Michaelmas 2007 Newsletter 4
*Contents*
INFO
OPPORTUNITIES
-Have you got a tattoo?
-The College Ball Sustainability Project
EVENTS
-'SCIENCE OF THE SKIES: what the government needs to know in the fight
against climate change'
-The Ivory Tower Society talk October - "Blogs - The new Wisdom of Crowds?"
-Cambridge University Scientific Society Annual Founders' Dinner
-GOOD PILL HUNTING
-SUDAN PROTEST with MAJOR MPs
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*Info*
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*Opportunities
*Have you got a tattoo?
More importantly, have you got a tattoo you don’t like?
I’m a 3rd year Social Anthropologist researching my dissertation, and
looking to speak with anyone who has one or more tattoos or who’s had
tattoos in the past.
Hopefully none of you got it as wrong as this guy:
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/photos/uncategorized/tattoo1_1.jpg
(check spelling…)
Or this: http://www.bmeink.com/A30402/high/gmrjh83p.jpg (translation -
‘crazy diarrhoea’)
But if you’ve ever had niggling doubts about whether getting a tattoo
was the right decision, if you’ve hidden it away, if you’ve sought out
cover up work or laser removal because you dislike it so much or if you
think I’m just plain wrong and getting a tattoo was the best thing
you’ve ever done, I’d like to speak with you. I can offer free hot
drinks and biscuits for just a short amount of your time chatting to me.
If you’re interested please get in touch,
Thanks
Sarah Restarick
King’s College
scr49@cam.ac.uk
__________________________________________________________________________
The College Ball Sustainability Project can make a real difference to
the environmental impact of the largest events in the Cambridge
calendar. Balls are amazing occasions, but they also produce a fantastic
amount of waste. CBSP produces a comprehensive guide for ball committees
on making balls more environmentally friendly and sustainable. It also
provides an environmental consulting service, with advice on recycling,
reusable materials, ethical/fairtrade/local suppliers, and most
importantly recruiting, training and then leading a team of dedicated
recyclers for each event.
CBSP is also looking for somebody to take over as President of the
project. It's not a massive commitment but just involves coordinating
the committee, arranging meetings etc. If you're in need of CV points
then it's an ideal way to earn some!
If you're interested, please come to our next meeting on Tuesday 30th
October in the Godwin Room (staircase D), Clare College Old Court. If
you have any questions please get in touch: Anna Tristram
act46@cam.ac.uk, and visit
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*Events*
We hope you enjoyed our last event, "Why Women Are No Good At Science".
Following its success, The Triple Helix Cambridge now brings you:
'SCIENCE OF THE SKIES: what the government needs to know in the fight
against climate change'
Dr. Victoria Pope of the MET Office Hadley Centre
Law Faculty on Sidgwick Site, Room LG17
Tuesday, 30th of October, 5.30pm
Former Cambridge student and advisor to the government, Dr. Pope, draws
us through the ins and outs of climate change and illustrates the ways
in which these two great spheres - Science and Governance - collide.
What does the latest science tell us about climate change? Is the
government doing all it can to prevent environmental catastrophe? What
authority does science have in the shifting power struggles of today's
government?
Sky Science meets Gordon's Government. An event no politically-minded
scientist (or human being living on this earth) should miss.
For more information on The Triple Helix Cambridge please visit
www.camtriplehelix.com. For more information on the event, please email
events@camtriplehelix.com
__________________________________________________________________________
The Ivory Tower Society talk this week promises to be a highlight of the
term with a fantastic speaker; the radio presenter and online blogger
Bob Shingleton. Bob is publishing the talk online so come along and be
part of it!
Monday 29th October - "Blogs - The new Wisdom of Crowds?",
7.30pm Formal Hall with the speaker
9pm talk in the Nihon Room, Pembroke College
If you would like to attend dinner or would like to be signed up to the
Ivory Tower weekly emailing list please contact Clare Buckley (ceb85)
For further information visit http://www.srcf.ucam.org/ivorytower/
Abstract:
A respected journalist recently described music blogs as having a
"nutritional value lower than a bag of crisps". Yet despite a hostile
reception from established media, music blogs now reach a large
audience, and are essential reading for musicians, broadcasters and arts
administrators as well as CD buyers, music downloaders, and concert
goers.This presentation asks why music blogs are so successful, what
their impact is, and looks at the conflict between traditional
journalism and the new bloggers. A case study of a leading arts and
music blog is used to give quantitative data on readership and
geographic coverage, and show qualitative impacts including reactions
from readers, the media and contemporary composers.
The results of the analysis show high levels of readership among an
influential readership, and confirm that music blogs now influence
decisions including CD purchases, file downloads, radio listening
patterns and concert going, as well as being set as university course
assignments. The reasons for this are explored, including James
Surowiecki's theory of the wisdom of crowds, and new thinking in the
areas of robotics and group intelligence. Tips are also given on how to
create a successful blog.
It is concluded that the trends identified will continue, and that the
influence of music, and other, blogs will increase in the future. The
presentation considers possible future negative impacts from political
and legal intervention, as well as positive impacts including media
convergence and webcasting, which the presenter is actively involved in.
And in true new media fashion, the presentation will be uploaded onto
the author's blog at the end of the evening to allow the debate in
Cambridge to extend worldwide.
Biography
Bob Shingleton writes one of the most widely read arts and music blogs.
On An Overgrown Path (www.theovergrownpath.blogspot.com) is read daily
by decision makers in the arts, media and academic institutions around
the world, as well as by many consumers. His blog is just one example of
how the 'cottage industry' of blogging is punching well above its weight
in today's new media scene.Bob was at university in the turbulent years
between 1968 and 1971. He joined the BBC after graduating, and went on
to work for EMI and other media companies. He was an early advocate of
the internet, and worked closely with Amazon and other online retailers
on the development of their business models. Most recently Bob has
worked in the public sector advising on communications and new media
with a particular emphasis on educational, equality and justice related
applications. He lives in Norfolk and is a presenter on Future Radio
which broadcasts locally on FM and streams worldwide on the internet.
__________________________________________________________________________
Cambridge University Scientific Society Annual Founders' Dinner
Date: 3rd November 2007
Venue: New Hall College
Time: 7pm for champagne reception, followed by dinner at 8pm
Speaker: Professor Sir Tim Hunt, FRS
Ticket price: £32.50 per head including drinks
Join us for the flagship event of the Cambridge University Scientific
Society's year - celebrating the achievements of the Society in 2007 in
Cambridge black-tie style at New Hall College on November 3rd. Our Guest
of Honour and after-dinner speaker will be Professor Sir Tim Hunt, FRS,
who received the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for his work on
the cell cycle. Professor Hunt was for many years a member of Clare
College and the Department of Biochemistry at Cambridge, and we would be
delighted to have students, staff and members of the public join us in
welcoming him back. There will be excellent food and free-flowing wine,
and it's one of the first chances this year to break out the formalwear
at one of the most stylish and anticipated dates on the Cambridge
calendar.
Bookings can be made by credit card online at www.scisoc.com/dinner, or
by email to dinner@scisoc.com. Payment can also be made by cheque
payable to 'Cambridge University Scientific Society' and sent to
Kathryn Chung
Gonville & Caius College
Trinity Street
Cambridge, CB2 1TA
All students, staff and members of the public welcome, and tickets are
going fast, so book now!
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GOOD PILL HUNTING
13th-17th Nov, 7.30 @ Mumford Theatre, Anglia Ruskin
The Elective. A chance for medical students to roam free around the
world learning medicine. It is often an exciting and 'studious' time for
the clincial medics. But this year, for one group of elective students,
the dream goes bad. The modern world has some dangerously evil people in
it. None so much as the abominable MB-PhD students at Cambridge University.
Tickets: £10/(6) available from the Mumford Theatre Box Office 0845 196
2320
Raising money for the Gynae-Oncology Ward at Addenbrooke's Hospital.
This year's panto promises to be the best ever. We have professional
choreographers, a 20 piece band and a fantastic cast.
Many thanks
Alex Riding
(Panto Publicity Officer)
____________________________________________________________________
SUDAN PROTEST with MAJOR MPs
> When? Monday 29th November, 11:30am-3:00pm
> Where? Westminster, London -
Outside Lawrence Hall
The Royal Horticultural Halls Elverton St
Westminster
London SW1P
For information Call: 07725852398 Email: ac504@cam.ac.uk
On Monday 29th October (next Monday) the Sudan Finance and Investment
Conference will be taking place in Westminster, London. The purpose of this
conference is to encourage investment into the Sudanese oil sector, an
action that the UK parliament and City of London have strongly opposed.
Most of the money raised from such investments goes directly to fund the
genocide in Darfur, which has killed over 400 000 innocent people to date.
At the protest MPs from the three leading political parties will be
speaking (Martin Salter - Labour, Andrew Mitchell - Conservative and a
prominent Lib Dem MP to be confirmed).
For more information check out:
www.sficlondon.com
www.sudandivestment.org.uk
or search SUDAN PROTEST on facebook