I,SCIENCE
I,SCIENCE THE SCIENCE MAGAZINE OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE
Editors-in-Chief Bruno martin Madeleine Finlay Magazine Editor raquel Taylor Web Editor Lucy Timms Pictures Editor Natasha gertler Business Manager liz killen Marketing and social Media Tori Blakeman Radio Editor catherine Webb News Manager Sarah Barfield Marks Online Features Manager katharina kropshofer Events Manager judit agui TV Editor Vidish Athavale Sub-Editors Ipsita Herlekar Frances McStea Marcela Leite Helena Spooner rachel baxter emma lisle david walker
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n the last issue of I, Science we invited you to join us for an escapist journey to other worlds of scientific distraction. This term we ask something more challenging of you. This term, we want you to break the silence. So grab a seat, sit back and get comfortable, because we are going to talk about the *un*comfortable. In this issue, we explore some of society’s most stubborn hang-ups, from incest, to nudity, all the way to death. The blanket of silence cast by taboos can be a powerful inhibitor of social action, stalling the progress required to solve some truly epic problems. In science, taboos can arise from the knee-jerk reaction against ideas, and even evidence, which contradict established beliefs and social norms. It takes conviction, of the sort Galileo had, to break them completely. We may not be Galileo, but without further ado, let’s tackle our first taboo: poo. On page 6, Mary Barker reveals how our reticence to discuss egestion is enabling one of the biggest development crises of our time. If you like your science contemporary and controversial, turn to pages 12-13, where Katharina Kropshofer and Gaia Stucky de Quay introduce us to the researchers who have thrown down the gauntlet at the feet of giants, calling out the dogmas in Darwin and Einstein’s legacies.
I, Science, c/o Liam Watson, Level 3, Sherfield Building, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ Email: i.science@imperial.ac.uk Printed by:Leaflet Frog, 38 Britannia Way, Bolton BL2 2HH
Our Taboo issue sees the return of the ‘Great Debate’, in which Marek Wolczynski and David Walker go head-to-head on the question of whether we should be researching the genetics of sexuality, on pages 26-27. Our final word on these tough topics comes from Henry Bennie, who turns the analytical lens on science itself, probing issues of objectivity and truth in scientific research and publishing. This has been an exciting issue to produce. Our hope is that you will find its contents illuminating and provocative. In the discourse of science, no topic should be out-of-bounds, so go forth and speak up – there’s a lot more where this came from.
madeleine and bruno
I, Science is a publication of the Science Communication Unit, Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication, Imperial College London. However, it is a student publication, and as such the views expressed in I, Science do not reflect the views of the Unit, Centre or College.
Cover Illustrator source photograph by Andreea-Otilia Suiu Interested in advertising with us? Contact : iscience-business@imperial.ac.uk
For our regular ‘Science Behind the Photo’ centrefold, Annabel King presents her impassioned project to destigmatise nudity from the setting of her clinical photography studio, here in London. On page 20, Aran Shaunak raises the thorny subject of weapon development in the UK, followed by Judit Agui’s appeal to westerners to consider including insects as a sustainable component of our diets. No doubt you’ll be convinced to grab some grub, so check out her tasty grasshopper stir-fry recipe on page 23!
Find more great content on our website: www.isciencemag.co.uk
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We’re always on the lookout for new contributors for both the magazine and the website. If you would like to get involved as a writer, editor or illustrator please don’t hesitate to get in contact. You can email us at i.science@imperial.ac.uk, tweet us @i_science_mag or contact us directly through our website www.isciencemag.co.uk.
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