Cambridge Shorts

Researcher: Kerstin Göpfrich Department: Cavendish Laboratory Film makers: Axel Bangert, Lizzy Hobbs How do you fold DNA into the shape of a crocodile? An encounter between an artist and a scientist leads us into a compelling journey through the macroscopic world of paper origami and the microscopic world of folding DNA. Physicists developed DNA origami in 2006 where it is used to create new shapes and structures from short pieces of DNA. While various artistic nano-scale shapes have been created as a proof of principle, DNA origami is now used to build technologies on the smallest scale. This research looks at ways DNA origami can be applied to biomedicine and used in smart drug delivery systems which target certain cell types.

Researcher: Josefine Baark Department: History of Art Film maker: Meghan Horvath How did Chinese artefacts and images impact on the artistic aesthetic adhered to by the Danish court, before and after the establishment of the Danish Asiatic Company’s direct trade route to China in 1732? “Keeping Strange Company" looks at how artistic innovation in the pursuit of profit rendered the East a fantasy from the early days of Danish trading."

Researcher: Ruth Armstrong Department: Institute of Criminology Film maker: Chris Loades The short film charts the story of one man, Josh, during his first year of release from prison. It focuses on the relationship he develops with his volunteer mentor, Jody, and shows the fragility of desistance by showing the struggles Josh faces as he tries to go straight. It confronts us with the following questions: what might be the best response a probation officer could take when a prolific offender fails a drugs test? What is the value of having someone ‘unofficial’ who ex-prisoners can be honest with about their struggles? Can trusting someone through their failures be part of supporting success?

Researcher: Sara Merino-Aceituno Department: Pure Maths and Mathematical Statistics Film maker: Sameer Patel It is a kid’s dream to discover the world, to unravel its mysteries, to understand its secrets laws. The good news is that we humans are inherently equipped with the tools and mechanisms to do so; Mathematics. Be amazed at how good Mathematics is to describe the patterns in our world and find out more about the process of making this film at: https://saramerinoaceituno.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/describing-patterns-short-video/

Researcher: Paola Ricciardi Department: Fitzwilliam Museum Film maker: Alice Corner The Colourful Page is a short experimental documentary exploring the research of conservation scientist Dr Paola Ricciardi, a Research Associate in the Department of Manuscripts and Printed Books at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, UK. Her work is part of the MINIARE research project (www.miniare.org) and focuses on the technical analysis of medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts with non-invasive analytical methods.

Researcher: Stephen Harrison Department: Classics Film maker: Meghan Horvath Alexander the Great is one of history’s most famous figures; he is also one of the most enigmatic. Aged just twenty when he inherited the throne of Macedonia in 336 BC, he led an invasion of the Persian Empire, then the most powerful empire in the world. Within ten years, Alexander had conquered vast swathes of territory, stretching from modern Egypt and Turkey in the West, to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the East. Conquering an empire is one thing, but consolidating it is a totally different matter. How was Alexander to go about integrating culturally and linguistically diverse peoples into a cohesive whole? This film explores one of the methods Alexander tried. In 327 he attempted to impose a Persian court practice, called proskynesis, on his Macedonian subjects. His reasons for doing so, however, are unclear and modern historians are deeply divided about his motivation. The film recreates the historical event and introduces the scholarly debate. By the end, you will have heard all of the available information and be able to take a stance on the issue. We’d love to hear your thoughts, tweet @olympusnews and visit: http://olympusnews.weebly.com/