INK Magazine 2020

Ink 2 0 2 0

C H U R C H E R ’ S

C O L L E G E

Editorial When we brought forward the submission date of this year’s INK from Easter to the spring half term, in order to spread the school’s publishing workload better through the year, there was a concern that we may not have as many submissions as usual. Not only was this categorically not the case, but it also meant that all the submissions were in before the school was closed for the coronavirus pandemic, which was most fortunate.

In the December 1938 Churcherian, less than a year before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Speech Day report records the Headmaster highlighting the students’ ‘distressing ignorance of current affairs and of things that should be familiar to everyone’. It goes on to ‘beg the parents to cooperate actively… in encouraging their boys to interest themselves much more in what is happening in the world.’ When you have read this magazine I am sure you will agree that the girls and boys who have contributed to this year’s INK will give the Headmaster no reason to make a similar claim this year. Yet again, Churcher’s pupils impress with the range of their talents, interests and industry.

William Baker Head of Sixth Form

Cover by: Amy Gaisford

Contents 3-5

What is the significance of the political, economic and social changes that occurred during the Meiji Period?

Jamie Land

6-9

How far do you agree that a study of Russian government in the period 1855-1953 suggests that Russia did little more than exchange Romanov Tsars for “Red Tsars” in 1917?

Felix Williams

10-11

The Power of 2

Ben Ellett

12-13

How palm oil has affected Malaysia

Nathalie Sparks

16-18

Why Amy, not Jo, is the proto-feminist of Little Women

Zoe Blackburn

19-21

Electric Planes - the future or science fiction?

Max Rosenblatt

22-24

Nature in relation to architecture

Bella Mearns

25

Food for Thought – How is veganism affecting the economy?

Jack Ramseyer

26-27

A comparison of Western and Eastern Approaches to treatment of depression

Kyne Devinsh

28-30

Are referendums the best way of determining important political and constitutional questions?

Samuel Redfern

31

Fame or shame! Achilles’ choices in the Iliad

Gregor Breen

34-35

Comment les immigrés sont-ils représentés dans Kiffe Kiffe Demain? Est-ce un portrait négatif ou positif ?

Rose Giffin

36-37

The use and mechanism of general anaesthesia in medicine

Tommy Howells

38-39

The power of fine art in promoting brand identity in fashion:

Eleanor Joliffe

40

Transitioning from high carbon to low carbon

Ben Cooley

41

Is validity ever really achievable?

Erin Lewis

42-44

In what ways were the Russian media and Orthodox Church influential in the passing of the ‘Gay Propaganda Law’ of 2013?

Molly Steele

45-47

The psychological consequences of architecture a collection of thoughts and related research.

Tim Emmens

48-49

Can geoengineering solve the global warming crisis?

Molly Steven

52-54

CRISPR CAS-9: for good or for worse

Will Coni

55-57

Should unhealthy people be refused emergency organ transplant due to their lifestyle choices?

Alice Hewett

58

Natural disaster = economic destruction?

Freddie Anderson

59-61

Is the NHS heading into a snowstorm?

Elizabeth Church

62-63

Assess the validity of the view that the impact of fast fashion on water security is irreversible”

Jude Franklin

64-66

Biomimetics - the influence of nature on design

Charlie Morris

67

Two White Horses

Eve Rushin 2

What is the significance of the political, economic and social changes that occurred during the Meiji Period?

Jamie Land Upper Sixth

Emperor Meiji

The Meiji period (1868-1912) is one defined

by Japan’s rapid modernisation to emulate major western powers through extensive political, economic and social change.

Pre-Meiji Japan was characterised by growing domestic complications and fear of intrusion from foreign countries, who were attempting to open Japan following over 200 years of isolationism under the military autocracy of the Tokugawa shogunate. Such extended isolation saw the sword-wielding samurai warriors of Japan, who had become a ruling class of aristocrats after not seeing conflict in centuries, standing in the shadows of colossal US warships; Japan’s immaturity in comparison to the technological giants of the west resulted in unequal treaties becoming imposed on their backward nation. The ascent of emperor Meiji brought an end to the shogunate in an event known as the Meiji Restoration, kickstarting the marathon in catching up to western prowess. This essay will discuss the political, economic and social changes that occurred after the Meiji Restoration, and how significant they were in the modernisation of Japan.

the new imperial government with the administrative centre of Japan and giving the restoration leaders control over trade with the west. This allowed for the new government to modernise and defend Japan from external threats more efficiently. The formation of a strong national army and navy in 1871 also bolstered Japan against these threats, indicating to western powers that Japan was a respectable nation.

However, much of Japan’s weakness was connected to the lack of organisation in its political structure. Japan was a country divided by hundreds of domains, each controlled by an influential military figure known as a daimyo. Domains were economically self-sufficient, and each daimyo controlled a military of their own; they existed largely independently of the central government. One of the most significant political changes during the Meiji period was the abolition of this feudal structure; the daimyo gradually surrendered their lands to the emperor, in return being given governing roles until 1871 when their domains were officially replaced with prefectures, a system that remains to this day. As a result, Japan became unified under a central government.

The Meiji period’s political reforms continued with the creation of Japan’s first constitution in 1889 and the formation of the Diet, Japan’s parliamentary system, consisting of a cabinet, where members were directly appointed by the emperor, and a lower house elected by the Japanese people. This system initially seems to follow the patterns of a western government; however, the constitution was far from democratic. The emperor was considered sacrosanct; he had control over the army and navy and had the authority to dissolve the elected house at will. In addition, voting restrictions profoundly narrowed the voting population in Japan; roughly 5 per cent of adult males were eligible for voting, and women did not have access to the vote at all. Despite this, the revised political system undoubtedly produced a more democratic society and greater freedoms for the Japanese people than had existed previously.

One of the most significant political changes during the Meiji period was the abolition of this feudal structure.

The first act of the Meiji reformers in 1868 was to relocate the imperial capital from Kyoto to Edo, the centre of power of the former shogunate, which was renamed to Tokyo. This had the effect of aligning 3

The new Meiji government understood that they had to rapidly industrialise and promote economic growth to catch up to the technologically advanced western powers. The government invested in the development of infrastructure, such as

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transport and communication systems through railways and telegraph lines, which linked all major cities by 1880, and started up 53 different nationalised industries, including glass, iron and textiles. This became financially possible after the government withdrew the benefits that were paid to the Samurai class and by introducing agricultural tax reforms in 1873, where taxes were made monetary, rather than being based on rice.

These taxes provided the most substantial source of income for the government. However, whilst these agricultural reforms allowed farmers to own their own land and trade

their goods as they pleased, many were forced into tenancy, and others’ lands were seized due to their inability to fulfil the tax requirements.

The rapid investment in industry caused government funds to thin; private owners assumed control of Japanese industry, aided by the introduction of a Europeanstyle banking system and a unified currency, jumpstarting capitalism.

The government also wanted to discourage

The political and economic changes that occurred during the Meiji period had dramatic effects on the Japanese population.

Torii gates at a shinto shrine in Hakone, close to Mt Fuji

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the trade of foreign goods and support domestic industries to progress Japan further towards independence and defend it from western pressure. This was achieved through the introduction of import tariffs.

However, despite all the momentous economic reforms of the Meiji period, the Japanese economy was still heavily based on agriculture and lagged behind the industrial prowess of western countries.

The political and economic changes that occurred during the Meiji period had dramatic effects on the Japanese population, resulting in significant social change. For example, the rigid class structure that had accompanied the feudal system came under fire from the Japanese government after the abolition of domains;

generations would accept imperial authority without question. This imbued the future Japanese with a nationalistic fervour that would unite them and create a strong Japan.

However, it cannot be ignored that such changes may have contributed to the crimes that Japan committed in the second world war.

Samurai

removing the samurai class proved most challenging. The samurai had been an important clique during the time of the shogunate and were a deeply embedded part of Japanese society; the samurai class totalled almost two million at the beginning of the Meiji period. After the removal of their economic benefits, the samurai were less economically superior to the Japanese population.

On top of this, national conscription, introduced in 1873, demolished the military superiority that the samurai held as they no longer existed as the substance of the Japanese army.

Furthermore, symbols of the samurai class, such as traditional swords and samurai haircuts, were banned by the government in 1876, resulting in the effective disappearance of the samurai class; nothing distinguished the samurai from the Japanese population. Such changes helped to form a fairer society with a diminishing class structure. However, this also had the effect of agitating many conservative ‘ex-samurai’ who revolted against the Meiji government in 1877 with the Satsuma Rebellion, which was swiftly crushed by the Japanese military, bringing a definitive end to the arguably archaic samurai class.

under shared loyalty to the sovereign.

Simultaneously, alternative religions such as Buddhism were withdrawn from the spotlight and whilst Christianity was legalised in 1873, it was regarded with much suspicion by the government and was effectively only allowed to exist to prevent foreign criticism.

The Meiji government were staunch believers in the need for a more united Japan.

The Meiji government were staunch believers in the need for a more united Japan; religion played a pivotal role in this regard. The reinforcement of Shinto in Japan accompanied by the introduction of national deities to support the position of the emperor helped to unify the population

In 1872, an inclusive education system was created; the tenuous education under the shogunate only allowed the most wealthy and powerful to be educated. However, the new system made education widely accessible. Initially, this mimicked western institutions to create strong foundations for a more educated Japanese population; however, fears that Japan was losing its cultural identity in the 1880s led to the Imperial Rescript on Education in 1890. This instilled the moral education syllabus with Shinto and Confucian ideology, seeking to guarantee that future

The Battle of Shiroyama, the final battle of the Satsuma Rebellion

5

In conclusion, the political, economic and social changes that occurred in Japan during the Meiji period had a revolutionary impact on the position of Japan heading into the 20th century; the constitutional reforms and rapid industrialisation began to match it with dominating powers such as the United States. Earning the respect of the west culminated in the amendment of the unequal treaties that had established western privileges in commerce and diplomacy. Consequently, Japan had also become the most powerful nation in East Asia after its resounding victories in the Sino-Japanese war (1894-95) and RussoJapanese war (1904-05) brought much prestige to the empire. However, whilst there is no doubt in the strength of Japan as a nation after emperor Meiji died in 1912, bringing an official end to the Meiji period, it is arguable that many of their outdated, and arguably backward, social structures were not fully modernised until after the Japanese were finally defeated in 1945, American occupation beginning the next step in Japan’s journey towards modernisation.

How far do you agree that a study of Russian government in the period 1855-1953 suggests that Russia did little more than exchange Romanov Tsars for “Red Tsars” in 1917?

Felix Williams Upper Sixth From a theoretical perspective, there are few points of similarity to draw between the late-Tsarist and Soviet regimes.

Ideologically, they are opposed – at first glance, the market leaning, highly autocratic hereditary monarchy of Tsardom has nothing at all in common with the collectivised, socialist democracy that was the USSR. However, the de jure ideologies of the two regimes only tell a fraction of the story. In reality, the two eras had a vast amount in common; thus, the phrase ‘Red Tsars’ is an accurate epithet to describe the Soviet rulers. Beneath the superficial ideological differences, there are profound similarities. The actions of the governments in office, and their organisational structures, often suggest continuity, as does the attitude to reform of the regimes.

Differences do emerge in the regimes’ use of repression and terror. However, this difference emanates from the Soviets taking a more extreme version of the initial Tsarist tack, rather than the Soviets taking a completely different direction.

Therefore, Russia did little more than exchange Romanov Tsars for ‘Red Tsars’ – the primacy of the state over the individual was crucial for every government in this timeframe, and the absolute authority of such a state was similarly preserved. This exchange was not as simple as first glance might suggest. This lack of clarity is partly due to the (admittedly short) interlude of

the Provisional Government in 1917; as the existence of it certainly dilutes the claim that the exchange was a straightforward one.

One area of difference is within the ideologies of the two regimes: Marxism for the Soviets and ‘official nationality’ for the Tsarist regime - described by JN Westwood as ‘orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality’ which ‘provided ideological justification for the…actions of government’. Marxism has boundless confidence in humanity, believing that human nature can be moulded entirely by circumstance – indeed, given the right environment, human nature can be perfected. This view runs in stark contrast to the ideology of the Tsars. The leading thinker who codified the Tsarist ideology is Konstantin Pobedonostev, who took a dim view of human nature, particularly Russian human nature, saying ‘inertness and laziness are generally characteristics of the Slavonic nature’. He believed that a strongman ruler was needed to control and restrain intrinsically flawed humanity, which was fixed regardless of situation.

Another distinction arises between the ideologies on their view of society, the economy, and their development.

Marxists saw the ideal society as one that was classless and stateless – a set of decentralised communes with autonomy, where individuals inside a commune take from it what they need and give what they can in labour, which came into being through the dialectic. Contrastingly, Tsars viewed history ‘as the organic development of authoritarian tradition’ , rather than ‘as a process of class conflict, operating dialectically’ as the Soviets did. The Tsarist view of the state informs the Tsarist view of society; the Tsar’s primary function was to uphold the social hierarchy and ensure the welfare of the people.

The concept of hierarchy is absent from Marxism.

Indeed, the entire basis of Marxist ideology is to destroy it. The Marxist view of the economy is that the market, through the profit motive, exploits the proletariat by creating ‘surplus value.’ Exploitation is the justification for the overthrow of the capitalist system in a revolution. Opposed to this view is that of the Tsars - it was a ‘dream’ of Stolypin to dismantle the commune. Furthermore, the Tsars viewed the state as an expedient to ‘turbocharge’ the market-driven economy, as opposed to the Marxist view of the market as an expedient in a state-planned economy.

[T]he primacy of the state over the individual was crucial for every government in this timeframe.

Another difference in the sphere of ideology is the primacy of religion in the Tsarist era, which is virtually non-existent in the Soviet period. The Church ‘never rose in Russia to that commanding height which it attained in the Catholic West’ , but it was nonetheless central to the lives of everyday people. Orthodoxy was one of the main pillars of Alexander III’s ideology.

Marxists, by contrast, were passionate atheists who declared organised religion a tool of proletariat repression and that ‘it is the opium of the people’.

The two ideologies of the respective periods of government have next to nothing in common with each other.

Karl Marx

6

Alexander II

Ideologies begin with assumptions about human nature, and these two have entirely contrasting views. Marxism states the perfectibility of human nature and that society and the economy should eventually decentralise completely in a stateless, classless utopia. There is simply no area of agreement with the Tsarist view that humans are fundamentally bad and need an active state to control them. The Tsars believed in a hierarchical society in a market-driven economy – a far cry from the communist dream. The two regimes also had completely contrasting views on religion, which only helps to widen the gulf in their ideological differences.

While the two regimes were ideologically opposed, they were structurally more similar. Lenin’s regime had two executive bodies: Sovnarkom and the Central Executive Committee; controlled theoretically by the All-Russian Congress of Soviets. However, in reality, the executive bodies wholly controlled the legislature with Sovnarkom being the apex of power, under Lenin’s policy of ‘democratic centralism,’ referring to ‘full freedom to express [his] personal opinions’, but that party members should not ‘propose resolutions that are out of harmony with congress decisions’. While the body of Sovnarkom eventually gave way to the Politburo under Stalin, they functioned much the same, and there was little pretence of collective decision making under Stalin. Where Lenin tolerated debate within the party, Stalin sought actively to

destroy it. This is evidenced by his policy of ‘purging’ dissenting members of the party – often by execution and exile. Key to Stalin’s government was the ‘Cult of Personality’ which surrounded Lenin and himself. While Tsars ruled personally, they never created a cultish ideation of themselves.

The Tsarist Cabinet bears similarities to Sovnarkom and the Politburo in the USSR – a single individual surrounded by advisers of varying influence. The State Duma under the Tsars also bears similarities to the All-Russian Congress of Soviets, in that both were ‘controlled by a much more powerful executive’, thereby making them ineffectual. A notable exception is Alexander II, who moved away from a personal model of rule to a ministerial and representative model – indeed, at the beginning of his reign he ‘favoured decentralisation’ by ‘strengthening the hands of provincial governors’. However, in both regimes, power was concentrated in the political zenith; either the Tsar or the Soviet Premier. Tsars were also dispensaries of patronage, able to give away offices and positions, resembling the Soviet ‘Nomenklatura’ system which gave the most loyal members of the party a route into the ranks, allowing Lenin to assert personal control of the party membership.

Both regimes were in practice

centralised unitary states. The Tsars saw multiculturalism as an unfortunate fact of running an Empire and did their best to eliminate it, through Russification. Power was centralised in the capital because the Russian Empire was a unitary monarchy. By contrast, it was Lenin’s 1924 constitution that created the USSR, recognising national languages and nominally the right to national autonomy. The 1936 Stalinist constitution expanded the concept of the USSR as federation, increasing the rights of constituent nations and adding the right to secede.

However, the influence of the CPSU nullifies much of this notional ‘decentralisation.’ The CPSU was the only party permitted to operate in the nations, which was in turn controlled by Stalin in Moscow, making the extra rights of the nations illusory. The concept of the USSR as a federation is ludicrous. Indeed, due to the machinery of the CPSU, which had a superior bureaucratic structure compared to the Tsars, the Soviets were able to create a more unitary state than the Tsars managed. There was no let-up of the tight centralisation that the Soviets inflicted.

The same cannot be said for the Tsars.

Alexander II, for instance, created peasant assemblies known as the Zemstva which increased peasant representation.

Where Lenin tolerated debate within the party, Stalin sought actively to destroy it.

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Despite the ideological differences between the USSR and the Tsarist era, they organised themselves remarkably similarly.

Power was concentrated in the hands of a single individual. The constancy of a unitary state is blatant; where it was the official policy of the Tsars; it was the de facto position of the Soviets.

A similarity between the Tsars and the Soviets regarding repression and terror is that both used some form of secret police.

Alexander II employed the Third Section and later the Department for State Police.

Alexander III and Nicholas II continued to use the latter, where it became known as the Okhrana. The Soviets started with the Cheka, later the GPU – and after the creation of the USSR in 1924, the OGPU. This mutated into the NKVD, then the NKGB and finally the MGB. The overarching aims of these agencies were to remove political opponents and to shut down potential (counter-) revolution. Therefore, unity exists between the regimes, in that both were partial to repressing and terrorising their population using a secret police.

By contrast, Stalin ‘went a step further by establishing the practice of ‘permanent terror.’ He adapted the secret police to suit his style of leadership, allowing himself to order killings, arrests, and disappearances.

The arrests and executions were completely arbitrary – quotas were given to local officials on the number of arrests and executions in purges. The ‘Great Terror’ was ‘a calculated wave of mass murder’ which was ‘extraordinary even by the standards of the Stalinist regime’. By contrast, the Tsars usually only targeted guilty people, evidenced by the effect of ‘Stolypin’s necktie’ which was a Tsarist policy of wiping out dissenters. Another new invention of Stalin was the gulag system. This allowed him to exploit political enemies until their dying breath. Additionally, the role of Beria as head of the secret police cannot be overstated. The very fact that the leader of the police personally abducted, raped, and murdered targets on a random basis already makes the structure of terror a much more unpredictable landscape than existed under the Tsars.

The arrests and executions were completely arbitrary – quotas were given to local officials on the number of arrests and executions in purges.

However, a difference emerges between the Tsars and the Soviets over the severity and sustention of terror and repression. While a ‘secret police’ did exist at all times, it was used in fits and starts. Indeed, for example, ‘Alexander II downgraded the Third Section during the first half of his reign’.

The Department for State Police only came into use due to the rising tide of populism, which does not smack of arbitrariness.

How effective the Department was is unclear, but it cannot have been working well, seeing that a populist eventually assassinated Alexander II. Alexander III did consistently utilise the Okhrana, as did Nicholas II at the beginning of his reign.

However, its use became hard to justify after the 1905 revolution. Alexander III was the most repressive of the Tsars, especially towards Jews, through riots known as pogroms, which were ‘tacitly tolerated or, on occasion, actively encouraged by the police forces’. Indeed, late-Tsarist Russia was ‘probably the most anti-Semitic nation in Europe until the Third Reich’.

The Soviets ‘aimed to indoctrinate the next generation in the new collective way of life’ – a new innovation compared to the Tsars. This placed the cult of personality and propaganda at the centre of education, and ‘schools were instructed to establish ‘Lenin Corner’s’, which elevated Lenin to ‘god-like’ status. Children played games such as ‘Search and Requisition’ and ‘Reds and Whites’ which dichotomised the world and forced children into a narrow understanding of ‘good’ and ‘bad’.

The effectiveness of this policy is apparent – ‘studies carried out in Soviet schools in the 1920s showed that

children…were ignorant of the basic facts of recent history’, to such an extent that many children did not even know what a ‘Tsar’ was. This is part of the Soviet policy of propagandism, which the Tsars had not the resources or inclination to set up.

The Soviets used repressive techniques far more consistently and savagely than the Tsars did, particularly under Stalin who ‘unlike anyone else in Russian history, made it [terror] the norm rather than the exception’. The similarities of the mere existence of political police outweigh the differences of the purges, gulags, and indoctrination which had not existed to the same extent under the Tsars. The same can be said of the existence of a dominant personality as the head of the secret police, such as Yezhov and Beria. These differences make the concept of the Soviets being ‘Red Tsars’ an inaccurate descriptor regarding the use of repression and terror.

Another area of difference between the two regimes is their attitude to change.

The attitude to reform of the Soviets is evidenced well in reality: it was the October revolutionaries that slaughtered the Russian royalty and scrapped most of the existing institutions of the day. The initial surge of reforms that Lenin undertook were as far-reaching as they were radical. It was initially official Soviet policy to ‘fan the flames of the world [socialist] revolution’.

Lenin

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Lavrentiy Beria

The conservatism of the Tsars was inconsistent. Alexander II had a healthy reformist attitude; his most notable modification was his 1861 Act to emancipate serfs. Some, such as Jason Blum, have said that this impetus came directly from the Tsar, although others have insisted the ‘radicalism’ of the 1860s was more of a pragmatic consideration; it was more advantageous to Alexander to ‘abolish serfdom from above than to wait until it began to abolish itself from below’.

The Zemstva and the Dumas of 1864 and 1870 respectively were a sincere attempt to increase representation in Russia.

However, this occurred under Alexander II, a notable outlier in the history of Tsardom. A better litmus test to tolerance of democracy can be seen in Nicholas II’s reaction to the creation of the State Duma in 1906 – he had been forced into a degree of reform as he had to make concessions to staunch the flow of instability from the wound of the 1905 revolution. It was not a positive one as he regularly vetoed it or ignored it, eventually emasculating it through the 1907 Electoral Law – indeed, he ‘did all in his power to restrict the range of parties’ to a narrow array of the far-right. Despite Alexander II’s best efforts, ‘the autocrat as mediator between various groups in the Russian polity was in no way altered’.

made the USSR the most democratic nation in the world with his 1936 constitution, by equalising the franchise and lowering the voting age to 18; this was in name only because the USSR was a one-party state, making ‘democracy’ in the ordinary sense a fantasy in Russia. The sham of democracy was intensified by the ‘fiction that the legislature controlled the Central Executive Committee’. After the Soviet regime was established, change and democracy were suppressed to keep things as they were. A multi-party system, as had existed in an infant format in post-1905 Tsarist Russia, was never allowed to develop in the USSR.

The Soviets took advantage of new technology and chose to apply terror with greater severity and more consistently.

The Tsars and the Soviets were both conservative, in the sense that preservation of their regimes was the priority. When they did make changes, they either passed legislation which neutralised such changes, ignored them, or tried to frustrate their workings. They both had a morose view of democracy and representation. There is absolute continuity between the Tsars and the Soviets on this matter – both were highly conservative and extremely undemocratic.

[S]chools were instructed to establish ‘Lenin Corner’s’, which elevated Lenin to ‘god-like’ status.

While the reforms of the Soviets were theoretically colossal, the influence of the CPSU often nullified such changes. Stalin

While they were ideologically opposed, the creed of the Soviets often fades into irrelevance, as they so loosely adhered to it. Also, while the Soviets were far more repressive, they were not reinventing the wheel when compared to the Tsars. The Soviets took advantage of new technology and chose to apply terror with greater severity and more consistently.

This is an area of divergence with the Tsars, but the two regimes are ultimately more similar than different. Having said all this, the exchange between them was not straightforward. The interlude of the Provisional Government muddies the waters. They, for the most part, scrapped the entire concept of a secret police, fully embraced a radical agenda including complete toleration for Westernstyle democracy and structured themselves accordingly. However, this intermission was only a matter of months-long – months that were dominated by instability and the war effort. The fact that the period of the Provisional Government was so short and it thus did not have time to enact many of the changes it otherwise might have wished for makes it an insignificant period within the grand context of Russian history. The existence of it does not diminish the claim that the Soviets merely represented ‘Red Tsars.’

In conclusion, Russia did exchange Romanov Tsars for ‘Red Tsars.’ Both regimes structured themselves in the same way and were similarly averse to reformism.

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The power of 2 Ben Ellett Lower Sixth

In 1943, Thomas J. Watson of IBM famously disregarded the computer claiming he thought there was a global market for about 5 of them. Of course he was proved wrong spectacularly, with computers far exceeding anyone’s initial expectations, and enhancing our lives in ways people just a century ago could never have dreamed.

With this technology, we’ve solved problems, innovated like never before and even attempted to represent the real world through the virtual one.

This begs the question; how far can computers go? Will there ever be an end to the 70-year storm that the rise of electronic computing has taken us on? Could we ever hope to create a virtual world to challenge our own?

quickly build up to represent huge numbers of possibilities. Imagine you flip two coins. This gives you 4 possible outcomes; however the addition of a single extra coin brings this number up to 8, then another brings it to 16, with the total combinations doubling every time. This leads way to a potentially huge amount of information that can be stored and read by a computer, through only a simple on/off mechanism.

There is a consequence of this however, as you require many more digits of binary (more commonly known as a bit) to represent something in say decimal (our 0-9 number system), or through the alphabet. This very sentence uses over 968 digits of binary (bits) to represent it, compared to the 121 characters it took to type. Whilst basic and easy for a computer to process, this is not the most efficient system, and this becomes a problem when trying to fit a lot of information into a small amount of space.

[B]inary can quickly build up to represent huge numbers of possibilities.

In order to answer this, we’ll need firstly to take a look at how a computer works fundamentally, and then what limitations it has when representing information.

Computers are very logical machines, representing information through a simple two digit system - binary. Things are either on or off, true or false, and whilst the uses of this may seem few at first, binary can

So now onto the potential of computers.

How would one go about creating things virtually? Well, like with anything, we 10

need to break the problem down. This technique is called abstraction and is used all the time when solving computational problems. When looking at simulating our own world, we will also first need to get simple. By taking a look at some of the basic rules that help our universe work, we can model objects really well in the virtual world, simulating basic laws such as gravity and motion quite easily. This has already been done, letting architects test their constructions, soldiers, sailors and pilots test their weapons, or even just letting you play around with basic physics.

There are even sandbox universes that have been simulated, letting you play with planets, although these planets are no more than simple objects. This attempt at basic modelling is definitely a start, although these simulations are often very focused, and only look at certain aspects of our universe (such as gravity), leaving out nearly everything else.

So can we get any better? In order to get the best representation of our universe, we are going to have to go from the bottom up.

If we were to simulate something atom by atom, this would give us quite an accurate recreation of the universe. However, in order to simulate a single atom with our

current computers, it would take more bits of storage than there are atoms in the universe. Consider that for a moment. A single atom, one of the more basic building blocks of reality, has so many properties to it, that it is nearly impossible to model it. All the matter in the universe would barely get us there.

Blame electrons and the many-particle wave function for that one. At a deep level, the strange quantum effects of atoms are just too hard to model with conventional computing.

Luckily, there is an alternative. The newly developed field of quantum computing gives us another option, allowing us to predict properties of atoms and subatomic particles with great accuracy, meaning modelling small particles like these may not be the impossible task it once was. This has already been used to great effect, modelling real life particles such as beryllium hydride (BeH2), an impressive success which gives great hope for fields such as new drug research in the future.

components so far that our wires are mere atoms wide, and the heat generated puts our entire circuits at risk of warping and breaking, meaning it is virtually impossible to improve performance any further.

The Bekenstein bound (maximum storage limit) and Bremermann’s limit (maximum processing limit) are two examples of limitations that cannot be exceeded with our current knowledge of physics, a physical wall that we cannot cross, meaning there will only ever be so much information we can store and a maximum processing speed. As this is nowhere near close to the levels we need to store data for complex particles such as atoms, you would be taking up more physical space and energy than you could actually simulate, you’re left with a permanent unreachable goal, and this problem, that leaves you requiring more matter in the real world that you can actually simulate. We straight up will never be able to see a perfect copy of reality of this size in the virtual world. There are simply too many atoms and particles to model.

It appears, at least with current technology, that our entire reality is a bit of a tall order for the virtual world, and even a slice of reality is a huge struggle, still requiring abnormal amounts of space to store and run your simulation. However, that is not to say there is no hope. There are workarounds, which may well let us achieve an almost perfect model, such as simply unloading everything that isn’t needed. Consider the following. Imagine our universe is a simulation. The program would only need to model Earth, and objects near it, in order to create the illusion of a massive universe that does not actually exist. The rest of the observable universe is just that.

Observable. We can never actually get close enough to test every single particle, so the simulation just does not need to bother. Nobody knows if the stars in the night sky are actually proper stars until you get closer. All the simulation needs to do is load in the correct stars whenever we get too close. This saves you uncountable amounts of processing power and makes a simulated universe a little more realistic as a goal.

[I]n order to simulate a single atom with our current computers, it would take more bits of storage than there are atoms in the universe.

Unfortunately, there is just one problem to this quantum solution. To ever dream of replicating something the scale of our world, we would require huge amounts of storage and processing power, which may not even be possible due to our current understanding of physics. We are rapidly approaching all sorts of physical limits where computers can no longer improve at all. We have shrunk our electrical

Beryllium hydride 3D polyhedra

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It could get even better than that. We can already model objects with limited accuracy, so why make them more complex if you do not need to? As long as they work as expected, you do not need to overcomplicate your system. We are on a tight budget of storage space after all.

The simulation might simply not bother generating atoms unless you look for them, and this would certainly save on processing power. In fact, we are now rapidly approaching the level of virtual reality we currently have today. Granted, this is all just an elaborate illusion, not quite the perfect universe we envisioned, but that does not matter. If it is indistinguishable from reality, does it even matter what is real or not? We’d have successfully made a virtual world which appears the same as our own. So similar, that you would never even realise the difference. This leads us to stop and consider our actual reality and wonder if anything we see here is even ‘real’ at all, and not just some complex simulation.

The scary thing is, we have no real way of knowing.

So to summarise, true reality is an increasingly complex mess, with physics and our understanding of our universe never constant, so being able to recreate that in all its chaotic entirety would require perfect understanding of the universe, on top of copious amounts of storage and power that quite possibly cannot be done within the confines of this reality.

Whilst this is pretty much impossible, it may not need to be possible for us to create a reality of our own. Technology is advancing in ways nobody can predict, and the only constant in this field is change.

Soon, the day may well come where our virtual creations can rival those of nature itself, despite all the challenges standing in our way, and it will be then that we find ourselves grappling with even greater questions. Could it be that our arguably greatest creation becomes a reality we can call our own, and if so, what will we choose to do with it?

How palm oil has affected Malaysia Nathalie Sparks Lower Sixth

In December 2018, the supermarket Iceland released a Greenpeace film to run as its Christmas advert, when the campaign was shortly pulled from TV because it had been deemed to breach political advertising rules. The supermarket had struck a deal with Greenpeace, a nongovernmental environmental organisation, to create an animated short film based on the destruction of an orangutan’s rainforest habitat at the hands of palm oil development. Habitat loss in countries such as Malaysia – one of the major global producing countries of palm oil – has contributed to the orangutan being classed as critically endangered worldwide.

room temperature it is semi-solid so can keep spreads spreadable as well as being resistant to oxidation, giving products longer shelf-life. Palm oil is also colourless and odourless, so it does not alter the look or smell of products. This makes palm oil a very rsought after product, which evidently causes problems. It is one of the major drivers of deforestation in this area.

For example, there is Borneo’s rainforest, one of the most biodiverse forests in the world. The rate at which the palm oil is being exploited is having a severe effect on the species within the diminishing habitat. Not only is the habitat loss an issue, but there also remains exploitation of workers and child labour which is a key socio-economic issue. In addition, given the millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases being thrown into the atmosphere due to the deforestation and conversion of carbon rich peat soils, this contributes to climate change.

According to the latest report from the UK’s government’s Department for Environment, consumption of sustainable palm oil in the UK has increased for the fifth year running, quadrupling since 2009. To meet the UK demands for the sustainable product that is an important ingredient in food such as biscuits and chocolate, as well as toothpaste and shampoo, a huge industry has been developed. Roughly half of the processed goods in the shops contain palm oil, but millions of tonnes of palm oil are going into people’s cars. More than 50% is also for biofuel. On the other hand, the 2016 edition of WWF’s Palm Oil Buyers looks at 137 major retailers and food service companies from around the world including key UK brands such as Tesco and Waitrose. British companies scored among the highest for more sustainable palm oil consumption in this edition. This is evidence that

[C]onsumption of sustainable palm oil in the UK has increased for the fifth year running, quadrupling since 2009.

Malaysia is in Southeast Asia. The country can be described as “a country of two halves”. One half is a very metropolitan beach gleam of the west, this is also the location of the capital Kuala Lumpur. The other half offers rainforests and Borneo – which is shared with Brunei and Indonesia.

This shows a clear separation of pinnacle globalisation right next to the source – palm oil plantations. Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. Indonesia and Malaysia account for 85% of global supply according to the National Geographical magazine. It is in nearly 50% of the packaged products we find in supermarkets as well as being used in animal feed and as a biofuel in many parts of the world, excluding the UK. The oil is extremely versatile which makes it useful and very widely used. At 12

Kuala Lumpur

companies such as M&S and Boots are ‘leading the way’ on sourcing sustainable palm oil. However, palm oil has continued to be a significant source of friction in the EU’s relations with Malaysia, the world’s largest producer. The European Commission concluded this year that its cultivation causes excessive deforestation and its use in transport fuels should not count towards renewable energy goals. This means that the UK will have a ‘historic opportunity’ to strike a trade deal with Malaysia, the country’s prime minister has proposed – providing the UK relaxes restrictions on imports of palm oil imposed by the EU because of the crop’s environmental impact. In the UK alone, palm oil imports created 6,800 jobs and contributed £330 million to gross domestic product (GDP) and £140 million to tax revenues.

to $2,500 per hectare, compared to a rice plantation only making $250 per hectare. This is very significant as it means the most part of Malaysians and Indonesians live indirectly from palm oil production. This makes palm oil the driver to rapid economic growth and contributes to the alleviation of rural poverty.

The palm oil industries allow the country to strike deals with bigger and powerful countries, such as the UK, USA and the most part of European countries. Therefore, this creates a more stable economic growth that is powered by the help of strong nations as well as the internal growth of Malaysia.

However, the production of palm oil has many negative environmental at a range of scales.

Palm oil is linked directly to the destruction of rainforests, much like the rainforest in Borneo which is threatening the rich biodiversity of the Malaysian-Indonesian island. Development of new plantations alongside smallholders expanding their farms to meet the rising demands have fuelled the rates of deforestation.

This removal of rainforests releases immense amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, speeding up global warming. Tropical deforestation accounts for about 10% of the total global warming emissions from palm oil cultivation.

Locally, the tree roots which anchor the soil in the tropics are being removed, therefore allowing heavy rain to wash away nutrient rich soil. This causes crop yield to decline and farmers have to use expensive fertilisers which clearly will do more damage than good to the

[T]here is great progress being made and Malaysian palm oil industries are changing the. country for the better.

The Malaysian palm oil industry is the main driving contributor to the national economy providing an unfailing income for the exports as well as employment. A good example for this is the average financial income of a plantation.

In a complete year palm oil is up

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environment. There have also been many legal conflicts between palm oil companies granted government concessions in forest areas, and the people who have used the land for centuries, in worst cases this has led to local people losing access to land and resources.

This results in a significant amount (nearly half of 187 villages) being opposed to palm oil companies and production.

Overall, the balance of environmental struggle against the socio-economic benefits of the palm oil industry in Malaysia s makes it unclear as to which side is most important. From the basic understandings and data discussed, we can see that although palm oil has been negatively impacting the environment, the rate at which more sustainable solutions to the plantations are being created, and the economic growth it has triggered become more leading factors. Places such as the UK, who rely heavily on Malaysian palm oil plantations, have already begun tackling solutions for sustainable palm oil.

For example, the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is the dominating practice for marketing sustainable palm oil, driven firstly by transport and energy saving sectors.

Each problem is being met with potential to bring palm oil out of the list of unsustainable and climatic change contributing factors.

Although this is a slow process and the social implications, such as the rights of the people working at the plantations are being met and the conflict that arises through landowning is being solved, there is great progress being made and Malaysian palm oil industries are changing the country for the better.

Alec Murray, Upper Sixth. ‘ Self’

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Maddy Lawrence, Upper Sixth.

Charlotte Schryver, Fifth Year.

Charlotte Schryver, Fifth Year.

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Why Amy, not Jo, is the proto-feminist of Little Women Zoe Blackburn Lower Sixth

the transience and fragility of that freedom, lamenting the ‘happy old times’ of her past made irretrievable by the social pressures of her present.

‘I do not enjoy this sort of thing,’ writes a reluctant Louisa May Alcott in 1868 as she begins work on Little Women, a two-part novel named and commissioned by her publisher. Though she completed it in just ten weeks, its influence has persisted and its pages passed through a new prism with each generation. By the 1970s it had experienced a literary renaissance, feminist critics had classified it as radical fiction, and, six remakes later, Greta Gerwig’s 2019 film adaptation seems to have done the same. But how far can filmmakers project their political agendas onto Alcott’s words without distorting it beyond recognition?

And has Amy’s two-dimensional portrayal as the quintessential spoilt brat reduced her to comic relief? In this essay I will attempt to unravel the complexities which have arguably been ignored by a selectively feminist reading of the novel.

The distinction between Little Women and its bleakly patriarchal sequel Good Wives is simply that the two are framed in different phases of their protagonists’ youth. Jo’s ‘gentlemanly’ manners and desire to be ‘perfectly independent’ are permissible only within the confines of her adolescence; the androgynous Jo however never ‘troubled herself’ with finery and façade in the opening chapters, she later acquires ‘lace’, masquerades as an ‘actress’, and, ‘being a woman’, agonizes over her bonnet.

Perhaps her determination not to reach womanhood prematurely is a recognition of

Jo’s evolution is heavily impacted, too, by the death of her sister; Beth’s ‘unambitious’ and selfless character alters Jo’s perception of the domestic tasks she once found ‘distasteful’. The beatification of Beth is problematic however, as the expectation placed on Jo to ‘fill’ the void of her late sibling requires her to sacrifice her rebellious ‘old spirit’ and resign herself to improving the home rather than pursue her own ‘hopes, plans and desires’. Alcott’s portrayal of Beth as a paragon of female piety to be copied and admired by her young readership is a troubling one, since in doing so she enables and perpetuates the notion that a woman’s place is decidedly in Beth’s ‘little world’ and not outside of it.

The family matriarch ‘Marmee’ is also depicted as highly influential in shaping Jo’s moralistic education, professing her wish to be a woman ‘copied’ by her daughters. Despite this, she instructs her children to ‘stop complaining’ about the limitations and hardships they experience, and advises Jo to suppress the ‘anger’ they both share in a postbellum and yet misogynistic America; the emancipation of slavery has only liberated those in physical chains. It is through these ‘little lessons’ that this oppression is made cyclical and systemic injustices attributed to the failure of individuals. The desire to ‘cure’ an emotion Jo is conditioned to see as ‘wicked’ is profoundly damaging as it skews her ability to identify entrenched prejudice and therefore causes her to blame herself, not society, for her ‘revolutionary’ sentiments.

assurance that women should be content with the ‘pleasant things’ they already have. The incorporation of the Puritan text Pilgrim’s Progress into the girls’ narrative as a spiritual ‘guide’ only exacerbates this dichotomy between personal ambition and domestic duty; since the latter ultimately prevails, however, the conclusion is an inauspicious one in a novel so blatantly didactic: Jo is, ultimately, by tradition more than she is set free by her intellect.

The criticism Bhaer directs towards Jo’s writing illustrates the ‘submissive spirit’ which begins to subsume her in this perversion of a Bildungsroman. Alcott writes that the professor condemned Jo’s ‘sensationalist’ stories in an act similar to saving a ‘baby’ from a puddle. This infantilizing appraisal from a man with no formal literary education does not provoke the heated dispute depicted in Gerwig’s 2019 version. Instead Jo immediately burns her ‘bad trash’, seemingly the result of three months’ labor. Contrary to Amy’s previous destruction of one of Jo’s works, this ‘blaze’ is a self-inflicted one, causing Jo to ‘give up’ entirely and declare that she doesn’t know ‘anything’. The professor’s comments have triggered the collapse of her self-esteem, as she allows her voice in society to be manipulated by masculine opinion, her artistic integrity to be compromised and her agency over her own career diminished.

Though Jo’s earnings facilitate the realization of her ‘most cherished’ dream, Alcott argues that Jo’s innocence is tainted by her choice to investigate the ‘darker’ side of life: that to interact with such ‘dangerous’ subjects was to ‘desecrate’ her most ‘womanly attributes’.

Here the author reinforces negative stereotypes which conflate a woman’s potential with her purity, innocence and an ignorance of the ‘morbid amusement’ in which women are unequipped to

[H]er determination not to reach womanhood prematurely is a recognition of the transience and fragility of that freedom.

Much of the novel’s central conflict arises as the author panders to two contradictory ideologies – both Alcott’s discontent at being labelled the ‘weaker vessel’, and her puritanical 16

participate. Though this writing granted Jo a feeling of ‘power’, Alcott claims that Bhaer’s later intervention was a necessary ‘punishment’ for Jo’s reluctance to conform; again she shifts more guilt onto her female protagonist rather than address the unpalatable cause of her suffering.

Jo’s assertive rejection of Laurie for the sake of her ‘liberty’ is undercut by her subsequent acceptance of the professor’s proposal. The symbol of an umbrella connotes masculine protection, something Jo initially shakes ‘her fist at’ in anger for consuming her sister, Meg. The significance of the penultimate chapter’s title as ‘under the umbrella’ then strengthens the irony of Jo’s shifting attitude, as she ultimately receives Bhaer’s shelter, citing a need for something to ‘lean upon’ as the catalyst for ‘surrendering’ to him. The supposition that an unmarried woman is deficient without the sanctuary of a man corrupts Jo’s once progressive outlook, and replaces it with a harmful notion of co-dependency. Their love is therefore tarnished with disingenuity, as Bhaer admits that Jo’s loneliness spurred him to propose marriage, rather than her genuine romantic attraction to him.

The maternal Mother Bhaer figure into which Jo eventually transforms makes the sacrifice of her identity absolute, her ‘spirit’ reduced to a ‘glimmer’. Jo’s individuality is now compromised by the change of both her name and position, her domestic duty becoming her single identifier. Her ‘castle’, although she had the ‘key’ to it, has not come to fruition: she told ‘no stories’ following her engagement – it was indeed a remote, ‘childish notion’, unrealistic in

Louisa May Alcott

Pilgrim’s Progress

a suffocatingly hierarchical 19th century society. Instead, Jo labels her old ambitions ‘cold’, now sidelined by an apparently ‘long cherished’ fantasy to ‘look after’ the young boys taught by her husband.

Yet it is in the warm domesticity which binds the novel together that the women at its core are stifled, and forced to ‘let’ their ‘castles go’; Jo assumes a passive role in the education of her boys, not girls, promising the continuation of the ‘dreadfully unjust’ patriarchy she once detested. Most alarmingly of all, she is now unaware of her own enslavement.

Her mother’s conspiracy for Meg to ‘learn’ to love the poor John Brooke arguably strips her of any of the tangible ‘power’ in society she claims to desire; Marmee projects her scriptural philosophy that the daughters will not ‘make a dash’ on history or become ‘queens’ onto her ambitious, but vulnerable, children, acting as a corrosive influence on their prospects from the outset.

[S]he allows her voice in society to be manipulated by masculine opinion, her artistic integrity to be compromised and her agency over her own career diminished.

Alcott offers an alternative that is no more optimistic through her portrayal of Meg. She, too, must follow the ‘path’ of duty and sacrifice her ‘castle’. The palpable undercurrent of puritanical values in Little Women is perhaps the root of its emphasis on sacrifice. The text begins with the minor sacrifice of the girls’ breakfast to six children disadvantaged by poverty, and ends with each protagonist sacrificing their ‘favorite dream’. Meg’s aspiration to become ‘mistress’ of ‘heaps of money’ is a significant one contextually, matrimony being the only accessible opportunity for a woman to advance her station in 1868.

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The matriarchal nature of the household is proved an illusion by Meg’s instant culpability for every domestic failing: ‘evil’ for her expenditure; ‘childish’ for an insubstantial dinner; ‘unreasonable’ for prioritizing her children. Believing her guilty of neglecting her ‘wifely attentions’, ‘poor’ John resorts to visiting his ‘lively, pretty’ neighbor as substitute, while Marmee insists that ‘the fault’ is firmly with Meg. This deflection of blame culminates in Meg’s isolation and silence, accepting her ‘docility’ and her husband’s ‘paternal rule’. The Edenic implication that women are intrinsically responsible for the ‘temptation’ of men instills something potentially toxic into the young girls commonly encouraged to interact with the text.

The subsequent alterations in Meg’s behaviour in order to placate her

disappointed husband further paint her as an archetypal ‘little mother’. Meg’s apathy towards politics and mathematics, which she perceives as incompatible with her ‘feminine ideas’, reiterates the female mind as too simplistic to understand them; Brooke’s contrived interest in ‘lace’ and ‘millinery’ immediately presumes them as female trivialities incapable of invoking genuine delight in a man; the romanticised expectations on Meg to construct a feminine ‘paradise’, to transcend human limitations and be a domestic ‘angel’, nearly consume her and make her ‘sick’. Their compromise is laced in condescension while the continued demand for Meg’s ‘obedience’ in the home negates any pretense of equality inside it.

Alcott’s protagonists are not ‘ruling’ their ‘happiest kingdom’; they are only subdued enough to be deceived.

resolve to ‘work hard’ whereas Laurie is condemned for his inability to work ‘like a man’. It is the misogyny which underpins these judgements which acts as the true antagonist of the piece.

Alcott acknowledges that, in civilization, ‘money’ typically confers ‘power’. The interconnection between these entities is reflected in this progressive zeal to possess ‘fortune’ and ‘solid luxury’. What differentiates Amy’s ambition from that of the other principal female characters however is her resourceful capacity to find a ‘new purpose’, altering her aspirations when necessary but retaining her desire to be ‘great’ or ‘nothing’. Consequently, she remains the only sister to unlock her ‘castle’, the only sister to receive any primitive form of emancipation past the age of sixteen: even the dynamic of her relationship with the affluent Laurie resists

[T]he continued demand for Meg’s ‘obedience’ in the home negates any pretense of equality inside it.

Amy’s long-standing legacy as the callous antagonist to Jo has historically been sustained on two equally indefensible charges. The first, her childhood reduction of Jo’s manuscript to a ‘bonfire’ – an admittedly disproportionate response to feeling socially excluded, though unjustly exploited by critics to oversimplify her as vacuous and spiteful. The second, and infinitely more disturbing however, is her pragmatic and unapologetic determination to be ‘the best’ in her field. Throughout the text, Alcott confounds female ambition with ‘vanity’. Mrs March’s recognition of Amy as ‘so ambitious’ is immediately undermined by her use of the crucial conjunction ‘but’ not ‘and’ to assure Jo that her sister is ‘tender’, despite her masculine work ethic. Amy is condemned for her

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convention, as he willfully permits her to ‘rule’ him despite the status quo.

Rather than naively accept the ‘flattery’ of her suitor, Amy vehemently rebukes it, condemning Laurie’s sense of entitlement regardless of the ‘splendid’ opportunities his circumstances concede him; for a woman to convey a moral lesson to an imperfect man in this novel is rare given the ubiquity of male authority figures dispensing their ‘sermons’ onto the four ‘little women’. While her two surviving sisters marry teachers, Amy boldly assumes this role herself. Here Alcott’s youngest protagonist remains the only sister to undergo a positive transformation. Unlike Jo, she not only recognizes the opposition ‘ambitious girls’ encounter, but actively employs the financial ‘power’ she has acquired to challenge it and satisfy their artistic desires, if not her own: while the March sisters are repeatedly pushed into docility, anonymity and poverty throughout Little Women, Amy alone manages to push back.

Electric planes - the future or science fiction?

Max Rosenblatt Lower Sixth

Whether one watches the news every morning on a TV, or still prefer a newspaper, it seems that we are constantly bombarded by the same prevalent problems. I’ll refrain from mentioning the bureaucracy of the “B-word” and turn to something else that is completely unavoidable - climate change. Every day there seems to be a new story about Greta Thunberg, or another celebrity denounced for flying first class, or how we seem to be ploughing towards a “point of no return”.

It’s clear that actions are being taken internationally towards reducing the rate of this possibly apocalyptic change, and it feels like something is looming which could be nothing short of revolutionary - electric planes (i.e. planes in which propulsion comes from an electric motor, not an internal combustion engine).

Some knowledge of current plane engines is useful when evaluating how an electric plane would be structured. Today, plane engines can be categorised into three main categories: Turbofan (the simplest form of engine, used in present-day military jets), turboprop (in which the engine drives a propellor to generate thrust, most efficient at slower speeds) and turbofan (designed to merge the best features of the turbojet and

turboprop, used in modern day passenger planes).

A plane’s efficiency is often characterised by its engine’s bypass ratio, that is, the ratio between the mass flow rate of the bypass stream to the mass flow rate entering the core. A 10:1 bypass ratio, for example, means that 10 kg of air passes through the bypass duct for every 1 kg of air passing through the core.

One of the main aims for aircraft manufacturers over the last few years has been to fit planes with engines that have high bypass ratios - leading to better fuel economy.

Notably, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, commonly fit with either Rolls Royce or General Electric engines (both of which have high bypass ratios), is being used in place of larger aircraft like Boeing’s 747 or Airbus’ 380, as the 787 can be more easily filled, and so can operate more bespoke routes with the same

range as its larger counterparts. On the subject of size, larger planes can often be burdens for airports and airlines.

For example, the Airbus 380, the largest current passenger aircraft, theoretically should have a wingspan of 90 metres for optimal efficiency, but airport restrictions (maximum size of 80 metres by 80 meters) have forced Airbus to shorten this to less than 80 metres, which reduces the 380’s fuel efficiency.

With this in mind, we can see that airlines prioritise efficiency over size, which is important when theorising about a new form of aircraft.

[A]irlines prioritise efficiency over size, which is important when theorising about a new form of aircraft.

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The other issue that plagues the concept of electric planes (or rather, electric vehicles in general) is the extremely low energy density that is currently achieved by cuttingedge batteries compared to fossil fuels such as kerosene.

For comparison, one kilogram of aircraft fuel will store around 42.7MJ of energy.

The current “best” battery, in terms of energy capacity, will hold only around 1MJ per kilogram. That being

Stuttgart in 2010-11, made a flight over 340 km (211 miles) and an average speed of more than 160 km/h (100 mph), powered entirely by a fuel cell system.

This was claimed to be the longest distance ever flown with an electric aircraft by that time. There is only one e-Genius in existence, so the project doesn’t provide much of a testament to the possibility of mass-produced electric planes, but provides some hope that progress is being made. said, this specific type of battery, NCA (or Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide) batteries, is a poor choice for aircraft energy storage due to its high cost. This specific battery type is currently used in Tesla Motors powertrains, a testament to its comparatively high energy density.

Due to the breadth of the characteristics when selecting battery types, there are reasons why visionary battery manufacturers shouldn’t just be investing their resources into researching NCA batteries for their high density, but also into Li-manganese (LMO) and/ or Li-phosphate (LFP) batteries for their high thermal stability - this could prove vital on aircraft, where power requirements fluctuate.

Analysing the current state of batteries, therefore, it’s clear that considerable work needs to be done in order to bring the energy density of batteries much closer to that of current aviation fuel before long-range electric planes begin to become feasible.

A study ran the numbers for a Boeing 787 and calculated its theoretical range if all of its fuel were replaced with batteries with an energy density of 1.08MJ (i.e. conserving its fuel mass fraction), and found that it only had a range of 740km, compared with 15,400km when powered by fossil fuels.

This is less than 5% of its original range and provides some clear evidence that batteries simply are not ready yet.

Although this may make the idea of electric planes seem somewhat confined to surreal science fiction, there have been various concepts in recent times. Mainly, these applications have been for short-medium range flights (the current consensus suggests that electric long-haul flights are not even remotely feasible at the moment due to the aforementioned problem of battery density), and have considered the idea of hybrid technology, enabling airlines to cut CO2 emissions significantly by switching on the electrical component of their propulsion at the key points in a flight - take-off and landing.

Large names such as Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens are working together on the E-Fan X aircraft, which aims to be flying by next year.

[T]here are reasons why visionary battery manufacturers shouldn’t just be investing their resources into researching NCA batteries for their high density.

Similarly, the Israeli business Eviation says that its aircraft - called Alice - will carry nine passengers for up to 1,040km (650 miles) at 10,000ft (3,000m) at 440km/h (276mph). It is expected to enter service in 2022.

For something less theoretical, the e-Genius, developed at the Institute of Aircraft Design at the University of 20

More recently Harbour Air, a Vancouver-based seaplane airline, retrofitted their De Havilland Beaver with an electric engine. According to The New York Times: “The aircraft will be able to fly for 30 minutes with a 30-minute reserve on a one-hour charge. They will plug-in and charge at the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre dock, and pull from BC Hydro, the provincial energy utility’s hydroelectric power grid, itself a renewable source of energy”.

De Haviland Seaplane

In Harbour Air’s case, not only is the aircraft powered by an electric motor, but the energy that is provided is from hydroelectric power (HEP). This is a twopart success, since HEP itself does not pollute. One of the main arguments against electric aircraft (and electric vehicles in general) is that the energy source of the batteries often is not renewable. In the past year, the UK National Grid has averaged only 22.3% of all energy generated from renewable sources. Some 42.9% was from fossil fuels (only 2.1% from coal, however), and the remaining 26.2% was from mainly nuclear and biomass.

Renewable energy is becoming more prevalent, however, and one should hope to see this proportion increase in the coming years. Furthermore, revolutionary work is being done in nuclear power to make it safer and more efficient.

Terrapower, an American company with investment from Bill Gates, was close to building a breakthrough nuclear reactor in China, to be constructed by 2022. These plans were halted by worsening relations

between the United States and China under the Trump administration, but the initial plans for the reactor show great prospects for nuclear power - which would further reduce the National Grid’s dependency on fossil fuels, and make electric planes even “greener” (although nuclear power is not renewable, there are no immediate pollutants, and Terrapower’s reactor uses depleted uranium, a natural waste product of traditional reactors).

With all of these factors in mind, allow us to consider the changes that would occur if the world’s fleet of planes were replaced with electric equivalents.

Theoretically speaking, if efficient electric planes were implemented internationally, the consequences would not be as large as one might imagine. The aviation industry only produces 2% of all human-induced CO2.

[I]f efficient electric planes were implemented internationally, the consequences would not be as large as one might imagine.

Unfortunately, a large proportion of the world’s aviation CO2 emissions comes from long-haul flights, and so there will have to be immense increases in battery efficiency before a sizeable difference is made to overall aviation emissions. However, for airlines, electric aircraft would massively reduce operating costs, since electricity is 21

significantly cheaper than current aircraft fuel. Furthermore, it could be said that electric aircraft would be more comfortable for passengers, since electric motors are much quieter than internal combustion engines (anybody who has been in an electric car will probably agree with this statement).

In conclusion, it is clear that there is a long way to go before one will be boarding an electric plane in the same way one would today, but it is promising that many of the most powerful companies are working towards such a feat, with consistent breakthroughs in battery technology and aircraft design. Electric planes are not here yet, but they certainly are not science fiction. If anything, they are inevitable.

Nature in relation to architecture Bella Mearns Upper Sixth

Milwaukee Art Museum

In modern and contemporary design, ‘form’ in the vast majority of cases, follows function, as coined by Louis Sullivan.

Centuries ago, however, architecture was a far more aesthetically driven discipline focussing on displays of grandeur and wealth, which can be seen in late Roman architecture. This was highly characterised by its formalised qualities of decoration along with structures developed by ancient Greeks balancing out the two components of functionality and form. Although a return to design led by function dominated 20th-century architecture, more recently architects have experimented with aesthetics based on animals and nature, enabling them to create, arguably the most advanced structures that have ever been seen. Ancient Greeks were also inspired greatly by natural forms which can be seen within the decorative elements of their columns and pillars and in other art.

However, contemporary architects have been able to develop these ideas with technology where the inspiration from nature encompasses the entire building rather than any singular or superficial

element. As each species has developed over millions of years, it is able to function with the minimum means as the ultimate structure within its environment, therefore the design industry is moving towards a more nature-inspired understanding of how manmade structures can echo these strengths.

From looking at a vast range of architecture today, it is evident that contemporary architects are more readily taking up these ideas in order to create the best designs visually and functionally possible.

schools of architecture to embrace nature as opposed to restricting the organic form which is seen commonly in modernism suggesting the old authoritative opinions of both the modernists and their repudiators has crumpled. Occasionally, architects employ animal forms for symbolic and metaphoric reasons, Nature motivates an idea of structure or skin or building function.

Sometimes architects have been inspired to inject playful animalistic motifs into their building plans, such as Santiago Calatrava, Le Corbusier, and Basil al Bayati, just to name a few famous ones.

Some common examples of Zoomorphic architecture can be found in the TWA Flight Centre building in New York City

by Eero Saarinen, or the Milwaukee Art

Ancient Greeks were also inspired greatly by natural forms which can be seen within the decorative elements of their columns and pillars and in other art.

Nature used in architecture or Zoomorphic architecture takes animal forms or animal components (such as bones or select limbs) as the inspirational basis and outline for architectural design, using nature as a metaphor between the living and inanimate. The practice is said by some to be a response against some of the modern 22

Museum by Santiago Calatrava, both inspired by the form of a bird’s wings.

While animal forms have constantly played a role in adding some of the most profound layers of importance to architecture, it is now becoming clearer that a new strand of bio-morphism is emerging where the meaning derives not from any specific portrayal, but from a more general allusion to biological processes. The many new structures that suspend masses like amoebae within otherwise Cartesian volumes are illustrative of this new phenomenon; so are those computerised manifestations that use ever developing algorithms as their preferred methods of generating structures. Now more than ever, this startling new trend is surfacing more frequently with the use of computers and new materials. This allows designers to create more fluid shapes and a new grandiosity among structural engineers that allows forms envisioned on a computer screen to be constructed, fuelling a revolution of appearance that is now filtering through to other areas of design.

Every so often, architects tend to play with the possibility of organicism. There was a break in this enthusiasm following the Art Nouveau and the First World War, and restoration during the 1950s, before the present resurgence which started in the 1990s. The intervening periods of the 1920s-1930s and 1960s-1980s were ruled by the austerities of innovation and late modernism. The revival, if that it was of organic architecture in the late 40s and 50s was made possible by the Second World War developments in concrete construction as much as art nouveau was by the use of steel and glass. Architects and engineers such as Luigi Nervi and Gio Ponti as well as Oscar Niemeyer exploited reinforced concretes structural potential, while others pushed in a biomorphic direction. The triumphant projects of this decade are Eero Saarinen’s aquiline TWA terminal at New York’s Kennedy Airport and Jørn Utzon’s Polysemous opera house. In fact, organicism has been fairly prevalent at least since the Art Nouveau. Despite the damage that the modern movement undoubtedly

Nicholas Grimshaw’s expansion to Waterloo Station

did to our sense of connection with nature, and even when it has not been seen in fashion, there have been influential figures such as Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, and Wright, whom all strove to lay emphasis on this connection.

Nature to the exclusion of everything else was Wright’s most inspirational force. For him, organic architecture was a translation of nature’s principles presented in buildings that were in concordance with their general surroundings. Wright was interested in the connection between buildings and their surrounding environments. He believed that a building should complement its environment in order to create a single, unified space that “grows naturally” out of the ground. He additionally imagines that a building should work like a cohesive organism, where each part of the design relates to the entirety of the function. Wright’s organic architecture often incorporates natural components such as light, plants, and water into his designs. His well-known celebrated design of Fallingwater is one of many examples of his organicism, with the title being a primary clue to the building’s inspirations and appearance. His romantic vision of man living in congruity with nature is finalised by the native rhododendron colourings.

It also becomes complete because of the mature trees that scatter the rough slopes of the forested glen and a waterfall that feeds into a mountain stream, which all enlivened the design of this dwelling.

Additionally, rather than attempt to move a large boulder, Wright incorporated it into his design to serve as the hearth, which

The alluring convolution of its light-drenched platform hall makes Waterloo international Terminal a glory to rank with the greatest Victorian railroad architecture.

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coordinated perfectly with the flagstone floor and set walls with irregularly sized stones, creating a more natural appearance. He provided a place for natural foliage by opening up spaces with mass expanses of glass and wrap-around corner windows. There is also a hatch that opens to a suspended stairway with provides ventilation as well as access to the stream below. Furthermore, more zoomorphically, at the Guggenheim Museum, it is thought that a nautilus shell inspired the spiral ramp and that the radial symmetry of a spider web informed the design of the rotunda skylight.

Opposing to the sublime side identifying with biomorphic architecture, there is additionally the ridiculous side. For there is a vernacular tradition of buildings that represent animals in the most literal way.

Specimens such as the Big Duck – a shop in the shape of a duck selling decoys, commended by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown who began to proliferate the 20th century, despite the fact the trend was perhaps started by Lucy the elephant, a coastline attraction in Margate.

A partial example of zoomorphic architecture closer to home would be Nicholas Grimshaw’s expansion to Waterloo station. The alluring convolution of its light-drenched platform hall makes Waterloo international Terminal a glory to rank with the greatest Victorian railroad architecture. The 400-metre roof-top structure is made out of 36 squashed 3 pin, bowstring curves spanning between 35 and 50 metres. Each glass plane that creates the curved ceiling is hung from the steel structure along one edge by means of adjustable sections but is left free to move at its different edges, the other lower edge being fixed vertically, while windscreen-wiper-like connections allow for a sliding horizontal seal. The result looks

rather like the scales of an animal such as a plated lizard. The structure is similar to the human skeleton of a finger. The rounded finger curves over the track to create an enclosure of the space. Although the design is more genuine to anthropomorphic ideals yet in translation, it loses a significant part of the principles of the human finger or hand, such as the relationship of the skeletal structure, in the final structural arrangement. In the human hand, the more upholstered bones are found nearer the wrist, so you have fewer motor skills in this area, and as the bones extend to the fingers, they become progressively delicate. So to match this with the station, Grimshaw has placed the bulk of the structural support towards the finger region, making the wrist thinner. Although many of the principles of the human structure are broken here, this needed to occur in order to provide

a large span across the tracks and have a sound structural system that could be installed and manufactured at a reasonable cost, an unfortunately large limitation for architects.

Although zoomorphism can present opportunities, it also has its limitations. In nature, the structure of the body becomes smaller as less force is applied upon the member, as the body varies in order to accommodate its various parts and forces.

Along these lines, it is important to note that animals don’t achieve a satisfying state of symmetry; their development is a procedure of symmetry loss.

Bilateral symmetry is all that is left after development from a spherically symmetric fertilised egg. Imagine this egg at the point of intersection of three lines, running up and down, left and right, and front and

Le Corbusier

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back. As the cells divide over and over throughout the course of development, the organism loses symmetry. Although as we build, the redundancy of specific components becomes more practical as it is more affordable for produce and it means you can carry uniform loads throughout the structure, additionally in a timely manner, so exceptions must be made to the rules of nature.

One of many ideal candidates for the inspiration of architecture zoomorphically would be the skeleton of a fish. They are extremely symmetrical (except until they squirm) and although very delicate, the fish can withhold substantial amounts of pressure as the bone structure allows for variance in stresses at different parts of the body with its varying size of elements based upon the forces exerted at their location.

The ribs and the spine perform the majority of the structural stabilisation, where the spine connects to the skull and tail fin bones. The spine in any mammal’s body is one of the most important structural elements, so applying this idea to a building would be a preliminary exercise. Practically and financially, it is perfect as the elements of the skeleton are repetitive and flexible, allowing the fish body to warp itself and drive itself through the water.

Food for thought – how is veganism affecting the economy?

This was written for the Bank of England blog competition Jack Ramseyer Lower Sixth From full fat milk to almond milk, beef mince to tofu, the number of vegans in the UK has grown fourfold in the past four years from 150,000 to 600,000 according to the Vegan Society, and this could be the answer to climate change.

Companies are already beginning to realise this change as in 2017, Elmhurst (one of America’s longest running dairies) made the decision to switch to entirely produce and distribute plantbased milk. This was after the company was impacted by a 7% decline in the index in 2015 and now milk is seen as surplus due to the fall in demand.

This fall in demand would force dairy companies to sell at a cheaper price causing profits to plummet, so surely other companies are going to and should follow Elmhurst’s path.

solid foundation for investors. Moreover, the market is regulating itself as in 2018, the US Vegan Climate Index (VEGAN) was established to differentiate companies that contribute to the usage of animals from those trying to decrease their carbon footprint. Since then VEGAN has unfailing scored higher returns than that of the Solactive US Large Cap Index with a 10% return, showing the real surge in popularity.

[I]f people continue to follow current trends of meat consumption it could cost the US between $197bn and $289bn each year.

Plant-based dairy alternatives have made a notable profit on the market and with a surge of 20% in growth, producing $700 million in sales, producers are building a

Companies have been hugely affected by this real surge in popularity, as Tesco suggest the demand for vegan ready meals and snacks increased by 40% in 2018 and this is very likely to increase into the future. Here are some problems and it will impact farmers; they believe that they just need to prove that they produce food in a healthy manner to counteract this rise of veganism and that they are not too worried as dairy products still infiltrate into 98% of UK homes. In the future, farmers will not be able to just show that they produce meat in a ‘healthy manner’, as in reality they are still killing

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animals to attain their meat for consumers.

So, will enough people change their diet? With the ever-growing influence of veganism, surely, we will all be on a plant-based diet sooner rather than later.

The switch could be driven by prices of meat being increased by an indirect tax from the government, but rising prices may have this effect anyway. The University of Oxford estimate that if people continue to follow current trends of meat consumption it could cost the US between $197bn and $289bn each year - $1.6 tn globally - by 2050. As well as this, and more importantly, the number of obesity and chronic disease related deaths could be averted, this would be at least 320,000 deaths saved per year in the USA, which cannot be ignored.

In the future, veganism is going to have a transformative effect on the economy due to how climate change is ever-present, and I most definitely see it as a potential answer to this catastrophic situation.

A comparison of Western and Eastern approaches to the treatment of depression Kyne Devinish Upper Sixth

Antidepressants bind to the 5-HT receptor and therefore block any further reuptake of serotonin. This results in a build-up of serotonin. This results in high levels of neurotransmitter, thereby improving communication between nerve cells, this can further strengthen circuits in the brain which primarily regulate mood.

Understanding this mechanism means it is possible to determine the types of chemical structure that will bind to the 5-HT receptor to form a complementary agonist; therefore, resulting in increasing serotonin levels. The SSRI is a physical block in the pre-synaptic nerve ending.

There is evidence that SSRI antidepressant drugs are not well tolerated and can cause physiological withdrawal symptoms such as

In recent years, diagnosis of depression in the UK has increased, from 17.7% in 2013 to 18.2%in 2014. With the rise of social media and increased scrutiny of mental health within society, the rise of depression is an important question to pose both medically and socially. Depression is recognised as having two forms; whilst it is evident that all humans experience fluctuating happiness over their life, clinical depression however, is more intense and of a longer period which affects the standard aspects of a person’s life and their ability to engage in daily activities.

In the Western world, antidepressants were firstly introduced in the 1950s with the first two specific antidepressant drugs being iproniazid; which is a monoamine-oxidase inhibitor and imipramine which was a fundamental in the tricyclic antidepressant family. A major advancement was the discovery of standard serotonin reuptake inhibitors more commonly known as SSRIs. The basic assumption is that antidepressants increase serotonin, however SSRIs inhibit the re-uptake of serotonin thus increasing serotonin levels.

Uncaria Hook

[T]he rise of depression is an important question to pose both medically and socially. vomiting.

The Japanese traditional herbal medicine, Kampo, uses 148 different formulations mainly in the form of herbal extracts, and can be prescribed within the national health insurance system of Japan. A drug that can be used as an antidepressant is called Yokukansan (YKS). Yokukansan has been approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, typically used to treat patients with conditions such as neurosis, insomnia, irritability and crying at night in children.

Basic research demonstrates an important link between the serotonergic system in the central nervous system (CNS), and psychotropic effects of Yokukansan. This research was obtained conducting an in-vitro kinetic binding study. This was performed in order to estimate the time for the product to reach its specific binding site. The research revealed a successful bond between Yokukansan and the Serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT1A), resulting in a partial agonist being developed.

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Among the 7 herbal ingredients that are used in Yokukansan, only the Uncaria hook, had the partial agonistic activity to 5-HT1A receptors. In order to consolidate this research, further testing was conducted where the Uncaria hook was removed from the 7 active ingredients. It was confirmed that the Uncaria hook was the active ingredient as partial agonistic binding of Yokukansan disappeared.

Further in-vitro receptor binding studies identified geissoschizine methyl ether (GM) as the active ingredient, which is an indole alkaloid in Uncaria plants. These in-vitro findings were supported by in-vivo studies on rodents. The studies demonstrated that the oral form of YKS (1.0 g/kg) ameliorated aggressive and social behaviours; these ameliorated behaviours were also counteracted by a 5-HT1A antagonist.

This finding was also supported with further research. The Uncaria hook was removed from the active ingredients and the ameliorative effect of YKS on isolation stress-induced aggressive behaviour was completely abolished. This study suggests that the efficacy of YKS is due to the Uncaria hook. A pharmacokinetic study was conducted which revealed that GM was present in the plasma and brain of rats after the oral administration of YKS. This suggests that GM is a potent 5-HT1A receptor agonist and therefore a candidate ingredient of YKS.

The primary reason that GM has the ability to bind to the receptors is because of its unique complementary indole chemical structure. This structure is also present in the structure of the four antidepressants; Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertraline and Escitalopram.

Western and Eastern approaches to the treatment of depression both rely upon prescribing drugs to ameliorate symptoms.

Research results and anecdotal evidence

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suggests that SSRI drugs can have nasty side effects and exacerbate symptoms. More work is needed to explore the potential value of Eastern traditional medicines. In a globalised world, both systems can be valid and beneficial; medical practitioners from the West and East should actively collaborate and share their results.

Are referendums the best way of determining important political and constitutional questions?

Samuel Redfern

Upper Sixth Nothing inspires more mania within Westminster politics than the menace of Theresa May’s dancing and the referendum.

We live in ‘Brexit Britain’. With a majority of seventy four seats, the United Kingdom is the Conservative Party’s canvas: Boris Johnson is the paint, Dominic Cummings is the artist and the Civil Service is a wonky, crooked easel. Yet how did we arrive at this point? The European referendum of 2016, and indeed those referenda which preceded it, have fundamentally changed the nature of British politics in a way that pundits could never predict. The effectiveness of the referendum in effectuating that change is a matter of contention.

The referendum is now an established part of our constitution within UK politics, indeed, to the extent that it is unthinkable a government of the day would institute significant upheaval without appealing to the masses. Clement Atlee once conceived of the referendum as being “a tool of dictators and demagogues” - a contrivance that was alien to the stability engendered in politics by Burke’s ‘trustee model’ of representation. Yet this erstwhile peculiarity on the peripheries of mainstream discourse has been a tool utilised by successive governments twelve times since 1973. Adhering to Rousseau’s conception of the ‘general

will’, referendums can resolve divisive issues through a form of direct democracy, providing a solution to volcanic political questions that transcend partisan lines.

However, all governments are unpopular.

Given the chance, people will inevitably vote against what is perceived as a distant, egotistical establishment. Critics of referendums thus focus upon its susceptibility to a vitriolic form of populism in which the ‘general will’ is pitted against a faceless establishment elite, whether this is the ‘unelected bureaucrats’ of Brussels or the self-serving ‘Old Boys’ of Eton. It is thus conceivable that the wider electorate is likely to be driven by populist agitation, instigated by popular demagogues who lament the flaws of the present, whilst harking back to an often fallacious conception of the past; a past in which the curviness of bananas was out of the clutches of fastidious continental bureaucrats, and in which the spectre of the one-size-fits-all ‘Euro Condom’ was merely a delirious nightmare. It must also be considered that referendums can be used irresponsibly as a tool of party management to placate a particularly disobedient wing of

a political party. In this sense, rather than being a tool of national political arbitration, the referendum serves a disciplinary end in the context of Westminster party politics. Referendums thus reduce complex institutional questions to an abstract proposition, contracting abundantly complex issues into a binary proposition: yes or no, in or out. The effectiveness of referendums in answering political questions is determined by the nature of the question being asked, therefore meaning referendum ‘success’ is a matter of degrees.

Referendums are the purest form of democratic decision-making within the UK, thus meaning the outcome of such questions are uncorrupted by the filter of representative democracy. This demonstrates the will of the people without the tainted influence of MPs and vested interests.

Indeed, this reality is acknowledged by Downing Street’s ‘chief bruiser’, namely the infamous Dominic Cummings, who (probably) conceptualised Britain as a urinal: the “people pissing in it are MPs” and the referendum functions as a disinfectant, trying to stop the smell.

Aside from this crude conceptualisation, the purity of decision-making afforded to the body politics by referenda is the single greatest strength of this instrument in resolving constitutional questions. This was most pertinently exemplified by the 2014 ‘Scottish Independence Referendum’, whereby the Scottish electorate resolved to maintain the union with a 55.3% ‘No’ vote and a 44.7% ‘Yes’ vote with a turnout of 84.6%. Such a referendum stemmed from the SNP’s disaffection with Westminster politics and a sense of Scottish nationalism that had developed from the establishment of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in 1999. The significant turnout coupled with a decisive vote for unity exemplifies the extent to which a referendum was able to satisfy the political question of Scottish

[I]t is unthinkable a government of the day would institute significant upheaval without appealing to the masses.

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independence (in the short-term) whilst also delivering on the will expressed by the people at the ballot; the 2014 ‘Scottish Independence Referendum’ was a success in this area.

Nevertheless, the inverse is also true.

Referendums have the potential to create fractures within societal political thought, as is exemplified by the 2014 ‘Scottish Independence Referendum’, whereby the

important institutional questions cannot be completely satisfied by the ‘will of the people’.

Referendums could also be used by governments to adhere to the liberal doctrine of ‘government by consent’, whereby any proposed fundamental change to the process of governance must be achieved by direct consent through a referendum, thus enhancing democracy as

institutional/governmental change through the doctrine of ‘government by consent’, thus determining important political/ constitutional questions. However, this conclusion can be countered by the fact that referendums have been used in an irresponsible manner as a tool of party management, as is most pertinently exemplified by David Cameron’s manifesto commitment to a referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union (EU) so

The Scottish Parliament

perceived marginal nature of the result greatly impacted upon the politics of devolution. The Scottish National Party received a boost in support from those disaffected by the result whilst power significantly shifted to Holyrood from Parliament owing to concessions made by the Conservative Party during the run-up to the referendum. This has culminated in renewed calls for a second independence referendum amongst the SNP-led Scottish Parliament administration, whilst enhancing sentiments of Scottish nationalism; this was only accentuated by the Scottish electorate’s decision to remain in the EU after the 2016 referendum over the UK’s membership of the body. The 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum is exemplative of how referendums can potentially enhance political divisions amongst the electorate. The potentially marginal nature of referendum results ultimately means that

the electorate is legitimising the actions of a representative democracy. This can be exemplified by both the 1997 Scottish and Welsh devolution referendums, in which the Labour government under the leadership of Blair intended to enact the creation of a Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament as part of their manifesto commitment to a sweeping range of devolution legislation. Owing to the fact that devolution constituted a significant change in regional governance, the Labour government needed popular consent to enact such measures, and therefore they could be seen as acting responsibly in using referendums to gain such consent.

Whilst the result for a Welsh assembly was seen to be significantly marginal, with a ‘Yes’ vote of just 50.3%, the Scottish electorate overwhelmingly voted in favour of devolution from Westminster, with a ‘Yes’ vote of 74.3%. This therefore exemplifies how a responsible government can utilise referendums to legitimise proposed

[R]eferendums have been used in an irresponsible manner as a tool of party management.

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as to diffuse issues on the backbenches and placate many within the party; the absence of regulatory laws with regards to the use of referendums only increases the potentiality of its misuse.

Significantly, referendums can ameliorate societal rifts, as is exemplified by the decisive result of the 1998 vote on the Belfast Agreement. With a turnout of 81.0% and a ‘Yes’ vote of 71.7%, the people of Northern Ireland conclusively chose to approve of the 1998 Good-Friday Agreement which was created out of multiparty talks. This presented a significant political milestone in the development of the Northern Ireland peace-process of the 1990s, thus bringing an end to the ‘Troubles’ which had plagued British politics since the dawn of the twentieth century. Such an agreement instituted a power-sharing executive between unionists and loyalists at the Northern Irish Assembly in Stormont. The referendum on such an agreement effectively meant that people endorsed the decision to protect the peace-process in Northern-Ireland whilst preventing discord between sectarian

communities, thus ameliorating the intractable conflict which had afflicted UK politics for a number of decades. The 1998 referendum on the Good-Friday Agreement therefore exemplifies how such a tool can be used to enhance political quietude and prevent significant societal disparities.

However, this could be countered by alluding to the results of the 2016 referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union (EU), which proved to polarise British politics and create paralysis within Parliament. Owing to the close results of the referendum, whereby 48.1% of the electorate voted for the UK to stay in the EU whilst 51.9% chose to leave, many questioned the legitimacy of such a result in that the binary nature of the question meant that the losing group would inevitably be marginalised. Arguably, this has resulted in the ‘tyranny of the majority’, in which the voters who opposed the result of the referendum are pitted against the ‘will of the people’, thus meaning the politically successful side can use their victory to force the minority to accept change which is against their own interests; there would be little room for minorities under this system. The implication of this is the polarisation of political thought, thus instigating significant disquietude which comprises the effectiveness of the legislature, as

representatives are paralysed in their decision-making; this is arguably an effect of reducing an abundantly convoluted question into an abstract proposition that is presented to the electorate at the ballot. The Brexit process has exposed the ideological disparities between representatives and the governed. This is symptomatic of the flaws of liberal democracy as a whole, which by design seeks to minimise popular participation in the pursuit of the maintenance of core liberal values.

Significantly, bodies such as the Electoral Commission which function to regulate the campaigning for referendums were unable to negate the influence of falsified information and the utilisation of emotional pleas to win over certain groups within the electorate.

This principally centred upon rumours pertaining to Turkey’s assent to the EU, which would have inevitably resulted in a pronounced increase in immigration to the UK. This is the point at which it should be noted how populist politics undermine the effectiveness of the referendum is solving complex socio-political issues. Critics of the referendum posit that the voting behaviour of the electorate is more likely to be driven by transient whims, rather than deliberative assessments. This issue is only accentuated by populist demagogues

This issue is only accentuated by populist demagogues who wish to increase political agitation surrounding the self-serving liberal elite of the establishment.

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who wish to increase political agitation surrounding the self-serving liberal elite of the establishment. Therefore, whilst referendums have the potential to ameliorate significant societal conflict, the polarisation that can arise as a result of such referendums has the potential to polarise politics and prevent the satisfaction of an important political/ constitutional question.

Referendums have proved to be a contentious phenomenon within British politics; it is a matter for debate, whether they are a positive or negative method of settling major issues. Whilst referendums are certainly flawed in their potential for political polarisation, such a tool has enabled various governments to legitimise institutional change through popular consent. The referendum is a tangible link between the governed and the government - a link which is often eschewed by liberal democracy, which by design seeks to minimise popular influences to protect core liberal values.

Whilst other forms of referendums such as citizens ‘initiative’ (as used in the US and Switzerland) could potentially bypass governments irresponsibly utilising referendums, it remains firmly in the hands of the government of the day to determine which issues should be put before the electorate. However, the complex nature of the questions put forward by referendums and the artificial simplicity of the yes/no question hinders the referendum’s ability to effectively resolve important political/ constitutional questions; its effectiveness as a political tool is determined by the nature of the question proposed by the executive.

Fame or shame! Achilles’ choices in the Iliad Gregor Breen Third Year The third crisis is the most upsetting one as it is when Achilles sends Patroclus to fight in his place. This decision has huge consequences and is when Patroclus dies

by Hector’s hand but it also shows that no matter what happens Achilles steadfastly refuses to fight for Agamemnon. Despite the fact that Patroclus dies, this act gains Achilles kudos as it shows that his reputation and armour are enough to scare away the entire Trojan army and he also grants Patroclus a favour as he gives him the armour only after Patroclus asked for it. Overall this decision will gain Achilles kudos and lead straight to the fifth crisis.

Ancient Greek polychromatic pottery painting (dating to c. 300 BC) of Achilles during the Trojan War

Throughout the Iliad so far Achilles has had four major crises in which he has made some very important decisions giving us a hint into his personality.

his fate which only adds to the idea that he wants a reputation that will live longer then his life. Overall this decision will earn him kudos.

The first major decision he made was to go to the war in the first place. This was a major decision as it lead him to one of his two fates. His two fates were either to go to the war at Troy and die young but be a glorious hero and have his name live forever, the other being staying at home and living a happy life but be forgotten. The decision has three major consequences; one of which being his fate and in his fate he will earn some serious kudos. Another would be that he shows he is like his father Peleus: warlike, arrogant and wanting a reputation. The third would be that he is not afraid to die and he knows

The second crisis in the Iliad would be when Agamemnon humiliated Achilles which made Achilles refuse to fight. This decision had major consequences as well, one of which being that to the soldiers he seems childish and bad tempered sending a bad message to all the Achaeans. Another would be that when he stopped fighting he asked his mother (Thetis) who was a sea nymph to ask Zeus if he could give the Trojans a great victory, which killed many Greeks. That consequence had another problem. It also meant he betrayed his kin giving Achilles aidos (shame).

Overall this decision gave Achilles aidos.

Although Achilles gained kudos he is still perceived in many different ways as he is seen as a hero to the Greeks but an unstoppable monster to the Trojans.

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The last crisis is when Achilles kills Hector, mutilates him and drags his body around Troy three times before returning to the palisade. The consequences of this decision change the siege of Troy entirely as he killed the leader of Troy’s army and then dragged it around Troy which mutilated it meaning consequence in the afterlife.

He also avenged his best friend which will make him feel better and give him kudos.

This is also a strategic move as when the Trojans saw Hector killed and mutilated, they would be demoralised which means they would never leave the safety of their walls again. Overall this will give him kudos and Hector aidos.

Overall Achilles will gain Kudos in three of these and aidos in two of them making Achilles gain more kudos than aidos, even though he let his best friend die, disobeyed the high king, refused free kudos and gave up gifts. Although Achilles gained kudos he is still perceived in many different ways as he is seen as a hero to the Greeks but an unstoppable monster to the Trojans so it came down to who won the war, as history is always written by the victors.

Mara James

Josh Becvar Nathan McBride

Esther Bateman

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Tom Hogg

Evie Walker-Smith

Tom Jackson

Saorise White

Will Duke

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Comment les immigrés sont-ils représentés dans Kiffe Kiffe Demain? Est-ce un portrait négatif ou positif ?

Rose Giffin Upper Sixth En premier lieu, il faudrait rappeler que le roman se déroule dans un endroit défavorisé appelé Livry Gargan à Paris.

Là-bas, les immigrés vivent dans la cité du Paradis, nommée ironiquement ainsi. Tout au long du roman, nous pouvons voir le quotidien de Doria, une immigrée vivant en banlieue.

Pour commencer, il n’est pas exagéré de dire que l’endroit où vivent les immigrés n’est certainement pas un lieu de rêve.

D’ailleurs Yasmina, la mère du protagoniste du roman, a vomi lorsqu’elle a vu la banlieue parisienne pour la première fois.

Tout au long du roman, la cité est décrite comme pauvre, sale, sans rêve, semblable à une prison et marginalisée. Prenons comme exemple Doria, qui voyage en métro, terminus à terminus car il n’y a rien à faire. C’est sa seule manière de fuir

la réalité. Cela nous montre aussi qu’elle n’a pas de chance dans la vie à cause de l’endroit où elle vit. Il faut noter que Doria et Yasmina ne sont allées voir la tour Eiffel qu’une seule fois, ce qui est particulièrement surprenant. En effet, elles vivent à Paris, à une demi-heure de la Tour Eiffel depuis presque vingt ans. Cela révèle qu’elles n’ont pas les mêmes moyens financiers que les Parisiens qui vivent en dehors de la banlieue. En ce qui concerne l’argent, il est primordial de mentionner que vivre en banlieue est toujours le seul choix pour ceux qui ne peuvent pas joindre les deux bouts. Prenons comme exemple Lila et Sarah qui sont venues habiter dans la cité après le divorce de Sarah.

Dès le plus jeune âge, la société marginalise les immigrés. Par exemple, nous pouvons nous en apercevoir dans l’extrait où des petites Françaises ne veulent pas jouer avec Doria à cause du henné sur ses mains. Elles pensent que Doria est sale et donc Doria, comme beaucoup d’autres, est mise à l’écart et exclue de ce groupe.

De plus, le grand mur entre la cité et la Zone Pavillonnaire Rousseau montre symboliquement la marginalisation de la banlieue.

Dès le plus jeune âge, la société marginalise les immigrés.

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En ce qui concerne la sphère familiale, les interactions sont quelques fois négatives.

Par exemple, le père de Doria n’est pas un bon modèle à suivre. Il symbolise peut-être tous les pères de l’histoire étant donné qu’il

y a peu de figures paternelles présentes dans ce roman. Le père de Doria est décrit comme égoïste et violent puisqu’il a frappé Doria quand elle était plus jeune. Il quitte également sa famille pour trouver une femme plus féconde, ce qui démontre la culture patriarcale dans laquelle elles vivent. Donc, le lecteur peut déduire que ces conditions de vie ne sont pas toujours très agréables à vivre pour les femmes.

Un aspect qui définit principalement une partie des immigrés jeunes dans Kiffe Kiffe Demain est la criminalité. Hamoudi est décrit par Doria comme un homme aimable et gentil mais il vole de nombreuses voitures et il fume souvent des pétards. Il est également renvoyé de son travail car son patron pense qu’il est un criminel. Ceci amène le lecteur à constater que quelques parisiens sont racistes et perçoivent les immigrés comme une menace pour la société. Prenons également comme exemple le personnage de Youssef. Lorsqu’il est en prison, nous pouvons constater à quel point sa mère, Tante Zohra, est dévastée. Cela met en évidence les effets dévastateurs de la criminalité dans les banlieues parisiennes.

Nous voyons donc les immigrés sous un mauvais jour. Nous pouvons donc observer que certains jeunes de la banlieue peuvent être très dangereux pour la société.

Cela met en évidence les effets dévastateurs de la criminalité dans les banlieues parisiennes.

Cependant, il faut regarder au-delà des apparences. La plupart des immigrés présents dans ce livre ne sont pas des criminels et travaillent très dur comme par exemple, Nabil. D’ailleurs, nous pouvons observer la solidarité présente dans ce roman. Nous pouvons voir les petites choses qu’ils font les uns pour les autres : Aziz est très sympa avec Yasmina et Doria, Nabil aide Doria avec ses devoirs, Hamoudi leur donne de l’argent. Il semble également 35

évident que les femmes dans ce roman sont dépeintes comme bienveillantes. Tante Zohra et Yasmina s’entraident beaucoup et semblent toujours être présentes l’une pour l’autre, même dans des situations difficiles comme celle où Youssef est emprisonné et se radicalise. Ceci amène le lecteur à constater que la famille et les relations amicales sont très importantes dans ce roman. Ceci est souligné notamment par le fait que Doria renonce à des vacances dont elle a vraiment besoin car elle ne veut pas abandonner à sa mère. Donc, nul ne pourrait nier que la relation entre les immigrés est démontrée comme très positive.

Pour conclure, la relation bienveillante entre les personnages montrent que les immigrés dans ce roman ont un portrait plus positif que négatif malgré les problèmes qu’ils rencontrent. En ce qui concerne le titre du livre, Kiffe Kiffe Demain, nous pouvons voir à la fin du roman qu’il traduit l’optimisme de Doria.

The use and mechanism of general anaesthesia in medicine Tommy Howells Lower Sixth The term ‘anaesthesia’ can be derived from two separate Greek words. The Greek ‘an’ meaning ‘without’ and ‘aisthēsis’ meaning ‘sensation’. They combine to form the Greek ‘anaisthēsia’, leading to the modern Latin early 18th century ‘anaesthesia’. These contribute to the overall meaning ‘without (or loss of) sensation’. In terms of modern medicine, anaesthesia remains a fundamental part of both tests and surgical operations. This is due to the effects of its use, being able to reduce and minimise pain and discomfort in patients.

This is able to be further divided into two broad categories: local anaesthetic and general anaesthetic. However, this article will focus on general anaesthetic only.

types: liquid (injected into a vein intravenous) or gaseous (breathed in through a mask). The effects of general anaesthetic work very quickly afterwards.

The most commonly used intravenous anaesthetic is propofol.

In terms of modern medicine, anaesthesia remains a fundamental part of both tests and surgical operations.

The effects of general anaesthesia can be described as a state of ‘controlled unconsciousness’. During its use, the patient is described as being ‘in a medically induced coma’ with the loss of protective reflexes. General anaesthetic refers to a range of drugs with a shared overall aim of the following criteria:

• • • • •

Unconsciousness (loss of awareness of the self and environment) Analgesia (loss of response to pain) Amnesia (loss of memory) Immobility (loss of motor reflexes) Paralysis (muscle relaxation)

The NHS refers to use of general anaesthesia in surgical procedures where it would be safer and more comfortable for the patient to be unconscious. This is to minimise pain, often associated with historical surgeries, before the use of general anaesthetic was introduced.

Currently, the NHS uses two different

Mechanism of general anaesthesia

The biochemical process of explaining general anaesthetic remains scientifically and medically more of a mystery. It is known, however, that general anaesthetic drugs have multiple sites of action. These affect the Central Nervous System (CNS) at multiple levels. Common areas of the central nervous system whose functions are interrupted or changed during general anaesthesia include the: 1. Cerebral cortex – the region of the brain associated with movement, speech, memory and intelligence.

2. Thalamus – a small ‘walnut’ sized structure located just above the brain stem with extensive nerve connections.

Its function is to relay signals to the cerebral cortex and regulate consciousness, sleep and alertness.

3. Reticular Activating system – refers to a network of nerve pathways in the brainstem connecting the spinal cord and brain. Its function is helping maintain the overall level of consciousness within the body.

4. Spinal cord – The long, thin tubular structure running through the vertebrae to the brain, made up of nervous tissue.

Current evidence relating to the

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anaesthetized state identifies neural networks and loops, whose interruption is linked with unconsciousness. This disruption is widely thought to occur in the links between different neurons. This induces an unconscious state within the body as a result of ‘cognitive unbinding’ of the brain in terms of its neuron sub-units.

For the loss of response to pain, potential pharmacologic targets of general anaesthetics are Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) cells. These are the main inhibitory neurotransmitters in the vertebrate central nervous system. As well as these, voltage-gated ion channels and various receptors are targeted as well.

Voltage-gated ion channels are inhibited by anaesthetic agents. Intercellular channels are also affected. These are gap junctions which directly connect the cytoplasm of two cells, allowing molecules, ions and electrical impulses to be moved along.

General anaesthesia directly interacts with their protein subunits. Thus, all transport mechanisms that rely on these (such as facilitated diffusion) are disrupted.

It is the combined reduction of neural cell excitability, as well as the reduced transmission of nerve impulses which interferes with the ability of the Central Nervous System to feel pain or discomfort.

This is the proposed mechanism of general anaesthesia which allows painful and complicated surgeries not to be felt by a patient.

Other anaesthetic mechanisms have also been linked with the release of endogenous (made within the body) neurotransmitters such as opioid peptides and serotonin.

The release of these neurotransmitters is thought to activate descending pain pathways that inhibit pain transmission.

This means high pain signals do not reach the brain of the patient.

Propofol remains the most widely used intravenous anaesthetic within the field of medicine. It was initially discovered in 1977. More recently the World Health Organisation (WHO) included it on their list titled ‘World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines’. This was due to its reliable mechanism and minimal side effects. Physically, it appears as a ‘milky’ substance in its intravenous preparation.

Propofol can be described as a short-acting medication resulting in a decreased level of consciousness and a lack of memory.

Thus, it is used in the induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia.

It takes up to two minutes for the effects to work fully and these normally last between five and ten minutes. Combined with other drugs, however, propofol will result in unconsciousness being sustained for a longer period of time. It is further

Propofol remains the most widely used intravenous anaesthetic within the field of medicine.

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combined with other drugs intravenously in order to ensure the patient remains unconscious and pain-free. These drugs are opioids (such as morphine) which work alongside it.

It therefore comes as no surprise that this drug has been used as a general anaesthetic on over 250 million patients worldwide.

The power of fine art in promoting brand identity in fashion Eleanor Jolliffe Upper Sixth

‘The Swing’

Throughout the history of Western art, paintings have carried with them symbolic weight, whether transparent and accessible, or more inconspicuous. Theme, colour, composition and objects have each in turn been utilised as an instrument by which to convey veiled nuances and disguised messages. Be it in a blatant, bold manner as seen in the work of Frida Kahlo or in a more enigmatic style as seen in the Mona Lisa

by Leonardo da Vinci, symbolism remains an undoubtedly critical component of art.

Within fashion photography numerous brands have referenced influential works of art with this crucial element. Whilst some fashion photographers have produced direct pastiches of renowned artworks, such as Jean-Paul Goude’s imitation of ‘The Swing’ for Harper’s Bazaar, others have ventured further; combining the symbolic core of classic masterpieces with the identity of various brands, constructing a novel reproduction with more significance than initially meets the eye. Employing the use of semiotics, major photographer Steven Meisel has demonstrated the crux of what the brand Versace embodies, in echoing several pivotal masterpieces in art history. This essay will analyse Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘Lady with an Ermine’ and the position it plays in encapsulating the brand identity of Versace, through the utilisation

of colour, composition, context, symbolism and clothing.

‘Lady with an Ermine’, painted by Da Vinci, exhibits the muse Cecilia Gallerani.

Recognised for her beauty and purity, as demonstrated by Bellincioni’s sonnet dedicated to her, it becomes apparent why Meisel has taken such literal inspiration when portraying Versace’s archetypal women.

“Who stirs your wrath? Of whom are you envious, Nature Of Vinci, who has portrayed one of your stars; Cecilia, today so very beautiful, is she Whose lovely eyes make the sun seem dark shadow. …”

Understood to be the quintessential creation of nature, ‘the unique exemplar of everything beautiful,’ Meisel brings fresh life to this classical masterpiece through his own recreation. Nevertheless, Cecilia’s unassailable beauty is a mere fraction of what marks the significance of the painting. Acclaimed by critics as the ‘first 38

modern portrait,’ the ‘Lady with an Ermine’ symbolises an advance in the way women were perceived. Aside from Cecilia’s conclusive beauty, Da Vinci conveys her intellect by the means of her contrapposto pose and lightly animated facial expressions, a very avant-garde concept at the time. In referencing this powerful image Meisel reinforces the brand identity of Versace as well as their paradigmatic women; stylish and self-assured.

‘Lady with an Ermine’

Meisel has taken evident inspiration from Da Vinci’s ‘Lady with an Ermine’ with respect to the dark almost ominous lighting. In fully utilising and mimicking the chiaroscuro that is prominent throughout Da Vinci’s work a mysterious, mythological image is achieved. Moreover, the lighting utilized by Meisel emphasizes the unconventional beauty of Audrey Marnay, atypical to the bombshell beauties of the ‘Big Five’ that were so prominent at the time (Campbell, Crawford, Evangelista, Turlington and Claudia Schiffer). Donatella’s kickback against the ‘Cool Britannica’ and ‘Casual Chic’ movements of the time, remaining loyal to the sophisticated, high end brand identity of Versace is again accentuated by Meisel’s use of lugubrious lighting, not to mention the abundance of high cultural references.

Versace’s logo also echoes the mythological, high-end culture prominent in both this campaign and ‘Lady with an Ermine’. The logo exhibits the head of Medusa, chosen for the mythic connotation’s she holds (she caused people to fall so deeply in love with her that they could not return). The simplicity of the logo, lacking any specific colour scheme, again places emphasis on Versace’s brand identity and the paragon of their ideal, classy women as reflected in Sorrenti’s Fall 1998 campaign.

Da Vinci demonstrates the chastity of his muse Cecilia taking full advantage of symbolism. The ermine ‘a well-known symbol of purity and moderation’ reflects Cecilia’s innocence who ‘was careful to stipulate that [her] marriage had never been consummated: her virginity might be a valuable asset…’ Meisel reworks Da Vinci’s desire to ‘preserve beauty, to halt the march of time’ in his recreation where the symbolic value of the rosary is applied. As well as demonstrating a sense of wealth and status, the rosary embodies purity, which combined with Marnay’s haughty gaze conjures up the impression of superiority and innate confidence in addition to idealizing youthfulness. Marnay epitomizes the poised confident women that was prevalent amongst mainstream media at the time. Whilst Da Vinci and Meisel select contrasting colours regarding the clothing of their muses, the semiotics behind both clearly align. Although in the medieval period blue typified loyalty, chastity and strength, in the 20th century black is symbolic of strength, mystery, power and elegance, hence with the changing role of women we can deduce the qualities that both Da Vinci and Meisel strived to portray.

Aside from the significance of colour, through a monetary lens ‘Lady with an Ermine’ boasts vibrant blue, red and gold dyes, a clear example of Cecilia’s financial status as vivid dyes were attainable only to the elite. Cecilia is further adorned with ‘a small expensive cap’ again emphasising her status. Correspondingly Meisel and Donatella select a black dress with a splash of white in the headband, the combination exudes sleek sophistication, henceforth showing economic commodity along with effortless suave.

Versace’s transition ‘from skin-bearing bling to a more refined sexiness’ after Donatella took the reins in 1997 is encapsulated by the Fall 1998 campaign, where elegant sophistication remains at it’s core. This sentiment is emulated through the use of a sparse background, furthered by Pat McGrath’s minimalistic approach to hair and make-up. At a brink in fashion, with celebrity culture on the rise, minimalism was markedly distinct and certainly an eye-catcher, thereby highlighting this campaign as the epitome of refined style at the time. Although Meisel selects a desolate landscape as a backdrop, whilst Da Vinci’s muse Cecilia is painted against a plain black screen, the

simplicity in both images subconsciously emanates a sense of refinement and finesse, giving a high-end aura to Meisel’s campaign. With regards to the composition both Meisel and Da Vinci employ the golden triangle, drawing emphasis to the ermine in Da Vinci’s case and the rosary and rings that Marnay displays. In doing so Meisel takes advantage of his commercial expertise as well as his artistic competence by exhibiting Versace’s accessories.

In conclusion, the power of fine art in promoting brand identity has proved itself undeniably present throughout Versace’s 1998 fall campaign. The symbolic value of certain iconic images and movements throughout the history of art have been adopted by fashion photographers, such as Meisel, and fashion brands such as Versace in order to present their own brand identity. Be it like Meisel who uses semiotics taking advantage of the existing symbolism behind an image or like Goude who sought only to replicate Fragonard’s iconic masterpiece, photographers have used composition, light, colour, objects, clothing and symbolism in order to convey such nuances. Fine art indisputably has immense power in promoting brand identity within the fashion sphere.

Meisel reworks Da Vinci’s desire to ‘preserve beauty, to halt the march of time’.

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Transitioning from high carbon to low carbon This was written for the Bank of England blog competition Ben Cooley Lower Sixth

educate workers on the nature of their jobs in this relatively new and expanding sector, and these will also help workers transitioning from high carbon jobs to find potential employment.

There are worries for countries with large investments in fossil fuels as we progress to a low carbon future. As demand drops for fossil fuels the invested capital stops earning a return. This could therefore be very costly for firms and countries which have invested heavily in fossil fuels.

However on the plus side the transition to a lower carbon future opens the pathway to investment opportunities in emerging

As the threats of climate change loom ever nearer in today’s world we, as a population, are going to have to change the way in which we go about our daily lives. Our attitude to the generation of electricity, which we rely on so heavily, must change if we are to be able to slow down and prevent climate change. Transitioning to a low carbon economy presents both a significant opportunity and an enormous challenge.

As pressure is put on governments by activists and renowned scientists to act on the growing threat of climate change, there are going to be some major changes in the energy industry of many countries.

Countries are grappling with how to meet the 2015 Paris climate deal to limit temperature change to below 2oC. To

proportion of the economy and account for over 10% of world trade and around 10% of investment; therefore they will be hard to replace.

As coal and oil power plants begin to shut down, many workers will be made redundant and may not have the skill set required to find other employment. The worry is that if these workers cannot find new jobs, damaging dislocation issues and employment mismatch issues may arise.

However, these potential dangers can be avoided. As high carbon jobs are lost, new low carbon jobs are created resulting in emerging renewable sectors in which the demand for their services is shooting up. Training programs will be required to

achieve this, global emissions should already be declining at around 3% a year.

However they are still rising, reaching a record high in 2018 of 411 parts of carbon per million. Governments will be very keen to switch from energy generated from fossil fuels to greener energy sources with a smaller carbon footprint. Lots of money will be invested into researching new renewable energy sources and implementing the current ones in use.

However there will be negative impacts for the high-carbon sector of the economy as a result of this transition to a lower carbon future. Fossil fuels make up a very large 40

Transitioning to a low carbon economy presents both a significant opportunity and an enormous challenge. sectors such as renewable energy which will be required to ensure a relatively smooth transition to becoming reliant on renewable energy.

The potential costs we face as a result of the transition can only be overcome by seizing the fruitful opportunities that a low carbon future holds.

Is validity ever really achievable?

Erin Lewis Upper Sixth

Lawrence Kohlberg

I have come to realise while studying psychology that validity is a grey area and a term that raises many issues. Validity is defined simply by the extent to which an observed effect is a genuine one; as defined by the Oxford Dictionary – this can essentially be summarised to ‘has this piece of research measured what it intended to measure?’ For example; if a researcher conducted an experiment in which they wished to measure people’s levels of happiness, was happiness genuinely measured, or could we have unwillingly measured another variable?

While it seems far-fetched to assume that we might miss our target dependent variable measurement, I have come to the conclusion that although it may appear that what we intend to measure successfully has been reached, this is not always true.

Firstly, people lie. It is in our human nature for the good and the bad that we are intrinsically liars – we lie to protect ourselves, but also to protect others around us. The reason that lying would affect validity is that despite thinking we have measured the desired variable, the chances are high that we could’ve been deceived as researchers. This can be seen in Kohlberg’s research (1981) ‘The Philosophy of Moral Development’ in which a series of semi-

structured interviews are conducted on children, containing a range of hypothetical scenarios, in order to measure their morality and the development of morality.

It seems fair to say that Kohlberg’s conclusions are lacking in internal validity (validity within the research) – the research cannot absolutely conclude that each child was honest in their responses to the hypothetical questions – therefore, we cannot consider Kohlberg’s research to be exactly valid in its conclusions. It could be that the children being interviewed presented their answers differently to how they truly felt, and it can be said that the participants were influenced by social desirability bias (defined as the response bias that is the tendency for participants to answer in a manner that will be viewed favourably by others).

errors or misinterpretations that may mean validity in a study has not been attained.

For example, if a researcher wanted to test the hypothesis ‘chocolate increases happiness’, they may take a sample of participants and use numbered scales to ask the participants to record their happiness score out of 10 before and after receiving chocolate. While this method does again raise the problems faced by self-report and social desirability bias, it also suffers from inaccuracy of results and methodological problems created by the researcher. While the researcher thinks that they are recording happiness changes as a result of chocolate, it could be that the participant’s levels of happiness have changed due to other factors instead – for example; excitement at being part of a study, happiness caused by the interaction or study itself. Therefore, true validity is once again unachievable because other variables have affected the researcher’s ability to establish accurately a cause and effect relationship within the study. To overcome problems faced by this, we could use brain scans to measure brain activity, in order to see objectively whether chocolate increases happiness. Yet, similar to issues faced by potential lie detector tests, this method of measuring happiness is invasive and to a degree unethical, as we reveal truthfulness which a participant may intend to mask.

Similar problems of validity vs. social desirability bias can be found within a range of different research in psychology.

Similar problems of validity vs. social desirability bias can be found within a range of different research in psychology. Validity is particularly affected by self-report methodology, or interviews, as it is more likely that people will manipulate their honest answers to something further from the truth, in order to reach what they consider the ‘expected’ or ‘desired’ response. To overcome this issue as researchers, we could strap every participant up to a lie-detector machine in order to establish that they are being honest in each experiment, yet this creates obvious further issues of invading privacy, as well as potential psychological harm by forcing participants to be truthful – therefore, it seems equally unachievable to explore honesty in depth!

Another reason why it can be argued that validity is never truly achievable is that it is generally a difficult concept to measure.

While the participants can affect the validity of a piece of research, conclusions made by the researcher themselves can also contribute to lower levels of validity.

In short, the experimenter can make small 41

As demonstrated, validity in psychology presents many red flags, in that we can never be absolute in how valid our research is, and whether it genuinely measures what is intended. There are potential methods to escape the problems faced by faulty validity, yet these can be invasive and unethical to a degree, therefore one might conclude that it is better to remain with lower levels of validity than to venture into areas that might compromise ethics in order to achieve higher levels of validity.

In what ways were the Russian media and Orthodox Church influential in the passing of the ‘Gay Propaganda Law’ of 2013?

Molly Steele Upper Sixth

On 11th June 2013, Article 6.13.1 – “For the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values” – passed with only one abstention, and 88% of Russians agreeing on its necessity. This law became known as the ‘Gay Propaganda Law’ (GPL), as it focuses on prohibiting the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships”. There was international outcry at the blatant discrimination and persecution of LGBT people, as it has facilitated public discrimination against LGBT people and since the country has seen its hate crimes rise significantly.

The 2013 amendment extends this bill to cover the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships”; aiming to protect children from exposure to content that portrays homosexuality as a “behavioural norm”, or information that may cause interest among children. There is particular focus on how LGBT people, and their lifestyles, can be presented as ‘attractive’ and that this is inherently wrong: it indicates to a “distorted perception of social equality between traditional and non-traditional sexual relations”.

This law became known as the ‘Gay Propaganda Law’ (GPL), as it focuses on prohibiting the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships”.

The GPL is an amendment to the censorship law, “On Protecting Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development” – which was introduced in 2010.

The two main politicians who pushed this law, Vitaly Milonov and Yelena Mizulina, both have connections with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). Vitaly Milonov was the deputy who introduced a similar law in St Petersburg in 2011 which banned the “propaganda of homosexuality” – 42

inspiring the national amendment. He is an Orthodox Christian, and was also training to be a priest when the law was enacted; highlighting his dedication to the ROC. Yelena Mizulina is the Chairperson of the Russian Duma’s Committee on Family, Women and Children (CFWC) which aims to protect family and traditional values, and in 2013 wished to amend the constitution to involve Orthodox Christianity as a defining feature of Russian identity. Mizulina has been quoted as saying that homosexuality and heterosexuality are incompatible in Russia: homosexuality dilutes the concept of the nuclear family and the union of man and women, therefore limiting a child’s freedom to choose their own sexual preference. These traditional family values that she works to protect stem from the Christian values that many Russians (74%) abide by.

There were three main narratives that were pushed in the lead up to the passing of the GPL: homosexuals are paedophiles, homosexuals are sinful, and homosexuals threaten traditional family values.

The belief that homosexuals are paedophiles stemmed from Sebersky seminars in 2012, which led to an increase in the diagnosis of paedophilic sexual orientation. This was due to the belief that perversions come together therefore homosexuality and paedophilia were connected. The Russian media then picked up on this and started producing articles about the ‘Paedophile Menace’ and how homosexuals were the leaders of this. This assimilation was further promoted by Mizulina, who accused her opposition of being members of the paedophile lobby.

The idea that homosexuals are sinful stemmed from the ROC, which promoted the idea that permitted evil gives rise to further evil. Many ROC members argue that accepting homosexuality will lead to the acceptance of paedophilia. This reinforces the idea that homosexuality and paedophilia are closely linked, and with 73% of Russians identifying with the ROC, and the ROC having advisory commissions within government, it is easy to see the extensive power it has over Russia.

Yelena Mizulina

acceptance of homosexuals will destroy the concept of the nuclear family. As Russia is trying to establish itself as a strong country (post USSR collapse), children are considered the future and should be protected in order to secure Russia’s future.

The ROC, media and government have worked together to enforce the ‘fear of the other’ mentality.

The idea that homosexuals threaten traditional family values stems from the fears of a demographic crisis within Russia: Russia has a declining population; therefore, it is important to ensure children are being born. As homosexuals are unable to procreate, this means that they will steal your children from you, or try to convert them to homosexuality. A further fear is that the

The Demographic Summit, held in 2012 by the World Congress of Families (WCF), reignited the fears of a demographic crisis in Russia. It blamed gay rights and other progressive advancements, such as birth control and legal divorce, for the falling population.

The WCF is a Western organisation, led by religious conservatives such as Larry Jacobs, dedicated to the fight against gay rights, abortion rights, and gender studies. It is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre; partially due to its close association with anti-LGBT activists such as Scott Lively, who blames homosexuals for the Holocaust, Rwandan genocide and the spread of HIV/AIDS. Since Larry Jacobs first came to Russia to attend the ‘Sanctity of Motherhood’ convention in 2010, over 13 anti-LGBT laws have been passed. The group has also praised Putin, and taken credit 43

for the GPL. This indicates the detrimental effects of the WCF on social progress in Russia: the WCF is the only foreign body to work closely with the ROC and the government. This outside approval gives strong internal control over Russia’s social progress.

The ROC, media and government have worked together to enforce the ‘fear of the other’ mentality, scaring the majority through the dehumanisation and estrangement of homosexuals. This has been rather successful: state-controlled media and the 24-hour news cycle meant that there was constant exposure to the three narratives and the ‘otherness’ of homosexuals; heightening people’s fears. As many Russians believe they have never met a gay person, the dehumanisation process is incredibly easy.

The rhetoric used teaches citizens that the protection of the majority is far more important than the minority; the acceptance of homosexuals is “the sign of the apocalypse”. These ideas were first planted during a televised debate over the GPL in 2012, on Russia 1 (a state-owned national TV channel). The hour and a half special was set in a mock court room, with four people on each side.

The pro-ban side was made up of famous, straight, white Russians; including a priest and Dmitry Kiselev, a TV presenter of the Russian equivalent of the News of the Week. On the other hand, the anti-ban side was made up of two Jews, a Georgian, an American and Ludmila Aleseeva, a Russian human rights activist. These two opposing

sides made it easy for Russians to decide who they wished to believe. The anti-ban side was made up of people who didn’t seem to represent Russia, instead they could be seen as outsiders; ‘others’; whereas the pro-ban side embodied traditional Russia.

This tactic of using ‘others’ to defend ‘others’, in this case homosexuals, makes it easy for the public to reject the ideas of the anti-ban side and perceive them as foreign, western ideals, rather than something Russians should agree with: ‘true’ Russians were not presenting this side of the case.

regularly watch Kiselev’s news programme meaning they faced constant reminders of the message he spread, allowing negative attitudes to fester and grow. However, there is an issue with the reliability of research on Russian media; the existence of the Roskomnadzor, a government censorship body with the power to block and remove content online.

It is very possible that negative, or even positive, coverage of homosexuals or the GPL was removed in the lead up to the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014, in an attempt to present Russia as a more welcoming host. Russia had been criticized internationally for its human rights laws, in particular the GPL, meaning that Putin can be seen backtracking in 2014 interviews.

[B]oth the media and the ROC will have affected public perception of homosexuality.

The debate was opened by the well-respected Dmitry Kiselev. His explicit language reduced homosexuals to second class citizenship, with rhetoric similar to that of Hitler and Stalin (linking persecution and strong state power). This will have left a serious impression on the minds of viewers; they absorbed such negative ideas, and validated their own negative views of homosexuality. Furthermore, Kiselev’s rhetoric makes viewers believe that the ban of propaganda is a mild reaction to homosexuals in comparison, making it favourable. The pro-ban side won the debate with 82% of the votes; 34,770 in favour of banning gay propaganda and 7,533 again.

In the following months, anti-gay rhetoric increased in media outlets. Many Russians

The existence of the Roskomnadzor means we cannot be sure of the scale of information that was produced and circulated about the GPL in Russia. The assumption made in this report was that all media outlets were presenting similar antigay agendas to the public: the vast majority are state controlled. Therefore, the extent of the media’s influence in the passing of the GPL is questionable, but we know it mainly affected public perception of homosexuals rather than targeting the legislators.

Overall, it can be concluded that the both the media and the ROC will have affected public perception of homosexuality, and the 44

necessity for the GPL. This was caused by the three narratives constantly surrounding citizens, in places of worship and formal institutions, online and in real life. The media acted in a facilitating role in the process of passing the GPL, focusing on warping the perceptions of the public, whereas the ROC created the narratives that people became invested in, as well as working with the WCF to push their agenda in government. This means that the ROC was able to influence and rule over both the government and the citizens; controlling the messages and rhetoric that was distributed in Russia. Without the work of the WCF and Larry Jacobs, this wouldn’t have been possible. Due to the yearning to create a new identity for Russia, Putin welcomed the WCF into Russia; together creating narratives and committees that ‘protect’ Russian families. The support from Jacobs and other Catholic Westerners in warping policy has ignited a conservative flame in Russia, meaning it continues to sway towards the extreme.

Although those outside of Russia are able to look in and see the bubble of social lies that Russian citizens are indoctrinated with, it is unlikely those within will ever see such clarity due to the sheer power of the ROC, controlling the regime.

The psychological consequences of architecture A collection of thoughts and related research.

Tim Emmens Lower Sixth book was essentially a Bible for architects and designers, containing plans for Roman and Greek buildings, town plans, designs for harbours, machines, measuring instruments – and much more to the same effect. Vitruvius also wrote about the three aspects, or three guidelines to architecture: firmitas (strength), utilitas (functionality), and venustas (beauty).

Pruitt-Igoe Complex

A “home” is always seen as more than just a house. Commonplace is the tacky “Home is where the heart is” sign, potentially in a slanted calligraphic font, maybe printed onto a cheap wooden slab - hung proudly on the wall (other soul-warming Poundland home decorations are available). But behind this cliché slogan is a wealth of untold truth. The idea has been around for millennia that the buildings we spend almost all of our time in (around 90% of our life is spent indoors) could act as more than

just a roof over our heads: a first century architect Vitruvius released a ten-part publication entitled: “De Architectura Libri Decem”– “Ten Books On Architecture.”

Being the earliest surviving document on architecture, this seemed to be a fitting place to start investigating the effect architecture can have on an individual.

This publication is seen as the first book to include content classified as “Architectural theory” – the concept that buildings can be more than ‘bricks and mortar’. Vitruvius’s

[T]hree guidelines to architecture: firmitas (strength), utilitas (functionality), and venustas (beauty).

With regard to beauty, Vitruvius had a specific idea as to what defined it – as typically, beauty standards change throughout the ages. He believed that the proportions of the human body could be used as a “model of natural proportional perfection” when building. The body could be seen as a “living rulebook” on how to build with beauty. In scope with this, according to Vitruvius, all architects must design and build to create a sense of eurythmia, “a graceful and agreeable atmosphere”, seemingly saying that an architect’s job is to make more than a building – they must take into account the effect on the inhabitants’ minds in what they do. They need to make a positive impact on how a person is feeling. How to do that is the question.

If one were to look for the key ingredients of a good building, the recipes would differ wherever you looked. So, here are several recurring flavours I have discovered, for you to digest: of course, the perspective of what makes a building ‘good’ is subjective, so using my best judgement, I have tried to be as unbiased as possible. Furthermore, being ‘good’ is a multi-faceted state: the building must be judged on how well it performs its function, how little is its ecological impact to the environment, its aesthetic; whether it preserves a previous historical style or is an new, bold approach; and to what degree

Prime example of vegetation use alongside architecture

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of quality this is executed; and finally how well the building preserves the health and wellbeing of the occupants.

To create eurythmia within a building, is to promote a healthy mindset of an occupant, someone at ease with their surroundings, who can relax and focus on the task at hand, and work to their best ability. I have found that light, air quality and acoustics are three key factors to achieving this goal. Light adds so much to the beauty of a building and can be a medium itself. It can be manipulated by the positioning of structural openings and windows to cast sculpted shadows, ‘bend’ gradually round a curved surface, or add depth and perception to a 3D space. Light can accentuate the texture and colour of a surface, giving the observer an insight into the details of the building’s construction, and the materials used – how each of these works alongside others within a project and the reasons for choosing them. All will have been carefully considered by client and architect collaboratively, thus giving more insight into the thoughts behind the structure.

Appreciating the beauty of all these details can bring great joy to the observer, whose relationship with their surroundings can deepen.

14.4% of the energy bill, the proportion second highest to heating, so with the current concern over climate, conservation of this energy is a priority. The lighting of a building is at its most impressive when it is successful in aesthetic, functionality, and all achieved with a low energy budget.

“Humans can survive for 30 days without eating, 3 days without drinking, yet only 3 minutes without breathing” hence the importance of air is should not [cause any] qualm. The quality of the air is potentially a more hardhitting criterion – if not considered, it can lead to real physiological damage and huge detriments to health. In situations such as in medical wards, a low air quality can lead to infection of vulnerable patients and the increased spread of disease, and the staff will not be exempt. Closer to home, bad air quality can lead to headaches, lack of sleep and respiratory problems. In the office, high levels of CO2 can lead to drowsiness and will seriously impede decision-making processes. I think it is evident that the quality of air is hugely important to the health and wellbeing of the building’s occupants: with good air quality, mental and physical ailments will be minimised.

Solutions include: a ventilation system, which could be mechanical, natural or a hybrid but some type of air flow is ideal.

Also, vegetation - purifying plants (Palm plants, Dracaena and philodendron come

To create eurythmia within a building, is to promote a healthy mindset of an occupant.

Light is used within architecture for three purposes: aesthetic (heretofore mentioned), function, and efficiency. As for the second purpose, function, this is a most important one. In retail we can see why: prime examples of passive manipulation of the mind are seen in that of a customer affected by lighting. The exterior lighting is high intensity, bringing the customers inside, luring them in. The interior lighting radiates a sense of awe and comfort, a space in which you feel safe and reassured, resulting in easy admiration of the product. In homes, light can be used to create certain atmospheres in different rooms – cold white in the kitchen, clean, almost scientific lighting; soft and warm in the living room, creating plentiful ‘hygge’ (Danish: “a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends; cosy, charming or special”).

Hygge

In our day and age, some may argue that efficiency is the greatest responsibility of the architect regarding lighting. The energy from lighting in a typical home takes up 46

highly recommended) clean the air and synchronously add a very “outdoor-in” chic look.

Now for the final ingredient, acoustics.

Some may not think of acoustics as having much effect on the inhabitants of a building, and given the normal background noise level of our modern lives that is understandable, but nevertheless it remains a problem if unconsidered. Acoustics are also very much subject to design. The common view in most houses and offices is that the sound needs dampening to dull reverberation and give a softer sound. The acoustics can be influenced by a number of aspects: the shape and size of the room (large and high ceiling equals loud), the reflective characteristics of the surfaces (soft and porous equals good dampening), the reflective characteristics of furniture and other materials in the room (again, spongy is the way to go) and the source of the noise (loud and harsh noises are … well, loud and harsh, more likely to reverberate). In an office, echoes and loud noises would stress one out to no end, so techniques and materials such as “soundfriendly furniture”, “noise friendly flooring”, and again: plants, are all used to keep the workers sane. It seems that if you add an abundance of flora then everyone will be better off.

Unfortunately, eurythmia is not always achieved, and people do suffer as a result of a lack of care in the design and maintenance of buildings.

Curved light

A notorious example of the effects that a poorly designed building can take is seen in the Pruitt-Igoe complex in Missouri. A collection of high-rise apartment buildings, standing between mid-1950s and mid1970s, offers a demonstration that if not considered properly, the social impact of a building can be truly damaging. A wealth of construction problems including budget cuts and design limitations immediately began to hinder the possibility of success of the buildings – and even when built, no one wanted to live there, and those who moved in, moved out shortly after.

Complaints about lack of air quality and functional facilities were commonplace, yet a solution was not seen as possible, with a lack of funding to the local authorities to inject into a maintenance work force.

So many blocks of flats and high-rise buildings in less fortunate areas of cities have been criticized for a number of different things. These include their tendency to form hubs for crime, the common sight of over crowdedness in an undermanaged construction, their monotonous and antisocial design all of which cause known and unknown social problems. Taking all this into account, one’s mood is not exactly being encouraged to soar. Tinie Tempah summarises this effect by saying the buildings feel like they have been, “designed for you to not succeed”. Buildings should be supportive and enjoyable, never discouraging.

The architect is the sole distributor of happiness. If they have the knowledge, through research or collaboration, about what their work will really do to people, they should act accordingly, designing a building that makes a good starting block to someone’s day, even life.

However, yes, there is yet another problem, what is good, and what makes you happy, is subjective. How can architects design a building, used by, say, a thousand people, and make each one of them take a look at their surroundings, and smile. Some like curvy lines, some like angular features,

[I]f not considered properly, the social impact of a building can be truly damaging.

The apartment block was also an infamous centre for “crime, squalor and social dysfunction”, the cause of which, was not apparent. Critics of the Pruitt-Igoe complex blamed the huge spaces between each (“featureless”) block as a major problem.

This is said to be a huge discouragement of social interaction between the blocks, and as social beings: relationships, groups, and those “morning neighbour!” friendly salutations keep us running. The isolation of communities and individuals can only lead to feelings of rejection and exclusivity, possibly leading to mental health problems: anxiety and depression being the most prevalent.

some like water features, fountains, some cannot control their bladder sufficiently for this sort of aquatic auditory torment every day. I am not saying I have the definitive answer for this degree of complexity, but I will explore a few more ideas to attempt some sort of solution. Maybe the example of the fountain is too specific, and maybe an idea left up to a resident vote, but the architect is not left helpless regarding solutions. Each building can be chiselled to fit the client’s requirements, and past this, the architect has a responsibility and a challenge to ensure each of the inhabitants is content. A perverse way of testing the architect’s success is to think about home sickness. An experience witnessed by many as a result of prolonged separation from the home. If you think about it, it seems strange, the attachment to a collection of brick, timber, and plaster (etc.) to the point of physical sickness for some. But logically, it would make sense for us to miss the spaces that usually surround us, which make us feel calm, safe and happy and inclined to utilise our peak levels of production.

[T]he architect has a responsibility and a challenge to ensure each of the inhabitants is content.

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As obvious as it sounds, happiness is the aim. It is the job of the architect to contribute to a person’s well-being and happiness by carefully crafting their surroundings to endorse the feel-good factor, encourage the neighbourly greetings and get the endorphins flying. The benefits of a truly happy society are, if achievable: limitless.

Can geoengineering solve the global warming crisis?

Molly Steven Lower Sixth

Geoengineering is the use of technology to modify the Earth’s environment on a large scale. Many scientists argue that it has the potential to solve the impending problem of global warming. At the moment, the present level of carbon dioxide is 385 parts per million (ppm), which is one third higher than the pre-industrial level of 278ppm.

If carbon dioxide levels continue to rise unchecked, global temperatures could rise between 1C and 5C by 2100, which would lead to catastrophic results, which is why many are in favour of geoengineering techniques. There are two main types of geoengineering: solar radiation management (SRM) which aims to increase the reflection of incoming solar radiation, and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere. However, these also have their disadvantages and many people argue with the predictability of geoengineering and believe that the focus should be on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar Radiation Management (SRM) involves proposals to reduce global warming by reflecting a percentage of sunlight back into space.

One SRM method is adding sulphur particles to the stratosphere in order to partially reflect solar radiation to space.

This would mimic the natural processes that occur during a volcanic eruption, where sulphur dioxide gas is released and combines with water to form sulphuric acid aerosols that reflect incoming solar radiation. Researchers predict that sulphur aerosol dimming which reduces annual incoming solar radiation by 2%, would counteract the global warming caused by the increased carbon dioxide levels since the Industrial Revolution. This shows it has the capability to be an effective solution. This technique is noted to have some potential, as the UK SPICE project actually planned small scale trials of sulphur aerosol deployment, although it was put on hold for further public discussion, as the associated risks for the environment are so far relatively unknown.

Another SRM method is cloud whitening. This involves salt particles formed from evaporation being sprayed into clouds in the atmosphere.

A higher concentration of particles in the clouds increases their density, leading them to become whiter, and therefore increasing their albedo, meaning that more solar radiation is reflected into space. However, this method will have a significant effect on weather patterns, and may increase rainfall in some areas, whilst also reducing rainfall in other areas. For example, a sudden substantial reduction in precipitation over a delicate ecosystem such as the Amazon rainforest would have disastrous consequences.

Organisations such as Greenpeace want greater scientific research into the possible impacts of methods such as these in order to assess accurately the possible consequences.

Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) is the removal of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) from the atmosphere and storing them, lowering greenhouse gas levels and therefore aiding in reducing global warming.

Greenpeace does not support geoengineering because it says it distracts from the real solution of reducing emissions.

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One CDR method is ocean fertilisation.

This is where iron, nitrogen or phosphorus is added to the oceans to stimulate the growth of blooms of algae and phytoplankton, which take part in carbon sequestration as they grow.

Then when they die, they will take this carbon with them to the ocean floor, where it will be stored for millions of years as sediment. Many research programmes have been started around ocean fertilisation so there clearly is some potential in this

method as a way of helping reduce global warming. An example is KIFES whose interest is to provide “a clear answer as to whether ocean fertilisation is promising as a geoengineering solution.” However, a drastic change in the numbers of phytoplankton could have potentially very damaging effects on marine ecosystems, because they form the basis of the marine food chain.

Algal blooms also deplete oxygen supplies, further damaging delicate ecosystems.

that “climate related geoengineering activities should not take place until there is … appropriate consideration of the associated risks for the environment and biodiversity”.

Some techniques are more likely to be more harmful to the environment than others. For example, ocean fertilisation has already been flagged as having many potential environmental issues, such as the effect on the marine food chain if growth of phytoplankton increases drastically. On the other hand, some geoengineering techniques such as the use of artificial trees are predicted to have minimal negative impacts on the environment, besides the space they would take up, and huge positive effects with decreasing the levels of carbon dioxide.

Geoengineering... could be used as a subsidiary technique to combat climate change, while the main aim is focused on reducing emissions.

Another CDR method is the use of artificial trees. These are machines that capture carbon dioxide from the air and filter it out.

A plastic resin is used to capture the carbon dioxide from the air as it passes through the ‘trees’. It is estimated that a single sheet of resin the size of a door could extract up to 700 kg/day of carbon dioxide. This extracted carbon dioxide can then be stored underground. Making each individual tree would take some money and resources, but the carbon dioxide given out making it would only amount for around 5% of carbon dioxide that the tree could take in, showing the huge capacity that these trees could have. Other than the fact that space is required to build these structures, artificial trees have minimal negative impacts.

Although some geoengineering techniques show potential in helping to reduce global warming, there are many concerns that have been raised. For example, Greenpeace does not support geoengineering because it says it distracts from the real solution of reducing emissions. They are not against research for geoengineering techniques that is fully justified, but they believe that investment should mainly focus on the cause, and not the effects of global warming. As an example of this, Greenpeace in the UK has called for the government to triple renewable power from wind and solar by 2030, and therefore are addressing the root source of global warming, increased fossil fuel use.

There is also concern that geoengineering may lessen the responsibility that people have to consider the long-term response to climate change, as if we can control the short-term response with geoengineering, then the pressure is taken off governments to take action that would be beneficial in the long-term. This is why some people believe that geoengineering techniques could be used as a subsidiary option, to help combat the effects of global warming.

However, the main focus is still on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as this is the cause of global warming, and is what will bring about an effective long-term response. For example, it is predicted that SRM could reduce global temperatures very rapidly. However, without actual

Many organisations also want further research into the possible risks and effects that geoengineering may have on the environment. For example, the UN convention on Biological Diversity agreed 49

reductions in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, SRM would need to be maintained for a long time, and if it suddenly stopped, there would be accelerated increase in the effects of climate change.

In conclusion, although there are many concerns regarding the feasibility of geoengineering, I believe that some techniques, with more extensive research, could be viable options in fighting climate change. For example, the science behind artificial trees suggests that it is feasible, so with more research this technique could be significant in helping to counteract humaninduced climate change. However, I believe that the most crucial step that can be taken to combat global warming is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and start at the root cause. If too much focus is placed on geoengineering techniques and the short-term response they would provide, then the pressure is taken off governments to focus on the long-term response to climate change. Geoengineering, with more scientific research to prove its predictability, could be used as a subsidiary technique to combat climate change, while the main aim is focused on reducing emissions.

Ellie Jolliffe, Upper Sixth. ‘Self ‘

Emily Nellist, Upper Sixth. ‘Self’

Jamie Land, Upper Sixth

Amy Robinson, Upper Sixth. ‘Breaking Through ‘

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CRISPR CAS-9: for good or for worse Will Coni Upper Sixth

Jennifer Doudna

Since the genome project launched in 2000, genetic research has become even more of an influential practice among leading research institutions. Its potential utility for medicines comes as a significant cause for this rise in interest, but it also coincides with the constant developments in genetic technology.

Human nature is, to an extent, predetermined. Our genetic make-up (or our genome) can mostly explain how we look and how we behave. But environmental factors also have a say in our characteristics- for example, how tall we are, or the blemishes on our skin.

Environmental factors can only affect our phenotypes, and would not influence what our genetic code reads. But the genetic code can in fact be altered indirectly through environmental factors - the recent research into epigenetics shows how specific genes in specific cells can be affected because of our environment, they can either cause the

gene to be made inaccessible, preventing the expression, or it would increase its accessibility, promoting its expression. This would then affect not only the phenotype of the gene but would also lead to small external changes in the actual genes, in which the probability of this change being inherited to offspring is low, but not impossible. Any slight change to genetic material that is permanent, is significant, due to its potential effects on future human generations. This is why CRISPR CAS-9 is such a hot topic of discussion, because CRISPR CAS-9 can lead to a permanent, inheritable alterations in the cells’ genome.

The CRISPR-CAS-9 mechanism was realised by chance when looking into the CRISPR sequences in the E.coli’s genome, in 2007. But the key breakthrough came in 2012, when teams in the US and Europe led by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier began to utilise the CRISPR tool to ‘cut and paste’ DNA. Today it is being used in clinical trials for CAR-T cell gene therapy, in modifying cancer patients’ immune cells, so that they can recognise the cancer in the body and attack it when placed back into the body. However, the CRISPR CAS-9 kit is readily available online, possibly to someone whose aim for its use in medicine may not be a priority.

Viruses are clever in the way they attack and target cells. When attacking a bacterium, they use an enzyme called reverse transcriptase to convert their viral RNA into DNA which can then be inserted directly into the target cell’s genome. The DNA is directly inserted into the cell’s plasmids, causing the bacteria to produce virus cell structures and formed viruses. However, the cell can ‘remember’ a virus to prevent a future attack. They use a site called CRISPR- which is an area in the bacteria’s genome with DNA in clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats.

They insert small sections of the viral DNA into this site, and use their CRISPR locus to

remember the different viruses that it has been exposed to over a lifetime, and uses this as a ‘vaccination card’ in defence to future attacks from the same viruses. When a virus which the bacteria has previously been exposed to returns and inserts viral DNA into the cell’s genome, a copy of the viral DNA in its CRISPR site is made.

This is a single-stranded piece of RNA. The protein called CAS-9 can then attach to this piece of RNA, and form a complex that allows it to attract towards the corresponding section of viral DNA in the genome, when bound, the CAS-9 protein binds to the DNA, and cuts it precisely to remove the viral DNA, and destroy it.

It then binds together the broken ends of the bacteria’s DNA using ligase, or it incorporates a new section of DNA to mend the broken ends.

The break by CAS-9 is precise and doublestranded. This can be used by geneticists, as it is programmable. The section of RNA it binds to can be forged specifically so that the corresponding section of DNA can be removed. A new double stranded section of DNA (containing a new gene) with corresponding DNA ends can then be easily inserted to repair the break.

One example where this could be used, is in sickle cell anaemia. Sickle cell anaemia is a genetic disease in which it is caused by one base substitution mutation in a single mutant allele of the gene for the production of the beta-polypeptide in haemoglobin. When screening an early embryonic mass, the mutation for sickle cell anaemia can be detected using DNA probes. If positive, the corresponding RNA (with the mutation) of this gene can be bound with a CAS9 protein, to form a complex in which it can naturally find the mutation in an early-stage embryonic mass, and removes the gene. Once removed, the ends of the broken chromosomes can bind, or a new functional allele of the gene can be inserted in. This cell can then multiply, and the

Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier began to utilise the CRISPR tool to ‘cut and paste’ DNA.

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Sickle Cells

embryo can form from this cell with the genetic modification. The mutation will not be present in the body, the human wouldn’t suffer, and there would be no chance of passing the disease on to the next generation, as the mutation is no longer part of the genome.

There is much of the genome that is still undiscovered, for example, the genes that code for synaptic connections in the brain. Removing the part of the genome that may code for polypeptide linked with a synaptic connection would lead to dire consequences for the individual. The recent research into behavioural disorders, such as autism has found that they may be caused by a number of specific variants in alleles across the genome. They can be known as “many assorted genes of small significance”. It would not be viable to genetically modify to remove these variants due to their possible ‘pleiotropic’ tendencies.

for the variant, it leads to “jitters” in the individual. These variants that may be seen as disadvantageous, are actually important to the gene pool, so are good in low frequency. But CRISPR may lead to the removal of these variants for regular alleles, and many other alleles like these. The removal on a mass scale of these variant alleles that cause behavioural disorders would lead to external effects on the bodily functions, as these very same variants may be advantageous in the gene pool.

There is much of the genome that is still undiscovered.

APEO4 is a variant of an allele of a gene that leads to Alzheimer’s, but it also leads to an increase of uptake of vitamin D. A variant of an allele of the gene COMT can cause an increase in activity and concentration when heterozygous with another regular allele, but if homozygous

Genetic variation is a trade-off, a section of mutated DNA that leads to: cancer, auto-immune diseases and schizophrenia, may also lead to the production of an immune cell that can detect the presence of an infection earlier than usual. (This was actually discovered by a German biologistit is called the major histocompatibility complex). The introduction of gene removal in a field that is relatively unknown is evidently dangerous. Not only can we remove useful genes for ‘desirable’ ones, but “designer babies” as a concept can vastly reduce genetic variation in the long-term.

The course of natural selection of humans depends on the size of the gene pool. We have needed the variability of alleles so that if a change in the environment was to occur, specific alleles of genes available in 53

the gene pool could facilitate this change to the environment. There are various mechanisms in meiosis that ensure the level of genetic variation is kept high and consistent. Also, the occurrence of regular random mutations in the genome between generations sustains high variation in

the population. Even if the population decreases in size, the level of variation can be maintained. With CRISPR-CAS-9 it is possible to insert any gene in the place of another so that this gene is expressed and inherited. However, say for instance, a single allele of a gene for rapid muscle growth was extracted, and inserted into an embryo, so that, when formed, the human has much larger muscular mass than usual. If this is even slightly advantageous, it is more likely that they would live long enough to reproduce, passing it down to the offspring, who could then also experience the advantage. The frequency of this allele would increase in the population over time, the rate at which is dependent on how advantageous it is to us, and the size of the population.

If it was freely available to modify embryos genetically, and certain desirable alleles of genes were chosen, such as: high mental ability, high physical ability, certain physiological characteristics, the alleles of genes for these phenotypes would be inserted into many of the embryos in question. This would coincide with the

removal of disadvantageous, debilitating alleles of genes, (such as the one for sickle cell anaemia). Everyone would modify the embryos to similar characteristics, due to the similarity in what we as humans prefer.

The desirable alleles would also almost certainly be advantageous, and thus would increase in frequency throughout the gene pool over time. This can vastly reduce genetic variation within the human population. A smaller gene pool distorts the forces of natural selection. There would not be a stable foundation in which the human population can adapt to changes in the external environment. Say, for example, there was a sudden introduction of a harmful bacteria from the melting of the icecaps, and the gene pool had become so small that there was no individual that maintained any allele of any gene that could withstand the introduction of the bacteria, as they have possibly been ‘wiped’ during the effects of CRISPR embryonic gene editing. The human race would be severely damaged, and it could possibly lead to extinction.

This is obviously an exaggeration, and it is

[T]he decrease in variation is a fundamental flaw that would be caused by CRISPR.

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likely that a cure would be forged before it led to extinction, but the decrease in variation is a fundamental flaw that would be caused by CRISPR. The path down genetic modification is full of uncertainty. Lead researchers can only hypothesise the complete effects of what this tool can do. Precaution is needed, if this is to be used to benefit us.

It is important that the objectives behind the people who have access to CRISPR align with the proposed use it has in human Medicine. It is easy to forget how influential this could be, and the dire impacts it could have. The reduction of variation in the gene pool is principally the most dangerous. As scientists look to the future of technology, and the direction it is headed, the research needs constant ethical evaluation. The idea of consequentialism needs to be in the foreground of proposed ideas.

Should unhealthy people be refused emergency organ transplant due to their lifestyle choices?

Alice Hewett Lower Sixth The NHS only has access to a finite number of organs available for transplant in times of need, so it must be questioned whether these valuable resources should only be offered to patients who are arguably ‘deserving’ of a donation (‘deserving’, here may be referring to one who has kept his or her body in suitable health and hasn’t got a detrimental habit that led them into needing a transplant). However, under the law that will come into effect in Spring 2020, we are now transitioning into an ‘opt-out’ donation system (it will be presumed that you wish to donate), in the hope of raising the number of organs readily available for donation*. With this new law, potentially ‘undeserving’ patients may be in a position to receive a transplant, leading us to this question why those of ‘ill-health’ are worthy of receiving life-changing treatment.

vessel in which the organ will be actually functioning to rectify one’s livelihood; this is why much of the argument is surrounding the relative health of one’s body.

A highlighted transplant case in the media was that of George Best, a late footballer. In 2000, his acute liver damage due to suspected years of alcohol abuse was noted as significant, and in 2002 a transplant was performed at King’s College Hospital in London (as he required admission to hospital, we can safely say here that Best was ‘unhealthy’).

Nigel Heaton (the head surgeon of the aforementioned transplant) told The Guardian newspaper that people who are likely to re-engage in the activities that lead them to need a transplant in the first place should be strictly screened. In the case of George Best, he did, in fact, reengage in his drinking habit, highlighting the fact that we can’t control a person’s actions after the transplant; thus maybe a loop of transplants could be entered, potentially compromising those who are arguably in better ‘health’. This scheme

[W]e can’t control a person’s actions after the transplant.

A key element to the integral debate of whether the ‘unhealthy’ should receive donations is the specific definition of “unhealthy”. ‘Health’ is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “the condition of a person’s body or mind”; the issue of “mind” may present an issue, is a poor state of mental health a salient factor that should be considered in the face of a donation crisis? If so, perhaps you are a believer of the unhealthy being rejected, would the fact that if someone had schizophrenia (for example) influence the decision made of donating a valuable organ to them rather than to a person of a sound mind but in a similar body condition?

In terms of donation, the condition of somebody’s body is what most people consider primarily in terms of health; and as for transplants, it’s the

would give an unhealthy person an opportunity, but a second appeal may be considered more seriously, making the affair seem less ludicrous. And one may be inclined to trust the words of such an endowed medical professional, though an NHS medical director (James Neuberger) argued that: “We’re transplanting humans not angels.” This statement touches on the ethical reasoning for organ transplants being available for all, regardless of ‘health’. Purposeful use of the word “angel”, perchance, may focus the attention of the transplant away from the decisions of the donee and towards the aid being offered to a “human” in need. Especially, in this case, we must always remember that because somebody doesn’t live by the means that a healthy person does, it does not entitle them to be completely disregarded from the national healthcare service, and implicitly, society (which George Best was a famous member of).

Since most organ donations being received in the UK are commissioned by the NHS, we must ruminate on the policies that are being adhered to. One of the seven guiding principles for the NHS states: “The NHS provides a comprehensive service, available George Best

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to all”, without specification of lifestyle choices. Consequently, it could then be argued that the refusal to treat a patient with a nocuous habit would be directly contradicting a pivotal decorum in one of the elementary commitments of the NHS. Now let us consider the specific name of the NHS: “National” - a whole nation, “Healthcare” - the provision of medical care to a community, “Service” - the act of helping or doing work for somebody.

Within the name of the NHS, the treatment of those in need is guaranteed. In our selfishness, we must not forget that the unhealthy are more than entitled to receiving sufficient treatment, in exactly the same way those of good health are.

So maybe the fact that a UK citizen’s taxpaying contributes to the work of the NHS is all that should be taken into account when seeking treatment; including that it could be seen that they are paying additionally for their problem with the taxation in its price. So with this in mind, a further slight from society in the refusal of treatment is incomprehensibly unjust.

Linking to this point, in ‘The Nursing Times’, the argument of “autonomy” is used; this Greek-derived word is defined as ‘the right or condition of self-government’.

Looking at this example we could infer that there are no rules surrounding prolonged excessive alcohol intake or smoking (for example), hence a restriction on the grounds of potential future healthcare vulnerability could be seen as a breach of rights. So to punish somebody for acting extremely within their own right should be avoided at all costs, especially by such an essential pillar in British society. This argument links to the previously mentioned promises of the NHS, as we infer from it that as long as a person is ‘ordinarily [a] resident’ in the UK, healthcare can be received; regardless of ‘bad health’ (that is related to one’s own repeated detrimental lifestyle choices), reinforcing the rights of the ‘unhealthy’.

Conversely, we may reflect on the utilitarian argument: on acting for “the greatest good for the greatest number.” What may be inferred from this is that by sacrificing a donation for one who has allegedly compromised their own wellbeing may not be administering the greatest benefit to the majority of the population. The prospect of a person in good health receiving a transplant appears more feasibly beneficial to the unified population versus an individual who may very well recommence that destructive habit which landed them in his or her initial predicament. A point of discussion that may relate to this idea is the theme of ‘priority’. If the direct refusal of a transplant for an unhealthy person results in this person’s death is this really an act for the greater good? On the other hand, if we were to lower respectfully his or her priority in the donor list, an opportunity of a replenished lifestyle still may be a viable hope for them. In this way, it may be better seen as a greater act for the whole Liability in Organ Donation body (seeing as those with liver damage from drinking still belong to the population). This compromise (as also suggested by Nigel Heaton) would not only be beneficial for those who are ‘unhealthy’ but also those who we may consider higherpriority ‘healthy’ cases, for instance, a youth.

Within the name of the NHS, the treatment of those in need is guaranteed.

This approach could be coupled with an idea proposed by Jeff McMahan in Justice and Liability in Organ Donation, a social research experiment. To adduce one of his ideas, he reflected on the concept of “moral liability”. In particular, the moral liability of the unhealthy Person A endangering Person B (who, as far as

we can see has made minimal choices to implicate his or her own health) by competing against Person B for a chance of receiving a vital donation due to Person A’s conscious decisions. This theory has a somewhat conservative ground and is widely supported by members of society.

However, problems have been detected in its proposal. In particular, problematic areas were highlighted by Daniel Wikler in his paper “Personal and Social Responsibility for Health”, in which some considerable flaws are brought up: For example, if the NHS has a budget (for one area) of, say, £20,000, this money would then be prioritized for those who are dangerously ill through no fault of their own. Consequently, a pregnant woman may be deprioritized as she was seemingly aware of the dangers of pregnancy before the decision to carry a child. This proposal has some extensively vast implications. A further point Wikler made in his findings was the adversity in calculating to what extent one is accountable for his or her ill-health. There is no ironclad method in place for determining the accountability of people for their actions, and so forth here is the opposing argument against McMahan: with no clear way of fairly determining accountability who are we to act God and decide whether or not a person is worthy of a new shot at what may very well be a new life. Thus, McMahan’s theory could be seen to be incorrect, devaluing the opinion of those who support the theory.

Amidst some of the slightly drawn-out philosophical arguments for and against

organ transplantation (for people of illhealth by lifestyle choice), one thing is being made increasingly apparent: the urgent escalation in the number of obesityrelated hospital visits. In August last year, the NHS said (in ‘Good Morning Britain’) that “the number of obesityrelated hospital admissions has increased by 15% and cost the service £16.1 million”. This is an extortionate sum of money, and many may argue, all for a cause that may have many effective treatment methods available; in contrast to something like AIDS, let us say. In fact, the journalist Michael Buerk even went as far as to directly address the obese collective (in this case), stating that they are “weak, not ill” in an interview with The Times, under the headline “Let Fat People Die to Save NHS Money”. While there may be people who agree with this statement, we must consider that despite the fact that (if the obesity in this example is entirely preventable) it could be seen as a conscious choice to overeat, very few people actually wish to remain obese. So, if they’re wishing for the circumstances to change, is that an entirely conscious decision to remain obese on their behalf? This concept may also be applicable to other ‘unhealthy’ lifestyle choices, such as smoking or drug abuse. In this way, we revisit the ‘accountability-for-healthscale’, in which undefined rules define

one’s worthiness of donation, allowing subsequent decisions to be made regarding the entire life of a patient, with minimal input from the patient themself.

A radically opposing view to that of Michael Buerk is that of Dame Clare Marx (the president of the Royal College of Surgeons, from 2014-2017), who explains that “many patients are willing to engage and use their resolve to improve their overall health, but it can be very difficult to lose weight”. In this interview with The Guardian, she further discusses why NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) or surgical experts do not recommend refusal of treatment (including organ transplants). With years of specific experience in this sector of healthcare, we may surmise that this opinion has been molded after witnessing and acting upon an exhaustive list of both ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ patients. Her humane view suggests conversations and actions between doctor and patient in a slightly more forgiving environment than that envisioned by Michael Buerk (who is, in fact, a journalist and not a highly acclaimed surgeon).

NICE or surgical experts do not recommend refusal of treatment (including organ transplants).

Dame Clare Marx

In conclusion, it is a comprehensive and complicated list which encumbers the NHS into the prevailing predicament, and there are many further arguments and theories for and against organ transplantation for the unhealthy which may (or may not) influence any decisions being made by the health sector. Regrettably, this is an ongoing debate that I see has no easy resolution that would satisfy all toward the near future. Although I am sure many current compromises and decisions are being made by those who have control over such matters (hopefully not journalists), there has been no blanket rule as of yet.

Hopefully, those of you with a conscience may realize that a lot more reflection is necessary for deeming a patient unworthy of a new life; even if they’re one kilo over the weight limit. *Alternatively, you can inform the NHS with your objection to this and you won’t donate. This is hoped to alleviate some part of the problems in the current shortage. In this way, more people should be helped by transplant, hopefully making this argument less critical.

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Natural disaster = economic destruction?

This was written for the Bank of England blog competition Freddie Anderson Lower Sixth doppler radar systems used to detect possible weather events.

The aftermath of Storm Desmond

The effects of natural disaster can be incredibly debilitating for a country, and its economy especially. The damage caused to a country’s infrastructure by, for example, a typhoon, can be huge. A study from The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests with strong scientific evidence that global warming will continue to increase in the 21st century, causing a rise in sea level and an increase in the number and severity of tropical cyclones, to give just one example. Another study carried out by the Asian Development Bank on the effect of natural disaster on the Philippines shows the possible damage caused by such events on an economy.

The Philippines are especially prone to typhoons and floods and the intensity of these events is increasing due to climate change. The study shows that spending by families on medicine, education, transport, communication and high nutrient food all decrease by around 25% to 30% following a natural disaster, suggesting a large decrease in standard of living. In terms of economy, many roads, factories, telecommunications and power networks are lost to these disasters, which can lead to negative growth and higher unemployment, sending a country into recession.

Preparation for such events is imperative, not only in places prone to weather disasters like the Philippines. In the UK in 2015, Storm Desmond caused an estimated £500 million in damages across Cumbria due to heavy flooding and this is just one example. In order to combat these events in the short term, governments must incorporate better warning and defence systems and protocols, for example phased-array radar technology, which is used by the military. This can be used by meteorologists to detect the intensity of storms much faster than the regular

Storm Desmond caused an estimated £500 million in damages across Cumbria due to heavy flooding.

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In the long term the prevention, or at least deceleration, of climate change is a must.

In order to do this, governments must look to move towards a carbon neutral economy and society. This will require heavy subsidisation of renewable energy resources and movement away from nonrenewable fossil fuels such as gas and oil.

Costa Rica is one of the fastest moving countries towards decarbonisation; their government is working to make the use of fossil fuels obsolete. They are incentivising the consumption of more clean energy goods such as electric cars; they are working on better land management and planting forests. Referring to fossil fuels, the Minister of Environment for Costa Rica said this: ‘We plan to phase them out through new policies and incentives so that eventually, down the road, they will be useless.’

These weather-related disasters will not stop increasing in severity without serious intervention. The idea of ‘creative destruction’ will soon no longer be viable, because soon there will be no time for long term rebuilding of infrastructure. This is not a problem that can be passed into an uncertain future; something must be done now, otherwise there will be no economy, and no planet left to save.

Is the NHS heading into a snowstorm?

Elizabeth Church Lower Sixth Snowflake generation is used to describe millennials who are deemed less resilient over sensitive and overstressed.

This, if true, can both have two direct complications onto the NHS from both

the future workforce of the NHS and the future patients. Is the NHS forecast for a snowstorm of snowflake like adults racked with stress related illness?

Firstly despite the fact young adults are interested in discussing politics increasingly (since access to mainstream media spikes more discussion ) are we often more concerned about cultural appropriation of Halloween costumes than the politics of how taxes should be collected and how the NHS should be funded? If so, does the NHS even have a future at all? Would it become so run down and inefficient that privatisation is the only option?

And secondly, more focused throughout, that if this snowflake generation can deal with stress of daily life in a healthy way and if not may result in daunting pressure on the NHS from a rise in stress related ailments.

While still the average ratio of successful medicine applications is 1:9 places at universities an executive from the NHS has said that people have an ‘unrealistic expectation of their employer (the NHS)’.

Surely those who make it through the rigorous selection process would have a full understanding of the hours and sacrifice it takes to be an NHS staff member. There are concerns that the future workforce is not prepared for a life time dedication of

stressful work and therefore only catalyses the problem of an NHS on the edge.

Waiting times in A&E are rising perhaps showing this correlation of too stressed staff proportional to more stress related illness. Of course there is no denial that over worked staff are becoming a crisis (This Is Going to Hurt

by Adam Kay is a brilliant reflection of this). Is the issue just going to snowball due to soon to be working millennial adults being unable to deal with pressure, stress and overtime?

validates mentally being unfit to work.

This is something that can only improve with time and funding into mental health awareness yet much like a pain tolerance, mental wellbeing is incredibly individual hence challenging to diagnose.

Are sick leaves only going to increase with more attention to mental health?

Perhaps in the next ten years taking the odd ‘overstressed day’ off will be common and millennials crippling under workrelated stress catastrophes. Already stats have shown NHS vacancies increase by 9.4% from March 2017 to 2018, which

An example of mental health awareness came when Time magazine published an article this summer on the Dutch concept of Nilsen of where you simply do nothing.

While concepts are aimed to help Improve mental health studies have shown that these prolonged times of doing nothing only build up stress for after. Much like mediation this is probably a skill which needs to be practised so that trying to relax is not stressful, which of course sounds counter intuitive. There are even scientific literatures suggests that warn Nilsen can lead the mind to wander and have negative psychological impacts such as PTSD. Often participants studied during and after Nilsen had increased heart rate and trouble falling asleep. What adds to the difficulties of reducing stress is that there are what some deem as ‘wrong’ and ‘right’ ways to relax. As a generational goal stress cannot start to take over our lives as its effects are so damaging to the cyclical nature of an already stressed NHS.

undoubtedly strains the NHS who spent £805 million on bank staff between April and June 2018. Sick days are often thought as for when you are physically ill, yet mental illness such as high stress validates sick leave as well. It is right that mental sickness is deemed valid but I think there are certain grey areas, one that need to be further researched and refunded as to what

Many critics in the Oxford Press see the snowflake generation as ‘whining rather than acting’ and ‘finding constant cause for offence and victimisation’. While the potentially derogatory word is used and may be a large stereotype it cannot be ignored that stress levels in this generation are massively increasing. Surveys such as on Forth have shown that in a sample of

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in most animals yet the metabolisms of animals are not affected by these hormones as dramatically as they are in humans. Blood pressure will automatically increase with prolonged periods of high heart rate which is great for suppling blood to muscles needed to run away from predators but not so great for digestion, growth, reproduction, concentration and sleep problems. It seems that humans are physically not designed to cope with long term high intensity stress.

2,000 people in the UK, 85% of which say they experience stress on a regular basis, then a further 54% saying they are concerned about the health implications.

While it is of course good people recognise the health implications of stress, do they really know all the health implications resultant from it? Is it possible for the future CEOs and entrepreneurs of our country to be ridden with illness and disease due to an inability to cope with stress?

and observations, I think there is just a mind-set shift as to victimising those who work hard. There are many, many causes and correlations as to why stress is rising beyond the healthy amount and why people are starting to suffer more. This does not mean that everyone will instantly ‘melt’ under pressure but perhaps (and maybe permanently ) we will start to see the corrosive aftermath of stress soon to come. Now we only can prepare for its effects.

A major question is why (or if) stress levels have increased for this snowflake generation, is it merely a widespread lack of motivation, is it due to social media influence, change in diets? The possibilities are unlimited and vary per person. What is often missed however is that stress is contagious. A stressed colleague is almost inevitably affecting those around therefore stress levels can increase exponentially in a workplace. Regardless , a study by Aviva found 72% of 16-24 year olds find the term ‘snowflake’ is unfairly applied perhaps leading me to believe most people are unaware of quite how big the problem has escalated and what it means for businesses such as the NHS. The likelihood is that if you are stressed so are other people which is both comforting and unsettling at the same time. To show the concern imagine if you book a GP appointment then you may think nothing of it yet if the 7.85 million 15-24-year olds in the UK all book a GP appointment then that is a very long waiting time. While I think there is a stress epidemic in the UK, I do not believe that there is a sudden inability to cope with typical work, money, relationship stresses (they have always existed). From reading

After recognising that these snowflakes are stressed, how soon will a snowstorm be hitting hospitals? Stress is evolutionary and in some manageable ways useful and causes a waterfall of holistic effects.

Hormones such as adrenalin and glucocorticoids are released instantly causing increased heart rate. This happens

[H]umans are physically not designed to cope with long term high intensity stress.

Angiogram

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An angiogram, essentially an X-ray to look at the heart’s coronary arteries, on the NHS costs £1,300 and that is before stents may be needing to be placed, further check-ups or surgeries etc. We have all heard of a typical hardworking business man who is one minute in the office the next in theatre with a quadruple bypass surgery. Imagine more and more of these major operations in addition to many more minor ones such as angiograms and the economic effect of those. Stress-related illnesses are not overnight killers, part of the NHS long term plan is to reduce those with cardiovascular disease in the UK as it is estimated to be the cause of a quarter of all deaths in the UK. Stress is sometimes a missed risk factor while poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking stand on top, yet surely stress only worsens these problems.

The NHS spends around £7 billion on CVD a year a figure which is likely to increase on top of the rising £25,000 a minute spent on treating diabetes in England and Wales from poor diet (a very common side effect of stress). Both CVD and diabetes have stress as a serious risk factor. No matter how much money is put into the NHS it is

unsustainable if there will be a tundra of more over stressed and unhealthy adults to come.

to 10 minute longer breaks, the 56% more sick days, the cost of treating NHS staff with preventable smoking related diseases and the loss in productivity of the workers. While simply helping people to quit smoking is hard enough it may be even harder to look more closely at the root of the problem which is often stress. How is the NHS supposed to help those who are stressed if the foundations are already uneasy?

the NHS does not have the capability to withstand the storm of predicted rise in health implications.

An estimated 4 /10 CVD are misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, and even the NHS website has admitted that ‘four in ten people treated for hypertension do not have their blood pressure controlled to target.

Partly this is because these conditions are usually silent with no symptoms indicating there is a problem or that treatment isn’t working. And partly, it is because today’s GP consultations are complex and time pressured.’ NHS staff are crumbling under increased pressure already. This does not lay an idyllic path for the doctors of the future.

Health risks also increase from high alcohol intake and increased smoking.

Smoking for many is an unhealthy way of dealing with stress, and it is not even that people are unaware of the deadly effects of smoking. Out of the 1.2 million NHS staff an estimated 73,000 smoke. The Independent published an article on the estimated effects of this showing some alarming results such as the smoking breaks, although discouraged in the NHS, cost the NHS around £200 million. This figure comes from the more regular and up

If you are stressed, you may: feel overwhelmed have racing thoughts or difficulty concentrating • be irritable • feel constantly worried, anxious or scared • feel a lack of self-confidence • have trouble sleeping or feel tired all the time • avoid things or people you are having problems with • be eating more or less than usual • drink or smoke more than usual

• •

The solution to the problem is to find healthy ways to cope with stress management not just try to cut around 61

the problems such as cutting out smoking areas. Legislative actions are already the first step into developing an embedded work life social standard. Currently Gov.uk has said 48 hours is a ‘normal’ work week, yet full time doctors are often surpassing this due to failure in efficient hospital systems. ‘Every mind matters’ is the slogan used by the NHS to help with stress management and become more educated in mental health to hope to stop the problems before they intensify. At the current rate the NHS does not have the capability to withstand the storm of predicted rise in health implications. Collectively people need to begin to recognise the problem of their own mental wellbeing before it requires medical attention. Stress management is vital not only for the health and happiness of you personally but also the function of the National Health Service and the UK. If these so called ‘Snowflakes’ become sick with stress the country will be buried deep in snow with no NHS to help dig them out.

Assess the validity of the view that the impact of fast fashion on water security is irreversible Jude Franklin Upper Sixth Aral Sea

Humanity is entering a new era. The human race is becoming increasingly aware of the immense impact it is having on the environment, and perhaps more importantly, the irremediable nature of this. As we edge further and further towards the precipice of irreversibility, people and our governments alike seem to be awakening to the impending peril. The general population lacks the knowledge needed to understand the severity and harm that almost all commodities, taken for granted in the developed world, have on our environment. One of the lesser known industries that has huge consequences for the environment and society, more specifically water security, is that of fashion. The clothes we wear, utilise, consume, are quite possibly contributing to a major global disaster.

One of the obvious causes of a lack of potable, usable water is the immense consumption that the fashion industry

requires. This, by its very nature, reduces the availability of water, and therefore water security. The fashion industry is the third largest user of water globally, according to the fashion industry network Common Objective, with an estimated consumption of around 79 billion cubic meters per year. This should be considered a disaster for the planet.

With just 3% of global water supplies being fresh water, it is key that we protect these reserves, and with industries such as textiles using so much of it, it is hard to see how a disaster can be averted.

result of the Soviet Union diverting two of its main tributary rivers: the Syr and Amu Darya. They did this in order to irrigate a desert - primarily for the growth of cotton for use in the fashion textiles industry. Large parts of the lake began to dry up, shrinking rapidly over time, so that it became split into various lobes. Huge expanses of desert, that once were submerged, now lay bare, encrusted with both the natural salts from the dried-up lake, as well as inorganic fertilisers and pesticides that drain from the surrounding cotton fields. An area that less than a century ago supported both aquatic, terrestrial and human life, as well as one of Uzbekistan’s main tourist industries, is now a symbol of the immense destruction humans are having on the Earth. The people in the area have very little; once

The fashion industry is the third largest user of water globally.

An example of this is the case of the Aral Sea. Once the fourth largest lake in the world, it is now a shell of its former glory.

As demonstrated in the diagram below it has been shrinking since the 1960s as a 62

being supported by the fishing and tourist industries they now live on the verge of poverty.

Cotton is by far the most popular natural fibre, accounting for over one third of all fibres found in clothing. It also happens to be hugely water intensive, using a massive volume to produce relatively simple and common garments. One shocking claim is that it can take upwards of ten thousand litres to manufacture just one pair of blue jeans. Those jeans require around 750 grams of cotton to create, which in turn requires 7,500 litres of water to grow. That means that the majority of water used in the manufacturing of natural fibre comes from simply growing the product. As demonstrated through the photo of the Aral sea, huge areas of land can be turned into deserts through the draining of lakes, destruction of natural habitat and creation of monocultures.

The water used in the manufacturing of textiles has been diverted from other pursuits less harmful and wasteful. In an article by Stephen Leahy for the Guardian , he explains how the water consumed

by India’s cotton exports alone is enough to supply 85% of the population in the country with 100 litres of fresh water every day. Despite this huge usage by the cotton industry, 100 million people in India do not have access to the potable water that they need. It begs the question that were the garment industry not so water intensive, would there be less of a humanitarian crisis in the country.

textiles companies. Though not direct ‘corruption,’ the government undoubtedly benefits from such investments, and likely aim to maintain these flows of income. According to Business of Fashion “Several major international apparel and manufacturing players have invested in India already” implying that large corporations could have influence over how resources, such as water, are distributed.

Levi’s are developing the technology to turn the tough hemp stalk into a soft, cotton like fibre.

There is no doubt that were the fashion industry not as water intensive as it is, there would be fewer issues with providing largely underdeveloped areas with the water needed to live. Not only is the growing of the crop most used in clothing hugely reliant on large water supplies, but also every process after the moment the cotton bud is harvested is exponentially thirsty.

Stacey Dooley looked into big industry’s approach to tackling the issue. In her documentary Stacey approached various fashion giants, asking about what they are doing to combat their impact on the environment. Many declined to answer, Levi Jeans

India’s lack of water is attributed to “lack of government planning, increased corporate privatisation, industrial and human waste and government corruption.” All these reasons tie into the global textiles industry, and the growing and treatment of fibres for fashion. The lack of government planning can be seen through the subsidies provided for water to be pumped to arid regions, not only being diverted from human consumption, but also being moved to an area where it is more likely to evaporate. The increased corporate privatisation and government corruption can be seen through huge amounts of money invested into India by global

which provides a worrying suggestion that many aren’t willing to do enough in order to curb their industry’s impact on the environment.

Though the outcome of the fashion industry’s water usage seems bleak, there are some companies, initiatives and products that provide hope for reducing this industry’s thirst. In the same way corporations have committed to reducing the impact of fast fashion in general, there are those which focus specifically on water usage.

One of the key focuses of reducing the fashion industry’s water usage is through tackling the largest source of the problem the growth of cotton. As cotton is extremely popular, as well as highly water intensive, it makes sense to find ways in which its thirst can be quenched. One option is to reduce the use of cotton in clothing, in favour of other natural fibres that will use less water and encourage changes in the industry. One example of a cotton alternative is hemp, which uses just 20% of the water cotton does. It can also be grown on a much smaller area, with higher crop yields making it seem a much more viable alternative for the future. Hemp doesn’t seem to be solely a pipe dream used by a tiny percentage of small manufacturers either. Recently Levi’s, one of the most iconic denim producers (and therefore cotton consumers) came forward and spoke about the possibility of hemp being used in many of their future products. Though not easy to work with initially, Levi’s are developing the technology to turn the tough hemp stalk into a soft, cotton like fibre. Their head of product innovation, Paul Dillinger said that “the need for cotton alternatives became apparent when looking at the growth trajectory of cotton demand compared to access to fresh water required for its cultivation and processing.”

In conclusion, despite there being steps taken in order to push industry towards a more sustainable future, at this rate, the outlook seems bleak. For example, if one company changes to using hemp, there will be ten others still producing with no compunction. Also, considering the rate of growth of the middle class in countries which previously had much of the population in absolute poverty, increased global consumption seems inevitable. The future may seem distressing, but we are lucky enough to have knowledge of what might come, and the ability to change it.

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Biomimetics - The influence of nature on design Charlie Morris Lower Sixth

In winter every day the northern hemisphere is pumping out carbon dioxide at an alarming rate. This creates the induced greenhouse affect where too much of the sun’s light rays are getting trapped in the atmosphere causing global warming.

Day by day this carbon dioxide along with other harmful gasses such as methane increases, blanketing our atmosphere. If this continued throughout the year the earth’s temperatures would sky rocket.

However, the natural world has a way of cleaning up our mess. Something that we have no control over happens, as the snow begins to melt, trees spring to life and the deciduous forests of the north begin to breathe in the carbon dioxide in the air that we so unthoughtfully put there. This continues all the way until the leaves start to fall off the trees when autumn arrives and the trees lie dormant for another year.

Regulating and absorbing carbon dioxide on a mass scale to prevent a changing climate is something we can only grasp at achieving. So when we look for solutions to human caused issues shouldn’t it be nature that we look to?

That is exactly what biomimicry is, looking to nature to learn from and mimic the strategies to solve human design. Janine Benyus, a natural sciences writer, wrote that ‘we should be looking at the biological elders’ and be ‘apprentices to these masters’. We are a very young species only about 200,000 years old. So with new design

problems we face every day shouldn’t we be turning towards life that has perfected its own functions for up to billions of years to be as efficient and as effective as possible for each circumstance and environment?

One place humans have tried to mimic other organisms is in the production of materials. All other species can only make new materials in or near their own bodies.

This means that they have found a way to form the materials they need without the immense pressures and temperatures that we use in the lab. A good example of this is silk, which can be produced by beetles, spiders, silkworms and bees, just to name a few. So for instance a spider inside its abdomen has watery proteins as well as special nozzle like organs called spinnerets. The watery proteins with a simple reaction can form the silk which hardens when in contact with the air. Although this process only requires water and can be done at room temperature the fibre that the spider produces is 5 times stronger than steel and can be up to 50 times lighter! This is being looked at by fibre manufactures along with scientists to make materials with these properties with this ease. For example, Dr. Tara Sutherland at CSIRO Ecosystem

Sciences can use bacteria to make bee silk proteins and spin them into solid strings just as bees do. However, no scientist has yet been able to produce a fiber as strong as that of a spider with the normal pressure and temperature it is able achieve it in.

Another place nature has been looked at for inspiration for our own design is in architecture. A slightly different approach is adopted whereby the sustainable design can be achieved by following a ‘set of principles’ rather than ‘stylistic codes’. This means we don’t so much replicate nature’s form or function but design by recognizing the rules that conduct these. The idea can be traced back as early as the ancient Greeks and Romans who made things such as treeinspired columns.

However, the term only seems to have come into imagery in the 1930s. Looking at the aesthetic side generally a designer looks to flowers for their inspiration. The lotus temple in New Delhi, for instance, takes the shape of the lotus, a sacred flower among almost all Indians as it symbolizes purity of the heart and mind. To capture the beauty of the flower it ended up being

The lotus temple in New Delhi, for instance, takes the shape of the lotus, a sacred flower among almost all Indians.

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the world’s largest poured in place white concrete shell structure with each shell resembling a lotus’s curved petals. Lotus flowers are most commonly found in ponds and grow till they are out of the water where they can bloom so 9 pools are built in around the structure of the temple. These simple design features and structure have made it one of the most visited buildings in the world.

Architects can also look to nature to help with functional complications when designing. In 1991 architect Mick Pierce was employed in Harare, Zimbabwe, to build the largest retail building in the country called the Eastgate Centre.

However with limited funds they didn’t have the money needed to pay for the expensive air-conditioning. How could you

design a building that regulates its own temperature? Well termites’ mounds were the answer. Millions of termites live inside these structures so some of them can be as much as ten meters high. On a human scale that is like a sky scraper over 3 and a half kilometers tall.

During the day the sun heats the mound causing air to rise up the sides and then cool air sinks down the middle. At night this reverses as the sides lose heat to the cold outside air. The way Mick Pierce replicated this was by having mini fans pulling in cool

night air from outside which gets dispersed throughout the centre’s seven floors. This is then absorbed by the building and can chill the circulating air. When the heat rises during the day, warm air is vented up and released by the chimneys.

This simple ventilation similar to the termites allows the building to regulate the temperature with ease thus eliminating the temperature swing problem that can often be as much as 50 degrees from night to day in Zimbabwe.

How could you design a building that regulates its own temperature?

Well, termites’ mounds were the answer.

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There were other things that helped as well, such as the materials in the Eastgate Centre. These mimicked those of the termite mounds by having a very high

Carbon dioxide concentration levels in winter and in summer

thermal mass which means they can absorb a lot of heat without really changing temperature. Not only that the exterior of the building is prickly like a cactus, this increases the surface area of the building improving heat loss at night and reducing heat gain during the day. With all these techniques that have come from nature, Mick Pierce’s ingenious architecture for the Eastgate Centre complex has meant it consumes 90% less energy. And as of 2017, it had saved the company $3.5 million in air conditioning costs.

My favourite example of biomimicry is in the Shinkansen trains or more commonly known as the bullet trains. It was built to connect Tokyo to distant parts of the Japan and is well known for its remarkable top speed of 200mph. The original line that opened in 1964 can get you from Tokyo to Osaka (340 miles) in 2 and a half hours. As a comparison in the UK you can get a train from London to Inverkeithing (340 miles) in just under 5 hours! Unfortunately there was a problem. Generally the cross-sectional area of a train is only just less than that of the tunnel, this means that air has nowhere to escape when the train passes through.

This in turn causes compression waves to build at the front of the train. When trains leave a tunnel the waves coalesce into a shock wave that generates a boom. The magnitude of the boom is proportional to the cube of the trains speed so in the bullets train’s case the boom could be heard up to 400m away. This was a massive problem if it was going to be passing through a lot of built-up residential areas. The way the Japanese engineers

came up with a solution was not with fancy new technology but was by taking influence from different birds. Eiji Nakatsu was the general manager of the project but in his spare time he was a bird watcher. He used this and found different ways to redesign the shape of the train to go faster without creating the boom.

The first redesign was on the pantographs which connect the train to the electrical wires above. The struts and linkages in the mechanism were adding to the noise by causing large Karman vortices (turbulence) as the air rushes over. Nakatsu got his inspiration from owls which have fimbriae, a comb like array of serrations. These break down the passing air into micro turbulences therefore muffling the sound. The new redesigned ‘wing-graph’ was a great success. The second redesign was to try to lower the sudden change in air resistance as the train left the tunnels which was the main cause for the boom. Nakatsu from his bird watching experiences looked to the kingfisher, a bird that had adapted to these conditions brilliantly as it can dive into water to catch its prey with barely a splash.

He surmised that the shape of its bill was what allowed it to pull this off.

The design team set up tests that shot bullets of various shapes from the more traditional train nose to a shape modelled after a kingfisher into a pipe to measure pressure waves. Not only that, these same shapes were run in simulations on a supercomputer. Both tests resulted in the optimum shape being that almost identical to the bill of the kingfisher.

When the redesign debuted in 1997, the boom effect was reduced so much so that

[T]he optimum shape being that almost identical to the bill of the kingfisher.

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the train adhered to the standard noise level of 70dBa while travelling at its much higher speeds. Additional improvements like 15% less fuel needed and it being 10% faster further show how useful these natural organisms are in the design.

These are just a few examples of how humans are turning to nature not only to learn from and mimic the strategies to solve human design, but to help them find solutions for the future sustainability of our planet.

SO, YOUTwo THINK YOU’RE White Horses FREE TO CHOOSE YOUR UNIVERSITY? Creative writing GraceEve Whelan Rushin

Lower SixthSixth Lower The sea is rough, he knew that though The waves are high and ruthless, No thought of who or what might ride along them, They still churn things up and break their hope, Shall I still ride along with them?

No one else has quivered out, Yet here I stand alone again.

Without the faith I once adored.

The faith, warm and a glow, As beautiful as two white horses Yet I cannot find the light that once shone so bright.

The crash of the storm a year ago, I lost him there but the winds still blow.

More black and grey then blue and green, No life down there, no fish, no plants Yet they seem to find it happy enough They can find the joy down there, but no, joy was not something he could find.

She knew how to act and when to smile Yet I could not loose myself.

The waves are high and ruthless, Still crashing down inside.

He smiled but it did not reach his eyes, I can see the pain in those eyes More black and grey than blue and green As she described his eyes.

When he kissed it was not for love I could feel the pain in his actions, He is not the man I once adored.

Noise filled the room, the clink of glasses And the high pitched and low groans of voices The noise was engulfing and the lights too dim.

The room was full, Yet here I stand alone again Should I even ask the question?

I cannot ask because there will be no answer He is gone never to return I lost it in the storm, it churned faith up and broke my hope As beautiful as two white horses but I had to let her go.

67

ACADEMIC LECTURE SERIES

sir vince cable

Former Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament.

COMING SOON