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Sleeping beast awakes on Science is Vital rally Jenny Rohn, whose call to arms culminated in the Science is Vital rally outside the Treasury on Saturday, describes how she watched in awe as scientists took to the streetsLast Saturday, several thousand scientists and their supporters massed in front of the Treasury building in Westminster to speak out against proposed funding cuts for scientific research. Standing on the stage for my opening speech, I surveyed the sea of protestors in a state of awe.It was past the starting time of 2pm, but people were still streaming into King Charles Street from both ends of the road. I could see people of all descriptions: famous scientists, young students, families with small children. Many people sported white coats and held up placards or colourful accessories: a foam model of Jupiter; a buckyball on a stick; the international symbol for toxic irritants with a photo of Vince Cable superimposed within the yellow triangle. The mood was well-behaved and upbeat, but the opening cheer echoed with a mighty roar, driving home just how formidable people can be when many act as one.It had been only a month since I wrote a blog post proposing that scientists take to the streets – four short weeks from a crazy idea to its culmination. Along the way I received a whirlwind education in politics and grassroots organisation. My colleagues and I might be good at splicing genes or peering into the depths of the universe, but how many scientists does it take to assemble 300 placards in four hours while being faintly high on spray glue? (Answer: about a dozen.) These lessons and others occurred in a haze of distracted days and late nights, and go some way toward explaining the complaint that more scientists don't engage in policy activism: if they did, at least on this scale, research would grind to a halt.The big day finally arrived. Over the next two hours, speakers entertained the crowd in a line-up aimed at stimulating both hearts and minds. Colin Blakemore, Oxford neurobiologist and former head of the Medical Research Council, and Imran Khan, director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, made the detailed case for the importance of research investment to maintain economic growth. Bad Science columnist and medic Ben Goldacre spoke about the perils of a cuts-fuelled brain drain, and Simon Denegri, chief exec of the Association of Medical Research Charities, explained how public funding is crucial for supporting its mission. Sex educator Petra Boynton described why cutting basic research would imperil collaborations with social scientists working in the developing world. Paul Noon, general secretary of Prospect, spoke on behalf research trade unions, while Michael Brooks explained why he set up a political party devoted to science.On a more personal note, cancer survivor Claire Daniels and former Alzheimer carer Vivienne Hill gave moving personal takes on the importance of research.But it wasn't all sober and serious. Materials scientist and broadcaster Mark Miodownik of King's College London spoke about the more inspirational aspects of science as a cultural endeavour, and stand-up science comics Timandra Harkness and Dean Burnett easily scored laughs. But Evan Harris, former MP and tireless champion for evidence-based policy, arguably stole the show with his singing and chanting stints – which are rapidly becoming YouTube classics. Crowd-sourced videos and images of all the speakers and antics have been flooding in.Now that we on the Science is Vital team have just about managed to catch up on our sleep, it's a good time for reflection. We achieved excellent media coverage, and our central message – that cutting science funding will harm, not help, the economy – seems to have been driven home. We know that our work is not yet finished: we have a parliamentary lobbytoday, and still need to urge people to sign our petition (the deadline passes at 13.30 BST on Wednesday) and write to their MPs.20 October will be the moment of truth, however. When the comprehensive spending review is announced, we will finally find out whether our efforts made a difference. But there is one thing, at least, about which we can already be certain: scientists in the UK will no longer take things lying down. The slumbering beast truly has awakened.This article was amended on Tuesday 12 October 2010. The original stated that the Science is Vital petition "closes at 13:30 BST today". This has been corrected.Science funding crisisScience policySpending review 2010Tax and spendingLiberal-Conservative coalitionConservativesResearch fundingJenny Rohnguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
The X Factor and the ex-factor: what's our band called this week, please, Simon? | Mind your language Bel Ami became Belle Amie, just as FYE had to change to FYD. (Bun N Cheese, so far as we know, remain Bun N Cheese)How did they think we wouldn't notice? Somewhere between week one and week two of the X Factor live auditions, the girl group Bel Ami morphed magically into Belle Amie, without so much as a mention.There are several possible explanations for the surreptitious name change. Perhaps someone told Simon Cowell that, since the four are girls, their name ought to be the feminine rather than masculine form of the French words, which literally mean "fine friend". Alternatively, perhaps somebody knew that Bel Ami is also the name of a film starring Twilight's Robert Pattinson and Uma Thurman, due to be released next year. Maybe they even realised that Bel Ami is the name of the world's most successful gay porn company.Unlikely though it seems, let's imagine the answer lies with the first of these three possibilities. Changing the group's name to Belle Amie makes a sort of sense but, as any subeditor knows, too much tinkering with foreign words can lead to untold trouble. Were the girl group to go all the way, their success could open the floodgates to all sorts of variations, right and wrong, on les belles amies or des belles amies, not to mention assorted other French words.The second and third explanations are linked, since Declan Donnellan's film is based on Guy de Maupassant's 1885 book about Georges Duroy – a young French stud who rose to the top by manipulating powerful (and mainly older) mistresses in 19th-century Paris – and Bel Ami most commonly refers to a younger lover. The Slovak filmmaker Georges Duroy took his pseudonym from the Maupassant character and borrowed the book's title for his porn movie company.In any case, for Cowell to call his young girl band Bel Ami seems like a big faux pas. He might have realised he needs something more wholesome for his winsome foursome. (Speaking of wholesome, can't he do something about the name of One Direction, which you don't want to say too quickly?)But Belle Amie and One Direction are Cowell's own creations. The other X Factor contestants have studied the popstars' rulebook and know the score: you can have any name you want, however ridiculous, meaningless or inappropriate. So, if Storm from Edinburgh wants to be Storm, so be it. Treyc can spell her ordinary name as weirdly as she likes. If Aiden from Blackpool is sticking with Grimshaw, that's fine too. Quite a few people probably thought WTF when they first heard FYD, but it's not a problem (FYI: they wanted to be FYE, but someone else got there first). After all, a fine example was set by guest judge Will-i-am from the Black Eyed Peas.I am all for striving for grammatical correctness, but in the case of popstars, it's perhaps best not to interfere. Imagine if that other girl group Bun N Cheese had got through to the live auditions - they could have ended up as Cheese Roll.LanguageThe X FactorSimon Cowellguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |