Issue 29

23 July - 27 August 1996

Letters to the Editor

Thank you to all the friends and colleagues at Imperial College of the late Vic Turner

My family and I would like to express our sincere thanks to all those people who attended the funeral of my father on Wednesday 22 June 1996. Thank you also to all those people who contributed to a collection that raised £540, which we have decided to put towards a memorial at Randalls Park. We were overwhelmed by all the flowers and cards, the book of remembrance and especially the support from everyone that has been given to the family which is so very much appreciated at this time.

We again thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts.

Mickie Turner

London tunnels raise environmental concerns

Dear Editor

I read with horror when the plans for underground road tunnels in London were announced by Dr Gabriel Khoury (IC Reporter, issue 28). I agree that London's transport problem is serious and as a car commuter myself, I know the convenience of a car. As an environmental biologist the impact of car pollution is clear. Why, when we accept the problems of the car do we still make plans to propagate its use far into the next millennium?

I drive to College daily for two reasons: i) It is cheaper for me to drive than use public transport, ii) Public transport is not as convenient. Building road tunnels underground is not going to make it more beneficial for me to use public transport, in fact it is likely to be the reverse. Thus a road tunnel will not ease pollution.

The number of cars on the road is increasing, the traffic problem is only going to get worse, unless the use of public transport becomes a better option for individuals. The car is a very inefficient method of transport, most vehicles carrying only one person. For all the millions of pounds a project like this will cost, couldn't public transport be improved?

I appreciate the opportunity a project like this offers to the Civil Engineering Department, but we have other departments which could offer help in ensuring an environmentally sensible project that would last into the next millennium. It would be nice to see some interdepartmental work, instead of criticism between departments, such as this.

Yours faithfully

Hugh Smith, PhD student, Centre for Population Biology

Imperial College School of Medicine identity defended

Dear Editor

In Don's column of 25 June (issue 28), the public and corporate visibility of the Imperial College School of Medicine was questioned, as was the enthusiasm of staff and students for the merger between institutions. The Press and Public Relations Office would argue that ICSM is receiving both internal and external recognition whilst generating productive interaction between parts of the organisations.

Awareness of the ICSM is most apparent in major medical journals such as the British Medical Journal and the Lancet - two of the most widely read and recognised medical journals. Nearly a year after the formation of the ICSM, at least 60 per cent of the research published in the major medical journals is correctly referenced to ICSM.

Recent stories carried by the daily broadsheets which originated from ICSM at St Mary's included the re-emergence of the perils of excessive salt intake and the decline of the British male's sperm count. In both cases, the staff concerned were cited as researchers from Imperial College.

Here in the Press Office we are getting to know the staff at the medical school, profiling research and promoting medical expertise through the Imperial College Media Guide. This year nearly 100 researchers and academics from ICSM will appear in the Guide. This morning I interviewed two postgraduates and a lecturer from ICSM at St Mary's with the intention of profiling their research in the next edition of our Research News bulletin. Discussing their research and options for promoting their work, I certainly did not sense a lack of enthusiasm for the mergers which had facilitated our meeting.

Karyn Clare

Media liaison officer

Rapid prototype machine purchase

Dear Editor

I would like to gauge support from around the College for the purchase of a 'Rapid Prototype' machine. This is a computer-controlled device that can make a physical model from a three-dimensional data set, usually using a polymer such as nylon or ABS. These models can be of any geometrical complexity.

My own interest is to model broken bones, based on CT scan data for planning operations, and I have already had support for applications such as modelling ribosomes, microtopology of bearing surfaces, proteins associated with haemophilia, fuel nozzles in combustors and industrial designs from the RCA.

My experience with the bone models has demonstrated clear advantages for being able to literally 'get a feel' for the data. I imagine that this may also apply to fields such as civil engineering structures, underground geological features, crystalline structures, maths functions, wind tunnel models, anatomy teaching, etc. The possibilities seem great to me - what I would like now is to receive messages of support from potential users of this new technology from around the College.

Yours faithfully

Dr Andrew Amis

Reader, Department of Mechanical Engineeirng

E-mail: a.amis@ic.ac.uk