Analytical Science conquers the globe

Well not quite, but in the last 48 hours analytical science has cropped up in the most unlikely places.

If truth be told, if I had the time I would watch rubbish on telly, but I don't have that luxury - Sky+ is my friend so I can record the drivel and watch it at my leisure. And so I sat down to watch the latest episode of Midsomer Murders (they've replaced Bergerac). There was disappointingly only 2 murders in this episode and 1 attempted. I digress.

Although pathologist George often pops up in episodes to undertaken a forensic examination of the murders, if was the unexpected statement from the new DCI Barnaby that George needed to "get down here with his spectrometer" that took me by surprise. He wanted George's instrument to work its magic to detect traces of drugs inside a lovely old vintage car. If you want to know how the spectrometer might have done this, then I suggest you get signed up onto S240!!

Now, those who now the S240 team will know that they usually brighten up meetings by consuming copious amounts of cakes and other sweet products. I for one love cake and so Ace of Cakes (on the Food Network) is also a current favourite programme. What about the analyticalscience I hear you cry? Well an episode last night showed the team being commissioned to make a cake in the shape of a CT scanner. A CT SCANNER!! I can't find a picture of it, but below is a picture of a real CT scanner and it looked identical - even down to a patient on the bed!

It got me thinking - what other analytical instruments could be made into cakes. There could be a whole line of analytical science themes cakes to accompany the course. Maybe not.

Handover today!

Yippee! Today, we handed over the first Chapter of our S240 course to our internal publishers. makes it all seem real.

I wish we could have the real stuff, but I'll have to make do with pretending we have champagne with which to celebrate.

If you want to work out how the alcohol content is measured, take S240!

How do we smell?

My (almost) life's research is on volatile compounds and detecting them. In others words, sniffing niffs. But now I realise I have got it all wrong! Take a look at this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12827893

Apparently, it's all down to quantum physics (isn't everything?). Try telling that to a sniffer dog.....

Fantasy module generator

We've been a bit busy lately with the first of our handover dates looming sooner than we'd like, but there are always other things to think about. For example, although we have a name for our module: Analytical Science: health, heritage and environments (note the plural), we have to come up with titles for each book.

Book 1 is about health, food and drugs. It's provisionally called Analytical science for life and health. Book 2 is about space, heritage and the environment (singular). It's provisionally called Analytical science to enrich our lives.

It took us a LONG time to establish the module name. After many hours arguing, we polled those who might actually end up teaching it to come up with something functional yet snappy. We had to think about whether it was plain English so people know what it is about, and whether it will get lots of useful hits on Google. Do we need to do that with each book? We haven't decided, but one member of the course team has suggested:

Book 1: Analytical science in sickness and in health
Book 2: Analytical science for richer or poorer

An equally sensible approach, and in highly scientific fashion, I've used the fantasy novel book title generator to come up with some ideas. We've been offered the following options:

Book 1: The Stolen Ship, The Bone of Linoleum, The Sorceress of the Renegade or the Tattoo in the Thought
(Using the terms: analytical, science, health, food, drugs, screening)

Book 2: The Age's Empire, The Solstice of the Destiny, The Out Adventure or the Chaos of the Place
(Using the terms analytical, science, heritage, space, environment)

The latter pretty much sums things up I think. Done deal.

New bowel cancer screening method

The current method for screening for bowel cancer is the so called faecal occult blood (FOB) test. Basically, everyone between 60 and 69 will be offered the test. They will be asked to place a small smear of faeces on a card, which is sent to the lab for testing to determine whether it contains blood. If it does, they will be called in for further investigations.

The trouble is, the test isn't very good. It misses a good proportion of people who have bowel cancer and may also alarm people who don't by suggesting they may have it when they don't.

But until now, it's the best test available for mass screening.

Scientists are now developing a new test which looks for DNA indicative of cancer in faeces. This could significantly improve the accuracy of screening if it is developed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12637096

Medical abbreviations

Well now we know what the medics really think - make sure you ask to see a copy of your medical notes under the Data Protection Act!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/3159813.stm

New microscope

For anyone who thought the wavelength of light limited the size of objects that can be resolved, read this aryicle on the Beeb! Cool new way of using evanescent waves emitted near an object.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12612209