The end of the Spring term saw Imperial host its first CDT Conference: A Festival of Science.

The end of the Spring term saw Imperial host its first CDT Conference: A Festival of Science. Organised entirely by a student committee taken from all four of Imperial's Centres for Doctoral Training, the festival provided yet another manifestation of the interdepartmental collaboration that is to integral to the CDT agenda. In a day of talks, 'Think Tanks', and debate, the entire student body of the CDTs came together to discuss the future of science, from the future of scientific education, to science funding, and the dissemination of scientific research. 

TSM organiser Joshua Tsang welcomed an audience of staff and students to the festival, and introduced a revised schedule that saw keynote speaker Prof. Sir John Beddington (Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Govt.) arrive later in the day following a last-minute briefing with the PM over the impending tanker drivers' strike. With such a dramatic entrance, and with a talk that was both funny and poignant, Sir John set a high bar for the afternoon's speakers. These later talks didn't disappoint however. Differing as much in their speaking styles as messages, Simon Singh, Simon Chaplain and Cameron Neylon carried the audience's attention well through the afternoon and into the debate that concluded the day. 

With plenty of examples picked up from the earlier talks, and with additional ammo provided from the stalls by Prof. Adrian Sutton (TSM Chairman) and Peter Davies (TSM by association), TSM's Marc Coury along with Rajeev Dattani and Matthew Allinson of Plastic Electronics led a winning opposition to the motion "THB Private Funding is Detrimental to Scientific Research". Despite both teams unashamed flouting of the rules, this whole spectacle was enjoyed by both participants and audience alike (which is not to say that the wine reception that followed wasn't eagerly anticipated!). 

 *Congratulations to Plastic Electronics' Sebastian Wood, who scooped 1st prize and an iPad for a minute-long explanation of his work on Organic Solar Cells delivered on the day (watch online at http://www.youtube.com/user/CDTScienceFestival).