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International Student Summit at the National History Museum
21st July 2008
On the 1st July four of us - Dan Wright, Daniel Davies, Becky Howard and Siobhan Orr went up to London on the train, accompanied by Ms Eveleen Langford-Johnson, to an International Summit on Darwin and Contemporary Science. The train journey was a success , but finding the accommodation proved difficult as we wandered the streets of South Kensington in search of Imperial College Halls; it was of course the map's fault!
Our first day began with lectures on the structure and role of DNA, a basis for the following few days, with lectures from key scientists in this field from Imperial College, the Natural History Museum, Cambridge University and the John Innes Centre. In the evening we were taken out to Pizza Express and the London Eye so we could see a bit of London.
The following day we had another day of lectures on DNA barcoding and the uses of artificial Darwinian natural selection in mosquito populations and the use of antibiotics, given by speakers from Kew Gardens, Oxford University and GlaxoSmithKlein. We all found these talks fascinating as we hadn’t appreciated the massive impact that gene modification could have on the future of science.
On our last day we were presented with talks from Syngenta and Unilever on the use of GM feeds and the concerns of feeding an ever-growing world population. With students representing a variety of different countries, including both developed and developing countries, these talks prompted much controversy and provided a hot topic for debate which opened our eyes to the wider issues of poverty and farming around the world.
Siobhan Orr (Studying Biology, Chemistry, Critical Thinking, English Literature and Mathematics)
The student summit on Darwin and Contemporary Science at the NHM this month was a truly brilliant opportunity for the four of us. Throughout, the subject of Biology was lifted clear of its classroom roots and we were able to experience it from numerous perspectives, exploring in detail not only the current theories, but also the history of Science, the characters who formed our modern biological understanding and perhaps, most poignantly, applications, present and potential within society, from possible treatments for cancer to how the looming global food crisis may be met through scientifically modified crops. Add to this baseline of fascinating subjects a succession of passionate and inspiring speakers, a range of global delegates from Ukraine to Brazil and much, often controversial, debate – the result was a thought-provoking and enjoyable event, of which we are all glad to have experienced.
Dan Wright (Studying Biology, Chemistry, English Literature and Mathematics)
The second day started according to plan when we found our way to the senior common room and enjoyed a delicious and substantial breakfast, thanks to Siobhan’s inbuilt compass, found the natural history museum. The day consisted of a series of lectures focused on evolution and DNA, so it was particularly relevant for our A level course. Dr. Olivia gave a passionate and humorous talk on ‘glad to have evolved’ and after that we all wanted to read her book. All of the lectures were really interesting and brought to life the importance of natural selection in creating the world that we know. There was an opportunity to ask questions and debate controversial points. After refreshments, we enjoyed a rather unusual bus tour which involved driving around the block for half an hour and then ending up where we started. We enjoyed a meal at Pizza Express and then saw the sights on the London Eye - it was a clear day , so we were able to see as far as the hills and identify many famous landmarks.