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Year: 2018

Battle of the Somme Photo: Geoffrey Malins via the Imperial War Museum @ Wikimedia Commons

New Somme memorial unveiled in Manchester

Written by Rona McCann on . Posted in News.

A memorial honouring those who lost their lives in the Battle of the Somme has been erected in Manchester’s Heaton Park.

The unveiling of the memorial took place on the 18th of November, a week after Remembrance Sunday.

The monument takes the form of a large curved wall, and was designed to represent a stretch of the trenches along the Western Front. It reaches two metres in height and seven metres in length, and is inscribed with the words ‘Somme 1916’.

In 2016, Heaton Park was the setting for a Somme centenary commemoration, where 37,000 people visited the park to take part in remembrance events and pay respects for those who fought and died in the infamous battle.

The memorial features 320 unique ‘memory tiles’ that were originally created for the 2016 commemoration. The tiles, which are etched with images commemorating the War and telling stories of its battles, were recast in porcelain before being placed into the wall.

Longsight Councillor Luthfur Rahman said: “No one could fail to have been moved by the events two years ago to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, and particularly by the memory tiles that poignantly told the stories behind some of those involved in the battle.

“It’s important we remember the sacrifices made by all those who fought and were injured or lost their lives, and that we pass their stories on to future generations so they also never forget.

“The permanent memorial in Heaton Park is a fitting and lasting tribute to them and will ensure their stories and our memory of them are never forgotten.”

Heaton Park was used as a training ground for army recruits during the First World War. The area hosted the training of thousands of Manchester Regiment troops, before later becoming the location of a military hospital base.

The Battle of the Somme began on the 1st July 1916, and lasted for almost five months. On its first and bloodiest day, 19,240 British soldiers lost their lives — 585 of which were from Greater Manchester.

The day is widely regarded to be the worst in British military history as the battle ended with over a million casualties from across both sides.

2018 marks 100 years since the end of the First World War, which lasted for over four years and affected millions of lives. The recorded deaths of Mancunian soldiers total 23,792.

families By Moneycortex via PixaBay

Poorest families in Greater Manchester hit by ‘poverty premium’

Written by Josh Sandiford on . Posted in News.

Poor families in Greater Manchester might be paying a substantial amount more for goods and services than their richer counterparts.

New research by Greater Manchester Poverty Action (GMPA) has found that low-income families could be paying more than £1000 over the odds for services such as energy, credit and insurance due to an apparent ‘poverty premium’.

The extra costs are partly due to restricted access to financial products such as overdrafts or low-interest loans. Higher costs for poorer families might also occur due to different, more expensive payment methods – such as paying for energy through a prepayment meter – and because people on low incomes are less able to buy in bulk.

The report also notes that there are ‘inbuilt’ disadvantages within certain markets that disproportionately affect lower income families. Poorer families might, for example, face higher insurance premiums as a result of living in a deprived area.

GMPA also looked at the extent to which accessing credit can work out more expensive. A £500 loan from payday lenders can cost £758 once fully repaid and buying household goods like washing machines and cookers from rent-to-own stores in Greater Manchester can on average end up costing an additional £218.

An ‘in-depth questionnaire’ carried out by GMPA with over 100 residents also found that two-thirds of low-income residents said they don’t have access to a bank account overdraft facility and a quarter of low-income residents said they have to borrow money to pay for everyday living costs and bills.

Graham Whitham, Director of Greater Manchester Poverty Action said: ”This poverty rip-off sees low-income families spending more on everyday goods and services and eats into already limited disposable income. At a time when poverty is increasing, and household budgets are under sustained pressure, it’s not right that people on low incomes face higher costs for essentials.

”GMPA is a not-for-profit organisation, carrying out research and campaigning for changes in policy so that the”structural and systematic causes of poverty are addressed.”

This research by GMPA quantifies the potential cost of the poverty premium for low-income families here in Greater Manchester for the first time.

GMPA are now calling for action by central government to help address the issue of a ‘poverty premium’. They’re also calling for action locally to help protect low-income households from paying over the odds.

They are calling for the further promotion of credit unions in Greater Manchester, more support for food pantries, and for local authorities to act as the first port of call for people facing a financial crisis so that people are not driven into the arms of high-interest lenders.

Whitham added: ”We need to think about how we can address this problem locally, for example, supporting credit unions in the work that they do so that more people have access to low-interest loans, and promoting initiatives that directly mitigate against the poverty premium, such as food pantries. These would help people on low incomes save money and ease the financial pressures they are facing.”

Photo: Adam Bruderer @ Flickr

Fallowfield favourite The Font to close

Written by Rona McCann on . Posted in News.

Popular student bar and café The Font has announced that its Fallowfield branch is to close permanently. The bar, situated on Wilmslow Road, is directly opposite the Owens Park and Oak House halls of residences

Posting on its Facebook page, The Font said: “It has been an absolute privilege to have been part of Fallowfield for so long and the many memories we’ve made will not be forgotten.”

The Font has served as a bar, notable for offering its renowned £2 cocktails, as well as a café, serving hot food throughout the day. Its upstairs room was regularly hired out by University of Manchester student societies for their socials.

It also announced its final closing date of the 15th December, inviting customers to “come one and all, and celebrate our amazing decade south of the city centre and have one last big hoorah with us on Friday, 14th December.”

Doug Simpson, manager of The Font and quizmaster of its weekly ‘Fontum Quizzics’ night, expressed his dismay at the prospect of no longer hearing questions such as “Cheapest £2 cocktail?”, “When’s it 2-4-1?”, and — referring to the novelty drinks the menu has to offer — “You get a Freddo?!”

The Font creative director Jude Wainwright has said: “The time we have spent here in Fallowfield has been enriching and fulfilling, and we’d just like to take this opportunity to give the biggest thank you to all of our staff and regulars, past and present. I cannot express how much you have meant to us.”

The Font opened in Fallowfield in 2008, taking over the site’s previous occupier, Sofa. Its lease is due to end in December. Instead of renewing the lease, management have decided instead to concentrate on its other Font bars.

The Font’s Manchester city centre site, located on New Wakefield Street, and its Chorlton site will continue to remain open.

The news comes after Fallow Café, another of Fallowfield’s bars frequented by students, closed down earlier this year.

Photo: Charlotte Marsh in Hyde Park @ People's History Museum

Suffragette’s force-feeding letter goes on display in Manchester

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News.

A letter detailing the first known written account of suffragette force-feeding is to go on display at the People’s History Museum in Manchester.

The account, written by Charlotte Marsh to fellow suffragette Selina Martin, details her experiences of being force-fed during the suffragette movement.

The handwritten letter penned by the suffragette will go on display as part of the Represent! Voices 100 Years On exhibition.

Written in November 1909, the document accounts the hunger strikes Charlotte Marsh undertook when in prison. Marsh talks about her daily struggles, writing to Martin about how she is scared to tell her own mother about how she is being treated: “Do you mind sending a picture to my mother, saying when you last saw me that I was happy and well. But do not mention how I am being fed.” Finishing the letter, she writes off, “No surrender!”

People’s History Museum’s Programme Officer and researcher Helen Antrobus came across the letter when examining various objects for the display, stumbling upon the piece on a title page torn from a book.

Antrobus, after examining the letter said: “The letter reveals the strain, both emotional and physical, that these women were enduring and how they looked to each other for the support and strength they needed.

“Their aim was to be treated as political offenders, and at this time they wouldn’t have known how historically notorious force-feeding was to become.

“Their sacrifice, determination, and united spirit is clear within the letter, which is extremely moving to read.”

As a part of the exhibition at the People’s History Museum, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, other pieces on display —  loaned by Phillip Sycamore, grandson of suffragette Selina Martin — will include letters, her Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) hunger strike medal, and a photo of Selina wearing her Holloway Prison brooch.

After Selina was imprisoned, her efforts and sacrifices made for the movement were honoured by the WSPU. Her story, along with many other heroic figures, aims to identify and honour those who have fought for representation a century on from when the Representation of the People Act of 1918 gave all men and some women the right to vote in Britain.

Jenny Mabbott, Head of Collections at the People’s History Museum, stated “It is wonderful that in creating an exhibition that tells the stories of those seeking representation we have been able to reveal previously unheard voices of those from the past who fought for equality.

“Hearing Charlotte’s story in her words brings alive the incredible spirit of those campaigning for women’s suffrage.”

“Selina Martin’s own story is that of a working-class suffragette from Ulverston, Manchester who found herself in prison three times, on each occasion refusing to eat to make her protest.  Whilst her family were told she was in good health and being treated well, her letters and diaries tell a very different story.

“During her imprisonment in Liverpool in the winter of 1909, Selina was beaten, force-fed, and left to freeze in her cell. The Governor of the gaol claimed she was being treated ‘as humanely and kindly as possible.’”

The free display at the People’s History Museum is open until February 3rd 2019.

LGB Photo: Sander van der Wel @Wikimedia Commons

LGB students at higher risk of suicide and self-harm

Written by Jacklin Kwan on . Posted in News.

New research by a team from the University of Manchester, Leeds Beckett University, Lancaster University, and Edith Cowan University has found that LGB students are at higher risk of self-harm and suicide attempts.

The study, published in the Archives of Suicide Research, looked at non-suicidal self-harm (such as hair-pulling, cutting, scratching, burning, or non-lethal drug usage), as well as actual suicide attempts. It found that 65% of LGB students had self-harmed over their lifetimes versus 41% of heterosexual students. 35% of LGB students were found to have previously attempted suicide compared to 14% of heterosexual students.

Participants from various faculties across two UK universities were asked to complete a survey that examined the correlation between LGB status and previous attempts of self-harm and suicide. The survey also assessed psychological variables that potentially explain such destructive behaviours such as anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and a sense of belonging.

The research suggested that a depreciated sense of belonging may account for the link between LGB status and suicide attempts. Negative self-esteem, or self-concept more broadly, was also linked to worse mental health outcomes for LGB individuals.

The paper references that many LGB youths face stigmatisation as a result of their minority status. LGB people face disproportionately high instances of social exclusion including discrimination, micro-aggression, and rejection from community networks. As a result, many previous studies have also found that LGB individuals have faced severe adverse impacts on their mental health.

The team recommended further investigation into these psychological mediators and their connections to LGB status. Dr Peter Taylor, a clinical lecturer at the University, noted that “surprisingly, there is little data on the psychological mechanisms that might explain the association between being lesbian, gay or bisexual, and self-harm in UK students”.

These findings corroborate much of the existing literature around the prevalence of mental health issues in the LGB community. Many previous psychiatric and clinical studies show that LGB people show disproportionate excesses of mental disorders, suicide, substance abuse, and deliberate self-harm.

The UK government has recently focused on improving mental health care facilities for young people, emphasising higher-education students. Dr Taylor added that, “prevention and intervention efforts directed at these psychological mediators by Universities may help to reduce risks in this population.

“Universities are already doing a lot of good things in this area such as counselling and psychological support which is targeted at LGB people.”

If you are experiencing any suicidal thoughts or desires to self-harm, please seek help. The University offers counselling services and mental health support. You can also contact confidential listening services such as Nightline (0300 003 7029) and Samaritans (0161 236 8000).

Photo: Gerald England @ Geograph

Northerners get half the transport investment of Londoners

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News.

Figures released by left-leaning think tank IPPR North show that those living in the North have under half the amount of money spent per person on transport than those living in London.

London has seen an increase of £326 per person in public transport spending, whereas the North has seen an increase of only £146.

George Osborne, ex-chancellor and now a guest lecturer at UoM, instigated the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ plan five years ago with aims to close the gap between the North-South divide.

Whilst transport spending per person remains around twice as high in London than in the North, it also reflects a positive surge in funding for the North-West for the first time in a decade.

Luke Raikes, Senior Research Fellow at IPPR North, said: “Current figures show us that the government still needs to follow through on their promises to make the Northern Powerhouse a reality.

“An increase in spending in the North-West in the past year is very welcome. As is the £37m announced in the budget for transport in the North, but the North-East and Yorkshire and the Humber are yet to see such a boost, and investment in the North still pales in comparison to spending in London.

“People are continuing to suffer the very real effects of decades of under-investment, and the ongoing chaos on northern trains is a clear sign of how far there is to go.”

In June, Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry denied claims about the on-going discrepancies between the North and South of England. Speaking to Manchester Evening News, Berry stated: “Figures show investment in the North-West is higher per capita than any other region in the North and higher per capita than most regions in the South of England.

“You can also see it like me if you were one of the first passengers to plot the Ordsall Chord in Manchester which is the biggest Government investment in Manchester’s rail infrastructure ever.

“And that reflects across the north of England that we’re investing more money in Northern transport infrastructure than any government in history.”

Since then plans to upgrade Piccadilly with two new platforms have been suspended due to a lack of funding of the £85m planned Ordsall Chord, leaving commuters with major delays around the surrounding area.

The IPPR has called for the Department for Transport (DfT) to acknowledge the promises made by the government to invest into the north to provide better transport links.

In retaliation, the DfT Treasury have decided to analyse their own expenditure data, confirming that Londoners have higher spending, but claim Transport for London also provides for those commuters that do not live in London but require their services when travelling.

Plans have been made by the DfT government sector to deliver a “£13bn transformation for transport across the north by 2020,” with priorities leaning towards projects that will upgrade the M62 from Manchester to Leeds with a 4-lane smart motorway.

climate change Photo: The Mancunion.

SU Exec Officer among eight arrested for climate disruption

Written by Nicole Wootton-Cane on . Posted in News.

Students’ Union Activities Officer Lizzy Haughton is one of eight people arrested following a climate change protest in central Manchester last weekend.

Six women and two men have been charged with allegedly “wilfully obstructing the highway” during the protest, which was held on Saturday, 24th November by campaign group Extinction Rebellion.

Another of the arrested has a connection to the University of Manchester, as Ceri-Beth Miseroy is a resident of the University’s residential campus Oak House in Fallowfield.

Police said that shortly after 3pm they responded to the scene after a number of people had been reported blocking the roads in Manchester.

The roadblock was part of a planned march through the city centre, which also included a “mass die-in” at St Ann’s Square to “mourn all the life we’ve lost, are losing and are still to lose due to climate breakdown”.

Some students told The Mancunion that they supported Haughton’s actions; second-year English and History student Natty Willetts said: “It’s a total waste of precious police time and resources. Distrust in the police is at an all-time high, and this arrest only fuels the fire. By arresting peaceful protestors, the police no longer represent the protection of public safety.

“This arrest is a political statement against the student body. It shows the police force undermining the student body through arresting one of our most senior representatives. It’s a form of censorship.”

However, others, such as second-year Medical Biochemistry student Bradley Brennan, have expressed concerns over the arrest.

Brennan said that he “sympathised with the message of the protest”, but was “very surprised that an exec officer would partake and further get arrested”.

Extinction Rebellion is a campaign by the RisingUP! network, who “aim to promote a fundamental change of our political and economic system to one which maximises well-being and minimises harm”.

Several protests by Extinction Rebellion have also been held in London over the last month, with the BBC reporting more than 60 arrests being made over acts of civil obedience.

All eight of the arrested have been bailed to appear at Manchester magistrates court on January 3rd.

Whitworth Park and the changing face of Oxford Road

Written by Felix Hanif-Banks on . Posted in Investigations.

The long term future of the Whitworth Park student accommodation has been revealed in council documents detailing plans to renovate the area in conjunction with the Manchester Science Park.

Prior plans from the University to invest in the site appear to have been scrapped, according to local business owners. Instead, the shopfront will be re-let, potentially along with the student accommodation.

Whitworth Park itself has been subject to neglect in recent years, as many shops just below remain empty, and the general area appears rundown. It’s far from the gleaming vision of Oxford Road that these plans for regeneration lay out as inevitable. With seemingly little commercial interest in the site as it exists, renovation is key in sustaining the area and providing a positive atmosphere for students and local residents alike.

Manchester Science Park plays a major role in these plans, as planned renovations to the already expansive site are increasing in scope to ‘support the growth in science based-economic activity’. Work on the site is expected to begin as soon as next year, running until 2021 and will deliver an additional 160,000 sq. ft of new office space as well as creating up to 1,300 full-time jobs.

Situated just behind the University’s Main Campus, the area already hosts over 150 businesses, and with plans to expand to 1m sq ft of offices that number is only set to grow. This would mean a quadrupling of the already existing office space, providing a great range of diverse opportunities for students and young professionals to work and innovate. The council also aim to open MSP for wider public use, working on improvements over the next few years that would make the space less restrictive and easier to access for pedestrians and cyclists.

Further stages of the council’s plans to renovate the space indicate the intent to build student accommodation near the site on the now vacant McDougall Sports Centre. The sit is deemed suitable for a 6 to 10 storey building, which could certainly accommodate much of the housing capacity that would be left behind by Whitworth Park, which is currently the University’s most populous halls of residence.

As the Council’s State of the City Report has marked their long-term aim to move students further into the city centre or away from the direct Oxford Road area, these plans are far from surprising. In conjunction with aims to make the ‘Oxford Road Corridor’ as profitable as possible, it is likely further developments to the current Whitworth Park area will be negligible until a new owner is found.

With additional further development to the MSP and its surrounding areas attempting to transform the area into its own self-containing settlement focused on productivity and enterprise, a shift away from the current uninspiring facade of Whitworth Park and its accompanying shops seems inevitable. Future investment will seek to rejuvenate the area, providing widespread opportunity and growth, while hopefully also allowing the much-loved Gemini Cafe to keep its home.

Photo: Polyphony

Manchester students start new academic journal

Written by Gurnaik Johal on . Posted in Books.

Students in The University of Manchester’s English Literature, American Studies and Creative Writing department have created a new academic journal, called Polyphony.

Founded by third-year-student Hana Jafar with the aim to spread “creative, innovative, and high quality writing” by other undergraduate students, Polyphony will “provide […] readers with an accessible resource to enrich their experience of reading and writing”.

While the journal will be an official academic publication, the students at the heart of it are determined to do things a little differently, to make a little noise. The journal’s name, in a musical sense “can be defined as music in which several different melodies are played or sung at the same time, interwoven but not necessarily in harmony”. The name then, reveals the aim at the core of the journal, to provide a platform for a diverse set of voices across a wide range of topics.

By publishing “cross-departmental work” and encouraging “discussion and debate within the undergraduate community” the team behind the journal aims to carve out a space in academia for new undergraduate voices.

I talked to Devi Joshi, Editor-in-Chief of Polyphony, about the kinds of work that the journal is looking to publish. “We are looking for insightful, original and academically excellent essays, and engaging pieces of creative writing.” The journal’s output will include academic essays as well as short stories and poems.

Any marked piece of work in the EAC department can be submitted to Polyphony, and each piece that is accepted is then peer-reviewed by a team of masters and PhD students.

The journal is currently open for submissions until December 14th, with the first issue to be published after the Christmas holidays.

To find out more about Polyphony, and how to submit your work, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@PolyphonyUoM). 

Photo: NASA @ Wikimedia Commons

Re-imagining climate change

Written by Jacklin Kwan on . Posted in Science & Tech.

How did we get here? 12 years to environmental havoc, greenhouse gas emissions at a record high, and a political climate plagued with inertia. It is an era of sobering humility. After decades of reckless abandon and ecological exploitation, our worldview has rapidly unravelled. Science is not, and will not be the deux ex machina that will liberate us from real-life problems. Economic industrialisation and consumerist cultures have serious drawbacks. And we are not the centre of the universe, much less the centre of our own planet.

The question is then: how did we form this worldview in the first place? It is time to understand how we have formed a toxic relationship with the environment.

Broadly, human history with nature is one of increasing externalisation. Man is not part of nature, and freedom is defined as the increasing ability to control nature rather than co-exist with it. There are many reasons why this has become the case, but it wasn’t always so. When we were still largely ignorant of how nature worked, there was little to no distinction between human beings and their environments. Natural phenomena were unpredictable and temperamental, just like people.

Mother nature was imbued with a deep mysticism. It was powerful, and deserved our respect. If so, it would provide us with food and amiable weather. The philosophy was steeped in superstition, but it resulted in constant deep-rooted awareness that humanity was intertwined in a larger ecological system.

This changed with the expansion of Enlightenment philosophy and industrialisation, which forms the basis of contemporary life. Influential thinkers like Francis Bacon were very much men of their time, believing that nature could be studied using methodical experimentation, and therefore controlled. The purpose of modern science was instrumental rather than just something valuable in and of itself. Science is meant to create the knowledge required to improve the material well-being of people.

Other intellectuals like Descartes and Kant specified that unlike natural objects or animals, men were capable of reason and introspection. This gave them a unique position and entitlement that separated them from all other natural elements.

Along with many other parallel developments, knowledge systems became anthropocentric. Our environments are passive resources to be understood and consumed. Despite the existence of counter-narratives, the predominant definition of the good life became one of material abundance and convenience. It was man versus nature.

Unlike what most believe, there were speculations of climate change as early as the 19th century. Bad droughts and harvest were linked to mass deforestation. Naturalists like Carl Linnaeus wrote extensively on the intricate interdependences between different biological species, and the importance of overall harmony in ecosystems. Even political thinkers like Marx criticised unfettered urbanisation by analysing how it broke natural circulations. To Marx, human society would always be reliant on the productive capacity of nature, and that capitalism would lead to an unsustainable exhaustion of natural resources.

The idea that climate change is a relatively new concept is false, to some extent. Many thinkers have raised alarms for centuries, and human understanding of natural health, as well as climate balance, has been relatively sophisticated for quite some time. Therefore, there was an active choice on the part of society and political establishment to ignore the warning signs.

It’s time to understand that combatting climate change requires more than policy reforms (though those would be a good start). Rather, there needs to be a profound shift in social attitudes towards the environment. Political theories need to be formed about governance in the age of scarcity. Economists need to analyse how we achieve ‘the good life’, one without excessive consumption and wealth generation at the expense of the environment. People need to assess the ethical obligations we owe, not only to each other and future generations but to nature itself. And science, despite its reputation of neutrality, is currently rooted in the mindset of domination over nature.

No more ‘business as usual’ with minor changes. A sustainable future involves a re-evaluation of all aspects of life we take for granted.

Photo: aguichard @ Flickr

Live Review: Miles Kane

Written by loischandler on . Posted in Music.

Opening with ‘Loaded’ from his latest album Coup De Grace could have been considered a bold move, but it was evident that the sold out audience were ready to lap up anything, indie legend Miles Kane, laid upon them. This included a surprising cover of Donna Summer’s ‘Hot stuff’ which despite being excellent and well received, seemed slightly out of place among the laddish guitar hits. However, when combined with recent songs ‘Cry On My Guitar’ and ‘Coup De Grace’ this brought a dancier mood to the set which provided some much-needed variety and proved that Miles is capable of delivering more than just a good guitar riff. This was further reiterated by new song ‘LA Five Four (309)’, a darker, heavier track that mixed things up a bit halfway through the set and gave the audience the opportunity to open up a mosh pit.

While this diversity had the potential to result in a disjointed set, the setlist was chosen expertly by the band who ensured that newer songs blended seamlessly with older classics. Despite being almost dominated by songs from the new album, this went unnoticed by the dedicated audience who belted out the words to the new songs as if they had been around for years. Slower tracks such as ‘Shavambacu’ also provided an entrancing backdrop to his heavier, more famous songs and the crowd seemed equally content bouncing around to both. Somewhat surprisingly, the slower moments of the performance were undoubtedly the best, with a rendition of ‘Colour of the Trap’ providing a stunning mass sing along and a swarm of girls on shoulders.

It was clear from the offset that Miles is well practised in working up a crowd. He frequently made references to Manchester and encouraged the crowd to sing riffs from songs such as ‘Come Closer’. He’s perfected the art of tricking an audience into believing a song has finished before starting it up again with even more energy and vigour than it had before. While this successfully riled up an already rowdy crowd, some more interaction wouldn’t have gone amiss. The audience’s intense spirit and energy could be felt reverberating around the room which certainly could have been exploited more by the band.

The band’s performance could not be faulted, although it was clear that Miles was the star of the show, with the other band members taking more of a backseat. His voice takes on a richer quality live which brought a new dimension to the performance,  giving the songs a greater ferocity for the audience to feed off. The performance cemented his status as one of the figureheads of modern indie rock as he expertly wrapped an already devoted crowd around his little finger without breaking a sweat.

Whilst not ground breaking, Miles made certain that no-one in the room left the gig having had a bad time. His new album brings a fresh perspective to an otherwise potentially bland repertoire, proving in the process that his music doesn’t just belong on the football field.

7/10

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Album Review: Past Lives – Against the Current

Written by Eleanor Roberts on . Posted in Music.

The three-man ensemble that is, Against the Current has released a second album with style; including, amongst its promotion, a cover on the magazine Rock Sound. Past Lives‘ electronic sound and fairly minimalistic backing creates a fantastic atmosphere, capturing that feeling of being up in the early hours of the morning after returning from a night out when people are still not quite ready to sleep. The relatively strong beats are met with the calm nature of the majority of the tracks themselves, and singer Chrissy Constanza’s voice compliments this perfectly.

The first truly upbeat track arrives in the form of the fifth song, ‘Voices’, following on from a steady increase which ramped the previous tracks up to this very point. Compared to the opener — ‘Strangers Again’ — the contrast is definitely noticeable. In spite of this, Constanza’s voice retains an oddly ethereal quality. Indeed, whilst multiple songs have more explicit uses of language, the tone of voice limits their impact, in a lovely but somehow mildly amusing manner. The quirks continue elsewhere, particularly visible on ‘Scream’, where certain words are sung in such a bizarrely high manner which, whilst certainly different, detracts from the overall sounds of the song.

On a more positive note, several tracks have fairly uplifting meanings behind them. Unfortunately, the lyrics which show this could be seen as quite clunky; ‘P.A.T.T’, for example, is a song designed to be about the expectations of female beauty standards. Sadly, the lyrics borderline on the cheesy, but the wordplay on the common phrase “Love is blind” acts as a minor redemption for this. Despite these slightly awkward lyrical issues, the song is one of the standouts on the record, along with ‘Strangers Again’.

In fact, the aforementioned opening track and the closer, ‘Sweet Surrender’, are definitely effective bookends; both songs have similar feelings of calmness in their sound, as well as beautifully melancholy lyrics to compliment them. Furthermore, the former increases in sound, whilst the latter becomes quieter. The arrangement is effective throughout, however, with the most upbeat tracks placed firmly in the earlier and middle sections of the listing.

Whilst there are no tracks which stand out as poor, certain songs can be seen as fairly nondescript. For example, ‘I Like The Way’ recalls multiple pop songs due to its fairly generic sound, and ‘Come Alive’ is styled in such a way that it sounds almost more like a Halsey song; fortunately, Against The Current has managed to still own the style. Although the songs occasionally fall into this trap, the band’s twists and (mostly) thoughtful lyrics lead to an evasion of the exact same sound as other artists.

Overall, the album is solidly arranged and the tracks are both well-written and well-performed. Whilst Past Lives occasionally falls into the trap of being generic to the point of accidental associations with multiple other songs, the skilful nature of the writing and unique tone of these songs mainly overrides this issue. The band has clearly found a style which works well with their singer’s voice whilst not overpowering it. Against the Current has successfully pulled off a sophomore album, and they’ve done it fairly impressively.

7/10

Photo: Japs 88 @ Wikimedia Commons

Worth the weight?

Written by Toby James on . Posted in Science & Tech.

This month, the 26th General Conference on Weights and Measures in Versailles, France, agreed to redefine the mass of a kilogram. For all intents and purposes, the value won’t actually change. The definition of the value, however, will be updated on May 20th, 2019.

In order to keep measurements consistent between teams and fields, scientists and engineers use a system of units known as the SI (Systéme International or International System). The system relies on 7 “base units” from which all other quantities can be derived. These are the metre, the second, the kilogram, the Ampere (a unit of electric current), the Kelvin (temperature), the mole (amount of substance), and the candela (luminous intensity).

To measure a length, metres are used. To measure time, seconds are used. Other compound quantities are measured using combinations. For example, velocity is measured in metres per second. Force is measured in Newtons, where one Newton is equivalent to one-kilogram metre per square second. That is the force required to accelerate a mass of one kilogram by one metre per second per second. In this manner, all measured quantities in science may be quantified with appropriate units.

Clearly, this system relies on consistent definitions of each of the base units. As long as one scientist’s second is as long as another’s, all time measurements are directly comparable.

For a long time, the definition of the kilogram has been problematic. The most robust way to define a unit is with physical constants. Light in a vacuum always travels at exactly 299,792,458 metres per second. The metre is defined in such a way that this is the exact value. The second is defined as exactly 9,192,631,770 times the period of the radiation emitted by a type of Caesium atom at 0 Kelvin.

The kilogram, however, was instead defined with respect to a reference mass. There exists a block of metal in Paris defined to weigh exactly one kilogram. The platinum-alloy cylinder, known as the International Prototype Kilogram, or informally as Le Grand K, was manufactured in 1889 and has remained the gold standard for the kilogram ever since. At the time of its manufacture, several duplicates were made and shipped around the world for reference, with their masses being compared every few decades to ensure the definition remained consistent.

The masses, however, were not consistent. As the International Prototype Kilogram has aged, it has decreased in mass. There are various reasons for this, including radioactive decay of impurities within the metal. As a result, the International Prototype Kilogram is around 50 parts in a billion lighter than it initially was. Clearly, this is not a consistent definition for a unit.

The new definition links the kilogram to the well-defined units of the metre and also through Planck’s constant, a universal constant relating the energy of a photon to its frequency. By defining Planck’s constant as exactly 62607015×10−34 kilogram square metres per second, the kilogram can be reliably and consistently specified, as the metre and the second are already well-defined.

The Kelvin, the mole, and the Ampere have also been redefined. The Kelvin was previously specified by defining the point at which water may be solid, liquid and gaseous as 273.16 Kelvin. It will now be defined by setting Boltzmann’s constant, a universal constant relating the energy and temperature of a gas, as exactly 1.380649×10−23 Joules per Kelvin.

The mole will no longer be the number of atoms in 12 grams of carbon-12. Rather, it will be exactly 6.02214076×1023 elementary entities.

The Ampere will be fixed by defining the charge on an electron as 1.602176634×10−19 Coulombs, where one Coulomb per second is one Ampere.

In conversation with: the Comedy Society

Written by Chloe Hatton on . Posted in Societies.

Do you love a bit of stand up? Perhaps sketches are more your thing? Do you just really love watching some good comedy?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, we’ve got the perfect society for you — the Comedy Society. They’re a group of like-minded individuals who all absolutely love comedy, whether this is performing or watching it. I had a chat with Jordan, the President, and Annabelle, the Head of Sketch, to find out what you can expect.

First off, they tell me, is that the Comedy Society is very inclusive. It doesn’t matter how much experience you’ve got, just as long as you’re passionate about learning and growing and, of course, passionate about comedy.

“We try and make sure people can have their say when it comes to their performances,” says Jordan. “We want to make sure people are comfortable enough to say ‘I have an idea’ and then be able to follow it through. We’re here to give help and guidance, but we really want people to be able to better themselves and their performances.”

Annabelle adds: “we try to be a fair committee. Jordan, as the head, is brilliant — I’ve never met anyone who’s more passionate or works harder, especially at making time for people and making sure everyone’s happy.

“All we ask is that members are willing to put the work in, and we want everyone to have an awareness of who they’re performing with and for. Other than that, we welcome anyone!”

The Comedy Society meet every Tuesday and Thursday in the basement of the Student’s Union, from 6pm until 8pm on Tuesdays and 7pm until 9pm on Thursdays. So, what can you expect from their sessions? The first half is normally filled with a workshop, whether this is on physical theatre or other, more technical, aspects of comedy. The second half is then focused on generating ideas and sketches. Although there is a theme, there is always the opportunity to deviate from this and do your own thing.

If by the end of this article, you fancy giving the society a go, you can join the society for free through the Students’ Union website, as well as a Facebook group for you to join.

Throughout the year, the Comedy Society run a whole host of events. One such event was the recent Fuse FM x ComSoc: A CALM Time, which was a night of comedy all in the aid of CALM, a charity that raises money to help prevent male suicide.

“It was a roaring success — that performance was absolutely the best we’d done it. There’s nothing better than seeing when something works; we had such a good turnout and it was great to see the audience laughing. We got to support a local business, raise money, and give the audience a good time! All our work definitely paid off.”

They’re also looking to make their shows bigger, particularly their Showcases. These are semi-annual shows that aim to show the very best of what the society has been working on, with their next one coming up on the 4th and 5th of December. Expect the very best of the society’s sketch, stand up, improv, and radio — you’re in for an absolute treat. You can buy tickets through the Students’ Union website.

In May, they’ll be doing another showcase, but pushing the boat out even further, hoping to make it their biggest and best show yet. If you’re thinking of heading to the Fringe Festival over summer, you’ll also be able to see a condensed version of the showcase there, alongside solo and group shows with Annabelle and Jordan.

The goal of all of this, they say, is to try and stay true to Manchester’s reputation as a hub of comedy, and make comedy once again about really bringing people together. They’re also looking to do a monthly ‘Battle of the Societies’ as part of their goal to do more collaborations with other societies, bringing the comedy in things like drama and a capella.

Talking to them, you can tell that Annabelle and Jordan are both hugely passionate about the work that the society does. Now both in their final year of university, they want to leave something for the next committee to build on.

“We want to train people to be good comedians, to help them find their character and their stage presence. It’s so much more than just saying funny lines. We really want to leave behind a legacy. When people hear about the Comedy Society, we want them to expect great things.”

 

Photo: Sophie Marriott

Artefact of the Week: Nasca Ceramic Jug

Written by sophiemarriott on . Posted in Arts.

From deepest darkest Peru to the storerooms of the Manchester Museum, this ceramic jug dates from somewhere between 200 and 300 AD. It is a product of the Nasca culture which inhabited the South Coast of Peru up until 800 AD. Renowned for their detailed ceramics, the Nasca peoples had no written tradition so they used the iconography of their textiles and pottery to communicate their histories.

This perfectly preserved ceramic jug made its way from the Andean valleys to the collection of the Manchester Museum, where I found it. I was led by Living Culture curator, Stephen Walsh, through the rabbit warren of exhibitions. Ancient Egyptian tombs peeked out through bubble-wrap, and feather-like bird skeletons perched, seemingly about to take flight, around me.

Despite its unassuming exterior, the Museum has over 4 million objects in its extensive collection, ranging from entomological specimens to Greek and Roman coins. This particular ceramic jug, however, is what captivated me the most.

Although it is not certain, Stephen believes it could be a drinking vessel involved in some kind of ceremony or perhaps for medicine. Likely to be some kind of shaman, the attention to detail in the subject’s face, right down to his facial hair, shows a desire to accurately represent him, so clearly he was an important figure.

His headdress depicts a Pampa Cat (a native species to South America) and he is holding what Stephen presumes to be a snake. Classically, an animal that denotes power and strength — grasping one by the throat could only be the move of someone just as brutish. The headdress, however, is undoubtedly the highlight. From the detailing of the tail hanging down the back of the man’s neck and the still bright red tongue jutting out in a challenge to the drinker.

Originally collected from the Peruvian city of Ica by Pharmaceutical giant Henry Wellcome, this jug was donated to the Museum in the 1990s. After making his fortune, Wellcome dedicated his money to amassing a huge collection of artefacts which related to traditional medicine. Following his death, Wellcome’s collection was donated to museums across the country.

The possibility of this as some kind of vessel for a medicinal drink, therefore, likely attracted him to it, but there’s no certainty that this was the case. Even as I stand there in the storerooms of the museum I can think of thousands of ways it could have been used in such a symbolic and ceremonial culture.

The captivatingly anthropomorphic jug provides a glimpse into this mysterious culture. The otherworldly universe of shamans and ceremonies is transplanted, through this small piece of pottery, into our decidedly separate everyday lives in Manchester. And as I step back out into the sharp November wind I can’t help but feel a part of me drawn back to the provocative ogle of the Pampa Cat headdress and to the ancient hands who crafted it.

Photo: Alex Pepperhill @ Flickr

Rusholme Heritage Project: ‘Documenting Life in the Curry Mile’

Written by louishaddad on . Posted in Arts.

As part of MACFest, local photographer and member of ‘The Rusholme Heritage Project’ Phil Portus presented his latest project. The talk and exhibition, which took place at the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, offered a brilliant insight into a project that aims to capture a community in all its vibrancy.

Living as a student in Manchester can mean travelling up and down this road constantly, if not popping in for the odd curry, kebab, or international food shopping experience. However, this project dives deeper into appreciating the people, places, and culture that make the Curry Mile such a famous, loved, and amazing place to be.

This project sees a group of local artists and photographers capturing portraits, stories, and social events on the Curry Mile throughout 2018. It is significant both as a piece of social history and as an exhibition of local artists. Indeed, part of the project’s aim is to secure funding for a permanent archive so that everyone can enjoy the legacy of this ever-changing community.

The talk defined this project as the capturing of a moment in a greater history of the Curry Mile. Portus led the audience through the fascinating history of Wilmslow road and Rusholme to set the scene for the contemporary embodiment of the area that this project captures.

By the 1990s and early 2000s, locals estimate that there were more than 50 curry houses along the ‘mile’. Yet times have changed, and now just 8 curry houses remain, having been replaced by a dazzling array of sweet shops, takeaways, barbers, and Arabic and other Middle Eastern Restaurants.

The use of mixed media to capture the vibrant life of such a culturally diverse area makes for a fascinating piece of social history. Video interviews, in particular, show the people who work and live in the area’s stories of why people come to Rusholme, what it is like to be part of this community, and how it is has changed over time.

A kaleidoscopic breadth of colour is a stand-out feature of the photography, as it captures a spirited and dynamic community in its day-to-day life. Everything one associates with the Curry Mile — rows of brightly coloured vegetable stands, to clouds of shisha vapour billowing from outdoor seating areas and neatly coiffed men maintaining their sharp looks at the barbers — are shown in their true exuberance.

One of the main themes that shines through much of the work in this project, is the warmth of the Rusholme community. Portus recounted wonderful stories of the kind and welcoming people who made this project possible, and this can be seen in the smiles and energy of each picture. The happiness people experienced to talk and have their photo taken, shows that this is a project which captures a community which is proud of its cultural identity.

http://www.rusholmeheritage.org.uk/

Photo: mstodt @pixabay

Review: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Written by alfieclark on . Posted in Film.

Wacky, dark, and profound, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a welcome addition to the canon of its esteemed directors.

A Netflix original film written and directed by the legendary Coen Brothers, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a Western anthology that tells six unrelated stories, with different characters, themes, and even vastly different tones. We begin with an absurdist tale of a cheerful, singing, yet deadly cowboy, the titular Buster Scruggs played charismatically by Tim Blake Nelson, and end on an eerie, possibly supernatural story focused on five mysterious characters travelling together in a stagecoach at night. These tonal shifts are not jarring, however, and I felt that the stories were perfectly ordered, with the particularly bleak third story, Meal Ticket, being followed by the visually gorgeous All Gold Canyon to wash out some of the sorrow I felt.  

The trademark black humour of the Coen Brothers is at its best here, particularly in the opening story which mixed joyful music with over-the-top violence to highly entertaining effect. This is helped by strong performances by the lead cast, including James Franco, the lead of the second story, who after escaping a hanging only to end up in the noose once again, asks the crying fellow prisoner next to him “First time?” The cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel is stunning, truly immersing you into the various landscapes of the wild west.

This film features various big-name stars, however, there are certainly some stand-out performances. Zoe Kazan gives a heartbreaking performance as a woman desperately looking for a new life away from her overbearing family. Harry Melling, best known for playing Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter series, is highly effective in the role of a limbless artist who recites Shelley, Shakespeare, and Lincoln to largely enthusiastic audiences, as is Liam Neeson as his drunken, self-centred impresario. The performance that people will likely remember the most, however, is Tim Blake Nelson in the titular role. As much as I liked the inclusion of six different narratives, I would happily watch an entire film about this highly original character and his gunslinging adventures.

One problem I had with this film that holds it back from being among the best of the Coen Brothers filmography is its lack of variety in main characters. The vast majority of characters were white male cowboys, which is a shame considering the Coen Brothers have created some of the most iconic female characters in film history, most notably Marge Gunderson in Fargo, which earned Frances McDormand her first Oscar win. Additionally, I would have liked to have seen a story that focused more on the Native Americans in the film, as they were simply presented as violent savages as one would expect in an old-school Western, which feels like a waste for two writer/directors who are fantastic at subverting classic tropes.

Despite wishing it had done a bit more with its material, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is still a highly entertaining and expertly crafted work that stands out as one of the best Netflix original films out there.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is now streaming on Netflix.

Rating: 4/5

Photo: Ruth Hartnup @flickr

Review: Hell Fest

Written by carlfitzgerald on . Posted in Film.

Slasher movies get a bad rap. Even more so than other entertainment schlock genres like cheesy action movies and romances, the slasher genre seems to be particularly sneered at. The formula is simple. Take a group of young people, put them in a scary setting with a loose killer, whittle them down and, above all else, make the ending vague enough to leave that sequel door open. Even though many slasher films follow this, there are a strong few that try to stand out. What’s perhaps more interesting is one which attempts to climb that extra mile, but stops at the halfway point and hangs back like an eight-year-old bragging about reaching the first branch of the tallest tree. This is where Hell Fest comes in.

The idea behind Hell Fest is genius. It follows a group of students at a horror theme park, with creepy rides, gory live shows, and costumed actors jumping at guests. Among them, however, is a costumed killer who uses the setting to make his murders seem like part of the ride. It’s a premise that speaks to our nightlife fears more than a lot of horror films even attempt to. It creates some moments of genuine suspense when a figure in the killer’s costume pops up midway through an attraction, and we don’t know whether it’s him or another actor.

In addition, never seeing the killer’s face or motive was refreshing, and made his on-screen atmosphere genuinely eerie. The kills are mostly your run-of-the-mill knife attacks. But it’d be unfair not to credit some creative slayings involving a high striker, and an injection needle shot in a way that made me wince in my seat.

Hell Fest is mostly let down by an unremarkable cast, most of whom do very little besides getting killed. The actors try their best to bring some energy and likability but have little to work with. I appreciated that they attempted to have likeable characters – as opposed to Eli Roth’s typical scum bucket – outside of the cutesy main love interests, yet none of them stood out. Tony Todd cameos as a ringmaster, but is disappointingly underused. The park itself is also well designed, but becomes tedious after the third scary maze set-piece. And that’s on top of other silly plot holes: why does a theme park have a real axe in its display? Why doesn’t the main character know the difference between acting and what is clearly a real woman being murdered?

Hell Fest isn’t bad, it’s just a bit predictable. There is a genuine Carpenter-esque inspiration behind it which, combined with the short running time at only ninety minutes, makes the film a decent and worthwhile watch, even if it’s sometimes lost among the tedium and repetition.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

Santeri Viinamäki @wikimedia commons

Review: Assassination Nation

Written by Josh Sandy on . Posted in Film.

If you imagine a film that combined Black Mirror and The Purge and was directed by Quentin Tarantino, you’re coming extremely close to imagining Assassination Nation. Writer-Director Sam Levinson delivers an incredibly visually stylish and clever film which features some of the finest cinematography of 2018.

Set in Salem, a small town in the US, the film follows the events that occur after half of the town’s personal details and internet history are released. The film principally focuses on 18-year-old Lily Coulson, played brilliantly by Odessa Young, and her 3 friends after she becomes suspected of being responsible for the hacking.

One aspect of the film that is almost certainly set to polarise viewers is the extreme level of violence and gore featured throughout. Whilst some may describe it as gratuitous, given the film’s frequent over-the-top meta sequences (including a trigger-warning at the start) and an almost deafeningly loud soundtrack, the violence fits right in and adds to the overall aesthetic Levinson was clearly aiming for.

Given the film’s setting in a stereotypical high school, there are moments towards the beginning of the film that rely a little bit too heavily on the same tired tropes that are all too frequently seen. Bill Skarsgård is Lily’s seemingly-nice-but-actually-abusive boyfriend, however, following the hacking, he transforms from a cliché into an absolute sadist.  This transformation is mirrored by the film itself becoming an extremely enjoyable thriller with some almost psychological-horror-esque sequences that are a delight to watch.

One of the film’s most stand-out performances is from transgender actress Hari Nef who is part of the main female friendship group. Nef’s transgender status isn’t used to define her character but is instead an additional layer to an already complex one; both Nef and Young’s characters become particularly well-developed by the film’s conclusion.

However, the same cannot be said for the rest of the film’s characters who are woefully underdeveloped and mostly serve to provide little-to-nothing to the overall plot, which is one of the film’s only disappointing aspects but it is an unfortunately fundamental one nonetheless.

The biggest issue of the film is its ending which originally looks to be a satisfying conclusion with Young delivering an impassioned monologue about the digital age which ends with an extremely powerful stand-off. In spite of this impressive conclusion, the film then continues to a further scene which is wholly unnecessary and genuinely insulting to the audience leaving a thoroughly bad taste.

Overall, despite its flaws, Assassination Nation is an excellent example of a psychological thriller for the modern age and provides some genuine insight into how it feels, especially for girls, to be under constant pressure to be seen as liberated but also conservative at the same time. Due to the film receiving little marketing, it almost certainly deserves to be highlighted as one of 2018’s hidden gems.

Rating 3.5/5

Photo: Rushenb @ Wikimedia Commons

The genius behind Sainsbury’s revolutionary new food product

Written by Aaron Comer on . Posted in News.

The Bare Necessities song from the Jungle Book is perhaps one of the most iconic Disney songs of all time. Could the lyrics be right? Could “mother nature’s recipes” fulfil the basic needs for humans worldwide? Maybe it was this logic that inspired Sainsbury’s decision to introduce insects, specifically barbecue flavoured crickets, to their shelves this week.

This food launch isn’t as random as first appears. Since January 1st, the European Commission has been able to directly approve applications for the introduction of edible insect products in continental supply chains.

Prior to this, E.U. Legislation was an obstacle to insect consumption. Since then, eating insects has increased at such a sharp rate that the latest Meticulous Research™ report estimates that by 2023 the edible insect industry will be worth a whopping $1,181.6 million! No longer does the E.U. have reason to prevent producers of edible insects from spreading their wings in western food markets. Economically, who can really blame them? At that rate, insects will exceed the worth of their weight in gold.

This is a particularly shocking statistic. How can a food source so unappealing to European taste buds, have such a large demand elsewhere in the world? Well, it turns out that the suitability of insects as food is now being realised. The technology is now available to efficiently produce insects on a mass scale. Take the Austin based edible insect company Aspire Food Group, who went from earning their first revenue dollar to operating a robot staffed research centre in less than 3 years.

Furthermore, the increasing profit of companies such as these is creating a butterfly effect, culminating worldwide research into insect consumption. Higher profits mean more money is now put into experiments proving insects to be safe for human consumption under the General Food Law. As of late, there are now over 2000 species known to be edible for human consumption worldwide.

Research is also starting to reveal desirable characteristics of insects as both a food source and a form of livestock. For example, critters such as crickets, regularly adopt the taste of whatever they are fed or cooked with. It’s therefore assumed they have the potential to be a great source of protein for even the world’s pickiest eaters. Studies in the Netherlands even prove that 64% of insect meals can currently satisfy all nutritional requirements.

It has also been discussed how crickets can be reared purely on unsold food from supermarkets. This possibility could create a food source sustained purely on recycled food products; idealistically, this will produce a supply chain with minimal inputs and negligible food waste. A livestock which requires less feed will produce significantly more stock for the resource-scarce populations of the world.

Unfortunately, the historical connotations of insects being ‘pests’ and unsanitary is what has hindered their consumption in the west. However, in a world of increasing migration, social stigmas surrounding food is rapidly disappearing. There is no reason to suggest that insects can’t join the list of delicacies that have undergone an improvement in public image. Take the lobster — in only 20 years they have transformed from a food consumed only in America’s toughest prisons to an upper-class New York delicacy.

So, what about the starved people of the world? Now, although these technological innovations are happening rapidly, globalisation isn’t quite so speedy. Currently, the starving countries of the world are lacking the resources and energy to create these huge factories.

That said, a closer analysis of the biology of insects indicates their potential to feed anyone, anywhere in the world. The consumption of insects is thought to be preventing the starvation of almost 2 billion people in areas of high risk to food insecurity — and these numbers can only improve.

Unlike every other form of livestock, insects are cold-blooded. This trait is advantageous for farmers in food scarce areas, as insects require less food for energy than warmblooded mammals, who have to maintain a certain body temperature. As food scarce areas are often subject to high average temperatures, there’s no worry of insects getting too cold to mate in the daytime.

The resilience of these creatures makes them an ideal match for the arid climates of food scarce areas such as Central Africa. Their surface area to volume ratio results in little water loss from their bodies in extreme heat. For cultivation purposes, some species wouldn’t require a single drop of water for survival, as they can obtain sufficient moisture from food.

Their incredible genetics can also go beyond the limits of climate. They require a minimal amount of space for cultivation, unlike cattle due to their small size. Their susceptibility to disease is also lower than conventional livestock, making them a low-risk asset — a vital aspect for a farmer whose survival is dependent on a food source being constantly healthy.

Even in the most extreme of environments such as sites of high radioactive exposure, cockroaches can still withstand mutations. Their slow cell cycles prevent abnormalities rapidly developing. That said, radioactive cockroaches are absolutely not FAO approved, and will hopefully stay away from the stock lists of the nation’s Sainsbury’s.

Insects are also very well suited to areas where a sustainable food source is an immediate requirement. The short development cycle of insects results in produce being available very quickly after reproduction. Termites take an average of 30 days to hatch, and 2 termites can develop into a whole colony in as little as 3 years. Like birds, insects don’t even need to hatch to be edible; Mexican Caviar is a dish that has been a popular delicacy in Mexico since the age of the Aztecs.

Just as farmers in Vietnam demonstrate, all you need for an insect cultivation station is a few crickets, a plastic bowl, food waste, sticky tape, an egg carton, rice hull, and a mosquito net. With these items, anyone could theoretically sustain their nutrition levels, and eliminate the environmental reliance that mainstream crops and livestock have today.