Scientific Latin
11 February is 'International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2022'. Therefore this front page features an image and explanation made by one of our year 12 students, a presentation on Women in STEMM and an article about Rosalind Franklin, both made by year 10 students and information about Women in Chemistry specifically by Mr Jenkins.
You will find lots of other interesting articles on a variety of topics and written/designed and made by a variety of students ranging from y9 to y13.
Image made by Eilidh McPherson
This is a painting that aims to reflect the chosen theme of the 2021 winter edition of med soc magazine, ‘Looking Global’. As an aspiring vet I decided to engage in the challenge freely presented to the public by ‘med-soc’ to create a piece of artwork to use as the cover of said magazine.
Whilst thinking of ideas, I thought that it would be appropriate to express the impact the scientific industry has had on the world in the last couple of years as a result of the rise in Covid 19.
For example, one reason we are looking global is to compare and contrast the success rate in current techniques to tackle Covid 19. Being a more economically developed country, we have the resources and facilities to introduce biotechnology such as lateral flow tests, vaccines, and PCR’s.
Additionally, scientists are also constantly analyzing cases in other countries across the world to detect possible variants of the virus. They can then develop vaccines for the new strain to prevent people from becoming infected if it ever did reach our side of the world.
These two examples hopefully explain why I thought it would be important to incorporate a scientific aspect that would portray this within my illustration. A microscope is used to represent the engagement of all scientists studying in immense detail the different areas of medicine across the globe in order to compact current issues- whether that be covid 19 or something just as equally valid as global warming.
Contributing to this magazine was a great interest of mine as it's an anthology showcasing fantastic opinion pieces, news, current affairs, topical issues within the medical industry and much more. By recording my involvement in this competition as an extracurricular activity, I hope to be able to convey my passion for veterinary medicine in my personal statement when applying to universities in the next year. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me and I would recommend future art competitions that present themselves to anyone with an artistic flair and appreciation of the medical industry.
Women in Chemistry
Mr Jenkins
Friday 11th February marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In the Chemistry curriculum, there are a lot of men and their contributions highlighted; Dalton, Thompson, Rutherford and Bohr as well as Haber but unfortunately no women are credited with discoveries or their work discussed. Today we would like to mention Kathleen Lonsdale a TrailBlazer in her field as a chemist and as a woman in STEMM.
Kathleen Yardley was born in County Kildare on Jan. 28 1903. Though born in Ireland she spent most of her childhood, studies and early career in Essex. A gifted academic, she studied higher mathematics, physics and chemistry before going to University at Bedford College for Women at the age of 16 to read mathematics. After a year she switched to physics and graduated in 1922 top of the University of London BSc list. She was then invited by one of her examiners, Sir William Bragg, to join his research team which later moved from UCL to the Royal Institute.
Kathleen used X-ray diffraction to study the structure of molecules and in 1929, she published her pivotal paper on the structure of the benzene ring in hexamethylbenzene.
Professor K. N. Trueblood said of her discovery:
“Her experimental determination of the structure of the benzene ring by X-ray diffraction, which showed that all the ring C-C bonds were of the same length and all the internal C-C-C bond angles were 120 degrees, had an enormous impact on organic chemistry.”
Blazing a trail for other women scientists to follow Kathleen Lonsdale was awarded a DSc by University College London in 1936, and in 1945, she and Marjory Stephenson became the first women Fellows of the Royal Society, ending a 285-year-old tradition of the fellowship not admitting women.
Not only was Kathleen a phenomenal chemist and gifted mathematician, pioneering research into using X-rays to determine the shapes of molecules but she was also a dedicated pacifist, who after refusing to register for civil defence duties and then not paying the subsequent fine was interned for a month in Holloway Prison.