Misogyny in pop science books

 My 8 year old daughter is quite into the idea of time travel, and would really like it if it were possible to build a time machine.  So, I figured I'd get a copy of Paul Davies's book How to Build a Time Machine and read it to her.  I hadn't read it and figured it wasn't quite aimed at her age, but I also figured it would be pretty readable and she'd get something from it. 

Mainly she seems to be enjoying it, and I am too, but one phrase in the introduction did jar with me when reading it out to her.  The author talks a bit about time travel in popular culture, mentioning Doctor Who and how audiences "thrilled to the adventures of the time lord Dr Who and his attractive lady accomplices."  

I didn't stop reading or start talking about why the "lady accomplices" should have been described as "attractive" when they are no doubt lots of other things, and she didn't stop to ask, but I certainly gave a huge inward sigh, realising that this is the world she is living in.  We're still reading through the book together, and I think I indeed must say something to her about it.  Perhaps when we've finsihed we can talk about things we thought about the book, and I can give my thoughts then.

Home office to X-ray people?

 The Daily Mail and General Trust's publication New Scientist has a report in it, here, that the Home Office has commissioned a report on supposed scientific methods to determine someone's age.  The "someones" in question are those who come to UK seeking asylum.  The UK government has come up with a high-profile scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda while their claims are being dealt with, despite being technically competent to look after people and process their asylum claims in the UK.

One sticking point with the process is that children are not supposed to be sent to Rwanda, but the exact ages of asylum seekers (who are quite possibly without documents) can't be verified by the government, who may doubt the claim of someone to be still a child.  Their bright idea, then, is to find ways of accurately determining age, and so a report has been commissioned. 

According to the New Scientist story, which includes some details of the yet-unpublished report, one of the methods is in the use of dental X-rays.  I'm not qualified to comment on whether any of the physiological measures of age are reliable (but it strongly looks like not) but the idea of giving someone ionizing radiation for a non-therapeutic purpose is totally immoral.  Ionising radiation is damaging.  It carries a risk of causing damage to the body, which could result in cancer.  The effect is small, but giving X-rays is a calculated risk if there is a medical reason for it.  In this case, there is no medical reason, simply a political one, and there can be no justification for it at all.  

I hope when the report appears that it is not implemented, and that if there is an attempt to implement it, no medical practitioner would agree to do it, but it's bad enough that it's even being thought about.

Philip Walker recipient of 2022 Lise Meitner prize

It has just been announced that my colleague at the University of Surrey, (emeritus) Prof Phil Walker, has received the 2022 Lise Meitner prize for his work on nuclear isomers.  A good description of the significance of isomers is given in the announcement from the European Physical Society. It points out that the discovery of isomers happened 100 years ago (actually 101), and Phil co-organised a meeting in Berlin in the place where Hahn made that discovery.  The workshop took place this year and was able to happen in-person, though Phil only attended remotely thanks to the general ongoing difficulties in international travel through the pandemic. 

This is not the first time I have blogged about Phil winning a prize.  He was also awarded the 2019 IoP Rutherford medal.  When I mentioned that,  I pointed out how kind and helpful Phil has been with me in my career, and that I had 14 co-authored papers with him and hoped that I might be able to increase that number.  In fact, that has happened - last year Phil and I published a paper together on gamma decay of isomeric states.  

Congratulations Phil!