. Imperial College, already a meeting in November, the Hammersmith and Fulham major employer in the borough due to its Royal Society, Britain’s most I council to build a new multi- biomedical research centre at Hammer- prestigious scientific institu- use campus on a former BBC smith Hospital, is now expected to create A tion, will award five Imperial site in White City. an additional 3,200 permanent jobs on site College scientists with some of its most The planned development of the 20,000 with this campus. highly regarded medals, awards, and prizes. square metre campus – dubbed Imperial But the proposal is receiving opposition This year the Council of the Society West – forms phase two of the College’s from some of the local residents, who fear chose Emeritus Professors Tom Kibble regeneration, which aims to provide more that the 35-storey campus will dominate FRS (Physics) and Andrew Holmes FRS teaching, research and accommodation the area’s skyline and alter their communi- (Chemistry) to receive one of three Royal facilities to meet growing demand. In ad- ty. The design, by Aukett Fitzroy Robinson Medals each. Kibble will receive an award dition to 606 self-contained postgraduate and PLP Architecture, comprises seven for his work in the 1960s that led to the flats, which form part of the first phase buildings and a 141-metre tower that is set now almost-discovered Higgs boson, while of development, the second phase of the to be the tallest building in the borough. Holmes will receive his for contributions Imperial West project includes plans for Project director John Anderson says Im- to polymer chemistry and organic plastic a hotel, sports and teaching facilities, an perial West “will improve the urban envi- electronics. underground parking complex, and retail ronment, visual appearance and access to Professor Jenny Nelson (Physics) won spaces. a site which had been closed to the public the Royal Society Armourers and Brasiers’ With a broader aim of redeveloping the for many decades.” However, whilst Ham- Company Prize for her work in materials White City area, Imperial College has com- mersmith and Fulham council have given research for organic plastic electronics and mitted to putting £2.4 million towards the their approval for the project, some resi- low-cost solar cells. Professor Roy Taylor Crossrail project, and will invest a total of dents believe the plans to be unlawful and (Physics) received the Rumford Medal for £8 million in improving the accessibility of have threatened the authorities with court his groundbreaking research into lasers the site, forging better transport links and action over their decision. and fibre optics. Finally, Professor Molly providing open spaces for the community. Construction of phase two is set to begin Stevens was awarded a prize following Current plans for the Imperial West de- in early 2013 and, once complete, Imperial her 2012 Clifford Patterson Lecture titled velopment include a new nursery and edu- West will serve as a second major campus ‘Regenerating organs and other small chal- cational links with local secondary schools for Imperial College. JADE HOFFMAN lenges’. Julie Gould 3 I, Science www.isciencemag.co.uk Imperial News Anti-doping lab repurposed for research Imperial scientist into disease treatment ollowing an Olympic Games, A ‘phenome’ describes the entire mixture joins Mars many custom-built facilities of molecules in the body, found in our bod- are left to gather dust. How- ily fluids and tissues. By analysing a patient’s exploration ever, no such fate awaits the metabolic products, the centre aims to pro- F London 2012 anti-doping file a person’s biology according to not just headquarters in Harlow, Essex, which is al- their DNA, but the interactions between mission ready guaranteed a bright future. their genes and the environment. The site will be developed into the MRC- “Metabolic profiling will give us a new n Imperial geologist is one NIHR Phenome Centre, and is set to open dimension of understanding about the fac- of only two British research- in January 2013. Led by Imperial professor tors that contribute to disease,” says Profes- ers collaborating on NASA’s and future director Jeremy Nicholson, the sor Jeremy Nicholson. It may also provide Mars Science Laboratory biomedical centre will house an Imperial- us with “crucial information for predicting A project, which successfully led academic group that aims to explore the how individual patients are likely to re- landed the rover Curiosity on the red plan- characteristics of disease in order to devel- spond to treatment”. et’s surface in early August. Professor San- op more targeted and effective treatment. Researchers will look for ‘biomarkers’ in jeev Gupta joins John Bridges from the Uni- At present, the facility – provided by cells, molecules and genes, which may help versity of Leicester’s Space Research Centre GlaxoSmithKline and operated by King’s to explain why certain individuals are more as part of a 200-strong international team College London – analyses up to 400 urine susceptible to disease than others.