Review: New Scientist Live Exhibition 2023

Elizabeth Sprason on 26 October 2023

Image Credit: Elizabeth Sprason

In the eyes of the public, the latest scientific discoveries can often be difficult to understand and feel exclusive only to those with the passion to study them. In order for science to enter the public consciousness, scientists must first clearly communicate their findings and this which, over recent years, has been proven to be scientists’ shortfall. The media loves to scoop up the big and exciting discoveries but most of the real hard work gets overlooked. Yet, every once in a while, researchers get the opportunity to meet with the public face to face and share their ideas.

One such opportunity is New Scientist Live.

Image Credit: Elizabeth Sprason

New Scientist Live is a festival of knowledge and I was lucky to attend. Spanning across two days, talks and stalls engaged from all ages and backgrounds. Each year a range of topics is covered from the secrets of the universe to the inner workings of the mind. The event was hosted by New Scientist – a science magazine that has nearly 140,000 subscribers – and joined by famous scientists such as Jim Al-Khalili (professor at the University of Surrey and The World According to Physics, Cunk on Earth contributor), Alice Roberts (professor at the University of Birmingham and Time Team star), and Chris van Tulleken (NHS doctor and CBBC presenter).  Stallholders included King’s College London School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences and their students showcasing their array of surgical robots; energy company The Fusion Cluster sharing their search for clean energy, and Ancient Craft teaching people how to make Bronze Age weapons.

Image Credit: Elizabeth Sprason

The stall that particularly stood out to me was the Rothamsted Research stall. Laid out across the table were various perfume bottles filled with different natural fragrances.  As I sniffed each one, the researcher explained how each were derived from well-loved herbs such as lavender and lemongrass and, where we would enjoy these plants for their scent, these unassuming chemicals hold surprising superpowers.  Other than just smelling nice, the plant’s secretion of these chemicals can promote growth in neighbouring species or repel harmful insects. For example, citronella oil (derived from the citronella plant and originating from Asia) can repel mosquitos through inhibition of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE). AChE hydrolyses the neurotransmitter acetylcholine – crucial for triggering muscle movement – and so its inhibition causes a buildup of acetylcholine within synapses leading to paralysis and death in the insect. Exploiting this natural insecticide for large scale farming could reduce the toxicity to native wildlife currently seen with older agricultural sprays. This was something that I had never heard of, and I was glad I had taken the time to get to know all the scientists that were present.

For anyone interested in science I recommend taking up similar opportunities. Perhaps a science festival is required at Leeds? Our university is a hub of innovation, and it would be exciting for everyone (not just the scientists) to get an opportunity to engage with it. 

The race to perfect the liquid biopsy

Hannah Dale and Lily Page on 26 October 2023

Precision medicine alongside liquid biopsy brings us closer than ever to revolutionising the management of lung cancer.

Lung cancer has the highest global mortality rates of all cancers, due to the fact that many cases are only detected at advanced stages of disease. Whilst lung cancer grows more prevalent than ever, we are seeing increasing development in precision medicine techniques and non-invasive methods of obtaining samples such as liquid biopsy. 85% of lung cancers are classified as non-small cell lung cancer. Ultimately treatments are similar across 3 sub-types, however research suggests varying responses to drug treatment due to differing genetic characteristics.

Liquid biopsies would revolutionise cancer care

Currently, we use imaging techniques such as CT scans, MRIs and X-rays, followed by surgical biopsies to detect and diagnose tumours. Liquid biopsies refer to blood tests that analyse circulating tumour debris, shed into the blood, as an alternative to tumour biopsies which are more invasive. Scientists can use highly sensitive genetic techniques in tandem with liquid biopsy, such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). This is a powerful, high-throughput genetic sequencing technology;  such methods allow us to detect of cancers and dictate tailored treatments, saving lives and preventing reoccurrence.

Using liquid biopsy alongside genomic profiling techniques such as NGS, means we can easily access and profile genetic material and identify specific gene mutations. This will allow us to choose a tailored treatment which is more effective for the specific cancer and hence drastically improve the success of the treatment. With real time genetic information (facilitated by liquid biopsy) regarding the molecular characteristics of the disease, we can apply targeted, novel treatments which act on mutated (cancer) cells unlike older treatments which may destroy healthy cells in their path. Not only would this mean more positive treatment outcomes, but also provide the patient with a better quality of life due to the ease of sampling blood and serial repeats for real-time monitoring. Therefore, liquid biopsies would revolutionise cancer care on multiple fronts. 

Liquid biopsy is right on the cusp of starting a revolution

It is estimated that up to 55% of people with non-small cell lung cancer may experience recurrence of disease. This can be due to small groups of residual cancer cells which are too small to be seen on scans.  However, as the sensitivity of the genetic tests improve, we may be able to detect the remaining cells in the blood and treat people ahead of symptom presentation before the cells can proliferate again.

Revolutionising the management of lung cancer would involve drastically improving long term survival through detection, treatment, monitoring, and preventing recurrence through detecting relapse and resistance genotyping. It is certainly conceivable that liquid biopsy, combined with techniques such as NGS may facilitate this revolution. However, for widespread clinical use, the optimisation of test sensitivity and extraction techniques must be achieved to justify the replacement of established methods. More research is needed to determine these facts and it’s constantly accelerating. Only then, with the correct validation and facilities can we use the liquid biopsy to its full capacity. Glimmers of the future have already been seen in the FDA approval of the companion diagnostic Guardant360 CDx for osimertinib: testing patient eligibility based specific biomarkers. Oncologists have already deemed this as completely transformational for this group of patients in delivering highly precise and effective treatments. An interview with a precision oncologist revealed that, “liquid biopsy is right on the cusp of starting a revolution”, and the case is not “if” we will see results, but “when”.

Should you believe in ghosts?

Aashna Khilosia on 26 October 2023

Indulging in costume shopping and carving pumpkins, laughing at paranormal investigators on our TV screen jumping at a breeze or ridiculous ghost stories told over sleepovers is all in the spirit of Halloween.  However, while some like to scare themselves silly for a laugh over the festive period, nearly half (43%) of UK adults believe in, and are fearful of, the paranormal. The top reasons the British believe there may be an uninvited guest at in their home include mysterious unexplainable sounds, cold spots, and even shadowy figures.

Many scientists have dipped their feet into the murky waters of the paranormal – so can science provide the evidence for the existence of ghosts?

While nobody has managed to capture a ghost in a controlled environment as evidence of its existence, in 1901 Dr McDougal tried instead to prove the existence of the soul. He investigated the idea that the ‘soul’ was physical enough to cause a drop in mass in humans at the moment of death – he pinpointed a 21 -gram loss which he concluded, influenced by his pre-existing beliefs, to be the mass of a soul .

43% of UK adults believe in, and are fearful of, the paranormal.

However, his findings were not welcomed with open arms by the science community, with many theories soon later proposed that diminished the credibility of his study. One key objector was Psychologist Richard Wiseman who pointed out that the human body at the point of death heats rapidly and so the loss in mass could be due to the loss of fluid via sweating. So, with a lack of credible evidence in the science field, the soul of a former 19th century resident most probably isn’t the source of the flickering lights and sudden gusts of wind!

But how do you explain the vivid ghost sightings people have experienced?

The most common explanation is sleep paralysis. Cambridge neuroscientist Baland Jalal explains sleep paralysis as being “like dreaming with your eyes open”. The phenomenon occurs when a person regains consciousness whilst in the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep. Outside of the REM phase, there is an increase in parasympathetic tone – inducing the body to relax. However, during phasic REM sleep, there is an upsurge of sympathetic tone, preventing muscles from contracting in response to dreams. If you wake up during this phase, the muscles might still be unable to move, leaving you effectively paralysed.

Waking whilst still in the REM phase creates a dissociation between perception and motor function, which can result in and have often been accompanied by hallucinations.  So, when someone reports of a paranormal “haunting” that left them so terrified they were unable to move, a scientist’s diagnosis would most likely circle back to sleep paralysis.

Currently, no conclusive evidence has been brought forward to support the existence of supernatural creatures. However, discoveries are made every day and some scientists have dedicated whole careers to finding the evidence. In science, non-existence is rarely provable, so maybe that occurrence you can’t explain might just have been caused by the supernatural…

Beaver-Works

Rosie Bibby on 26 October 2023

Beavers have been extinct in the UK since the 1500s due to human exploitation for their meat and fur, as well as a substance called castoreum. The castoreum, secreted by glands near the anus, can be used in food, perfumes, and medicine, and is in high demand, especially in Sweden where it is used to flavour schnapps, a traditional distilled liquor.

The eradication of beavers has negatively impacted the British ecosystem due to their position as a keystone species – one of particular importance to maintaining a balanced ecosystem. As ecosystem engineers, beavers create wetland habitats for animals such as water voles, frogs and insects by using branches of trees they’ve felled to build a dam. Encouraging a home for small animals thus attracts larger predators, enhancing broader diversity in the area. Therefore, recent efforts have been made to reintroduce them throughout the UK supported by the RSPB, Forestry England and Scottish National Heritage.

The first European beavers were reintroduced in Scotland’s Knapdale forest in 2008. The benefits to biodiversity were clear, with an increase in dragonfly, minnow, and beetle species recorded in the 2015 ‘Beavers in Scotland’ report. This encouraged further reintroductions in Devon later in the same year, controlled by the River Otter Beaver Trial. Again, positive responses were recorded and in 2020, the government agreed that the beavers should stay.

Since then, there has been work on reintroducing beavers in Cropton Forest within the North York Moors. The main reason for beaver presence this time, however, was for flood prevention. The beaver’s dam building can alter the flow of rivers by creating pools and wetlands, significantly slowing the river’s flow and protecting humans living downstream from flooding.

Since 2019, the two beavers introduced in Yorkshire have had six kits and are now a family of eight, they certainly have been beavering away! After a trial of five years, the flood alleviating powers of the beavers will be studied and, if deemed successful, steps will be taken to reintroduce beavers in other high flood risk areas.

LIVE REVIEW: JAWS are Biting Back into Business at Brudenell

Millie Cain on 26 October 2023 

Written by Millie Cain
Edited by Eve Moat

As we arrived at the crown jewel of Hyde Park’s independent music scene, Brudenell Social Club already had a swarming crowd of individuals in dark wash jackets with cans of £2 beer in hand awaiting JAWS’ arrival. The social club on Monday night was a warm haven against the treacherous October downpour, yet people still crowded outside clutching half-damp cigarettes with the distinctive smell of blue razz lemonade floating in the air. As soon as my flat mate (and occasional musical prodigy) Jack and I ran into the building, there was an immediate homely feel, calls across the room, and familiar nods of heads, made even more lovely by the eclectic soundtrack and cheap bar.  

There was a real fizz of excitement in the air, it didn’t feel like a Monday – the bar spun with the ambiance of a well-awaited Friday night, as students and locals alike bopped their heads along to Leeds’ own post-modern grunge band “Slow Team” who had the mighty job of supporting, and packed a punch as the alternative three piece burned out their souls to their home crowd and JAWS fans who were lapping up their seemingly endless energy.  

It was not long before arms were raised and clapping along to their new single “Match Point” which eclipsed the whole room, a bit more post-punk sound than the rest of their setlist- they’ve recently been leaning more into the sleek ethereal shoegaze indie that has weaved its way in over the last few years and has been done so fluidly by this band. Lead vocalist, Lucy, had ensnaring charisma, and her fellow bandmates Morgan and Max bounced off each other as their looping sounds pressed up against each other and filled the venue, cracking jokes throughout. There’s exciting potential with their recent change of tempo for huge growth, and they’re in the right place for people who will undoubtedly eat it up. 

JAWS’ arrival onto stage was met with louder cheers than could’ve been expected from the venue: a familiar hum of excitement, a sparking buzz filled the air as they launched straight into their arguably most popular single, “Stay In”, with a well-oiled groove, and especially cool elegance from bassist Leon Smith catching the whole room. The popularity of the song had a huge immediate impact on the crowd, with heads bobbing, and arms high, as the band slowed down for the instrumental builder of the song that gives it a real textured, layered quality from the Birmingham 4 piece.  

Image Credit: @musicthroughemiescamera on Instagram

The second song of their set, “Top of My Skull” from their new EP If It Wasn’t For My Friends, Things Could Be Different, released in September, had a huge increase in tempo and the disjointed bridges injected a new lease of energy into the space. This new single is really taking a step away from the synth-heavy shoegaze indie that initially shot them to fame in 2012. Drummer Eddy Geach appeared almost as a sci-fi hero, nearly drowning under the crazy amount of cymbals, but which he appeared to navigate with incomprehensible ease.  

Noticably, the green lights flooding Brude added to the almost nonchalant, casual air of the band, while sounding so technically tight, as if it was a live recording. It was evident how polished and practiced every member was before embarking on this tour- especially it being their first one since 2021.

Image Credit: @musicthroughemiescamera on Instagram

New song “Are My Friends Alright?” brought back the synth, pop sound, and was well received by their cult-like crowd. JAWS’ fanbase has certainly been strong for the last few years, following them up and down the country on each and every new tour. In the recorded version, it has a faint autotune (almost Casablancas-esque) mumbling sound to it, that was mastered live by lead singer Connor Schofield.  

Their stage chatter however, was few and far between, with brief thank yous, an introduction and an actually quite funny anecdote about their previous Brudenell show, in which someone had crashed the stage to brush their teeth, was the extent of the conversation between the band and their audience. While they held a very well-respected and professional presence in the room, I couldn’t help but wish to hear a bit more from the band themselves.  

Before I knew it, they were closing with fan favourites “Be Slowly” and “Gold”, and the audience were electric from the first light riff of their final song, chanting along and polishing off an exciting show that was wrapped up in talent and drowning in potential.

JAWS have toured new EP If It Wasn’t For My Friends, Things Could Be Different, which was released on 15th September, whipping around Northern-heavy venues in Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, with a home show in Birmingham, and a couple of Southern trips to Bristol and London. With how clean and polished they’re sounding, and the punchy new EP, there’s no doubt we’ll be hearing more from them soon, hopefully with some festival shows in the coming year.

Their new EP is available on all streaming platforms, and the band can be found @jawsjawsjaws on their respective social media platforms.

Setlist: 

Stay In  

Top of my Skull  

Driving at Night   

Are My Friends Alright?  

What We Haven't Got Yet  

Right Infront Of Me  

17  

Just A Boy 

Sweat 

Donut 

Be Slowly 

Gold

Should we be adding more than just fluoride to our water?

Finn Laslett on 25 October 2023

Fluoride has been routinely added to the public drinking water of the UK, US and much of the rest of the world since 1945, when the first pilot study began in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The practice originated in the early 1900s, when it was discovered that tooth decay, and varying unaccountably between different geographic regions, was correlated with the concentration of the element fluorine found in the local drinking water. After the successful experiment in Grand Rapids, in which children’s tooth decay halved, fluoridation became common policy in the US, and remains a routine public health intervention globally to this day.

Now, more than a century later, evidence is emerging of another, more profound relationship. In 2009, researchers in Japan measured the levels of lithium in the drinking water of Oita prefecture and found that where more lithium was present, local people were less likely to die by suicide.  Since then, dozens more studies have been published in concurrence, and scientists have been aware of lithium’s influence in other domains for even longer. In 1990, it was observed that high-lithium counties in Texas saw fewer arrests for robbery, violent behaviour and drug possession than low-lithium ones. In the areas with the highest levels, the effects are striking. The ‘lithium triangle’ between Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, which together account for 58% of global lithium deposits, accordingly has the highest concentration of lithium in drinking water. In the Chilean portion of the triangle, there are 10 suicides for every 100,000 people, compared with a national of average of 12.5.

To some, this may come as no surprise. The effects of lithium on behaviour have been known for many years, with psychiatrists prescribing lithium salts as far back as the 19th century. Until 1948, the soft drink 7up contained lithium for its mood-stabilising properties, and the metal remains synonymous with the treatment of bipolar disorder to this day. Despite this, the mechanism of action still eludes understanding. Once lithium ions enter the brain, their simple structure and small size allow them to be dispersed widely and affect the activity of nerves on every level. Where researchers identify an effect in one brain area, the opposite may be observed in another, and often results appear in the brains of bipolar or depression sufferers, but not in other individuals. The task is made even more impossible by the fact that the causes of bipolar, depression, and psychiatric illnesses on the whole are poorly understood. What is certain, however, is that lithium works, remaining the first-line treatment for bipolar disorder and the gold standard for those whose depression won’t respond to traditional antidepressants.

Why, then, is it not added in with the fluoride to our water? There are several arguments, both scientific and ethical. For one, unlike fluoride, which has few side-effects at low doses, lithium may not be safe for everyone to consume. Children and pregnant women pose a barrier to any mass treatment, and this year it was observed that infants born in areas of Denmark with more lithium in the water are more likely to have autism. Lithium is also often contraindicated for people with kidney and thyroid problems. Ethically, there is a significant difference between lithium and fluoride in that only one is psychoactive. In a world where conspiracy theories already abound, it would be bold to openly administer a genuinely mind-altering agent to the population. Furthermore, the notion of suicide is ethically complex, and some may question if its prevention in this way is the proper role of the state.

Regardless, mental illness and suicide are hugely important issues, and increasingly so. It may be that a safe dose exists, and it really would make us all happier. If governments are serious in their commitments to tackle mental illness, then perhaps large-scale interventions of this kind may warrant further investigation.