Issue 230 • 4 March 2011 reporterSharing stories of Imperial’s community Data city What can the digital economy do for us? > Centre pages iTunes u launch arTsfesT 2011 Professor Innovative Creative talents al fraser educational exhibited in on the resource week-long arts importance of showcases celebration on collaborations Imperial life campus with industry PAGE 3 PAGE 4 PAGE 10 2 >> newsupdate www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 4 March 2011 • Issue 230 imperial plans to charge £9,000 tuition fees Imperial confirmed in follows recommendations editOr’s corner mid-February its intention made by the College’s Fees to set fees at £9,000 for and Financial Aid Working Home and EU students Group, which is chaired strange for 2012 entry, subject to by the College Secretary, agreement by the Office Dr Rodney Eastwood, and happenings for Fair Access (OFFA), whose members include in order to maintain the the President of the Stu- excellence of the educa- dents’ Union, Alex Kendall. Being greeted by a pink tion the College provides In a message to staff, panther with a charity to students. Rector Sir Keith O’Nions students. Our message to its proposal to charge bucket at South Kensington The announcement explained the next focus for the outside world, though, £9,000 for tuition fees, tube station on Monday was made at the meeting the Working Group: “We must be that for those who alongside details of its morning and seeing an of the Court, Imperial’s still have a way to go in can manage Imperial’s plans for financial support array of fancy dress on formal stakeholder body, our considerations about courses, the College will for students, to OFFA in campus can only mean one on 11 February following what forms of financial aid work to ensure they can April. OFFA is expected to thing – raising and giving approval by the College’s would attract and support manage its costs.” inform the College of its (RAG) week has rolled Council. The decision the most able, but needy, The College will submit decision by mid-July. round again. Anything goes in this week of madness and I saw the RAG “hit squad” in action for myself Climate survey: Blow a bubble and last week while on my spot a contrail way to an interview. The Rector was walking ahead Meteorologists and other of me as I left the Faculty scientists are asking Building and, unbeknown everyone in England to to him, crouching behind take part in a new survey Professor Welton the Queen’s Tower was a exploring the impact we group of animal-masked have on our climate and goes to Mars students waiting for their how good we might be at prey to appear. As Sir adapting to its changes. In the 1 March edition of the Keith crossed the Queen’s Open Air Laboratories You can measure wind speed by blowing bubbles. Lawn the group encircled (OPAL) launches its Climate Imperial College Podcast, Professor him clutching cream pies Survey this month, led Tom Welton (Chemistry) talks on paper plates. They by the Met Office in collaboration with other OPAL partners. The data about the book, luxury item and paused tentatively before collected will play a key role in meteorological research. guest he’d take with him to launching into the attack, Dr Geoff Jenkins of the Royal Meteorological Society explained: Mars, and Science Communication pie-ing the Rector directly “We’re asking people to go outside and observe and measure the lecturer Gareth Mitchell in the face! In true Imperial weather. What they see and record will be useful in checking the style the students threw models we use for forecasting weather and predicting climate. and science writer Simon themselves into RAG week You don’t need any hi-tech equipment; just download a free sur- Singh discuss whether activities whole-heartedly. vey pack. You’ll be spotting plane condensation trails to measure air UK libel laws have Admirably, their purpose temperature and humidity, watching cloud movement to record wind failed science. behind providing some direction at cloud level, blowing bubbles to measure wind speed light relief on campus was and noting the clothes you wear to get a better understanding of to raise money that will be thermal comfort.” Visit: www. donated to various charities Imperial is the lead partner of OPAL and Dr Linda Davies (Envi- imperial.ac.uk/ including the children’s ronmental Policy) is the project’s director. She said: “Everyone can charity, Barnardos and the take part in OPAL by exploring and discovering the natural world media/podcasts sOs Children’s Village in around them. OPAL wants to inspire a new generation of nature lov- Bosnia-Herzegovina. ers and increase environmental awareness, which has both local Emily Ross, EDitoR and global relevance.” The new insights will complement and build on existing Reporter is published every three weeks during term time research into the potential impacts of climate change through the in print and online.The next twenty-first century. publication day is 24 March. —simon LevEy, CommuniCations anD DEvElopmEnt Contact Emily Ross: [email protected] To download a survey visit: www.opalexplorenature.org/climatesurvey 3 www.imperial.ac.uk/reporter | reporter | 4 March 2011 • Issue 230 >> newsupdate Imperial’s new itunes U channel Engineers and Blue Peter put Rapunzel to the test last month a team of imperial engineers developed a contraption made of human hair, enabling presenters from the world’s longest running children’s television programme to test the theory behind the fairy tale, Rapunzel. The producers of BBC TV’s Blue Peter approached Imperial’s Dr Andrew Phillips (Civil and Environmental Imperial College London’s new iTunes U – an educational resource that can be Engineering) to channel launched on 21 February, offer- used within the College community and ask him, and ing more than 700 pieces of audio and more widely. We’re keen for the amount of senior technician Blue Peter presenter Andy Akinwolere hangs from video content covering all areas of the content to develop and grow. We’re look- Ron Millward, the harness as co-presenter Barney Harwood College’s research, teaching and student ing forward to staff and students getting to help them demonstrates the strength of the ropes made of hair. activities. The channel allows users to involved, and creating and sharing their build a rig to test download audio and video clips, including content on College life and activities.” the strength of gems from the Imperial archive, scenes of — simon Watts, CommuniCations anD DEvElopmEnt human hair. The TV show wanted to see if hair could support the modern campus life, and interviews with weight of a person, as it did in the fairy tale, Rapunzel. In the fairy Explore Imperial’s iTunes U channel and find out academics about their research. how you can showcase your videos of Imperial life tale, Rapunzel throws her extremely long hair out of her window, First launched in 2007, iTunes U offers www.imperial.ac.uk/itunesu allowing a prince to use it like rope and climb into her room at the universities a global shop window to con- top of a tower to attempt a rescue. nect the public with their activities. Users “Part of the reason for working with Blue Peter on this across the world can tap into the expertise Which five videos are making the project is that we wanted to show a young audience that our of university staff and students or gain grade with the itunes u community? bodies manufacture really incredible materials like hair, which insight into life on campus. There are now has some amazing properties,” says Dr Philips. “For instance, more than 75,000 files available to down- 1 Christmas Lecture 2010: Chemistry for a hair can be as strong as aluminium and a full head of hair can load on iTunes U from over 800 institu- cleaner world, Professor Tom Welton support up to 12 tonnes in weight.” tions and, last year, iTunes U surpassed 2 Kohn Lecture 2010: Cell cycle control, After Dr Phillips’s team built the harness, incorporating 300 million downloads. Sir Paul Nurse ropes made of human hair, it was driven to the Blue Peter stu- Elizabeth Atkin, Digital Media 3 Discovering the quantum Universe: The LHC dio at the BBC Television Centre, where it was used to suspend Coordinator and one of the driving forces Project at CERN, Professor Tejinder Virdee presenter Andy Akinwolere one metre above the ground. behind the launch of the Imperial iTunes U 4 Molecular cooking is cooking, Dr Hervé This At the end of the TV experiment, the Imperial researchers channel, said: “Curating Imperial’s were awarded Blue Peter badges for their efforts. 5 Athena Lecture 2010: No escape from wealth of content for iTunes U has been stress, Professor Julia Buckingham —Colin smith, CommuniCations anD DEvElopmEnt a demanding project, but we hope that Watch the experiment: www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/bluepeter/videos/hairtest the work has paid off in the final product RaG week Rector’s away Day Director of RAG (Raising and Giving) Senior staff gathered for the Corporate Arguably it is the Week takes place every Rector’s Away Day on partnerships translation of our core year and sees students 18 February to consider a Dr Simon Hepworth, raising money for a range of topics of strategic activities – broadening in brief currently Corporate variety of good causes. importance to the College Partnerships Manager the reach and impact During the 2011 event, including tuition fees, out- for the Faculty of taking place over the reach activities and Imperial’s Engineering, has accepted of our education and week of 28 February, col- research priorities.