Against all odds - end of year message

It's that time of year when you look back on how far you've come and make resolutions for the new year. Before I bring you my post on reviewing 2012, here's some food for thought as you round up the year.

How does one measure success?  Fame, wealth, career status etc Whatever your definition of success, one thing is for certain - success doesn't come cheap.
Drive, ambition, hard work, vision, passion, sacrifice, commitment and most importantly the ability to pick yourself up to name but a few are some of the key attributes possessed by change-makers however you define them to be. What would you say your main aspirations in life were? Whatever your priorities are they won't come to you, you've got to make them happen yourself.

When you have a paid job, turning up to your place of work is not so much a choice but an obligation.  When you choose to take on a personal project however, dynamics suddenly change. Getting up in the morning, making that phone call, writing that letter, taking steps to put that plan into action, all become a choice and this is where the line is drawn between the ordinary and extraordinary. Finding that inner will to maintain momentum is a challenge for many. Best place to start is to associate yourself with others who share in your will. Saying that, the old good cop bad cop concept has a positive outcome to it. After all, you can't expect everyone to be on the same page as you. The bad cops I personally think are a source of inspiration. When your definition of impossible becomes a possibility due to the actions of the good cop, it may hopefully change your train of thought for the better.

Statistics show that quite a significant number of start-ups close down within the first 5 years of being in operation. In the same way, very few who set off the be change makers finish the race. How many of us will make the sacrifices that the likes of Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and Martin Luther king had to endure to bring about positive change.



Every opportunity I get to hear the stories of the change makers who have braved the storms against all odds to make a positive difference a common factor resonates, its never an easy ride. Before hearing their stories i'm sure everyone of them have an experience to share about the time when you almost loose the will to carry on, the point when everything seems to fall apart at the same time, the point when you find you are alone in your vision and the eventual point when you consider giving up. Yet here they are today standing tall with heads held high inspiring others with their success stories.

What do you want to be associated with? How will you be remembered? A colleague once said to me "talking to you brings out the best in me", another said "I have a lot of respect for you", a friend said "you pushed me to where I am today".  Majority will never share in your vision nor believe in your dreams. The onus is on you to find that inner strength and keep the fire burning to make that dream a reality. When you hit a target, the feeling of achievement is best experienced. When you get there, never forget to appreciate and acknowledge those who supported and encouraged you along the way - however small their contribution.

So on that note, however the 2012 panned out to be for you, the world didn't end and you're still here. There's no time like the present so make that step towards reaching your goal and keep pressing on. Believe in yourself and shine in your path.

Recognsing Science Bloggers

Thanks to Good Thinking who recently organised a Science blog prize night in association with Soho Skeptics, I've come across an exciting list of  keen science bloggers out there i'll like to share with you.

Below are the shortlisted nominations, with links to their amusing and educative named blogs;

1. Stuart Clark: Across the Universe
2. David Colquhoun: DC’s Improbable Science
3. Ed Yong: Not Exactly Rocket Science
4. André Tomlin: The Mental Elf
5. Suzi Gage: Sifting the Evidence
6. Dorothy Bishop: BishopBlog
7. Neuroskeptic: Neuroskeptic
8. Oliver Childs, Henry Scowcroft & Kat Arney: Cancer Research UK Science Update
9. Dean Burnett: Brain Flapping
10. Athene Donald: Athene Donald’s Blog

And the winner is????????? David Colquhoun of DC’s Improbable Science and Suzi Gage of Sifting the Evidence. 

Today is Declared World Mental Health Day. Theme = "Depression, A Global Crisis"

Learn about World Mental Health Day via WHO here:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/annual/world_mental_health_day/en/index.html

Never say never - Sir John Gurdon, Nobel prize winner says he was written off by his Science teacher (Videos from you tube)

             

World Mosquito Day

20th August is World Mosquito Day. Watch this video http://vimeo.com/14269599 to learn more about how Ronald Ross first made the connection between the female mosquito and malaria in humans.


Image source http://www.mosquitotraps.com/world-mosquito-day-august-20-2009/

Image Source http://www.worldmalariaday.org/live_detail_en.cfm?id=572

Autism, Intelligence and the Nurtured Brain

Lack of social skills, ritualistic behaviour, excellent memory retention and simply genius are a few traits associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

In the early 1900’s when autism was first coined as a psychological condition sufferers were institutionalised and subjected to all sorts of intervention some as extreme as electric shocks. How unfortunate for the victims at that time. Today, the condition is almost hailed as a scientific beauty.

With the likes of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Alan Turning and Henry Cavendish postulated to suffer from Asperger’s syndrome, one cannot help but question whether autism is a hindrance or a glimpse into the future of human evolution and how much experience or genetics influences this condition. Asperger’s syndrome, named after Hans Asperger is a condition on the autism spectrum characterised by a higher than average level of intelligence and no physical disability.

The one thing the above scientists arguably have in common is their shear ingenuity and apparent lack of social skills. But is that to say that Aspergers’s syndrome is an underlying trait among all brilliant scientific minds or as commonly referred to in today’s society to all geeks and nerds? A traditional geek or nerd is characterised by the lack of friends and poor social skills, attributes associated with autism. They are often very knowledgeable and also have some form of obsessive interest. A typical example being Mark Zuckerberg who has almost revolutionised the face of the internet from what appears to have started with a broken heart as a result of being too geeky and Gary McKinnon another IT professional who is currently facing extradition charges to the USA for what is supposedly the biggest military computer hacking of all time. Notice the nerdy connection? Now, whiles Gary has a confirmed diagnosis of autism from renowned experts, Mark does not and his association to autism is solely based on his social deficiencies and enthusiastic behaviours.   

Even more interestingly, Mark Zuckerbergs’ parents are both scientist with his mother being a psychiatrist and his father being a dentist whereas Gary McKinnon’s parents are neither scientist nor engineers. Nature recently published an article where psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen suggested that children born to scientists and engineers are more likely to suffer from some form of autism. So is the autistic trait exhibited by Mark and Gary due to the environment they grew up in or as a result of a genetic trait?

A mutation in a single gene, HGMA2, has been identified as being responsible for intelligence. HGMA2 has been found in people with larger brains and has a positive correlation with the level of IQ. But if a large brain is associated with high IQ and the likes of Einstein apparently had a smaller than average brain surely his ingenuity must be down to the nurtured brain as supposed to this genetics, bearing in mind that the mutation in HGMA2 only increases IQ by an average of 1.3 points. The high IQ in Einstein’s brain must therefore be due to other factors including the nurturing of this non-mutated HGMA2 gene to behave as if it were in a larger brain to encourage the shift above the average IQ.

In the same way Chinese and Jews are said to have evolved from an intelligent lineage. Could this be solely due to genes or a result of nurtured brains? The Chinese are one disciplined race who are raised to work hard and aspire to be the best.  Surely the abundance of talent in the race must be due to a culture of discipline being nurtured to aspire to be nothing less than the best. There is no official data comparing the prevalence of autism in china to that of the west, hence the link to this intelligent lineage and autism cannot be made in this article. 

But take Britain’s prime ministers for example, 41 out of the 54 prime ministers to date went to one of the Uxbridge colleges. Although they may not always come across as the most intelligent, it’s no secret that entrants into Uxbridge are arguably the brainy bunch. All these prime ministers do not originate from a single parentage so surely their intelligence must be as a result of nurtured brains rather than the natural genes.  Going across the other side of the continent however, US presidents like George Bush and George W Bush, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John Quincy Adams and John Adams, Benjamin Harrison and William Henry Harrison originate from a common parentage and their suitability to govern a country could be in the genes.

So is there a genetic basis to ingenuity or is it a simple case of nature versus nurture. As much as the level of one’s intelligence may be due to genetics and the believe that the likes of Einstein found genius through autism, I conclude that even genes, like new-borns still have to be nurtured to be best they can be and nurtured brains are responsible for the high IQ associated with this ingenious scientific beauty we call Autism.

Drug for thought

• It takes an average of 10 - 15 years from the initiation of research to the approval of a drug for patient use
• It cost an average of $802 million to develop a single drug from concept to market
• Of every 5000 drugs in research today, only 5 will make it to clinical trials
• Of every 5 drugs that make it to clinical trials, only 1 will make it to the approval stage for patient use

Facts adapted from Wyeth Research

I love what I do. It may take 10 years to get your drug on the shelf but we are committed to your  wellbeing.

Link to my press release

Ghanaian Londoners Network encourages Ghanaians in UK to invest in Ghana and aid economic growth & development.

By Hephzi Angela Tagoe, Ghanaian Londoners Network

A business & investment event theme: “Ghana Golden Opportunities (GGO2012)” took place on Friday 18th of May 2012 at the 5 star Grange City Hotel in London. The event which was organised by Ghanaian Londoners Network and sponsored by Tullow Oil aimed to highlight business and investment opportunities in Ghana. This popular event sold out within days of advertisement and attracted over 100 delegates including investors, professionals and businesses including graduates and students with an interest in Ghana.

The carefully selected guest speakers included representation from the UK trade and investment (UKTI), Ghana high commission (GHC), Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Tullow oil.

Ghanaian Londoners Network founder and social entrepreneur Adwoa Agyemang opened the event by giving a brief history of the rich culture of Ghanaians in the diaspora and the importance of using networking as a tool towards contributing to Ghana's development. She gave a prime example of Dr Kwame Nkrumah who through his association with George Padmore and others during his stay in the UK contributed to achieving greatness. She also invited the audience to sign up as members of the Ghanaian Londoners network so together we can tap into our contacts and encourage the active engagement of the diaspora in the socio-economic development of Ghana to promote business & investments.

Adwoa's welcome was followed by 1st speaker, Mr. Michael Amaning from the UKTI who talked about how they assist UK based businesses export to the international market and vice versa by providing practical political, cultural, diplomatic and commercial advice as well as contacts required to enter the market. He emphasized on product quality being key to entering any market.

The 2nd speaker was Mr. George Fynn from the Ghana High Commissions' department of trade and investment. He mentioned the fact that as much as Ghana is ripe for business and investment opportunities it was important for potentials to bear in mind that most established businesses today started with one small step and a budding investor should take time in nurturing an idea. Potential business and investment areas highlighted by Mr. Fynn included hospitality, manufacturing, tourism, IT, entertainment and agriculture. He noted that, it is no secret that Ghana currently has one of the fastest growing economies and a safe haven in Africa but bearing in mind that Africa has a history of rising and falling now is the time to break that cycle and ensure Ghana's rise progresses and the Diaspora has a role to play in this. The audience were tickled with laughter when Mr Fynn shared his experience of being an absent CEO. His advice being that you can't manage a business in Ghana from the Diaspora.

Tullow then took the stage to elaborate on opportunities in the oil and Gas sector. Rightly, Rosalind Kainyah advised that as much as Ghana has high expectations from the discovery of oil it is not as clear cut as people perceive it to be. It is important for interested parties to read, research and learn about the industry before embarking on a career or contract in the Oil and Gas industry. She highlighted Tullow's desire to operate in Ghana long term and their commitment to giving back to the Ghanaian community citing examples of their scholarship scheme and other training programs. She noted that investment opportunities in the oil & gas sector are vast and she encouraged investors to think broadly and consider other related areas such as infrastructure, travel and hospitality. Rosalind also stressed the fact that Tullow being an international company operates by international standards and to bear this in mind when bidding for contracts. Contractors are however bound by regulations requiring employing a minimum of 60% Ghanaian work force with Tullow itself currently having an 80% Ghanaian workforce and aiming for 90%. She concluded by mentioning opportunities to buy shares in the Company.

Ghanaian Londoners used the occasion of the event to inform attendees about their forthcoming fundraising efforts to launch the young entrepreneurs programme (YEP) in Ghana during global entrepreneurial week from 12th – 18th November 2012. YEP is a series of business learning and mentoring programme for young people, which has proven to be a success in the UK is now broadening its horizon to the homeland with the aim of educating and empowering 60 young people with entrepreneurial skills to help towards combatting the high youth unemployment rate.

Overall, attendees found the event very useful and insightful and the evening finished off with networking over drinks and canapé reception.

For details about Ghanaian Londoners, membership into the network, any of our upcoming events and to donate towards the young entrepreneurs program please visit www.ghanaianlondoners.org

Celebrate Ghana! 2012 - London

When: Saturday, 18th August 2012

Time: 2.30pm - 5.30pm

Where: Ripple Centre, Barking.

Dresscode: Ghanaian/African Attire( includes Ghana/African inspired t-shirt).

This Olympic inspired cultural event is aimed at bringing together Ghanaian Londoners, the African-Caribbean communities, individuals & organisations with links to Ghana and anyone with an interest or influenced by African culture to celebrate all things Ghanaian in London and our Olympians in a fun, relaxed, social setting.

Join us in this vibrant cultural celebration of our history and presence in London as we showcase the diverse talents, culture, arts, food, music and the general hospitality of our people.

There will be special guest speakers, stage performance, time with sport personalities, stalls, food, networking and lots of music and dancing.

We are really looking forward to welcoming you on the day.

In the true spirit of celebrating all things Ghanaian, we are encouraging all our guests to wear Ghanaian/African Attire. This includes Ghana/African inspired t-shirts.

We will be running a mini competition for best dressed male & female. Surprise Prizes will be given out to the winners.

Activities on the day includes:1. Azonto Dance Demonstration (This is a participatory activity, so come prepared to Azonto) This activity will be led by a team from Azonto Fitness http://azontofitness.wordpress.com/2. Games: The oware society will be setting up their stand for people to learn how to play this game. Read More > http://www.oware.org/3.Cultural drumming & dancing by The Academy of African Arts > http://www.academyofafricanarts.org.uk/
4. Ghanaian high Life, Hip Life & Afrobeats Music by Darling J ( Rainbow Radio)5. Guest Speakers, Artists, Performers + mini exhibition of ghanaian/African inspired products/services 6. Ghanaian Food & drinks will be on sale + many more.

This event to open to all individuals, families, communities, organisations and visitors in the UK with an interest in Ghana and anyone who wishes to explore our rich vibrant culture.

This event is organised by Ghanaian Londoners.

Ghanaian Londoners is a social enterprise which unlocks the potential of individuals with a core focus on enterprise education and networking for community development.

Ghanaian Londoners (GL) will use this event as a fundraiser towards the launch of our young entrepreneurs programme in Ghana and to promote our services.

More info: http://www.ghanaianlondoners.org/2012/05/13/young-entrepreneurs-programme-ghana/

v When: Saturday, 18^th August 2012

v Time: 2.30pm – 5.30pm

v Where: Ripple Centre, 121- 125 Ripple Road. Barking. IG11 7FN

vTickets: £5 early bird, £15 for family or group of 4 and £10 per person, standard price.

Bus Routes

287, 387, EL1, EL2, 368, 687, 62

Nearest tube station Barking Station

Underground: District Line, Hammersmith & City Line

Rail Services: C2C, London Overground - Gospel Oak to Barking service

For more information, contact

Name: Hephzi Angela Tagoe

Organisation: Ghanaian Londoners Network

Mobile: 07738249621 / 07949792527

Tel: 02032882180

Email: info@ghanaianlondoners.org

Geek's the new cool.

Forget "fifty shades", here's the book you should all be reading.
Did you know that only 1 of the UK's current 650 MPs is a scientist. Understandably, he'll have to shout really loudly to be heard. Mark Henderson, former Sciene editor of the times and now the head of communications at the Wellcome trust shares his concerns about the lack of science on the political agenda and why the cause for conecern. Visit Why Science matters to find out more.



Image of Mark Henderson from google

 

WOW!!!!! a living human brain

Isn't Science fascinating. The award winning Image from the "Wellcome Image of the Month". Read about it here http://wellcometrust.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/wellcome-image-of-the-month-award-winner/

Goddess of Love & Beauty on Earth

On June 5 - 6 this year, curious eyes can catch a glimpse of the beautiful planet of Venus. Named after the roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus is the second planet from the sun after mars. So what makes Venus so special?, well apart from having similar characteristics to earth such as size, gravity and it's composition it is also the 3rd brightest natural object in the night sky after the sun and moon.  As a result of its brightness, every 243years (in pairs of 8years) when Venus gets round the sun to the point where it crosses the earth, one can catch a glimpse of this bright and beautiful planet of love and beauty. This is a rare historical event occurring in your lifetime and not to be missed. So mark the date and escort Venus across earth. Visit http://www.transitofvenus.org/ to learn more about this historic event.

Image from http://eyeamsmf.blogspot.co.uk 

So I ask Science.... What have you ever done for me

Ever heard of Sense about Science? Well, as the name implies it's all to do with making sense about science.
Sense about Science is an organisation who are all about equipping people to make sense about science by asking for evidence. 

                                                             

Their popular 'ask for evidence campaign' which has been running for a few years now has been successful in combating some gut turning misleading scientific headlines by contacting the perpetrators and asking for evidence. More often than not, they are found wanting and left to think twice about misleading the public with false evidence. Find out more and join the campaign here http://www.senseaboutscience.org/pages/a4e.html.
So to all you perpetrators out there, watch out, sense about science will be asking for evidence to the claims and you better have a concrete one or face the wall of shame.




The 23rd of April was a very special day for Science. About 300 delegates from the science world including representations from the voice of young scientist network assembled at the Royal institute of Medicine to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Sense about Science as part on the annual lecture. The topic for this years lecture which was given by Lord Taverne was "What has Science ever done for us".   Lord Tavern founded Sense about Science in 2002 and today his vision to ask for evidence and make sense about science continues, wow he's not even a Scientist. Lord Taverne Studied philosophy and ancient history at Oxford, he then joined the bar and later took up a career in politics.  
In his lecture Lord Taverne summarized the progress science has made from the days of superstitions to today's enlightenment of humankind.

Overall, an educative and inspiring evening on Scientific progress 

Here's a podcast of the lecture. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/audio/2012/may/01/science-weekly-extra-podcast-sense-science-lecture








 

My journey through African literature

On the list of this years to do list is to read my way through books by Ghanaian / African authors. So somewhere in between my science biased posts i'll be recommending some exotic books for your library. 

My origin of books -  Growing up, there were certain book I just had to have and probably read my way through every edition that got released. Top of the list in my library include 'famous five', 'the adventures of Tintin', 'Danielle Steels' collection and my all time teenage favorite collection, 'Mills & Boon'. My brother was more of a John Grisham type reader and occasionally I'd seize one of his thriller and Sci-fi collection. 

The first time
I read my first Shakespearean novel at secondary school where Macbeth was part of the curricula. I had heard stories from Shakespeare's collection as mum had a habit of citing examples of lessons in life from his books. From the all popular Romeo and Juliet, to the Merchant of Venice, to Julius Caesar and Hamlet including my favorite Macbeth, mum had a quote for all occasions. My appreciation for literature had matured after thoroughly studying and analyzing Macbeth for my English literature exam. But to the credit of the West African examination council (WAEC), literature required that you study a book by an African writer. It is for this reason that I'm pretty certain everyone who went through secondary school in Ghana and probably West Africa for that matter would have read / studied the classic African Novel 'Things fall apart' by Chinua Achebe. Yes, if you haven't already you should add this to your library now. I believe some colleges in America have it as book of choice for studying History, Anthropology and English literature. Over 10 years later, I can still remember the stomping footsteps of Okonkwo as he walked into his compound in anger. The story is set in a Nigerian village of Umoufia, inhabited by the Ibo clan. It takes you on a journey with the main character Okonkwo during the time of colonialism and how Christianity slowly invaded his culture / traditions and consumed his people and his land. I believe it's the general consensus that Okonkwo's strengths became his weakness which eventually led to his downfall. Writing about it now, I'm enticed to read it again. A true masterpiece of literature. '.....things fall apart, the center cannot hold......'

Today's Journey
It was only last year since reading 'Things fall apart' that I picked up another African novel whiles on holiday in Ghana. It was a very simple and basic short story I bought to while away time during my short stay at a beach resort. Not long after my return, An African author - Lola Shoneyin - was invited to speak at a TEDx event. It was the first I'd heard of her so as I usually do, decided to check her out. 'The secret lives of Baba Segi's wives' was my first African writers book I picked up this year. Being another Nigerian author, her debut novel, 'the secret lives of Baba Segi's wives' is set in a Nigerian village and explores the family dynamics of a polygamous marriage. Baba Segi is a traditional man who has four wives, three of whom are illiterate. His educated fourth and youngest wife whom he seems to warm to the most is the obvious envy of the other three older wives. On the downside, she turns out to be the one who is unable to take seed or rather the one who manages to expose Baba Segi's lack of functioning sperms. So who fathered the 7 children from his other three wives...... Read to find out. An interesting story of culture,  scandals, secrets and an encounter of modern and traditional beliefs with humor.
    

Soon after, a book was recommended on twitter as 'a must read' and again I had to satisfy my curiosity.
'Tales from different tales' by Nana Awere Damoah is now an endorsed 'must read' recommendation by myself. The book is a collection of 8 short stories set in different parts of Ghana. He covers stories starting with life on a University campus to students parting ways, a national service chapter, Kojo seeking greener pastures in the city and a hilarious public transport journey amongst others. The order of the stories is almost replicable of a typical students journey after university. For someone who never experienced life beyond secondary school in Ghana, the book certainly got me wishing I could experience that environment. The stories are memorable, humorous and thought provoking with lessons to be learnt. Nana Damoah’s descriptive choice of words and creation of vivid scenery takes you into the lives of the characters making it even more captivating. The book overall is an easy read and will certainly lighten up your day from start to finish. Check out Nana's blog here http://nanaaweredamoah.wordpress.com



The Next book by an African author I picked up this year is 'Definition of a Miracle' by a Ghanaian writer, Farida Bedwei. Farida is a software engineer by profession and suffers with cerebral palsy, a childhood neurological condition  that affects movement, posture and coordination.
The writer invites you into the home of Zaara, an 8year old girl suffering with cerebral palsy in a country where the condition is misunderstood. She shares her daily experience after the family relocated from the UK and the quest to heal her disability via spiritual means.  Its easy to read, has lots of humor and it brings back memories of a typical day in a family from sibling rivalry, to unwelcome relatives, to parents pickering and community scandals.
I could read a few chapters over and over again on a gloomy day and it'll surely bring back laughter. Highly Recommended.


This weekend, I finished off my fourth African writers themed book. This time a different genre i.e romance. Its been a while since I picked up a romance novel. I don't think I've even read any since I got bored of my teenage Mills& Boon pleasurable days and I must say I'm glad I did. Another Ghanaian author by name of Embi Baryeh. Her debut novel 'the most eligible bachelor' turned out to be a page turner.
The opening of the story from two strangers making out on valentines day after a first encounter got me skeptical but Empi certainly had a plan. The sex scene was beautifully written so I had to read on :-).
As the story unfolds, the book soon becomes a page turner and fixes a smile on your face. The characters are real as is the series of events that follow. It is also an easy read with creative vivid descriptions and the grammar is almost perfect. Ofcourse a happily ever after ending to crown the read. I've got a couple of western books lined up to read next but her second book changing faith promises to be better and its next in line on my African writers books to check out. 
Follow Embi Baryeh's blog here http://empibaryeh.wordpress.com/


The latest African writer to join the African literature journey is Abidemi Sanusi with her novel EYO - African Lolita. Well, well what can I say about EYO, definitely not a book for the faint-hearted. I found myself cringe once too many times as it's a harsh realization of the unfortunate plight many families and young girls find themselves in. EYO is a happy young girl living in the slums of Nigeria with her parents and two siblings. She hawks cold water on the streets with her younger brother in the day and is the object of her fathers sexual escape at night. When the opportunity to migrate to the UK came along, little did EYO know her worst nightmare was yet to come. A story of brokenness, child trafficking, physical & sexual abuse, hurt and when finally there's a ray of sunshine it turns out it's too good to be true. A brave writer who has clearly done her research to open up closed doors. Read if you dare.

 So I have finally finished reading "Half of a yellow sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This book is deep and a real eye opener. My heart goes out to all nations who've ever had to experience life in times of war. Review to follow shortly..........













 Next up is "Blue bird tail" by Nii Ayikwei Parkes.









Now Reading...............











  Up Next











Any African classics I need to read........ Do please recommend and stay tuned for more reviews of my journey through African literature

Wear blue for Autism

Ever seen the movie Rainman? I would highly recommend this if you haven't seen it yet. If not for anything it stars Tom Cruise, :-) and Dustin Hoffman was excellent for his role as Raymond Babbit, the Autistic sufferer in the movie. Personally, watching the film was my first awareness of autism. But is was not until my university days when I took up a job working with autistic children and providing support for their families that I had real awareness of the condition and the toll is takes on the sufferers and their loved ones'. One thing was certain across board as I probed the families (out of my own curiosity) about their daily life style was the lack of awareness and hence ignorance by the general public about what I call a "bitter sweet condition".

Watch this to find out more http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeGaffIJvHM&feature=related

Imagine taking your six year old out for a happy meal at MacDonalds and have him grap a strangers' soda and run off with it innocently, or having your 5year old constantly refuse all meals except for a couple of items which includes picking dirt off any floor or your child who would throw a tantrum if you attempted to put them in a car or plane. You may think these are just kids being their usual tricky, picky self until you experience a typical day in their life. Imagine being the parent out with each of these kids and people yell from across the room about how unfit you are to care for your own child or having to constantly apologize to strangers for what they consider inappropriate behavior. You soon loose count of the number of times you have to pay for other peoples food items. These are just a minute percentage of behaviors exhibited by people with autism.

Relationships have turned sour, careers have ended prematurely and families have broken down over one child due to the toll it takes and the lack of support. So why do I call it "bitter sweet". These children grow up possessing unthinkable skills and qualities that the average person lacks. Their way with numbers, memory of events / landmarks, handy talents and general knowledge is admirable. I once joked to an an autistic sufferer to come on a quiz show with me as i'm sure it would have made me a millionaire overnight. Whatever the subject he knew the answer. A particular interesting scene is portrayed in the Rainman movie where a box of matchsticks drops and scatters on the floor and Ray within a split second shouted out the exact number on the floor. They just capture the information and it's there. Its simply genius. You have to experience a day with them to appreciate this gift. Researchers at Cambridge and Oxford have previously postulated that both Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton among other prominent historians suffered from some form of Autism.

Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is the umbrella term used to describe the range of conditions which exhibit certain developmental disorders and character traits, some more extreme than others. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_spectrum


Five years ago the United Nations declared 2nd April as World Autism Day in the quest to raise awareness about this bitter sweet condition. Wear something blue and educate yourself to join in raising awareness on Autism. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41674&Cr=autism&Cr1

Getting the balance right, Scientist v Journalist

What comes to mind when you open the paper in the morning to find headlines like  “Study: All Red Meat Linked to Premature Death.”,  Girl dies from flu vaccine,  white rice increases diabetes risk,......

If you are a member of the general public, you either get yourself in a panic and empty your food store of all red meat once you get home, decide never to get another vaccination or cut out white  rice from your diet all together. The more resilient one's  will just brush over these alarming headlines. If you are an informed scientist however you either sigh at the site of yet another misleading headline, smirk with amusement at a typical journalistic catchy headline or be filled with discontent at yet again another misconception and bad science reporting. 
The constant filtration of bad science to the general public has led to the birth of groups such as the Voice of Young Scientist, making sense about science and the ask for evidence campaign. http://www.senseaboutscience.org/index.php

A recent standing up for science media workshop organised by the Voice of Young Scientist brought together researchers and journalist to discuss the issues of science reporting, what journalist are looking for and how scientist can contribute to getting the right information out to the public. 
The day was divided into three session; a morning discussion with a panel of Scientist about the changing image and role of science and scientist in the public domain, a midday session with a panel of journalist about what they look for and how a story makes it to the headlines and an afternoon session with the organizers offering tips on how scientists can get their voices heard and respond to bad science. Being on a university campus, the day will not be complete without a stop over at the pub for Friday night drinks.

So what was the outcome of the event, have scientist and journalist finally come to a concession as to how best to report science to the media? It turns out that our well informed scientist as usually skeptical about speaking to the media in fear of the outcome of the story due to past experiences of their colleagues. It is after all their reputation on the line.  Professor Mathew Cobb shared an embarrassing story about being invited to comment about a duck that turned up at a dogs home in relation to "does the duck that think its a dog"? He also shared positive experiences on situations where his expertise made a difference and occasions where he wakes up in a panic at 3am in the morning after realizing he'd said something on air that wasn't true.  His take home message which was reiterated by the other speakers, don't shy away from science communication but carefully select what you choose to speak up about and be prepared.

The world of journalism is a demanding and fast based environment with deadlines to be met and the turn around time does not allow for thorough digestion of a paper. At the end of the day, it's a business selling to the public and they need the catchy headlines. Yes, they don't always get it right and they may come across as the enemy at times but truth is that they like to get it right. It is therefore our responsibility as Scientist to ensure that we are available and work together with the journalist to get the balance right.  We need more scientist to engage with the media to make this happen.  

Scientist need to bear in mind that as much as we love working with facts and figures, not every member of the public is interested in our number crunching, as such journalist give the public a simplified version of their own understanding considering these reporters themselves are usually non scientist. They do however take pride in their stories as much as we take pride in our reputation as thorough credible researchers. But how do you get the success story of dolly the sheep across to the public in an easy to understand, fun, engaging and catchy story without getting abuse from animal rights activist? 


In our own way, we can write blogs, record a podcast, tweet, comment on these scientific issues online and just be proactive in reporting good science without leaving it up to the journalist and bad publicity. Remember, however that once you put something out in the public domain, it's hard to retract, so get it right.
Lets join together in asking for evidence and making sense about science. http://www.senseaboutscience.org/index.php

Women in Science

As women around the globe celebrate international women's day, I was curious to find out more about the outstanding women in Science we never hear about. I'm here to share my findings with you.


In recognizing women in science, a few names spring to mind straight away. Margret Thatcher, the Oxford physicist turned prime minister. Marie curie, another woman physicist noted for her role in radioactivity. Both Margaret Thatcher and Marie Curie share physics in common but how many lady physicist do we have today. The third and final name that spring to mind for me is Dorothy Hodgkin, the chemist known for her role in deciphering protein crystallography. Again how many woman chemist do we know of today. I was pleased when I saw Dr. Maggie Pocock-Aderin, a black woman space scientist on the BBC breakfast sofa this week. Not many people know of Maggie but she challenged the odds of having an unstable upbringing, attending 13 different schools and being diagnosed as dyslexic to become a renowned woman space physicist and science communicator today. And how many of us know of Ada Lovelace, the founder of scientific computing. Here's a good link featuring some outstanding women in science. http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/contents.html 


Indeed I have come to discover that there are achieving women in the STEMs we never hear about and they deserve to be celebrated. But as we celebrate these achievers let not their legacy fade away. We need more women in science to propel the work our predecessors started. We need to encourage more of our young girls not to shy away from the sciences.    
  
Since 1901 when the Nobel prize was introduced to recognize outstanding achievements, 549 prizes have been awarded to date and of that only 43 have gone to women. Of the 191 awarded in Physics, only two have been awarded to women. Of the 199 awarded in physiology & medicine only 10 went to women and of the 160 in chemistry only 4 have gone to women. Yet Marie curie was the first person to receive two nobel prizes. One for physics and the other for chemistry. 
The shortage of women in STEMs may be the reason for the under representation of women Nobel science prize winners. 
Linda B. Buck, a nobel prize winner in science and physiology said on receiving her awards and I quote "As a woman in science, I sincerely hope that my receiving a Nobel Prize will send a message to young women everywhere that the doors are open to them and that they should follow their dreams". I share her sentiments today especially for women of ethnic minority. 


It's really not as complicated as it seems but rather  fun, practical and rewarding. 
Here's a list of women awarded Nobel prizes. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/women.html

Climate change

Climate change has become a priority subject in government and other organisations today. Basically, it refers to the difference in the balanced state of the weather.  It is a gradual process and there is evidence to suggest that human activities such as driving, deforestation, destruction of the rain forest and industrialization are accelerating the climate change process. Mainly because of the CO2 emission into the environment and the shortage of trees to absorb the emitted CO2.

It is no secret that the environment is in danger of an imbalance of nature. The extreme hot and cold temperatures, increasing incidence of tsunami's, hurricanes, floods,volcanic eruptions and rising sea levels are all evidence of global warming and changes to natures' homeostasis.

Nations have come together to unite in putting measures in place to combat the acceleration of climate change. As far back as 1992 the United Nations organised an earth summit where a framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was proposed to nations. 5 years later in 1997 the Kyoto protocol was put in place to set greenhouse gas reduction targets for the various nations.

So what practical measures are nations putting in place to address this issue. The United States and China, must have missed the memo from the Kyoto protocol as together their emissions through industrialization was more than the total reductions achieved by the other nations. Speaking from a United Kingdom view point, the solution to everything seems to be money by penalizing ordinary citizens. Fines and taxes have been imposed on motorist, the transport industry and other industrialized sectors. But what does the ordinary citizen understand about climate change, the environmental threat and how to make a difference. Educating the general public should not be ignored. As the old saying goes, look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.

I went out for meal with my Husband on a groupon voucher.  We were escorted to our table, and as the waitress asked for our voucher code, I took out my android phone and showed her the reference number on the screen. A few minutes later another lady came along and asked for a paper copy of the voucher. We both had the same reaction. How different will the information on paper be to that on the screen. Apparently, she'll have to mail the hard copy to groupon to redeem their cash. Eventually, we agreed to email her the voucher so she could print her copy. Was that paper copy really necessary? No and yet groupon or the restaurant are not the only culprits. Our homes and offices are inundated with papers we could really do without. If we promoted the paperless office and made better use of technology today a whole cluster of trees could be saved and perhaps we'll be another step closer to stalling the accelerating climate change.  

Before you print, think climate change.

Ghana at 55 - United we Stand!

As Ghana celebrates its 55th year of independence today (6th March), I'm asking what this day means to you? Personally I was a long way away from being conceived as most us today were and Dr Kwame Nkrumah was the leader I read about at school and heard about in the media. Yet every time I listen to his Independence day speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joBjzivBKz4 it clearly portrays a man with undisputed passion for his country. The kind we all need to portray.

To some Ghana's development lies with the government or the individual who so wishes to be concerned. But being Ghanaian is more than just flying the flag, wearing the T-shirt or displaying the ornament. It is about doing what you can in your own small way to promote our nations development. Our time keeping, work attitude, road manners, customer service to name but a few.
It's about time we do away with the attitude of "it's what grandmother used to do so I can do the same". There was a reason why our predecessors did things the way they did. A lot has changed since Dr Kwame Nkrumah led us to independence, yet we linger in our old ways.
As a brother of mine joked, ever since he can remember Ghana's golden tree chocolate comes in 3 forms. Small (long rectangular strip), medium(10 mini squares in two rows) and large(16 mini squares in three rows). To develop anything outside these squares must be a taboo. Otherwise, for a nation who prides itself as one of the world leading producers of cocoa, why is this brand not on the shelves of every international supermarket in all the shapes, forms and flavors there is to explore? (I'll save this for another day).

The responsibility of Ghana's development lies with the Ghanaian people. It's about time we stopped taking a back seat with folded arms and join in the quest to building a better Ghana. One thing i've always prided myself with though is the peace we have been able to maintain 55 years on. There's been a few local disturbances and curfews have been imposed on certain towns but if there's one thing i'm certain will be maintained its the peace.

A Ghanaian once asked, what is the Ghana dream? What does being Ghanaian mean to the average Ghanaian. if you ask me i'd say 'To be the role model nation for Africa since we took the first step toward independence. Self sustaining, free from government corruption and to be a peaceful democratic nation. PS: 24/7 power supply would be nice. :-)

We are in this together. United we stand. Happy Independence Day and God bless our homeland Ghana. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdwA5KwK2_4&feature=related

Life Science careers conference - My experience

I attended my first life science careers conference this week (01/03) at the University of Westminster, London. The conference was organised by the Society of Biology in association with British Ecological Society, Society for Experimental Biology, Biochemical Society and the Society for Endocrinology and attracted science graduates, soon to be graduates and newly enrolled students. The event was scheduled to take place from 11.30am to 17.30hrs.

The day started with the usual registration process, an exhibition by various universities, societies and recruitment agencies followed by a series of talks focused on planning your life science career and the options available.
Universities present included the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of Surrey, Cranfield University, University of Westminster.
Societies included the Society of Biology, Biochemical Society, British Ecological Society, British Pharmacological Society, British Toxicology Society,Society for Experimental Biology, Society for Endocrinology, Society for microbiology and the Physiological Society. Matchtech and Nature jobs were the two recruitment agencies present.
Teachfirst, the charity organisation recruiting science graduates to teach in deprived schools were also present to showcase their work. Personally, it was the first I had heard of Teachfirst and had I discovered them earlier, I would definitely had signed up to their program. Primarily because I appreciate their cause and secondly because I like a challenge. Having the opportunity to have a direct measure of success through your  efforts whiles impacting on the lives of deprived school pupils is truly rewarding. Find out about teach first here: http://www.teachfirst.org.uk/TFHome/

The afternoon session comprised of a series of talks from careers advisers, societies and representatives of academia, industry, environmental sector, government, education, biomedical and clinical sciences.  Each of these representatives gave an insight into their career path and the opportunities available. One thing was clear across board, the importance of networking and going the extra mile to show initiative and evidence of your skill set.
Attendees were advised to identify an area of interest and to take it one step further by taking one thing away from the conference and acting on it. So what did I take from the conference?

As competitive and impossible as the media may portray the job market to be, the life science industry is growing in the UK but then so is the number of graduates. It is for this reason that it is imperative to have that extra edge over your competitors. To achieve this it is important to remain employable by focusing on developing your skills set. As Stephen Cole mentioned, some jobs today may be non existent tomorrow due to the influence of technology and developing your skills and qualities keeps you abreast with the current market so you remain employable. A lot of emphasis was placed on the evidence of skills and advantage of networking. You have to create opportunities for yourself and be patient, flexible and enthusiastic.

Personally, I have been contemplating pursuing a PhD and a career in science communication. Being at the conference has increased my understanding of the market and helped point me in the right direction. I have since joined a couple of relevant organisations, improved my CV and have a lists of avenues to explore in science communication / academia. 

It was certainly a Thursday well spent and I look forward to other networking opportunities.

The gift of hearing

The World health organisation (WHO) has marked today (3/3) as the international day for ear and hearing care. As part of the days events there was a forum where individuals could share their stories and experiences about deafness. One thing is for certain, hearing is a gift not to be taken for granted. Imagine what life would be like with reduced / no hearing. The inability to hear can be very frustrating as most sufferers shared. Here's a video on a day in the life of deaf culture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0rDLb4qrU8&feature=related

Some people are born deaf, others become deaf as a side effect of other diseases such as cytomegalovirus, meningitis, measles and mumps  while others loose their hearing just from negligence. Don't fall victim to the latter. When your child has pain in the ear or discharge from the ear, see your doctor as it might be an ear infection. When detected early, ear infection can be treated with simple affordable medication. Parents remember that slapping your child across the face can damage the ear drum and encourage infections.http://www.who.int/features/qa/81/en/index.html

Your ear is precious and hearing although taken so lightly can have serious consequences on your lifestyle. It affects your confidence, job, family, friendship and integration in the community. Help yourself where you can and prevent ear infection by not inserting anything into the ear i.e pencils, car keys, hair pins and cotton buds. Adults who develop hearing loss be it partially or fully are usually too embarrassed to tell anyone about it and so suffer in silence especially for fear of losing their job.


Don't be the reason for a deaf victims insecurity. There should be more education about hearing disabilities and more provision needs to be made to allow sufferers feel more integrated in community. In the meantime, remember not to yell but to speak clearly and don't fall victim to negligence. Look after your ear!.