Turning science fiction into science fact

In 1977, Carrie Fisher appeared as Princess Leia in cinemas as a small light projection asking Obi-Wan for help. After that moment, holograms have appeared in no less than eight television series, 18 video game franchises and 21 film franchises.

Since the first hologram appeared in film in the 1956 film Forbidden Planet, sci-fi fans and physicists alike have become fixated on the idea of making them a reality. In the last 20 years, there has been somewhat of a technological revolution resulting in huge steps forward to making that area of Star Wars at least, a reality.

What is a hologram?

Simply put, holograms are light patterns which have been captured so that when they are moved, or looked at from a different angle, they appear 3D – much like those seen in sci-fi. The simplest holograms are more common than you would think, holograms can be seen everywhere, including in a wallet. On all credit and debit cards, there is a small silver image, usually of a bird, which when looked at from different angles, appears to move. This is what a hologram is in its simplest form.

Do you need a droid to make a hologram?

Despite what Star Wars would have the audience believe, you do not need your own R2D2 or C-3PO to make a hologram. Basic holograms like those mentioned above, are actually relatively simple to form. They can be made by anyone with just a light source, special photographic material and laboratory conditions. The world may be a ways off from a “make your own permanent hologram” kit but in terms of holograms in the real world, it is a start.

Can I be a hologram like Princess Leia?

In terms of a free standing hologram, projected out a droid, the answer is no. However, this does not mean moving holograms are impossible. For anyone who remembers the 2012 BBC Children in Need special, you will recall Chris Moyles reuniting Morecambe and Wise in the form of holograms on stage. During the show, two 3D images of the comedy duo appeared on stage dancing beside the comedian and radio presenter, which looked very similar to the one you saw on Star Wars of Princess Leia. You may have noticed the background was completely black though, this was to allow the holograms to be projected onto the screen. These holograms would have had to have been made by making a series of still holograms and running them after one another to make it appear they were moving. Much like how rudimental films were made - expect with more impressive technology.

Are we anywhere near making Star Wars holograms?

In short, as of yet, we cannot produce holograms like the ones you may see on Star Wars, simply because free standing holograms are an impossibility. However, the BBC did begin to develop technology which creates the illusion of a free standing hologram and there is constantly more and more research being done into the subject. Although the traditional idea of a hologram may be a while away for us mere humans, we are still surrounded by holographic imaging all the time – credit cards, head up displays and even barcode scanners all use holographic technology. So, sci-fi fans don’t lose hope just yet, soon you too will be able to ask Obi-Wan for help as a small blue figure. It’s just a shame we can’t all look like Carrie Fisher.

I made a YouTube video about holograms too! 

Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE7w6_7xil4

Am I a bad feminist?

I am a feminist. I declare this pretty regularly, not because I need to show off how "woke" I am but because I believe in it. I believe in equal pay for equal work, I see that the gender gap in STEM industry is real and needs changing and I feel myself physically fill with rage everytime Ross does anything on F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Despite this, I ask myself the question "Am I a bad feminist?" every Friday night.

This is because in my household, Friday night is Grand Tour night. At the end of the week, I sit down with my parents, switch on Amazon Prime and enjoy watching The Grand Tour. The reason for this is that the show is headed up by perhaps the epitome of the anti-feminist himself - Jeremy Clarkson. Yet, I find myself unangrily, unironically, unconcernedly laughing at loud at the antics and things that Clarkson, Hammond and May say. Occasionally, one of them will say something that is a blatant middle finger to what they would call 'politically correct culture' and I won't laugh, but I also won't get angry about it. I may tut, but I will forgive them - leading me to the golden question posed earlier.

A little voice in the back of my head will say "You are a bad feminist because you forgive these unforgiveable jokes!". This little voice will soon after be drowned out by the more logical part of my brain and I realise I forgive them, not because I am a bad feminist, but because in my heart I know these men are dinosaurs with outdated views on society and probably don't accept the changing times because they are stuck in their ways.

It is no longer 'political correctness' but simply 'being a decent human being'. But it's ok, because I just watch them on TV, I don't have to interact with them, or work with them - instead I surround myself with people who have the same views as me, and the same hope for the future. These three dinosaurs destroying cars are simply entertainment.

No, I am not a perfect feminist. Sometimes I wear makeup so boys will look at me, I shave my armpits and my legs when I have a shower because I like the way it looks - things for which, in the past, I would have told myself off; but not now. In the wake of the downfall of the male Hollywood elite and the joy of Oprah Winfrey and Emma Watson - I have had an epiphany. In my mere humble opinion, the most important thing about feminism today is the big picture: the right for women to make their own choices without pressure, impediment or expectation from anyone else. That is what makes a good feminist, not the TV you enjoy. So, I may not be the perfect feminist, but I am the best version I can be.

Of course, there is one more question which I shall answer for you now:

No, I am not going to burn my bra - I need the support.

Welcome to the YouTube culture

Logan Paul is a shit. That's it, that's all you need to know. The video he posted in the Japanese suicide forest was inexcusible, offensive and not a reflection of the YouTube culture at all - but you know that. You've read the articles and watched the videos telling you that; you don't need yet another voice yelling into the void.

I have been watching YouTube consistently since the age of about 15 and have been making videos myself for about two years and in my time have found some wonderful and talented people. So, instead of simply another vague opinion piece on why what Logan Paul did was bad, here is my (hardly) comprehensive list of the YouTubers you should be watching instead.

1. Dodie Clark/dodie - dodie is a musician, YouTuber and all around lovely person. She posts original songs and the occasional cover on her main channel (doddleoddle), and music covers, relaxing vlogs and anything else you can think of on her second channel (doddlevloggle). She speaks openly about her struggles with mental health and is there for people who feel like they are the only one, and those who just want to watch YouTube and have a nice relaxing time.

2. Dan Howell and Phil Lester - I have been consistently watching these two for the longest. Yes, I am aware their early content can seem juvenile and immature, but then again, when I started watching them - so was I. That's the thing about Dan and Phil, I feel like I have grown up with them, I have changed as their content has changed - so I have continually found them funny and entertaining. They may have their own channels, but their friendship and chemistry makes their collab videos the most fun to watch - particularly on their gaming channel.

3. Markiplier - Speaking of gaming, Markiplier is easily my favourite gaming YouTuber. As someone who is truly terrible at playing video games, but really enjoys them regardless, watching Mark play and commentate his way through games is really very enjoyable. He also posts music, sketches and other funny content. People may wonder why you would want to watch someone else play video games, but I think the same about sport. If you want to start watching a gaming YouTuber, give Mark a go. He also seems to be the least controversial, and least annoying, of that group (remember Pewdiepie?).

4. Safiya Nygaard - You may recognise her as a Buzzfeed alum, but don't let this put you off. In fact, it should encourage you. She has an insane amount of experience in the YouTube industry. She makes predominantly fashion and makeup videos, with challenges being her favourites. That being said, I am not normally one for fashion and makeup, but there is something incredibly appealing about her videos - they are funny, informative and just a joy to watch.

5. Jack and Dean - A pair of British guys making dumb sketches for the internet, who have since moved on to producing a successful mini-series for Fullscreen. These two are hilarious, they started over seven years ago making silly sketches from their homes on zero budget. Now, they write, direct, act in, produce and edit their own incredibly impressive videos - that are entertaining to boot. Fac-e-book anyone?

6. Binging with Babish - He makes food from movies and TV shows and has the voice of an angel. What else do you need?

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
Bertie Gilbert for lovely short films
Sammy Paul for short films, music videos and sketches
TomSka for sketches and the (in)famous asdfmovies
KickthePJ for lovely wholesome, artsy content
Just Between Us for bad advice and great sketches
AsapSCIENCE if you're feeling academic
Paint (aka Jon Cozart) for fun musical videos (remember Harry Potter in 99 seconds?)
Buzzfeed (HEAR ME OUT) for Unsolved, Worth It, the Try Guys and Ladylike

If you want to read a great article about Logan Paul and why you should not base your opinion of YouTube on him, read Allison Raskin's (of Just Between Us) article on NBC here.

Reflections on First Year, Drama and Jumping In

Bit of background before I get into this post. I recently graduated from Keele University with a degree in Physics after an amazing three years there. I originally wrote this at the beginning of my second year, and thought as I have just started a new course in journalism, it is still applicable now.

First published on the Keele University blog, October 2016.

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If someone asked me how I found my first year at Keele, I would immediately say variations on the word 'amazing', because honestly how could it not be?

I made some great friends, got put with a great bunch of people to live with and achieved some great things in both my course and in societies. My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner. I joined seven societies at the Fresher's Fair, but attended next to none of their events in my first semester.

My first semester at University was a rather sombre affair. Instead of the usual partying until the sun comes up that you would typically expect from a student, my nights were spent having TV show marathons. Whilst that was great on one hand, I finished the first semester having only made maybe 3 or 4 great friends.

To my disappointment, I hadn’t met a million new people from all over the country like I’d hoped, and I hadn’t really properly participated in any of the societies I had joined. This was, of course, my own fault as I let my less than social tendencies get the better of me.

However, when I started my second semester, I was determined to do this one differently. So I auditioned for the Drama Society’s first play of the year; in which I got a pretty big role.

The two months of madness that followed me being cast were wonderful. My time was filled with mad rehearsals, socials and meeting and getting to know some awesome people - who are now some of my best friends at Keele.

After discovering how much I enjoyed being in this society, I realised something that I should have known from the beginning - I should have joined earlier. My biggest regret (no honestly) from my first year at University is that I didn't get involved in Drama from the jump.

Honestly, you may think this was an obvious one, but even just to audition took a lot of convincing from one of my (3) friends. I was super nervous to meet new people and be sociable, as I'm not what you'd call a "social butterfly". If it hadn't have been for her encouragement, I would not have auditioned and probably wouldn't be on committee now.

Most Freshers are very willing to jump in and get involved, and that is brilliant. However, if you are like me and are nervous about jumping right in - don't be. I know that's the most hypocritical thing ever to be saying, but if you get past the nerves and join in, I implore you, listen to Shia LaBeouf...

DO IT!

Are You Prepared?

August last year, I wrote about  my AS results day, and the frantic feeling I had on that dreaded day, however, I failed to write about how I felt just before the exams I had taken the two months previously.

This year, however, I am writing this the day before my first A2 exam, and to put it bluntly, I am feeling less than prepared.

Despite the fact that I will start answering a past paper, and after about 5 minutes on the question I'll suddenly stop, put my pen down, and squint at the paper and think "I've done this before...", in my head I need a lot more time before I'm going to be ready for this exam. Actually, I am never going be ready for any exams.

I realised this a few weeks ago, after learning some of my, what feels like, 4000 definitions. Despite completely ticking off your list of things to learn, there's always that nagging feeling inside you that there's something that you've missed out. Your mind then skips to that one question you did on that mock paper once, that you simply couldn't do.

Panic sets in and you spend the next hour staring blankly at your textbook desperately trying to see inside the page to scour for that secret fact that will get that you extra mark, when in fact, it's not there. It then dawns on you that you've just wasted an hour of your day and learnt nothing, an hour which could have been used more productively doing useful things like sleeping or making brownies.

At which point, you make those brownies, eat them all in one go, explain why you and the kitchen is covered in cocoa powder to your mum and then proceed to sleep for four hours, or perhaps that's just me...

The number of stupid marks I have lost when doing past papers these past month would add up to a good solid A at A-Level now. Although it is daft and I know that I am not the only one experiencing these last minute silly errors, now is the time to make those mistakes and hopefully next time you'll remember that 2x2 is in fact 4 and not 2. Nice one me.

So, just before your exams, don't panic, get enough sleep and if that's not working for you, eat brownies until you feel better.

Snowy Spring

If you’re expecting a detailed insight into this year’s unconventional weather, with quotes from learned meteorologists as to why the white stuff is back in spring, then I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.

Britain is currently on its third bout of winter weather. The first was welcomed by teenagers and children everywhere as the possibility of school closures emerged and parents went into panic mode. Shouts of “You’ll be fine, there’s only four inches!” and “See it’s not that slipp—Ouch!” rang out across the country as parents struggled to get their children out of the house.

The second, longer spell of snow arrived in February, and teenagers and pupils everywhere thought themselves the luckiest people in the world, and once again parents despaired. Park hills were worn down even more, with countless numbers of sledges turning hills into sheet ice, again. The makeshift tobogganers with various sizes of tarpaulin sheets, bin lids and, once I spotted, a garage door arrived in their masses, only to be very much out done by the snowboarders.

We thought that was it, no more snow: hooray! A month later, however, on spring equinox, the weather reporters predicted snow, and then went into hiding. They were right.

Three days solid, the white stuff fell from the sky. Scotland had power outages, there were abandoned cars and crashes everywhere. Twenty to forty centimetres fell in the peak district, prayers were said for anyone going on D of E, and everyone shut the doors, windows and curtains and broke out the hot chocolate. Snow is fine, just not when the seasons say it should be spring.

Not only was there snow, but poor south west England had landslips and floods. “This is it. The apocalypse is upon us. Everybody hide!” was what everyone was secretly (or not) thinking. Alas, no apocalypse, just an unusual numbers of colds for March.

So is it that it for poor Britain? I seriously hope so. I’ve run out of hot chocolate.

Motivation is a hard thing to find

So, it is half term and I have piles of work to do, but instead, I am sitting on my laptop writing about the piles of work I have to do, rather than doing them.

The art of procrastination is a fine one, which I seem to have mastered to a level never known to man before. I procrastinate in many different forms, such as writing, which isn’t too bad because at least it is a form of work, but I will also do things I hate.  I will offer to help with the gardening, which is unheard of, tidy my room, which is even more unheard of and spend at least an hour washing my hair.

Yes, it’s a bad habit and I really need to buckle down and get some work done. I have my first AS exams in January and it’s probably a good idea if I start revising now, judging by my recent grades on my tests.

The motivation however is extremely hard to muster. I am one of those people who can work continuously for a good two of three hours once I get started, but getting started is the thing I find the most difficult.

There are websites which suggest different methods of getting started such as doing the work before you go out, so you have an incentive for doing it. Starting work first thing in the morning so nothing else can distract you, came up on quite a few websites.

Unfortunately, mornings aren’t really my thing and all my friends live quite a way away so it’s difficult to arrange something to encourage me to do work.

Maybe having my computer right next to my work isn’t the best plan. Twitter and Tumblr just seem to call to me when my German grammar book sits open waiting to be written in.

If you are one of those people who can get started on work easily, I applaud you, to me you are a hero.