Campus News
The next steps in equality
November 3rd, 2014
Twelve years ago, Professor Sarah O’Hara and her partner celebrated the birth of their first child. Professor O’Hara phoned the University’s HR department to find out about maternity leave for same-sex parents. The query completely threw the officer who answered the call.
“It wasn’t that they didn’t want to help me,” she remembers. “It was just that they didn’t know how to respond. It was the first time they’d been asked the question — at the time the University had no policy in place that covered leave entitlement for same-sex parents. My query highlighted that things had to change.”
It’s because her own experience that the Pro-Vice Chancellor was so pleased to be introducing a special trans awareness event at the University’s Jubilee Campus – organised by the very same HR department. She believes that the event, which included training for managers in supporting trans staff and students, showcases just how far the University has come in terms of becoming more inclusive and supportive.
A talk from activist Paris Lees (pictured), who grew up in Hucknall, was a highlight of the event. Last year Paris topped The Independent’s Pink List — the top 50 most influential LGBT people in the country. She was a recent panellist on BBC’s Question Time, talking about her involvement in campaign All About Trans to improve the representation of trans people in the media.
Paris’s three years at university were a key part of her life. It was at the University of Brighton that she transitioned and began to live as a woman. But her university experience wasn’t easy.
Paris said: “I thought ‘I’ll go down to Brighton, I’m starting university, make a fresh start’ and I’ll go there as a girl and that’ll be my new life – and I didn’t realise what a huge pressure that would be.
“Every time I left the house it felt like a test – what if they notice that I’ve got big hands or if I laugh with a deep voice? I became quite paranoid and isolated. And occasionally I would get people who would shout things like ‘you f*cking tranny’ or ‘did you used to be a bloke?’”
Paris also had more typical student concerns – such as how to financially support herself. She ended up having sex for money. She said: “These people were travelling from all over the country to actually come and see me; not in spite of me being trans – but because of it, which boosted my self-esteem in a way.”
But despite this skewed self-esteem boost, Paris was miserable and contemplating suicide.
She said: “I do hate coming here and regurgitating this sob story because, as trans women, misery narratives are one of the few stories we’ve actually been allowed to tell. But obviously I was asked to talk about the issues affecting transgender woman and, unfortunately, these are them.”
Paris got involved in trans activism, began to earn a living through writing and is happier than she’s ever been. “I’m living a full life, and by that I don’t mean entirely good and easy, but full – and experiencing all of it and living a meaningful life. And this all comes from my decision to own my own identity and stop being ashamed of who I was and to be part of something bigger than myself.”
But Paris’s story isn’t unique, and the difficulties involved in changing gender cannot be overlooked. As her experiences at Brighton show, it is vital that trans staff and students are supported.
Paris joined trans activist Tara Hewitt, NUS LGBT Officer Sky Yarlett, the University’s deputy director of HR Clare Martlew and LGBTQ Network Chair Dr Max Biddulph on a panel to discuss trans issues in education, including how universities can improve support and inclusion.
Sky believes education should be a ‘safe space’, saying: “This is an incredible event – and I’m seeing it happening more and more. There are 600 students’ unions in the UK, the majority of which have LGBT societies — autonomous groups of LGBT students coming together. The students are leading the change in universities – they’ll encounter a problem and, instead of being hung up about it, they’ll ask ‘how’re we going to change this?’
“One of the things universities should do is look at what the students are doing, because I fully believe that students should be the ones leading the university.”
Tags: All About Trans, Clare Martlew, Dr Max Biddulph, LGBTQ, NUS LGBT Officer Sky Yarlett, Paris Lees, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sarah O’Hara, Tara Hewitt
Posted in Issue 74, People | Comments Off on The next steps in equality
Confident speakers share their secrets
November 3rd, 2014
Do you know how to wow a crowd by combining tricolon with anaphora, or how haptics can engage an audience? Students can learn how to use these tools of effective public speaking in a new module of the Nottingham Advantage Award (NAA).
The module is run by the Public Speaking Society — the first time a part of the Award programme has been set up and led by students.
Jonathan Jones, a committee member of the Public Speaking Society, said he approached the NAA team with the idea last year and was asked to outline the module.
He said it was the first time students had been offered the opportunity to lead a Nottingham Advantage Award module. The course — which is also run by society committee members Tim Fogarty, Ziyad Yehia and Ali Pearson and co-presidents Alex Rosu and Rohan Tharakan — has proved a hit, with modules booked up for this year. It is led by Rohan, a final year medical student, whose goal is to get students speaking in public with the confidence of orators like Barack Obama.
Students are taught the key skills of public speaking and assessed on their progress. Over five sessions they learn rhetorical devices such as use of tricolon — presenting information or phrases in groups of three — and anaphora, where a word or a set of words are repeated as a coda at the beginning of every sentence.
President Obama’s inauguration speech memorably combined both devices:
“For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.”
The course also covers voice control and the importance of posture and body language, for example, haptics, or how to add emphasis with your hands.
Jonathan, a third year Psychology and Philosophy student, joined the Public Speaking Society after he became treasurer and then president of the Capoeira (a martial art from Brazil) Society and wanted to learn how to address its meetings more effectively.
He hopes the success and popularity of the module will see it expanded so more students can benefit and added: “The ability to speak confidently in public and give effective presentations is a valuable skill.”
Hayley Williams, Students’ Union Employability Development Manager, and the module’s convenor, was first approached by Jonathan about the idea.
She said: “Public speaking is something not all students get to practise as part of their course so it’s great that students now have the opportunity to practise this skill and receive feedback on how they can improve.
“It’s been really exciting to be involved in the creation of this module — the NAA’s first society-led module. The enthusiasm shown by Rohan and Jonathan was really what persuaded us to take this idea forward and create the module. Students learn best when the learning is delivered in a creative and engaging way and who better to do that than students themselves?”
Rohan said: “Public speaking is easy! We teach a few simple techniques that will make anyone into an incredible speaker. We want to pass on these techniques to as many people as possible, and so it’s been an absolute pleasure to work with the Nottingham Advantage Award to help further this goal.”
The Nottingham Advantage Award aims to enrich students’ experience of University while equipping them with valuable life and work skills. Its 150 modules focus on career skills, mentoring, cultural awareness, entrepreneurship, sustainability, volunteering and work experience. It is supported by Impact: The Nottingham Campaign as part of a commitment to enhance the Nottingham experience and to make our graduates more competitive in the jobs market.
More on the public speaking module at:
http://tiny.cc/UoNSpeakingmodule
Public Speaking Society:
http://tiny.cc/UoNPublicSpeaking
Tags: Alex Rosu, Ali Pearson, Hayley Williams, NAA, Nottingham Advantage Award, Psychology and Philosophy, Public Speaking Society, Rohan Tharakan, Students’ Union Employability Development Manager, Tim Fogarty, Ziyad Yehia
Posted in Issue 74, People | Comments Off on Confident speakers share their secrets
South Entrance closure Friday 7 November
November 3rd, 2014
From 10am on Friday 7 November until the morning of Sunday 9 November, the South Entrance will be closed. These will be the final NET tram works on South Entrance, enabling users to use East Drive as normal in future.
We apologise for any inconvenience and ask road users to use the North or West Entrances instead.
Buses will be unable to stop at the Arts Centre stop, and passengers are advised to use the stops on East Drive. For more information of other works, visit our tram works page.
Tags: tram, transport, travel, University Park, works
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Overcoming barriers, together
November 3rd, 2014
Calibre is a personal leadership and development programme for University staff with disabilities*. Among the programme’s graduates are Stephen Hodkinson, Professor of Ancient History, Susan Inness, a Library Support Assistant and Sarah Thomas, a Model Design Technician with the School of Architecture. Here they discuss Calibre and their experiences of working at the University.
What is Calibre’s purpose?
Susan Inness, who has a brain injury and impaired vision: “What the course showed is that social barriers — the environment we work in — cause problems, not our impairment. We must chose to have control over these barriers by using the right words and speaking to the right people so we can overcome them.”
Stephen Hodkinson, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a cycling accident: “A key part of Calibre is showing that disabled staff, whatever their positions, can exercise personal leadership to effect positive change in the workplace and that the experience of disability gives staff particular insights, skills and abilities unavailable to non-disabled staff — we have something distinctive to contribute.”
What are the challenges you face at work?
Sarah Thomas, who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): “People can’t see my [disability] — and they also struggle to relate it to an adult woman. Along with the ADHD I have Sensory Processing Disorder — I struggle to process sensory input. My biggest problem is that I burn myself out so quickly. Also medication can be an issue when they change it or it’s not agreeing with me physically.”
Susan: “There are little instances where staff just don’t get it and they say the wrong things without thinking. They don’t know how to interact with my disability — they’re ok interacting with me as a person but not the disability side of me as a person.”
Stephen: The effects of my injury have been more subtle — reduced attention span and short term memory and greater difficulty in holding together multiple ideas. By adjusting ways of working, I’ve been able to continue working effectively — I coordinated my unit’s REF submission! — but original research is the biggest challenge. I have a period of study leave coming up aimed at completing my return to research.”
Can declaring disability be an issue?
Sarah: “It wasn’t until I came here that I declared I was disabled and was able to say ‘look, sometimes I just need one day off — I can’t leave the house because it hurts the senses too much and I just can’t manage it’. It’s a relief having the support I need — it means I have less time off in the long run because I feel less pressured. I still get tired but I don’t get as stressed.”
Susan: “A lot of disabled people feel isolated, don’t feel confident enough to say ‘I am disabled, I need this support’. There are a lot of people out there we still don’t know are disabled.”
Stephen: “Since becoming disabled I’ve discovered other staff who like me have acquired a disability, but unlike me have not declared it. I think there’s a fear of stigma and also uncertainty whether declaring your disability will have a positive rather than negative outcome. Therefore it remains a hidden problem.”
Should the University be doing more?
Stephen: “Whenever considering new policies or procedures, decision-makers need to think — ‘Are there challenges this might pose for staff with various kinds of disabilities and how do we build in anticipatory adjustments to overcome barriers the policy may cause?’ It’s very cost-efficient — it saves a lot of individual staff negotiation because many of the required adjustments are already in place. It also saves the uncertainties managers often face — ‘Should I ask this disabled member of staff about his or her particular needs, or will they be offended if I raise the issue?’”
Susan: “When I first came here in 2006 I didn’t have a clue about the support I was going to get. There was no equipment or guidance. I was constantly on the internet trying to find out who I talk to. I hope things would be better for someone in a similar position starting now.”
Stephen: “The University has a very strong support service for disabled students, but it doesn’t have a single staff disability officer or advisor and that’s a big gap. S/he could act as a liaison between disabled staff and line managers and provide informed advice to policy-makers to help the University meet its legal duties under the 2010 Equality Act.”
Can Calibre help?
Stephen: “The University’s Strategic Plan has a specific target for increasing the proportion of staff with declared disabilities. In promoting disabled staff leadership, Calibre is assisting the University to meet its strategic objectives.”
Susan: “Calibre is a step in the right direction but we didn’t have non-disabled staff on our course — it would have been useful to see disability from their perspective, too.”
Sarah: “It helps by encouraging us to put forward what we need in a positive way and work with the University to get support — that’s beneficial for all.”
*“Just under 2% of University employees have declared a disability…still some way short of the 2014/2015 target of 4% referenced in the 2010-2015 University plan and will therefore require some focus over the coming years. The University has shown a slight improvement from 2011 in reducing the ‘Not known’ category from 6.7 to 5.7%.” — the University’s Annual Diversity Report 2013
Read the report here
Calibre is a three-day course open to any staff with a declared disability. It is supported by the University’s Disabled Staff Network (DSN) and managed by the Professional Development Unit.
Participants in Calibre took part in a graduation ceremony on October 22. Registrar Dr Paul Greatrix heard how the course aims to empower disabled staff to overcome the challenges they face and help develop strategies to improve diversity in the University workforce.
For more information on Calibre, contact Katharine Carter, Professional Development Officer,
e: katharine.carter@nottingham.ac.uk
Gillian Coburn, DSN coordinator said: “Stephen, Susan are Sarah are all members of the Disabled Staff Network. Staff with disabilities can sometimes feel isolated and our meetings are a great place to share experiences and enjoy friendship and support from colleagues across the University. We’re also an important forum that helps influence University policy.”
For information on the Disabled Staff Network
e: gillian.coburn@nottingham.ac.uk
Tags: Calibre, Disabled Staff Network, Disabled Staff Network coordinator, Gillian Coburn, Katharine Carter, Model Design Technician, Professional Development Officer, Professor of Ancient History, Sarah Thomas, School of Architecture, Stephen Hodkinson, Susan Inness
Posted in Issue 80 | 6 Comments »
Malaysia trip teenagers will never forget
November 2nd, 2014
Elephant trekking, conservation work and a daily slice of molten chocolate cake — it’s no wonder that 17-year-old Iffat Ahmad calls her all-expenses-paid trip to The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) the ‘best of her life’.
Iffat was one of five pupils from King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls in Birmingham who picked up the team prize at the University’s Academy Excellence Awards for students aged 16-19 from England’s academy schools. She was joined by fellow A-level students Merunisa Nazam, Amanpreet Nandhra, Shazia Jehan and Hajrah Zafar.
The prize included both the week-long trip and £1,000. Last year’s winners were invited to visit the The University of Nottingham Ningbo China.
“Every single day was amazing,” said Iffat. “One day we went to the elephant sanctuary in the morning and a tropical rainforest in the afternoon. I did things I’d never dreamt of doing and I learnt so much about elephants from (UNMC academic) Dr Campos-Arceiz who was really passionate about endangered species. In his words, the elephants were ‘disgustingly cute’.
“It was really refreshing to do ecology fieldwork in real life — it made me realise the importance of everyone working together to conserve natural ecosystems.”
The trip was designed to give the winning pupils a taste of culture, life and study in south-east Asia. The students took part in language lessons and observed a lecture at the University. They also completed an ecology project involving elephant relocation and a student-led activity assisting indigenous tribespeople.
Merunisa, 17, said: “The whole trip was perfectly planned to ensure we experienced as many different aspects of Malaysia as possible.”
Merunisa’s time spent in the ‘Orang Asli’ — ‘original people’ — village was a particular highlight.
She said: “They led a very simple yet happy lifestyle and certainly made me appreciate what I have. The main thing which I will always remember about Malaysia is how happy the people always were. Everywhere we went there was always a friendly happy face to welcome us. I would encourage anyone thinking about the awards to enter and just give it a go. This opportunity has changed me into a more focused and conscientious person and will stick with me forever.”
Professor Stephen Doughty, Vice-Provost for Teaching and Learning at UNMC, said: “It was a tremendous privilege to have the students visit the campus and to see campus life at first hand.
“The highlight of the visit was a project undertaken by the students on sustainable ecology. They heard about research work being undertaken by Dr Campos-Arceiz at the Malaysia campus focusing on elephant relocation and conservation, as well as seeing some student-led activities assisting marginalised indigenous tribespeople to cultivate produce to create a sustainable income.”
The trip was also an opportunity for the students to see what life is like at UNMC and to encourage them to think about studying in Malaysia or China.
Professor Sarah O’Hara, the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Access and Community Engagement, said: “It’s great to hear the pupils thoroughly enjoyed their trip to The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. We know how fantastic our campuses in Malaysia and China are and the Academy Excellence Awards and this phenomenal prize are a great way of demonstrating this, as well as rewarding the hard work of students at academy schools.
“Hopefully the trip has demonstrated to the students that you can study at a top-class university like Nottingham and also take advantage of the opportunity to spend time at our campuses in Malaysia or China.”
The Academy Excellence Awards are sponsored by the David Ross Foundation and hosted by the University. Nottingham alumnus David Ross (Law 1987), Chairman of the David Ross Foundation and Co-chair of Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, has already committed £2.1m to support Nottingham Potential, a commitment to break down the barriers to higher education and a key project under the Nurturing Talent theme of the University’s Campaign.
Tags: David Ross Foundation, Iffat Ahmad, Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, Nottingham Potential, Professor Sarah O’Hara, Professor Stephen Doughty, The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China, the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Access and Community Engagement, Vice-Provost for Teaching and Learning at UNMC
Posted in Issue 73 | Comments Off on Malaysia trip teenagers will never forget
Genocide’s inspirational survivors
November 2nd, 2014
Women who survived the Rwandan genocide are stronger and are inspiring positive changes in society, according to researchers at the University.
A high proportion of the 800,000 victims of the Rwandan genocide were men. As one survivor told interviewers, women had to find new strength: “To see my kids growing up gives me hope. Before, raising my kids alone without my husband or without a job would have been inconceivable.”
The researchers, in looking at post-traumatic growth — how individuals and societies can strive after adversity — also found that Rwandan society had become more focused on the individual. And while women do have more influence, the stigma attached to genocide victims is still holding them back.
Funded by an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award, PhD student Caroline Williamson in the University’s Department of French and Francophone Studies worked in Rwanda for a year with the Nottinghamshire-based NGO The Aegis Trust, which campaigns against genocide and crimes against humanity, and runs the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre.
Caroline proofread transcripts for the Trust of survivors’ interviews which form part of the Genocide Archive. She also analysed testimonies for her own research.
After the genocide, two-thirds of the population were female. In a society where previously women could not legally own property and it was taboo for a woman to head a household, attitudes and the law had to change and evolve.
“The women interviewed saw themselves as stronger after living through the genocide,” said Caroline. “They lost husbands, sons, brothers and fathers. Often they were subjected to horrific sexual attacks. But these women often came through the experience with a raised sense of self-reliance.”
Survivors also inspired each other. “I saw people who survived unexpectedly,” one woman said. “They tried to kill them but they refused to die. They may have lost an eye, a nose or a tongue yet still they survived.”
The genocide even affected everyday language. “Through the transcripts, you can see the change in the way people speak,” added Caroline. “Where previously they would have used the first person plural, they described their experiences in the first person singular.
“But many lost their entire families. They went from being a ‘we’ to an ‘I’ in a short space of time.”
Caroline’s project — linked to a collaboration between The Aegis Trust and Dr Nicki Hitchcott of the Department of French and Francophone Studies — will increase understanding of the genocide. As Dr Hitchcott explained: “Caroline’s work at Genocide Archive Rwanda will help ensure that the voices of women survivors of the 1994 genocide are heard around the world.”
Tags: Aegis Trust, Caroline Williamson, Department of French and Francophone Studies, Dr Nicki Hitchcott, Genocide Archive, Genocide Archive Rwanda, Rwandan genocide
Posted in Issue 73 | Comments Off on Genocide’s inspirational survivors
Passion is the key to success
November 2nd, 2014
The University of Nottingham is encouraging prospective students to follow their heart as well as their head. The Study What You Love campaign focuses on enjoying your subject — whatever that may be.
The campaign’s ambassador is philosopher Professor Stephen Mumford, Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
“It was love of the subject that led me to study philosophy. I doubt I could have done well at university without that,” said Prof Mumford.
“Although I didn’t understand exactly what philosophy was, I had a sense that it was interesting and important. The world seemed full of fundamental mysteries and it was only in philosophy that there was hope of solving them.”
Courses for subjects without an obvious career attached — such as philosophy — still shape our students into effective communicators, confident presenters, skilled analysts and innovative problem solvers. A survey by the Daily Telegraph placed philosophy graduates as eighth most employable by subject.
Prof Mumford said: “I use the analytic, rational skills of philosophy in so much else, not just my research and teaching. Good thinkers are needed in all professions and the skills are useful in every task.
“The idea of Study What You Love sends the right signal. Passion for a subject area is the best way in which to excel. In so doing, you will acquire all sorts of skills that can take you forward even in a career you didn’t anticipate.”
Prof Mumford wrote about the importance of studying a subject you feel passionate about on the Study What You Love blog. A post from Tim Smith, from law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, adds: “The subject a graduate has studied isn’t important at all, we are much more interested in the skills that a candidate can display.”
Sarah Perkins, a third year Dietetics student, said: “It means that when work is really hard, you have something that gets you through; an aim for all the work and a passion for all you learn.
“On a vocational course you have to want to work with people and you have to care about people; you can’t just get by with academia and getting good marks. Studying what you love will mean you enjoy it and this will feed into everything else you do.”
Shane Chard, a second year English and American Studies student, added: “Many people are curious about how I will turn this into a career. I always answer: my degree will equip me with an abundance of transferable skills, but what I will use to stand out from the crowd are the extracurricular activities on offer at Nottingham.”
Visit the Study What You Love blog at http://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/studywhatyoulove
Tags: Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Stephen Mumford, Sarah Perkins, Shane Chard, Study What You Love
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Keeper’s farewell
November 2nd, 2014
Dr Dorothy Johnston is retiring from the University after 25 years of dedicated service. And, as Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections, is giving up what surely must be one of the very best job titles going — but that’s not what she will miss the most.
“It was because of its reputation that I wanted to come to Nottingham,” says Dorothy. “It is the collections that have kept me here and I suspect they are what I will miss the most in the future. And of course my colleagues — I’ve worked with some wonderful people and I shall miss them.
“I feel really lucky to have been in the profession at a time when it has moved from mainly servicing academics and graduates to making collections more open for undergraduate students too and now encouraging use by local schools and the wider community.”
Originally from Dublin, Dorothy attended Trinity College Dublin for both her undergraduate and doctoral degrees. She then completed a research placement at Queen’s University Belfast before moving onto a curatorial career. Her first role was as assistant archivist at The University of Aberdeen before moving to Nottingham in 1987. And it is here she has stayed ever since.
“I didn’t expect to stay in one job for 25 years and actually I don’t think that I have. Because Nottingham is very good at change and I think my job has changed pretty well every five to ten years.
“The core thing is absolutely the same: my responsibility is to look after the collections and make them available. But the way in which we do that has changed. When I came it was very much about people in a reading room.”
Now the department focuses on increasing access with a blog, website, digitising manuscripts, staging exhibitions, working with the community… the list goes on.
That’s why it would be easy to presume — after all that’s changed and been achieved — that Dorothy’s retiring because she has done everything she set out to do. That, however, is far from the truth.
“As an archivist, we see amazing things in collections, and there are always items that we would love to be able to work on ourselves. One of my personal career disappointments is I’ve had very little time to do it.
“I don’t expect to completely disappear but I’m going to be rid of the management and rid of the meetings. I’ve worked on a few things while at the University; I’m involved in a research project which concerns natural historian Frances Willughby and that’s a project I’m planning to do more work on after I retire.”
And, in addition to her work on Willughby, there are some projects that are way overdue — 25 years overdue, in fact.
“I’ve got things I worked on in Aberdeen that I never finished,” says Dorothy. “I’m not sure how much I’m going to be in a position to do but I’m certainly hoping to continue to work with manuscripts in some way.”
And so, after a quarter of a century at the University, Dorothy finally feels like it’s time to go.
“I must say it is with considerable regret. And there is so much more I would love to do. But there are options, different ways to go and it is going to be fascinating to see how the department continues to develop. I still think we’re the best kept secret of the University.”
One thing that colleagues throughout the University who have worked with Dorothy would tell you is that she is extremely modest. And so, appropriately, she wants the focus to be on the collections and the future — and not on her.
“I don’t know who will come to replace me,” says Dorothy. “But I feel the collections are fantastic — they’re even richer than they were 25 years ago and there’s a real challenge in making them available for our colleagues for research and to their students.
“And there are all sorts of new audiences who are really keen to get at them. The fact that digital technologies are moving in so many different ways… the opportunities are just limitless.”
Fngers crossed, the University’s next Keeper will be as passionate and driven as their predecessor.
Tags: Dr Dorothy Johnston, Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections
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When it comes to the crunch…
November 2nd, 2014
Why do chocolate biscuits taste so yummy after they’ve been dunked in tea?
“Mmmm… it turns the chocolate all warm and gooey” may be the obvious answer — but that was never going to satisfy Heston Blumenthal, the self-confessed “mad scientist” of the kitchen.
So the TV chef turned to a team from the University for a more rigorous explanation.
Heston was hooked up to the MS-NOSE mass spectrometer in the Flavour labs run by the Division of Food Sciences in the School of Biosciences to explain his reactions the aroma of a dunked biscuit. And the Nanotom, an X-ray tomography scanner, looked at changes in a dunked biscuit’s structure.
Several biscuits later, Heston revealed: “If you have chocolate on one side, if it melts a bit, you get a velvety smooth texture and then the delicious flavour as a result.”
The findings were aired on Channel 4 TV series Heston’s Fantastical Food.
Dr Ian Fisk, lecturer in food chemistry and an expert on aroma and taste, said: “This is a good example, if a little quirky, of the science that exists behind normal food.”
Tags: Division of Food Sciences, Dr Ian Fisk, Heston Blumenthal, Heston’s Fantastical Food, lecturer in food chemistry, School of Biosciences
Posted in Issue 73 | Comments Off on When it comes to the crunch…