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How can I go further, faster?

If you’ve got the drive and ambition to ask, then come and talk to us. Our clients across the world demand people with exceptional skills and knowledge to help them make vital business decisions every day. That’s why we provide world-class mentoring, training and professional qualifications to take you from strength to strength.

Start a career that goes further, faster. Visit ey.com/ci/careers or email Jackie Hankin at jhankin@uk.ey.com

4960_EY_FF_VI Student Magazine_297x210_AW.indd 1 20/02/2013 11:45

Editor: Alex MesnyCreative Director: Jonathon PugsleyFinancial Manager: Kendal Perree

Contributors: Hannah Syvret, Chloe Knight, Sam Lumborg, Toby McDonald

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14

5 9

10

Preparing for Uni? 6-7

Violence in Media 5

Dead and Shoulders 10-12

The Secret of Life 9

Issue 15

Ma

rch 13

© E

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f Ern

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How can I go further, faster?

If you’ve got the drive and ambition to ask, then come and talk to us. Our clients across the world demand people with exceptional skills and knowledge to help them make vital business decisions every day. That’s why we provide world-class mentoring, training and professional qualifications to take you from strength to strength.

Start a career that goes further, faster. Visit ey.com/ci/careers or email Jackie Hankin at jhankin@uk.ey.com

4960_EY_FF_VI Student Magazine_297x210_AW.indd 1 20/02/2013 11:45

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Time flies when you’re having fun – so the statement goes. Personally I think it should be amended to, “Time flies when you’re

having fun, or when you’re doing A-levels and just want to sleep all day.” Already into the third month of 2013, time truly has flown by, from wondering about how you did in your January exams, to finding out exactly how you did do in only a matter of days. At VI magazine we took a look at our February edition and found ourselves with more brilliant writers who wanted to get their topical points across to you!

Think back, about 3-4 weeks, when you were reading the fantastic February edition of VI when Martha told us it was all geek to her. It’s all geek to Sam too! Sam explores the strange and exciting world of DNA and how the secret of life has secrets itself which could help to cure cancer! Page 9.

You can stop thinking now if you’d like to. Whilst Sam tells us that DNA can help to cure cancers, chemicals in everyday products are doing nothing of the like. Quite the opposite it appears. Highlighted by the recent horsemeat scandal, Toby asks us, “Can we really trust companies with what they say is in their products?” Some chemicals in foods and cosmetics can be harmful to the humans which they’re designed for, and that’s only the ones that we’re told about on the packets! If you want to never wash or eat anything ever again have a look at 10.

Start thinking again. Ruth told us that Universities are Universal, so we shouldn’t limit ourselves when trying to choose a Uni. But therein lays a problem. Trying to choose a Uni is difficult to say the least, and Chloe helps to shed some light on page 6.

Not satisfied with asking us if we lift, Hannah has returned to ask us if violence in the media is such a bad thing, and if categorising films and games by age is somewhat irrelevant. Despite allegations from all sides, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a twelve year old go, “That was a good game of Call of Duty, let’s go outside to shoot some people.” Granted they’re probably still swearing down the microphone to some guy in America who just head-shotted them, but they may have a better understanding of the word “game” and they might just enjoy showing Hannah’s article to their parents. For a completely unbiased, two-sided debate on Violence in Media check out page 5, especially if you’ve seen Django Unchained!

You may have noticed that I was asking you to remember about our previous edition throughout this editorial. Now it’s even easier to remember and enjoy the latest edition of VI magazine! Download the brand new VI iPad app on the App store today and forever satisfy your need to read the best student magazine around. (Here’s hoping that Apple have approved this months edition in time though...)

Good luck with all your exam results in March!

Alex

There has been a lot of controversy over Quentin Tarantino new film ‘Django Unchained’ which is set against the backdrop of the Deep South and Old West. The film shadows a freed slave who treks across the United States with a bounty hunter on an operation to release his wife from a cruel yet compelling plantation owner. The film is in the usual trademark Tarantino style, with intense moments of violence and bloodshed which are aimed at making the audience become aware of the horrific torture imposed on the slaves. However, many critics argue that the large quantities of bloodshed and violence are unnecessary and historically incorrect, with many people arguing that the scenes are in some cases irresponsible and a gross misrepresentation of what the struggle during slavery was really like. Furthermore, the use of language has also been a source of debate with many people also arguing that the use of one particular word is both inappropriate, and some even argue that it is the use of this word which has caused the film to question our beliefs on the impact of language. Although, relative to the context of the movie this word is, it could be argued well within the boundaries acceptable as from a historical viewpoint in order to make the characters realistic and thus form a connection with the audience they cannot be two dimensional and fitted to the expectations of today’s society. Instead, it is vital a character fits into his historical and socioeconomic background in order to make him or her believable and in doing so form a bond with the audience.These two issues have caused the film to become a launch pad for discussion and debate on key issues in films and indeed video games. Violence within films and video games has always been seen as a concern with many people arguing that by watching their favourite characters do something violent or dangerous; it encourages young children to re-enact them in a desperate attempt to be identical to the beloved creation. Videogames have ratings for reasons, and

despite these ratings many are still censored, this does not however, stop others from buying the videogames for their younger friends etc. The high content of graphic violence in games rated 18s are obviously not suitable to a young child however, some people are more susceptible to the influence of video games and although some people argue that at 18, you know the difference between right and wrong many also retaliate with the fact that most 12 year olds also know the difference and the consequences. Therefore, when it comes to this issue I believe that age is not always the factor that should be taken into consideration when allowing the purchase of a videogame as an 18 year old may be more susceptible and highly influenced by the game in comparison to a 12 year old who understands it is simply fantasy. It all depends on the person and to some degree how they view the world and how they’ve been raised, and expectations and boundaries placed on them.

Moreover, despite the bad reputation that playing videogame has many studies have concluded that they are in fact very beneficial and help many children in different areas of their maturation and in life as a whole. These benefits include and are not limited to: problem solving, following instructions, situational awareness and hand eye co-ordination. These are all key aspects of life and therefore from these benefits it is clear that in some circumstances videogames can be good for you even if they are full of violent content.

To conclude it is my belief that films and videogames do in some cases have violence in them or other taboo subjects, as demonstrated in ‘Django Unchained’. However, the information being processed and the effect on the person completely depends on the individual and in some cases age is too strong a boundary, it is as if we expect all 18 year olds and above to not at all be influenced by the violence and many are not. However, there are always exceptions and some people are just simply violent, it just so happens that they also play videogames and thus it is an unfortunate consequence. Psychos will always be psychos; they don’t need video games to help them.

Violence in MediaWritten by Hannah Syvret, Hautlieu

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University is one of the most talked about subjects in years 12 and 13. It’s not for

everyone, but if you do happen to be thinking about going to university, here are a few things to think about:

When choosing your

university, it is also important to consider

whether you are looking for a campus or non campus

university. Generally for Jersey students, a campus university is more suitable

as it is more similar to what we know.

This is the most obvious

point; however, it is the most important. Research into

courses is vital to make sure you choose the course you want to pursue

for at least 3 years. The best way to carry out research is to go to open days, this is not always possible due to travelling from Jersey, so to avoid extra costs, get in contact with university departments via e-mail or phone, they are often very happy to help and answer all your questions.

Another way to find out more about courses is to visit events such

as higher education fairs.

Travelling from Jersey to

university is often tricky, so if you’re going by plane,

pack light and leave all your case space for clothing, as buying home

essentials from shops such as Asda and Tesco costs next to nothing. Travelling by boat can be easier, as you can take more home comforts with you, however, if you’re going to a university far away

from a harbour, the drive can be long, and transporting all your

things back home again can be difficult.

Ready to fly the nest?

Coming from Jersey,

it is often helpful to choose universities close to an airport or

harbour, as this makes travelling to and from

university cheaper and easier.

University is one of the most talked about subjects in years 12 and 13. It’s not for

everyone, but if you do happen to be thinking about going to university, here are a few things to think about:

Accommodation style also needs to be

considered. There are many types of accommodation you can

choose to live in at university. The most common types for first years are on campus

and are catered or self catered university halls. It is important to consider whether you would

prefer to cook and buy food for yourself, or if you would prefer this to be done for you. Generally, as we come from Jersey, first year accommodation in university halls is guaranteed. Lots of people are very wary of sharing a flat with 6 people they have never met before in their first year, however, this is the best way to meet people and make good

friends. Second and third year accommodation generally tends to be off campus and sorted

out by individuals for themselves, students often share houses and

flats with friends to keep costs down.

As going to

university is often the first time young

adults are away from home, it is always a good

idea to take some keepsakes and a few special items such as pictures from home to decorate your

university room.

Within the first few

weeks of the university term, a freshers week and fair

will be held. This is where all of the clubs from the university come

together and give first years a chance to join. To make the most of university life, it is very beneficial to visit these fairs, as speaking from experience of elder siblings, clubs are where you can make some of your best friends, because people in the club are likely to have similar

interests to you. Clubs also give you the opportunity to travel if

they compete outside of the university.

Lastly, it is important

to consider things such as electricity

bills and TV licences. Often things like these are paid for in the cost for the accommodation, but it is

worth researching these so you are not left without

any essentials!

Ready to fly the nest?

In February, it was exactly 60 years since James Watson and Francis Crick stormed into a Cambridge pub proclaiming they had discovered the most sought after, elusive molecule that perhaps has ever been found ( Biologists out there are probably screaming “I know what this geek is on about!!”). Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or for the non-biologists, DNA. This was the particle of all particles for biologists as Watson and Crick produced a model for the ‘secret of life’, the reason why you resemble your mother and father and the reason why you look similar to your brother or sister. They produced the first correct structure of DNA, the double helix. For their efforts Watson and Crick received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962.

But DNA continues to amaze scientists, and new findings seem to propose new hypotheses about DNA. In January this year a bunch of researchers encoded 739 kilobytes of data into DNA code, and then sequenced the new code into DNA. They then decoded the information back into the original data to see how accurate DNA synthesis was. The data obtained at the end of the experiment was exactly the same as the data put in, all 739 kilobytes of it! This shows how accurate DNA synthesis is and how much detail your DNA can process.

But when you think DNA can’t be any more special, a quadruple-stranded DNA helix cropped up. (Who would have guessed?) And it was found in human cancer cells. The strands seem to coil up to form a square shape, which scientists think is unique to cancer cells. This could be a major step forward in cancer research, as isolating these unique structures could

help us beat cancer. Scientists being scientists, they have come up with a name for these new found structures, G-quadruplexes. To find the G-quadruplexes a research team from Cambridge University, used antibodies which would bind onto the structures, and using dye they were able to see where they were most concentrated.

Me being a geek, I find this very interesting. The fact that what makes us who we are, what we look like, is pretty much controlled by one type molecule. If my DNA code was slightly different I would be a completely different person. When Watson and Crick marched through the doors of that Cambridge pub, they showed everyone the secret of life. But 60 years later it seems that the secret of life itself has its own secrets that need to be uncovered.

The Secret of LifeWritten by Sam Lumborg, De La Salle

Dead and Shoulders

I’m sure you have all recently heard about the horsemeat scandal and how products advertised with 100% beef have actually been found with traces of horse DNA (horsemeat in beef burgers? What are the odds on that?).

It has forced us to rethink about what actually goes in the products we buy whether it’s the food we buy or your ordinary run-of-the mill items like shampoo.

So what actually goes into the products we buy? Well first let’s use an example and talk about a product that (I hope) most people will use on a regular basis-shampoo or more specifically ‘Head and Shoulders’ shampoo.

Are we really safe in a consumerist health culture?

By Toby McDonald, De La Salle

In total there are a reassuring 30 chemicals in it of which 20% are damaging to us!!

These chemicals include:

• DMDM hydantoin (I don’t know how to pronounce it either): a preservative that releases another chemical called formaldehyde that is carcinogenic (cancer causing).

• Sodium laureth sulfate/Ammonium laureth sulfate (or those): causes that “lovely foaming” which actually could be linked to cancer.

• Parfum (I know this one!): causes the “all relaxing smell” that actually could be linked to neurotoxicity and cancer

• Cl 42090/Cl 17200: causes the “all natural” blue colour in the cream that is toxic to the brain.

Name of chemical Where it’s found Possible side effects of chemical on body

In FoodBisphenol-A Resin lining of tin cans/

food containers

Reproductive problems, heart disease and

diabetes

Herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides

Root vegetables (if chemicals are in soil)

Cancer, brain damage, reproductive problems

Artificial colours and flavours Few sweet foods Cancer

Bovine growth hormone rBGH Few dairy products Cancer

Cosmetics

BHA and BHT BHA and BHT Cancer

p-phenylenediamine and cl-(five digit number) Most cosmetics Toxic to the brain

DEA Shampoos, sunscreens Cancer

Dibutyl phthalate Nail care products Reproductive Issues

Parfum Shampoos, perfumes Neurotoxicity

Ingredients with the letters “eth” Any creams Cancer

Petrolatum Lip balm, shampoos Cancer

Sodium laureth sulfate Foaming cosmetics Cancer

Triclosan Antibacterial cosmeticsMess with hormones, antibiotic resistance in

bacteria

So, quite optimistic then…

But how many products are there that are potentially dangerous to our health? Well that’s the challenge; below there is table with the most commonly used chemicals in industry that are harmful to your health.

My challenge is that you look at how many products there are in your house that do not have one of these chemicals in - I couldn’t find any.

As you can see this isn’t something like having different meat in your burger, these chemicals could potentially be lethal. But, you’re probably thinking how come these dangerous chemicals are allowed; I mean surly they must be regulated? Well, yes you would be right, the food industry is closely monitored by the F.S.A (food standards agency) in the U.K, and most of the time does a good job (apart from now). Although dangerous chemicals are allowed into our food they are not classified as dangerous by the F.S.A because they are only found in small amounts.

However the same can not be said for the cosmetics industry which although is regulated by the C.T.P.A (Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association), still has issues. Many independent researchers argue that not enough is being done to reduce the use of dangerous chemicals. Companies argue that these chemicals are used in small amounts, but on average women (maybe the occasional man) put 515 chemicals on their body every day via the use of make up, which many would argue could have detrimental side effects on the body.

So what can we do? Well big companies making these products are only interested in one thing – money. The reason these chemicals are present is because they make production and the life cycle of the product cheaper. Companies are not interested in our well being; can we really trust people who say 100% beef and give us horse? The only way things are going to change is if there are laws set against these chemicals and the only way that’s going to happen is if the government decides to change laws, which then depends on the people knowing about it. Look at the horsemeat scandal, now people know about it things are being done to stop it. Spread the word!

Comedy!Well, staying (slightly) on the topic of all things Science we bring you this months comedy page!

Our favourite internet moments from the past month along with a some relevent science related moments... Enjoy!

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