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Month: November 2020

Image: photocat001 @ flickr

For Kobe: NBA finals review

Written by arshasthana on . Posted in Sport.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat The Miami Heat 4-2 in a best of seven series to become the champions of the 2019-20 NBA season. The Lakers now have 17 championships, with the Boston Celtics being the only other team to achieve this.

Match Review

The key going into this finals series was defence. The Lakers were ranked third in defensive rating during the regular season, while the Miami Heat were ranked twelfth. For The Miami Heat, the biggest task was trying to defend against the formidable duo of Lebron James and Anthony Davis. The Miami Heat definitely had their work cut out for them: the presence of Anthony Davis on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court, along with Lebron James’ leadership and ability to run plays, was a key factor in the Lakers’ Finals series win. Lebron averaged 29.8 points per game and Anthony Davis averaged 25 points per game during the finals.

The Heat were unfortunate to lose centre Bam Adebayo and guard Goran Dragic which played a huge part in their blowout loss in game one. Although Adebayo and Dragic did return in games four and six eventually, their efforts weren’t enough to overcome the two-game Lakers lead.

The Lakers had a taller lineup compared to the Heat, and this led them to win a lot of rebounds. The Lakers averaged 11.6 offensive rebounds during the series, with Anthony Davis in particular causing trouble for the Heat by grabbing around 3.3 offensive rebounds per game.

This also led to a lot of second-chance points for the Lakers, as they averaged 14.8 compared to 9.2 for the Heat. The Heats zone defence was ineffective against the Lakers, they were slow on rotations which was particularly evident in game two. The Lakers made 33 of their 50 two-point attempts and exploited their interior defence by scoring 56 points in the paint.

The Lakers also got some significant help from Rajon Rondo who came off the bench. His veteran experience was crucial for Los Angeles in this series. Rondo scored 16 points off the bench in their game two win and also helped close out the series by contributing 19 points in game six.

MVP

Lebron James was awarded the 2019/20 NBA Finals MVP award, becoming the only player besides Michael Jordan to win the Finals MVP award four or more times. This also makes him the only player to win a championship with three different franchises. He displayed some excellent performances leading the Lakers in points, rebounds, and assists per game during the NBA finals.

Road to the finals

Runners-up Miami Heat led by Jimmy Butler finished as the fifth seed in the eastern conference in the regular season. They knocked out The Indiana Pacers in the first round, the first seed Milwaukee Bucks in the eastern conference semi-finals and the third seed Boston Celtics in the conference finals.

The Champions, the LA Lakers, led by the duo of Lebron James and Anthony Davis, topped the western conference. They beat The Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, The Houston Rockets in the conference semi-finals and The Denver Nuggets in the conference finals on their path to the NBA finals.

Jimmy Butler’s heroics in vain

Despite losing the series, it is certain that the Miami Heat put up a valiant effort. Even though the odds were stacked against them, they were competitive and showed a fighting spirit right till the end of game six.

Going into this matchup, their shooting efficiency was important if they wanted any chance to win the finals. The Heat were ranked second in three-point percentage and tenth in field goal percentage during the regular season. They shot 51% from the field in their game three wins and 42% from three-pointers in their game five victories.

Jimmy Butler’s heroic performances also helped the Heat. His dominant display in game three saw him record a 40-point triple-double, which closed the gap in the series to one game. The star forward also came up clutch in game five, where he recorded a 35-point triple-double. He made some crucial plays and scored eight points in the fourth quarter to help Miami to a narrow win in game five, which saw them win by three points.

For Kobe

Image: Joey Calderon @ flickr
Image: Joey Calderon @ Flickr

It has been a difficult year for the NBA, not only because of the pandemic but also because of the loss of LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Bryant is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. His so-called ‘Mamba Mentality’  and his undying passion for the game are not only an inspiration to basketball players, but to athletes across all disciplines.

The Lakers had a difficult path to the finals which took a toll on them mentally and physically. Not only did they play almost a continuous year of basketball; but it was made much harder by unprecedented circumstances, as they had to stay away from friends and family for three months when they joined the Orlando bubble.

Still mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant, they won the NBA championship. They did it for the players, the staff, the city of Los Angeles, and Kobe Bryant.

Review: The Believers Are But Brothers

Written by Jay Darcy on . Posted in Theatre.

Last year, I went to see Javaad Alipoor’s ‘Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran’. There was much buzz and anticipation around this show, but there had also been some controversy surrounding it before it premiered.

I did not have the pleasure of reviewing it – I gave that honour to my writer, Bayse. After watching the show, I was glad that I let somebody else review it, because I did not know where to start!

I had heard about Alipoor’s older show, ‘The Believers Are But Brothers’, which played at HOME in 2017 and received a great review from The Mancunion. I hoped to see it someday, so I was thrilled when it was announced as one of HOME’s 2020 socially distanced shows.

This is the first show that I have seen in almost eight months – before lockdown – and how lucky that I got to see it just before we head back into another lockdown!

‘Believers’, like ‘Rich Kids’, is heavy, and I am beginning to wonder if I wrote the above paragraphs, subconsciously, to avoid getting straight into the intensity of this play… Well, here we go…

In a nutshell, ‘Believers’ focuses on the online radicalisation of young men – with primary focus on young, Muslim men being radicalised to join ISIS but also discussing young, White men being radicalised to join White supremacist groups.

Before we went into the theatre, we joined a private WiFi and scanned a barcode to be admitted to a WhatsApp group. It was all very interesting and exciting. ‘Rich Kids’ worked similarly: we were asked to follow a private Instagram account. I knew immediately that this show, too, was going to be heavily reliant on technology and use it to tell its story.

This feature could easily be dismissed as an unnecessary gimmick, and I was unsure – before both shows – how well it would work. Admittedly, it can be a little annoying having to look at your phone every few minutes, and it was sometimes a little difficult to read the long messages whilst also listening to Alipoor speak. But I guess that is testament to just how interesting it all was – I did not want to miss a thing.

The WhatsApp chat worked as a narrative force, in which we were ordinary people at risk of being radicalised by the person on the other end, taking advantage of WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption. I think it was a great narrative function, and even if one does not like the show’s incorporation of the audience’s technology, they can surely appreciate it as something different and innovative.

Alipoor presents a very specific type of theatre, with direct audience address and pre-recorded projections. These projections, interspersed with online videos, told the stories of how a group of young men came to be radicalised.

Breaking the fourth wall can be risky, and it does not always pay off, but when it works, it works wonderfully. Fortunately, Alipoor knows exactly when and how to break the fourth wall – when it is most effective. I quickly warmed to Alipoor, whose delivery was frank, candid and, occasionally, lip-bitingly funny, though the intensity remained.

The set was minimal, with Alipoor set at one side of a projection screen and another man sat at the other side. I imagine he was controlling sound, or perhaps it was him sending the text messages.

Putting him onstage was effective – he was an eerie presence. He just sat there, staring at the screen for the whole hour, whilst Alipoor took us on a stormy journey. His purpose seemed to be to signify just how gripping social media can be, and how easily one can be “groomed” or even radicalised.

The production is not an outright condemnation of the internet; Alipoor clearly appreciates it. But it is important that we have these complex, nuanced discussions about the (modern) problems brought upon by contemporary creations, such as social media.

One particularly ominous line stuck out to me

‘Now, we lose ourselves in the inky blackness of our screens’

Alipoor’s theatre is not going to be universally appreciated. It certainly is not for everyone, but it is quite remarkable. Alipoor is undeniably fantastic at what he does with theatre – even the greatest artists have their critics.

The utilisation of technology and social media, and the way he blends them with live theatre to tell stories, is second to none. His shows are both innovative and immersive.

‘The Believers Are But Brothers’ is a brilliant blend of theatre, technology and “talk” – indeed, at times I felt not like I was in a traditional theatre but a lecture theatre – and as a student missing face-to-face learning, it was rather welcoming!

Whilst I am disappointed that my remaining shows this month have been cancelled, thanks to the upcoming lockdown, if ‘The Believers Are But Brothers’ is my final show of 2020, it is a good one to end with.

Blood Moon in Autumn

Nocturnal – Tom Branfoot

Written by Jasmine Bennett on . Posted in Creative Submissions.

Leave your threshold to look
out over night-dark fields,
a sea of empty space.
Te distant mansion
glistering, all animals burrowed,
even the wood mouse we used to tend
has snook into the depths.
You fancy yourself a conjurer —
the blueing air, windborne feathers,
nightly fireworks pealing.
At dark, you search for something more.

 

Tom Branfoot is a poet from West Yorkshire, studying English and American Literature at Manchester Metropolitan University. His poems have been published in Murmur, Penny Thoughts, and Pink Trolley. His debut pamphlet will be published by Pariah Press.

‘Nocturnal’ portrays an autumnal scene reduced to darkness. It represents the liminal space in the night between possibility and emptiness. It describes the blackness outside contrasting with interior lighting,  creating ghosts and figures beyond the thin safety shield of window glass into the outside. ‘Nocturnal’ is about when tenderness vanishes with age, and people begin to grasp on anything they can.

Manchester University: Inside the protests that rocked an institution

Written by Joe McFadden on . Posted in Features.

When students living on Manchester University’s Fallowfield campus woke up on Thursday morning, they found themselves greeted by the erection of massive 6-ft metal fences. 

It was the first day of the new national lockdown, and they had received no warning that the barriers were going up. Many were confused and scared, with others reported as being in tears. 

Some students, many of them first-years and living away from home for the first time, took to social media, questioning what was going on and saying they felt “fenced in”. 

The University soon confirmed the fences were an “additional lockdown security measure”  and that students could come and go freely. 

But the critical communication error meant students weren’t told in advance, and confusion quickly turned to anger. 

The furious backlash from students, parents, and the general public alike was swift, and undergraduates reacted in the only way they knew how: by staging a protest. 

At around 8 pm on Thursday night, hundreds of students showed up to protest the fences erected around Fallowfield without any communication from the university.

But the protest, which saw students tear down the fences amid enraged and empowered feeling, was just as much to do with the University’s handling of mental health and student welfare as the coronavirus restrictions. 

The protest began with rallies and chants, coloured with flares and protest signs igniting the dark Fallowfield skies, as students made their anger with the University known.

Students set off blue smoke bombs at protest in Fallowfield
Student set off flares under the dark Fallowfield skies. Photo: Antonio Ross

Moments before the protest started, the University announced plans to remove the fences on Friday, in an email to all students Nancy Rothwell apologised for the “concern and distress caused” by the fences.

University Vice-Chancellor: ‘I am truly sorry’

Organised by UoM Rent Strike and ‘SAFER’, the protest climaxed on Thursday evening. On Friday, Rothwell once again emailed all students to apologise again, saying: “I want to reiterate that I am truly sorry for the events of yesterday”. 

The University is in the process of launching an inquiry into the erection of the fences and the subsequent response from students alongside the ‘mishandling’ of communications surrounding the fence.

The inquiry will be carried out by Professor Clive Agnew, a former Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, and will also include a former Students’ Union Officer.

The fence was pulled down by angry students

The fences were erected on Thursday by a team of construction workers as students looked on bewildered as there had been no prior warning by the University.

This was followed by many angry social media posts across Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Tik Tok, as students tried to figure out what was going on and why they were being fenced in.

Eventually, it fell to the security guards to explain what was going on and by mid to late afternoon there had still been no official communication from the University.

Student megaphone at Fallowfield protest
Photo: Antonio Ross

‘We will tear down every single f*cking fence we can find’

As the day went on it was increasingly clear that many students were angry with the fences, with hashtags such as ‘#HMPFallowfield’ trending across the internet.

At 8 pm, hundreds gathered to make their anger with the University known, as well as observing a moment of silence for Finn Kitson, the first-year student who tragically passed away in his Halls of Residence last month.

Protest music was played with songs ranging from classics like Gil Scott Heron’s 1971 civil rights anthem ‘The Revolution will not be Televised’ to the Kaiser Chiefs’ ‘I Predict a Riot’.

Fallowfield Protest

Students tore down the fences surrounding the tower block before moving on to dismantle the rest, marching from Owens Park through Richmond to Unsworth to Oak House, tearing down, as one protestor put it, “every single fucking fence [we] can find”. 

‘This isn’t about fences, this is about students being pissed off’

One student, Max, told The Mancunion: “The fences are just a tipping point, this about students being pissed off. It’s the uni’s fault, there’s been no help at all with quarantine”.

He went on to say that the university response to the Pandemic had been “incompetent at best, but at worst they don’t value students’ quality of life”.

One of the organisers of the protest, initiated by the groups ‘UoM Rent Strike’ and ‘SAFER’, stated that they were “pleased with the turnout, anger shown and solidarity amongst students”.

They also commented that “it was unfair the Uni thinks they can get away with it” and they were “pleased with the resistance” as it was “incomprehensible” the university would decide to do this following the death of Finn Kitson.

In a damning critique of the leadership they said “we need full support, not another enemy” and that the new response to increase security was “concerning” showed the University’s “true colours”.

Many students seem to be of the opinion that the University’s response to Covid-19, the subsequent mental health crisis and the fences debacle has been a shambles from the start.

The mixed messaging surrounding lockdown, quarantine and online learning has only solidified the consensus among students that having them return to campus for Semester 1 was, whether true or not, motivated only by profit from student rents and not by an adequate or accurate assessment of the health and safety risks posed.

What remains to be seen is whether the University leadership will adapt their response, learn from their mistakes, and ultimately fix the communications issue that is the source of this continuing fiasco.

If you are a student in halls in need of support you can contact your ResLife team for assistance and advice. The Duty ResLife Advisor can also be contacted for any emergencies out of hours. For general Covid-19 support and enquiries please email [email protected].

Photos by Antonio Ross and Carlo Di Giammarino

Headie One’s EDNA: A new commercial peak for UK rap’s golden age?

Written by Lúcás Rohan on . Posted in Music.

Irving Adejie, more commonly known as Headie One, is slowly but surely approaching 50 Cent status in the ever-energetic British hip hop scene.

He’s lauded by the gritty drill scene in which he got his start and maintains his street credibility, while receiving plaudits from Drake, privately-educated 14-year olds, and Footlockers across the country. Headie is the closest the UK has gotten to a crossover star since Skepta.

His first major hit, ‘Know Better’, in which Headie popularised self-censoring with inputs of “shhh” when discussing sensitive details of recent violence or crime, is key to understanding his appeal. Sharp, biting delivery is matched with a nefarious-sounding instrumental, and crucially, it feels wholly authentic. Troubling then, that the wordplay on retaliation matched a string of deaths in the London borough of Haringey, as the BBC reported. 

EDNA

Headie’s latest full-length offering, EDNA is dedicated to his mother. Even upon first listen, it’s clear that several hit singles are to be spawned. With 20 tracks and 14 featured artists, producing hits seems to have been a priority, and that’s not to the project’s detriment. Many of this project’s tracks are irresistibly fun, and Headie’s ability to trade verses and feature production from a wide range of British talent is a great record of the current golden age in UK rap. But at just over an hour, EDNA lacks energy at times. 

The opening two songs, ‘Teach Me’ and ‘Psalm 35’, for example, certainly aren’t awful, but they don’t do much to grab the listener’s attention. ‘Bumpy Ride’ and ‘Triple Science’ pick it up a little, with clever lyricism spat over gritty bass-driven production. Headie’s ability to lurch from vulnerability in “can’t take away the pain but I know I can soothe it”, to the bizzare-ness of “ching man’s head, I’ve never really been a fan of psychology” illustrates how fantastic an MC Headie can be at times.

Brilliant features from the ever-reliable AJ Tracey and Stormzy complement lead single ‘Ain’t It Different’ with an eccentric sample choice of 90’s rap-metal classic ‘Butterflies’. Young T & Bugsey assisted ‘Princess Cuts’ is also an undeniably fun track, and a worthy follow up to their previous collaboration, ‘Don’t Rush’. The chart-friendly approach reaches its pinnacle with ‘Parlez-Vous Anglais’, where Headie and Manchester’s own Aitch bounce back and forth on excellent, playful drill production. 

Despite the efforts of the above tracks, the ‘Only You Freestyle’ is, depressingly, likely to be the album’s biggest streaming hit thanks to an opening verse from Drake. Drake’s ability to insert himself into a variety of UK sub-genres has created some quality music (see: ‘KMT’ and ‘Skepta Interlude’), but the opening two minutes of this track are just painful; Drake’s verse is abysmal, and he’s outclassed entirely by Headie. 

In between the prospective hits to come off EDNA, there’s few standouts and a lot of misses. The Skepta collaboration ‘Try Me’ is a ferocious grime/drill hybrid and Skepta can add his verse to his list of impeccable features (Headie definitely holds his own as well). Other tracks like ‘21 Gun Salute’, ‘Hear No Evil’, and ‘Breathing’ though, are quite bland – the lack of inventive lyrical subjects is hard to ignore at times.

Lyrically, Headie mostly swings between two poles. There’s an appreciation of the good life and a warning to the youth to avoid the trappings of crime, but there’s often a return to trading bars on his proficiency in drug dealing and ‘drilling’ in general. Headie One is far from the first to struggle with this bipolarity; in fact, it afflicts much of American rap as well, but it’s detrimental to the verses on EDNA that poignantly recognise the pitfalls of a life of crime. 

One can’t help but feel like this project could be cut down to 10 or 12 tracks from the 20 it has. Several tracks with shallow observations on life in and outside of crime are forgettable, but the closer ‘Cold’ is exceptional: a rumination on the poverty and crime that defined and lingered in Headie One’s life, even as he ascended to stardom. Lines like “I used to love the trap, like it would love me back”, paired with Headie’s admissions of praying he’d be scouted playing football, or “daydreaming in the pub… because the youth clubs are closing”, give a sharp insight into the lives of young people in housing estates hollowed out by austerity. The opportunity to shorten this project and distil the best of Headie One’s talent was missed on EDNA, which is disappointing considering his last project, GANG, with Fred Again, seemed to show Headie moving in the direction of more concise projects. 

Headie’s arresting delivery, clever, emotive imagery, and authentic feel is unmatched, and most of the instrumentals and featured artists on this project are stellar. But EDNA suffers from a lack of direction and simply too many stale tracks, and when viewed as a whole project, the moments of brilliance are clouded. That said, Headie One is a special artist sitting atop the pyramid in a special moment for UK Hip-Hop, and when it comes to delivering crossover hits that maintain Headie One’s street authenticity, EDNA doesn’t disappoint. 

macauphotoagency @unsplash

Lewis Hamilton and the future of Formula 1

Written by W.G. Jones on . Posted in Sport.

As the cheers echoed through the newly re-opened Algarve Racing Circuit in Portimão, a familiar sight took hold. Lewis Hamilton pulls up to the podium having won another race, his 92nd: the most races ever won by a single driver in the history of Formula 1. 

“You are rewriting the history books,” said Peter Bonnington, Hamilton’s race engineer, when speaking to Lewis after he crossed the chequered flag at the 2020 Portuguese Grand-Prix.

Team sport or individual talent?

Formula 1 stands out compared to more traditional sports for its simultaneous team-oriented, and individual-oriented nature.

Lewis Hamilton is now the driver with the most wins in the history of the sport; but, how much of that can be attributed to his individual racing skills, as opposed to the car that Mercedes has built for him?

When compared directly to his teammate, Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas, from whom he is 77 points clear (before the race at Imola on the 1st), does Hamilton’s dominance become fully evident. Only when comparing Hamilton’s immense talents as a driver and the excellence of his team, who have won the previous 6 constructors championships, can his dominance really be put into perspective.

This is not to say that other sports do not have comparable individual/team dynamics. Almost all top-level athletes have a team of people looking after their health and well-being.

Formula 1’s greatest strength and weakness

What makes Formula 1 different is that it takes this dynamic a step further, by going beyond an individual’s body and health, and actually equipping specific drivers with the best instruments to play the sport.

To make a slightly cliché parallel, this is the equivalent to one of the sides in a football game having a smaller goal. It is both Formula 1’s greatest strength, and its greatest weakness.

Speaking from personal experiences in the wider Formula 1 community, it is completely acceptable to write off entire seasons due to the unbalanced nature of teams. The lingering hope remains that, eventually, regulations and rules will change, and races will become more competitive.

It’s easy to understand why fans would be frustrated when it becomes normal for an entire year to become a foregone conclusion.

An unbalanced nature is not necessarily a criticism of the sport; because, as history has shown us, when different teams and drivers actually have competitive vehicles, the sport can provide incredibly high-octane entertainment.

For me, the best moment of this season so far was when Pierre Gasly won the Italian Grand Prix at the historic Monza circuit. He was racing for Red Bulls ‘sister’ team, Alpha Tauri, who currently sits 9th in the standings, and cemented his first-ever win, and only the second in his team’s history.

Unfortunately, moments like these can be chalked down to no more than fluke, dependent entirely on incredibly unlikely scenarios. 

Is it reasonable to expect every race to be competitive for every driver? Not without stifling the incredible work that the teams put in. I don’t think this is a reasonable expectation or a demand that anyone is really making.

So will Lewis Hamilton ever stop winning? 

Jen_ross83 @ Flickr
Photo: Jen_ross83 @ Flickr

Not for a while, it would seem. Having beaten the great Michael Schumacher’s win record of 91, it seems likely that he will surpass 100 at some point, especially with the attainment of his 7th driver’s title seemingly a mere formality at this point.

Hamilton is 35, which is by no means too old to be a top-level driver. Alfa Romeo’s stableman Kimi Raikonnen is still going at the age of 41, and is set to race again next season for the Italian outfit. However, it is certainly in the upper echelons of what is typical.

The more important question to me is — will anyone ever again reach the peaks that Hamilton and Mercedes have attained in the last few seasons?

I hope, for entertainment’s sake, they don’t.

After all, the joy in Formula 1 doesn’t come from who wins, it comes from the racing, and if the racing isn’t competitive, then the sport suffers.

“Heroic, Hopeful & Springsteen like” – Amy MacDonald livestream review

Written by Jess Walmsley on . Posted in Music.

Scottish singer-songwriter Amy MacDonald performed her new album as a live set in collaboration with #wemakeevents. Her new album, entitled The Human Demands, was released on the 30th of October 2020. It has already received dazzling reviews; “heroic, hopeful and Springsteen like”.

The livestream began with a catch up from Amy on the inspiration for the album. Despite the tumultuous rollercoaster of 2020, Amy said her album wasn’t about her experience of lockdown or the pandemic, but reconnecting her to the musical roots she began her career with. The album takes on themes of falling in love to burning bridges. Her notorious voice shines through, especially as this is her first time performing her new songs live. 

“I’m back to making music I like and just putting it out in a pure way.  It has given me a new love for what I do all over again.”

The set took place in The Mildmay Club. The Phoenix Night vibes marked with a shimmering glitter backdrop and a humble set up of Amy and the rest of the band. She even attempted to do her best interpretations from the show! Playing music alongside Amy were Matt Jones on keys, Gordon Turner on guitar and Jimmy Sims on bass. 

Whilst sipping a mug of lemon and honey, a necessity on stage for rock n roll artist Amy, she spoke about her favourite songs on the album. Despite finding it difficult to choose just one, she chose ‘We could all be so much more’. This was performed as a more mellow and acoustic set on the livestream. The version on the album has a real drive to it, but the acoustic version is really special. It was written for her friends who felt they had lost their spark. Amy felt this was pertinent as we go into yet another lockdown phase.  

Throughout her career, Amy has referred to her male musical inspirations, like Bruce Springsteen. Yet she was recently asked which female artists have had an impact on her career. Surprisingly, this was Dianna Ross, who sings the infamous song ‘Chain Reaction’. Alongside Diana Ross, Amy also chose Annie Lennox, a fellow Scottish singer, and Debbie Harry from Blondie, a rock chick in Amy’s eyes.

‘The Hudson’, the latest single, is a harmonious song which reflects on past relationships and looking back. I would say this is a very relatable theme for all of us in lockdown. Reminiscing on what we once had, and where we would prefer to be. The video reflects this with a retro, black and white vision of teenage rebellion in New York City, the dazzling lights and romanticisation of freedom is encapsulated in Amy’s voice and vision for the video.   

‘Human Demand’ is a real feel good track, with the lyric ‘we are moving on’, which she mentioned in relation to the music industry, which although struggling, is diversifying and moving with the times. The cause of the livestream was to support those not in the limelight of the music sector. 

Amy’s most popular song, ‘This Is The Life’, was beautiful to hear live despite through crackly headphones. The energy that live music brings was attempted to be replicated through screen, however I believe fans who have booked her live tour will be much more engaged with her music in real life. 

Her album is currently available to stream on all services and to purchase through her website. She also hopes to be touring live in Spring 2021. 

 

Free Will by Sam Harris on a shelf alongside other novels by the author

Non-fiction November: Free Will by Sam Harris

Written by Joshua Whitehead on . Posted in Books.

Are you reading this review of Free Will by Sam Harris right now? I mean you. Are you reading this? The obvious answer is: yes. There’s a chunk of flesh and bones, whose eyes are moving across the page, and whose brain is processing the words on it. We might even agree that it’s your consciousness that’s at play here. But is your consciousness you? 

Are you the master of your eyes and ears and brain in the way you think you are? Or are you simply at the mercy of all the biological and environmental factors which meant you would always, at this time and in this place, be reading this article? In short: do you have free will?

These are the sorts of questions the neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris tries to answer in his book, Free Will. It’s a short, charming little book, written for a broad audience, but with a clarity and incisiveness which makes it a real joy to read. Harris might be a neuroscientist, but you don’t have to be.

I think, therefore I am?

Harris’ argument is essentially as follows: all of our actions, even the conscious ones we think we initiate ourselves – raising our arms, scratching our nose, deciding to make a cup of coffee – originate in our unconscious as a consequence of laws and processes that we do not recognise, and have no say over. 

Since the brain, where our consciousness undoubtedly originates, is subject to physical laws in the same way as our lungs and a car and a thunderstorm, its processes are deterministic. That is, each can be reduced – and traced back – to a set of influences way before the action itself takes place. This could be our DNA, environmental factors, our personal histories; what matters is that we have no say over them. 

This is quite an unsettling thought at first, and surely has profound consequences, not least for morality. Is a murderer truly responsible for their crimes? We would say yes, but the evidence and our deepest understanding of free will says no. 

Guilt and responsibility exist only when we consider that someone could have taken an alternative path to the one which they actually took. As Harris shows, this is impossible. To think so is to expect the universe to be exactly as it was, all influences and factors exactly the same, but the individual to react in a different way. It simply isn’t possible. It was always exactly as it is. 

The results are in

The book isn’t just speculation. Harris lists myriad experiments and studies that prove his case. Experiments that demonstrate areas of the brain initiating an action before the subject makes a conscious choice to “do it”. Experiments that show how easily the subconscious can be influenced to, at a later date, carry out an action exactly as desired, whilst thinking it was its own decision. The results are in: free will does not exist. 

Harris also challenges some of the other popular schools of thought on the issue, and I found him to be generous and thorough in his rebuttals. His writing style is beautifully lucid, as anyone who has read his other works will know.

The book is only about 70 pages long, more of an extended essay, so there’s no excuse for not giving it a go during Lockdown 2.0! It might just blow your mind. Now that’s all been said, I think I’ll decide to stop here. Or perhaps I was always going to, and never really had a choice…

Photo: Dhruvkumar Patel 1563 @ Wikimedia Commons

How does pulling an ‘all-nighter’ affect you?

Written by Blake Crompton on . Posted in Science & Tech.

Time and time again in your university life, a little voice will come along compelling you to put off your work just a little bit later. Unchecked, you come closer and closer to the work’s deadline and before you know it, it’s 12 hours until your deadline and you imagine the start screen of the game titled ‘Pulling an All-nighter’ coming up. I myself have pressed start to that game many times (and hummed the super Mario theme to it) so let’s pull back the graphics and look behind the science of what happens to you in those precious sleepless hours of non-stop, overnight work.

Before Midnight

In the first few hours, one is typically going to be hyperaware, motivated and scrambling to get the introduction of your assignment done. At this point, your brain wants to be productive and get everything done, so you’ll receive a helpful supply of the neurotransmitter Dopamine to encourage you to keep going. Dopamine is sometimes known as the ‘happy hormone’. It causes the feeling of exhilaration that often accompanies exercise or working hard and is also associated with attraction and pleasure.

The other hormone involved in well-being and happiness is Serotonin, which is probably also familiar.  This helps to regulate your cognitive capacity, mood and it directly influences the prevention of depression. It is important during the all-nighter (and in life in general) that this is maintained so you stay focussed. It also helps you avoid ’emotional fatigue’ through the night: that run down feeling where your brain feels stuck in a loop (usually after the first 2-3 hours). That’s your serotonin crashing.

Midnight to 2 AM

Taking breaks is essential for many reasons: not to stare at a screen for too long, stretch out your muscles and to stop your neurotransmitters from depleting, leaving you crashing at 2 AM.

Eating something also helps. As your blood glucose levels start to drop it will only speed-up the serotonin depletion. (Note: this is where restaurants which are open for 24 hours can help you out.)

Whilst the ‘all-nighter’ strategy is effective for last minute assignments, it is one of the worst things you can do to succeed in a test (other than not attending it all together). Alongside the reasons listed above, studies have been conducted showing sleep deprivation is conclusively biopsychological damaging in the formation and retention of new information. The studies found that this was due to increased presence of enzymes which degrade neurotransmitter functions in the brain as a result of sleep depression.

Your Body Clock

Getting into irregular sleeping patterns disrupts your natural body clock, known as your ‘Circadian rhythm’. It is a biopsychological phenomenon which is directly linked with the 24 hour function of the body, and this includes the process of sleep. Rhythms are found in most biological organisms including plants, fungi and other animals. They are affected by the presence of sunlight or any biologically external factors and therefore help us distinguish whether it is day or night. They play a role in many factors which influence your motivation and energy levels. For example, when you start to feel tired in the afternoon it is due to a drop in body temperature associated with typical REM sleep patterns and rest.

Given that the country is back in lockdown and university is almost all online, conforming to a sleeping pattern and routine is very challenging. We all know how easy it is to lie down in your room all afternoon sleeping (a lot like my cat right now as I write this). However, the correlation in disrupting your circadian rhythms and negative impacts on mental health is apparent. It isn’t wise to make ‘all-nighters’ a habit, despite their appeal they are not the best means of maintaining healthy brain activity and it is wise to recognise signs of this.

Desk whilst pulling an all nighter.

 

As students, it is almost a right of passage to undertake an ‘all-nighter’ at least once. However, it is important to recognise the effects of disrupting routines, especially in these challenging times.

Students protest fences at Fallowfield Campus

‘This caused great distress’: Nancy Rothwell speaks to The Mancunion following fence incident

Written by Josh Sandiford on . Posted in News.

The Mancunion has spoken to Manchester University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, following the events of yesterday, when fences were set up around Fallowfield campus.

Rothwell apologised for any distress caused by the decision to erect the fences, and said an enquiry would be established to determine exactly what happened.

Watch the full interview on The Mancunion’s Facebook here.

First-year students have expressed anger at what they perceived was a lack of communication about why the fences were set up in the first place.

The incident also attracted widespread press coverage and led to a furious backlash from students and parents alike.

The University are currently removing the fencing from around Fallowfield Campus in response to the widespread uproar.

Students still gathered yesterday evening to tear down the fences and to protest the University’s overall response to the pandemic and what they feel has been a “lack of mental health support” from the University, particularly for students in halls.

During the interview students also submitted questions to the Vice-Chancellor on topics including reduction in tuition fees, mental health support and facilities, library opening hours, and online learning.

Rothwell later said: “I want to apologise again for the distress caused by putting up the fence yesterday and the very poor communication surrounding this.

“As a matter of urgency, I have commissioned an inquiry into these events. This will be conducted by Professor Clive Agnew, a former Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, and our intention is to also include a former Students’ Union Officer.

“They will examine how and, for what reasons, the decision to erect the fence around the residences on the Fallowfield campus was taken and how this decision was – or wasn’t – communicated to students.

“The report will be submitted by the end of November and we will publish the full report as soon as possible for all to see.”

Read more about yesterday’s events here:

Manchester University erects fences on campus as ‘lockdown security measure’

Manchester University students remove ‘lockdown’ fencing during huge protests

 

Manchester students protest over ‘lockdown’ fencing – in pictures

Written by The Mancunion on . Posted in News.

Students at the University of Manchester staged an angry protest in defiance of fences being erected at their halls of residence.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell “sincerely” apologised for any distress caused by the incident.

Students begin to gather in defiance, as one organiser shouts into a megaphone
‘The most expensive prison’
Security guards look on holding cameras

Students set off blue smoke bombs at protest in Fallowfield

Red and orange and blue smoke bombs were let off during the protest
A large crowd gathers as one student looks at this phone
The fence was pulled down by angry students

Student megaphone at Fallowfield protest

One organiser screams into a megaphone, holding a smoke bomb

If students need support they can contact their ResLife team for assistance and advice, or their Duty ResLife Advisor can also be contacted for any emergencies out of hours. For general Covid-19 support and enquiries they should email [email protected].

Photos by Antonio Ross and Carlo Di Giammarino

Troubled Blood on sale in bookshop

Troubled Blood by J.K. Rowling: More troubling than troubled

Written by Aileen Loftus on . Posted in Books.

Troubled Blood is JK Rowling’s latest novel under her crime pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The novel is the first ever cold case for Rowling’s detective duo, Strike and Robin. The two are investigating the unresolved disappearance of a doctor called Margaret Bamborough. However, this disappearance is not at the forefront of the discussion surrounding the book. 

JK Rowling’s controversial views on transgender rights have received far more media attention than Troubled Blood. The book caused a stir prior to its release due to an early review by the Telegraph. In the Telegraph review, one character is described as a ‘transvestite serial killer’. Dennis Creed, the serial killer in question, is never actually referred to as a ‘transvestite’ in the book. The ensuing media storm calls into question the productiveness of reproducing a single review without having read the book itself. However, the review’s claim of the book’s ‘moral seems to be: never trust a man in a dress’ rings true. 

Dennis Creed, known as the Essex Butcher, sometimes disguised himself as a woman to lure unsuspecting targets into his van. When a stash of jewellery is found hidden below his floorboards, he claims that ‘he’d bought it because he liked to cross-dress’. In reality, these are trophies taken from his victims. Cross-dressing is just one aspect of the web of lies Creed has created.

Rowling’s tweets in June 2020, just 3 months before the release of Troubled Blood, exposed her views on sex and identity. Rowling subsequently posted a highly personal essay revealing her experience of domestic abuse. In the essay, Rowling argued that trans women who have not undergone hormone therapy or surgical transition should be denied access to single-sex spaces. Thus, medicalising trans identity and arguing against an individual’s right to self identify. 

Dennis Creed is not transgender. Except this is precisely where the issue lies. The association of a brutal serial killer with cross dressing and luring female victims seems pointed and unnecessary within the context of the text. The cross dressing itself adds little significance to the story (aside from a few minor diversions). So why include this aspect of a character which is so clearly politically charged?

Rowling has claimed that she based the character on historical serial killers. However, this feels like a defensive reaction produced by her own bias. There is a strong sense of personal prejudices inserted into the narrative. Rowling’s villain appears to fit her own fears about transgender culture.

Amazon suspended reviews of the book due to ‘unusual reviewing activity’, and the hashtag #RIPJKRowling went viral on Twitter. Despite this, Troubled Blood still topped bestseller charts within a week of its publication. Clearly the Twitter storm did nothing to stop the series’ pervasive popularity, with some suggestion that the controversy was helpful, if not intentional.

Troubled Blood and the Galbraith novels

Troubled Blood is the longest Galbraith novel so far, and it feels it. In hardback it sits at more than 900 pages, nearly twice as long as the first title in the series, Cuckoo’s Calling. There is a lot of emphasis on the individual stories of Robin and Strike and their will-they-won’t-they romance. Perhaps this is many readers’ favourite part. The BBC TV adaptation certainly seems to think so. In the latest series, a fair amount of weight is placed on their anti/love story. Even so, the balance is off. There is a sense of self indulgence in the writing, as if Troubled Blood hasn’t been as heavily edited as its predecessors due to the success of the series. 

For the first time, we get more detail on the agency’s other cases and members of staff. The description of the agency helps to shape it into a realistic and tangible workplace. But there is so much talk of staff meetings and the shift rota that it starts to have the tedium of an actual job. 

Like Career of Evil, the third book in the series, there are aspects of Troubled Blood that are needlessly violent. We experience Robin reading about triggering rape and murder cases in great detail. During Creed’s climactic interview scene, Strike lists numerous acts of violent torture. Alongside problematic side characters, such as sub-contractor Saul Morris, the overall effect is one that is uncomfortable to read as a womxn. 

These are still not reasons to attack the author herself. The abusive trolling Rowling received online is on par with the violent language that felt uncomfortable to read in the novel. Instead, choose not to buy her new fiction.

It is hard to say how much my enjoyment of the book was influenced by what I already knew of Rowling’s own transphobic views. Overall, Rowling’s latest novel has stayed with me, but not for the right reasons. Troubled Blood will be my last Galbraith novel.

Manchester’s love scene: All locked-down

Written by Agata Flak on . Posted in Lifestyle.

COVID-19 has been on everybody’s minds for what seems like an eternity. Apart from weakening our bodies, the virus has the magical power of successfully turning our world upside down, and in some cases, leaving permanent scars.

It is obvious that it has influenced both our social and professional life, having isolated many from the reality they knew before. But how exactly did it impact our love life?

The beginning

The view of couples walking down the streets of Manchester can warm every heart. They can be seen holding hands while having a stroll down Oxford Road or taking cute pictures in Piccadilly Gardens.

But it hasn’t always been like this.

Many lovebirds had to say goodbye to their other half just before escaping Manchester back in March, when nobody had any idea of what was going to happen. When asked about the impact of the pandemic on their relationship, Alex and Tom, two 20-year-old students at The University of Manchester, said that it all “feels like such a waste of time while [they] should be doing cool things.”

Another young couple, Sam and Lola, felt like “there were times in lockdown when [they] were arguing a bit because [they] were stuck at home,” a point of view, to which many can relate.

Apparently, the arguments were not serious, and in most cases, did not cause any permanent damage to the relationship itself. Instead, they seemed useless and unmotivated, the reason behind them being mostly loneliness.

Not being able to see our loved ones was the hardest hit for many relationships, putting them to a test they had never faced before. For instance, having gone back to her country and family, Alex did not see her boyfriend for almost five months, which, according to the couple, would not have been the case under normal circumstances.

But can ‘isolation’ be considered the only leading theme of lockdown?

A light at the end of the tunnel

The initial shock seems to have been overcome now. Although still somehow restricted by national and regional guidelines, couples have been given the chance to reunite.

Looking back, the pandemic has not exactly helped young couples. But many of them admit that there have been some positive sides.

Having survived the chaos of the first months, Mélanie and Bonar took the opportunity to meet each other’s families and, while always following national guidelines, explored France together. “I had it easier thanks to him,” Mélanie says. “I always had someone to talk to if I had issues with my family. He made me feel better.”

On top of that, some couples admit that the situation improved their relations by encouraging them to take big steps. And even though it might seem terrifying, maybe a little push is all we need to be happy.

Some used the outbreak as a reason to move in together or adopt a new pet, while others kept coming up with new ways to have fun and maintain good communication, even over FaceTime.

The pandemic has also left some space for new flames to start. Diego and Alex, 19 and 20 respectively, discovered their feelings when a national lockdown was still in force in most countries. “We saw each other for the first time mid-August. […] This is a relationship that happened because of this pandemic,” they happily confirm. “There have been no negative sides other than not being able to travel earlier because of restrictions.”

What’s next?

Lockdown did represent a halt to many growing relationships. Nevertheless, lots of couples appear to have learnt important lessons over the period.

“We have to value time together more,” says Tom looking back at the past few months. “I feel like, after coming back to Manchester, we did cool things together instead of watching Netflix.”

Similarly, Bonar and Mélanie “realised that they were meant to be together.” They said: “If we managed to stay together during lockdown, we can face everything.”

All in all, COVID-19 has definitely made significant damage, forcing couples to face the reality of long-term separation. But despite being harsh at first, not only did the pandemic eventually have mercy and allow lovebirds to meet again, but it also taught them important lessons which none of them are likely to forget.

The moral of the story?

Global disaster or not, true love will always find a way to thrive.

Manchester University students remove ‘lockdown’ fencing during huge protests

Written by Josh Sandiford on . Posted in News.

Hundreds of students living in Manchester University’s Fallowfield halls have gathered for an impromptu protest, tearing down the fencing that was erected around their flats earlier today.

The angry first-years let off smoke bombs and removed the new barriers which have prompted a furious backlash from students and parents.

University bosses said the fences were there as an “additional lockdown security measure” and had committed to removing them after the negative reaction, but the protest went ahead anyway.

Izzy Smitheman, one of the organisers, told The Mancunion: “We are still going to protest. It’s not about the fence, it’s about the principle.

“This protest is about the whole of the University and their response to the pandemic. It’s about the complete lack of mental health support through the crisis.”

Students claimed the fencing had been put up overnight in Owens Park with no prior communication.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell “sincerely” apologised for any distress caused by the incident.

One second-year politics student at the protest said: “They’re ruining our lives after sending out contradictory information, it’s against our basic civil rights. People are getting depressed, they sent us back to university, it’s well dodgy.”

Another angry fresher who was present told The Mancunion: “The fences are a bit of a piss-take. We’re being treated like prisoners.”

The Manchester branch of the University and College Union put out a statement of “solidarity” with those in halls alongside Fallowfield councillors.

Addressing the students in “HMP Fallowfield” the Union said: “UMUCU, the union for lecturers and support staff at the University of Manchester, and the Fallowfield Labour councillors send our full solidarity, and love, to the students of Fallowfield.

“Instead of treating you like prisoners, or children who can’t be trusted, the University should start from a position of empathy and understanding. Many of you are young and away from home for the first time.

“Many of you are also particularly vulnerable to the impact of isolation, including on your mental health.

“Instead of standing with unions to demand proper funding for universities in this crisis, the university has moved you from across the country, with unworkable promises of face-to-face teaching, just to get your fees and hall fees.”

Fallowfield protest. Photo: Antonio Ross

Fallowfield is known for its dense student population, and the University of Manchester has 7 halls of residence in the area.

President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, said: “I sincerely apologise for the concern and distress caused by the erecting of a fence around our Fallowfield Halls of Residence today. This was not our intention – in fact, quite the reverse.

“The fencing was intended as a response to a number of concerns received over recent weeks from staff and students on this site about safety and security; particularly about access by people who are not residents. There was never any intent to prevent students from entering or exiting the site.

“The fences are being taken down from Friday morning and students are being contacted immediately. Alternative security measures, including additional security patrols, are being put in place.

“I apologise once again for the issues caused by this incident.”

If students need support they can contact their ResLife team for assistance and advice, or their Duty ResLife Advisor can also be contacted for any emergencies out of hours. For general Covid-19 support and enquiries they should email [email protected].

 

bowl of ramen

Super easy vegan and vegetarian ramen recipe

Written by Kerry McCall on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Lovers of Wagamama will know that ramen is a Japanese dish comprising of noodles and some form of broth with added vegetables and/or meat. This kind of dish is perfect for students to recreate, as it requires minimal skill, minimal time and minimal money!

If you want to cook up this fresh, simple and super tasty meal, follow this quick recipe.

Ingredients

  • Miso paste – this comes in either sachets or jars. If you’re using miso from a jar, you’ll need around a tablespoon.
  • Dried noodles – I use rice noodles but there are loads of options. Udon noodles, which are very thick, are also a great choice.
  • Mushrooms – you can use any mushrooms (I use chestnut), but if you want the real deal you can find shitake mushrooms in most Chinese supermarkets. There’s a great one called WH Lung just behind the Schuster Building on main Campus!
  • Protein – if you’re vegan, tofu is a great option here. Vegetarians could also use Quorn, but any chicken alternative would work!
  • Pak Choi – this is a Chinese leaf which you might think sounds obscure, but you can actually get it in most supermarkets, including Lidl.
  • Greens – spring onions, fresh coriander, mint and basil.
  • Soy Sauce to add to the broth.
  • A squeeze of lime juice.

 

Method

 

  1. First slice the mushroom and chop your choice of protein into whatever size you like. Cook in a frying pan using oil, until the mushrooms are have gone soft all the way through and your protein is golden and slightly crispy, then put to one side. (You can use any oil, but if you want to go all out, sesame oil is the best for East Asian dishes!)

 

  1. Bring a pot of water to the boil, then turn the heat down so it is lightly simmering. Add the noodles to this water, along with the miso paste. Stirring the miso paste in so it dissolves, then add around a tablespoon of soy sauce to the broth.

 

  1. Once your noodles feel like they’re almost cooked through, add your pak choi. I like to add the leaves in whole, so I just chop the bottom of the plant off and add it straight away.

 

  1. Once your noodles are cooked and the pak choi has wilted, transfer this noodle soup into a large bowl. Now you can add your mushrooms and protein.

 

  1. Garnish the bowl with your mint, coriander, basil and spring onions, followed by a squirt of lime juice over the top. If you like heat – you can also add chilli flakes at this point as well.

 

  1. Grab a ramen ladle or a big spoon and some chop sticks and tuck in

Review: Chit ‘N’ Chaat

Written by Sorcha Cullen on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Chit ‘N’ Chaat is an Indian street food restaurant, serving a variety of delicious small plates that are ideal for sharing, and suitable for student budgets.

The dishes are generously portioned and are very reasonably priced; we had six dishes between three people which cost us under £10 per head, whilst leaving us totally satisfied and comfortably full.

You can find Chit ‘N’ Chaat on the Curry Mile, so it’s an easy commute from the Universities or City Centre, as well as from south Manchester. They are also available on Deliveroo, so you could also whack on some Netflix and enjoy it from the comfort of your own sofa.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was friendly and inviting, in addition to feeling safe and COVID secure. The interior is informal and comfortable, making it the perfect venue for a mid-week meal out with your household. All the staff were polite and attentive.

We only sampled vegetarian dishes, so I can’t comment on the meat or fish dishes. However, they offer a large variety of meals that sound delicious. We decided to sample The Vada Pav, Chilli Paneer, Okra Fries, Pav Bhaji, Aloo Tiki Chaat and Samosa Chaat.

All the dishes were amazing: warming, rich, and delicately spiced. Our favourite was the Vada Pav, a reminiscent of a burger with a deep fried potato patty and a soft, buttery bun. It comes with a sharp green chutney, which cut perfectly through the buttery bun and potato filling.

Another highlight was the Chilli Paneer, which was served with green peppers; it was unlike any paneer any of us had ever tasted: it was sticky, spicy, and slightly sweet.

The menu at Chit ‘N’ Chaat is so varied that there’s definitely something for everyone.  The beauty of having small plates is that you can sample a variety of different dishes at once – what’s not to love?

They also do a variety of desserts, including Chocolate Samosas, which sound awesome.

Chilli Paneer
Photo @ Chit ‘N’ Chaat

The Vada Pav
Photo @ Chit ‘N’ Chaat

 

 

 

 

Photo: The Mancunion

Manchester University erects fences on campus as ‘lockdown security measure’

Written by Josh Sandiford on . Posted in News.

The University of Manchester has confirmed that it has installed fences around Fallowfield campus as an additional security measure following the lockdown.

Students claimed the fencing had been put up overnight in Owens Park near the Armitage Centre with no prior communication.

Bosses insisted that students who live on-site would be able to come and go freely, and that the fences were there to help highlight main areas and assist security staff.

Concerns were raised after a number of individuals who don’t live on Fallowfield campus attended Halloween parties at halls of residence last weekend.

A spokesperson said: “In recent weeks we have received a number of concerns from staff and students on this site about safety and security, particularly about access by people who are not residents.

“We are therefore introducing new security measures out of hours at key entrance points to our campus, accommodation and main pedestrian routes to help keep our students, our staff and our community safe. As now, residents can continue to enter and leave as they please.”

Fallowfield is known for its dense student population, and the University of Manchester has 7 halls of residence in the area.

One security guard claimed that the fences were being put up to “stop outsiders” getting into the campus after security issues with non-residents.

Some green spaces surrounding Richmond Park and other halls have been shut off, with only a small narrow path available to walk through to access available services like laundry.

There has been no confirmation, but multiple students have claimed the University will implement a “wristband system” to ensure that only those who live in accommodation can enter and exit.

Students on campus told The Mancunion they worried the fencing would negatively impact on their mental health, with some mentioning the recent death of a student in Fallowfield halls. 

One said: “It’s quite daunting. I understand [the university’s] concern but there are other ways to do it that are less intimidating.” 

Others expressed anger about the lack of communication from the University regarding the work. 

The University has apologised to students and told them “not to be alarmed” in an email. 

The spokesperson added: “Regrettably the fencing began to be installed ahead of the message being seen by halls students. We apologise for any worry that this has caused and would like to reiterate that all students who live on-site can continue to come and go freely.

“We understand these are challenging times, and we are extremely grateful to all of our students who are following the guidelines and making adjustments to their lives to help keep our community safe.”

If students need support they can contact their ResLife team for assistance and advice, or their Duty ResLife Advisor can also be contacted for any emergencies out of hours. For general Covid-19 support and enquiries they should email [email protected].

Archaeology: Using chemistry to retrace humanity’s footsteps

Written by Amelia Cummins on . Posted in Science & Tech.

A quick Google search for ‘archaeology news’ will bring your attention to thousands of groundbreaking archaeological discoveries. Recent developments include the discovery of an ancient chalice, which could uncover new truths about the beginnings of Christianity, and the findings of an 8000-year-old shell mound, which might force us to review the origins of mankind. These discoveries wouldn’t be possible without the wonders of archaeology, a discipline grounded in the partnership of history and chemistry. But how exactly do archaeologists utilise chemistry?  

We are what we eat

As with all animals, the formation of human skeletons is based on the components of what we eat. All food we ingest contains carbon, whether sourced directly from plants, or from consuming other animals. It is predominantly through this carbon that archaeologists can discover the age and origins of ancient organic matter. 

According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, carbon consists of three naturally occurring isotopes, or variants, 12C, 13C and 14C. While 14C decays over time, 12C and 13C are eternally stable. Therefore the levels of 12C and 13C in our bones are constant, from the day we die until the day our remains are examined. This means that the dietary information stored within our bones remains forever unchanged. 

As a result, archaeologists can use mass spectrometry to measure the ratios of 12C and 13C in bone. From this, we can gain insight into the life a person may have lived. For example, remains with a high carbon isotope ratio normally come from a person with a diet of mostly seafood. This is because seafood has a higher carbon content than food produced on land. From this, we know that the remains probably originated from somewhere near the coast.

A map made of plants

Analysis of carbon isotope ratios can also suggest the type of plants consumed. This further hints at the origins of the remains. Most plants in Europe have three carbon atoms in the first product of carbon fixation, meaning they are categorised as C3 plants. However, plants that evolved to survive in hot, dry conditions, such as sugarcane grown in the tropics, are typically C4.  

Dead men tell tales

University of Reading professor Gundula Muldner used this plant-analysing technique to discover the origins of the ‘Headless Romans’. The ‘Headless Romans’ are a group of human remains that excavators found decapitated, with their heads buried next to their bodies. Due to their similar and unique burials, researchers assumed that the remains were from a group with similar origins, local to York. Researchers theorised that the remains belonged to executed York citizens or victims of a religious cult.  

However, by analysing the carbon isotope ratios in their bones and teeth, Muldner discovered that two of the men consumed large amounts of C4 plants. As C4 plants weren’t grown in Europe at the time, it suggests that these two men were from another continent. Furthermore, isotope ratios indicated that 13 out of the 18 individuals tested were from outside of the UK, one of whom came from as far away as Syria. This forced Muldner and his fellow researchers to question everything they thought they knew about the ‘Headless Romans’. 

All of the remains had sustained serious injuries over a long period of time, suggesting they lived violent lives. Researchers concluded that the ‘Headless Romans’ were probably gladiators imported by the Romans from conquered lands to flaunt the success of the Roman Empire. This discovery demonstrates the far-reaching nature of the Empire and the importance of York as a cosmopolitan and diverse city.

Radiocarbon dating is the archaeologists’ clock

Archaeologists also use the technique of radiocarbon dating to find out the age of remains. As stated by National Geographic,  14C decays in a predictable way over time, and emits predictable levels of radioactivity. Researchers measure this radioactivity against the ever-stable 12C to suggest an age. The less radioactivity 14C emits, the older the carbon sample is. Archaeologists have used radiocarbon dating to date remains since the Nobel-Prize winning process was invented in 1946. It has helped us learn about what society looked like hundreds, and even thousands, of years ago. 

What can archaeology teach us about society?

The ‘Ivory Bangle Lady’ is a particularly interesting discovery of human remains in England. Researchers found the ‘Ivory Bangle Lady’’s remains in York in 1901, surrounded by jet and elephant ivory bracelets, jewels and pendants. The extravagant nature of her burial suggests the woman was wealthy and of high class. Archaeologists analysed the shape of her skull and the chemical makeup of her bones and teeth. This led them to realise that the woman was of recent north African descent. Her remains date back to the 4th century AD, and are some of the earliest remains of African-descent found within the UK. 

Archaeologists used these findings to dispel the belief that African people only arrived in the UK in the 16th century, when African trade routes opened up, and slavery began to dominate. The findings also help to dismiss the misconception that all African people arrived in the UK poor or enslaved.

The forefront of interdisciplinary research

From analysing isotopes to radiocarbon dating, chemistry has played a vital role in retracing humanity’s footsteps. To paraphrase the description of archaeological science from Cambridge University, archaeology is blurring the lines between humanities and science, putting it at the “forefront of interdisciplinary research”. One thing is certain: archaeology has not finished uncovering Earth’s hidden secrets and mysterious truths.

Online learning Photo: Alexas_Fotos @ Pixabay

Zoom has become everything, but is online learning a danger to us all?

Written by Amelia Cummins on . Posted in Science & Tech.

Gone are the days of cramped lecture halls and stuffy tutorial rooms. Of strolling across campus and enjoying long lunches with friends. The new reality of online learning consists solely of staring at a screen. Whether it be for classes, homework, socials, or downtime, our whole lives now centre around our electronic devices. Here’s how my day goes: 

9 AM: Zoom seminars, preferably camera off.

12 PM: Some readings, not with an actual book, of course.

1 PM: Lunch and Netflix, please.

2 PM: Lecture videos galore.

5 PM: Online society meeting, but can it still be called a society if it’s no longer social?

6 PM: Obligatory family Facetime call. 

8 PM: Dinner time with a side of Amazon Video.

12 AM: Time to lay in bed, begging for sleep.

From our eyes turning square to our brains turning to mush, we’ve been warned of the dangers of screen time since childhood.

So with the switch to online learning, we need to explore the possible effects of increased screen time. Can everything really be ok when your daily step count is 200 and your screen time is 12 hours? 

The doctor prescribes a gaze outside your window

Several recent studies suggest there is a link between increased screen time and the incidence of myopia.

Myopia, known as short-sightedness, is a condition that results in distant objects appearing blurry. Increased levels of myopia have also been linked to increased time spent indoors, another consequence of online learning.

When we spend extended periods indoors, our eyes don’t get to practice seeing objects that are far away. So, when presented with faraway objects outside, our eyes are unable to react properly, resulting in myopia. Myopia is a life long, and often expensive, condition. Sufferers need to wear glasses or contact lenses, or sometimes have corrective surgery. 

To protect eyes against myopia, doctors recommend people look away from a screen every 20 minutes. You should look at something at least 6 metres away, preferably outside. However, this is not a practical solution, as it is not always possible when studying.

Furthermore, there is not adequate research to confirm whether this is enough to prevent myopia. 

Blue light is the new sunlight

According to Harvard Medical School, in order for human brains to develop effectively, adequate sleep is required. As the human brain continues to develop until the age of 25, this is a concern for many students.

A 2019 paper collated studies on the link between screen habits and sleep. It found that 90% of these studies discovered an association between screen use and decreased sleep time. This link is often the result of blue light.

Blue light emitted from screens can severely disrupt sleep, especially if used within a few hours of going to bed. Blue light blocks production of the sleep hormone melatonin, preventing people from feeling tired.

This particularly hinders deep REM sleep. REM sleep is the most important type of sleep, as it is during this period that information is processed and stored into memory. This means that the many hours spent studying could be for nothing if it leads to a lack of sleep. However, with heavy workloads and social lives that revolve around screens, having a break from blue light before bed is often impossible for students. 

When you have nowhere to go and no one to see

But it is not only online learning that contributes to our increased screen time.

With strict restrictions on our movements, the average student is spending most of their time at home. Even if you adhere to government recommendations and spend an hour a day exercising, you are still missing out on the everyday movement that comes with having a life beyond your bedroom. No more walking around town, standing on the bus or climbing up the library stairs. This increase in a sedentary lifestyle puts us all at risk of obesity. This could lead to obesity-related illnesses, which could stick around far past lockdown. 

Another possible health impact of online learning is vitamin D deficiency. Our skin produces vitamin D in the presence of sunlight. A deficiency of it can lead to serious conditions, such as osteomalacia. If we are spending our time online, we aren’t going to get enough sunlight, and therefore won’t produce enough vitamin D.

The NHS has responded to concerns about increased vitamin D deficiency during lockdown by advising the public to take vitamin D supplements daily. This suggests that this is a serious health implication of COVID restrictions.

Anyone fancy a Zoom night in?

While remaining inside, students often turn to their screens to fill their free-time too, further increasing their screen time. Studies show humans need a diverse range of offline and online experiences in order to live a balanced and fulfilled life. According to Harvard University, screens provide inadequate stimulation to the brain, when compared to active, social moments. Therefore, prolonged time spent staring at a screen, from watching TV to scrolling through social media, can result in feelings of dissatisfaction and despair.

Furthermore, only being able to see friends and family through a screen can lead to feelings of loneliness, isolation and anxiety. 

And with bated breath, data we await

It is difficult to know the extent of long-term effects of increased screen time, as online learning, and screens themselves, are relatively new. However, as online learning becomes commonplace, more research will be conducted. 

Is this all just conjecture and online learning will soon become a forgotten memory? Or will we be increasingly reliant on screens, and suffering the consequences for years to come? 

Only time will tell. 

Any students at the University of Manchester struggling with mental health can access support through the university here, or contact Nightline here.

Astrology: Is it science?

Written by Sam Bronheim on . Posted in Science & Tech.

Astrology studies the influence of the position of ‘things’ in the universe on an individual. ‘Things’ being celestial objects like the sun, the moon, constellations and other planets. Based off of this, some kind of emotional insight about the individual or the world can be interpreted.

Makes sense, right? Planets and stars controlling and influencing your thoughts and feelings?

How does astrology work?

To give credit to astrologers, even if the science is iffy a lot of time and calculation goes into designing an astrological chart. A simple horoscope in a newspaper or magazine is a short bite of insight that is written to be relatable and based off of some astrological knowledge of each zodiac sign, in other words they are deliberately general. But in-depth astrological charts – which are based off of celestial positions at a specific date or moment – take time to map because they take many things into account.

There are so many elements that need to be considered if you want to find every influencing factor at a specific moment in time, and then numerous positions – of stars, planets etc. – need to be calculated. Unsurprisingly this would take a lot of time.

A detailed natal astrological chart [Flickr @ Stephen Boyle]
 

 

For example, a lot of people are interested in looking at the astrological charts from the day of their birth (example on left). You could spend hours reading about every single detail and applying the interpretations to how it has shaped you as a person. Essentially who you are not because of your life experiences or upbringing but based off how a few stars were organised at the time you were born.

So whilst you might pick up a newspaper and read something that seems relatable to you, understanding exactly how that conclusion was made can be pretty unclear.

In other words, just because the outcome makes sense doesn’t mean there’s any actual basis for it being true; purely coincidence or strategic wording.

 

Why do so many people believe in it?

Astrology is an effort to find meaning and understanding of what our place in the universe is. It’s similar to why people have faith or follow religion, to find purpose.

Horoscopes are effective on so many people because humans naturally can’t help but find meaning in things, especially things that reassure them or give them a sense that things are happening for a reason.

More often than not people don’t look for scientific reasoning to back up these claims, they just want to believe in it. And arguably that makes it work (placebo anyone?).

So, what is the science behind astrology?

None. There is none. Astrology is based off of theories and traditions generated by astrologers over the hundreds of years it has been considered as a study. The reasoning behind any links to character and alignment of planets is based off speculation and thought, not scientific evidence.

The only role science does play is when calculating the alignments of the celestial bodies. It takes careful mathematical calculation and consideration. However the conclusions then drawn from this information are based off of tradition and speculation about the range of human character and behaviour. Once again, not science.

More evidence for the lack of science involved is the fact that different cultures adopt different systems of astrology. Consider your Chinese zodiac animal vs. your standard horoscope sign. The different applications of this “science” strongly suggests tradition plays a huge role in our understanding, rather than universal, indisputable scientific fact.

To horoscope, or not to horoscope

I would be lying if I said I did not occasionally take a look at my horoscope or laugh in a “that’s so me” way if I saw something about my sign (Libra, if you’re wondering). So don’t read this article thinking I’m trying to debunk astrology, in fact, why not take a look at the weekly Mancunion horoscopes?

Decide for yourself what astrology could do for you, whether it’s scientific or not – but remember, it’s not. It could just be there to make you laugh, or it could help you make sense of things. Just take it with a pinch of salt. The rest is up to you.