Fascination Magazine and Inside Diamond
Fascination is STFC’s in-house magazine, packed full of our latest, most exciting science and technology stories.
Produced quarterly with some ad-hoc special editions throughout the year, Fascination brings you an insight into some of STFC’s innovative projects and developments. In each issue, we take you behind the scenes of our laboratories and scientific facilities to look at how some of the world’s most amazing discoveries have been made and how they are changing the world we live in.
http://www.stfc.ac.uk/2421.aspx
March 2016
An international team of scientists has announced the first ever detection of gravitational waves. The discovery has been hailed as transformational, as it opens up a new way of observing the Universe. It also confirms the final key prediction of Einstein’s theory of general relativity, published over a century ago. But why did it take 100 years for science to catch up with Einstein? Find out on page 20. Have you ever considered a boring traffic jam on the M27 to be a place of inspiration for a globallysuccessful business idea? We hadn’t – until we interviewed the founders of iGeolise, a travel time software company that has revolutionised mapping for the likes of VisitBritain, Zoopla and Jobsite. Turn to page 36 to discover how the ESA BIC helped put iGeolise on the map. Remote caverns, subterranean passages, pioneering experiments – that’s the heady cocktail of ingredients underpinning one of the most fascinating but least well-known science stories in the UK today. Turn to page 14 to learn more. What exciting things does the upgrade of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, the machine that allowed us the discover of the Higgs boson, have in store for us? Turn to page 28 to discover what some of the country’s leading particle physics experts predict the upgrade may mean for physics
Autumn 2015
As the world’s population continues to grow, the future supply of sustainable and accessible food supplies is an issue affecting everyone. Turn to pg 24 to discover how we’re using our science to help address this challenge.
Calling all natural history fans! Our interview subject for this edition is STFC Public Engagement Fellow, Professor Phil Manning, a palaeontologist and natural history expert who travels the world to uncover the secrets of prehistoric life. We find out about his interesting career, how he’s using our science to aid his work and, of course, what his favourite dinosaur is, on pg 38.
In floods, time is of the essence. Delaying response to a water rescue by five to 10 minutes multiplies the risk of fatality by more than four times. On pg 20, find out how UK start-up company, KnowNow Information Ltd, is revolutionising how UK emergency services can plan for, and respond to, extreme weather conditions such as localised flooding, to help save lives and millions of pounds.
In the summer 2014 edition of Fascination, we featured an interview with the founders of the Soapbox Science project, Dr Seirian Sumner and Dr Nathalie Pettorelli. A year since the innovative project received an STFC Public Engagement Award, we caught up with them to see how the grant has helped them (pg 32).
Summer 2015
Are the stars singing? Bee blooms blossom at RAL. A new vaccine for polio is on the horizon. A garden that is out of this world. An interview with Roberto Trotta. A beginner’s guide to the Cherenkov Telescope Array. The latest UK news from CERN. The four forces of the supercomputing revolution. The race is on to detect space-time ripples. Reaching out - science up close special
Autumn 2014
In this issue:
- BBC broadcaster, author and scientist, Professor Jim Al-Khalili, talks science communication, physics, OBEs and humanism
- How cosmic rays could ground a plane and what we’re doing to make flying safer
- Rosetta makes history
- Superbugs vs superdrugs: the arms race against bacteria
Summer 2014
In this issue:
- Learn how you can time travel to your perfect home thanks to innovative technology
- How scientists are using the world’s smallest scaffolding to build new livers
- Find out how award-winning technology could end the ban on liquids in hand luggage
Special Edition: Tackling Global Challenges
In this issue:
- A new, free smart-phone app which allows you to hunt for the Higgs Boson
- How a Galactic mystery emerges from butterfly line-up
- How STFC’s scientists use cutting-edge science to address real world challenges
Inside Diamond Magazine
Diamond is a synchrotron source used to produce X-rays for applications across all sciences. It is a world-leading experimental resource and is based in Oxfordshire.
Winter 2015
In this issue you can read about heritage science, to nanotechnology, to bacterial warfare.
Summer 2015
From pioneering cancer treatments, to super smart materials, to the history of the solar system, Inside Diamond magazine reveals the cutting edge research taking place and gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the way science is conducted at Diamond, one of the world’s most advanced scientific research facilities.