Displays of Power exhibition extended until 5 September 2020

We've just this week launched a project called ‘Fluff it Up: Make Taxidermy Great Again’.  We're taking some of our animals who need a bit of TLC out of the displays.  While they're having a bit of love, we've made sure there's still things to look at by replacing them with some other kinds of stuffed animals, to highlight the important role of taxidermy conservation. [[{"fid":"4791","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Stuffed toy in Grant Museum","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Stuffed toy in Grant Museum","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"1536","width":"2048","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]Taxidermy is a scientific art, requiring knowledge of anatomy and morphology, craftsmanship and accuracy to arrange, preserve and restore real animal skin over pre-made forms of the animal’s shape.  [[{"fid":"4807","view_mode":"medium","fields":{"format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Lucie Mascord","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Lucie Mascord cleaning a platypus specimen","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ELucie%20Mascord%20cleaning%20a%20platypus%20specimen%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Lucie Mascord","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Lucie Mascord cleaning a platypus specimen","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ELucie%20Mascord%20cleaning%20a%20platypus%20specimen%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"704","width":"500","class":"media-element file-medium"}}]]Many of our specimens at the Grant Museum are over a hundred years old, and they're going to need some specialist attention because of what time does to them. As Jack Ashby, Manager of the Grant Museum of Zoology explains  “Given the rarity of the species in the wild, as well as the historic value of nineteenth and early twentieth century taxidermy, they would essentially be impossible to replace. This project will allow us to protect our incredible specimens for the long-term future.”“Historically, taxidermy has not always been very accurate – loose animal skins would be sent from collectors around the globe, and then mounted as taxidermy when they arrived in the UK – sometimes by people who had never actually seen the living creature. This can lead to animals being positioned in impossible poses, or being overstuffed” added Jack.The museum has around 75 examples of taxidermy, ranging in size from a chimpanzee to a pink fairy armadillo, including platypuses, koalas, turtles and pangolins.  Some of the specimens to be treated include a chimpanzee from 1913 that has cracks along its face, a koala that is splitting to reveal wood shavings beneath the skin, and an inflated pufferfish that has lost its tail. However, not all of them will be repaired. “Our Australian echidna – a spiny relative of the platypus – has feet which point in the wrong direction and consequently, rips across the ankles. Echidnas were so unfamiliar to people in London that the taxidermist didn’t realise that their feet should point backwards. We won’t be correcting this mistake as it forms invaluable evidence of the ways these animals were historically understood,” said Jack. [[{"fid":"4815","view_mode":"medium","fields":{"format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Echidna","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Echidna","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"477","width":"591","class":"media-element file-medium"}}]][[{"fid":"4799","view_mode":"medium","fields":{"format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Twitter speculation","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ETwitter%20users%20respond%20to%20the%20Grant%20Museum%26%2339%3Bs%20Echidna%20specimen.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"medium","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Twitter speculation","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ETwitter%20users%20respond%20to%20the%20Grant%20Museum%26%2339%3Bs%20Echidna%20specimen.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"330","width":"591","class":"media-element file-medium"}}]]‘Fluff It Up: Make Taxidermy Great Again’ is running until September, while the toys will replace the taxidermy in the displays.The Grant Museum of Zoology is open from 1–5pm Monday to Saturday. Visitors of the museum will have an opportunity to see conservation expert, Lucie Mascord, carrying out treatments on the specimens from the 12 -15 June.  Admission is free and there is no need to book. “Taxidermy in museums plays an important role in engaging people with the natural world and its incredible biodiversity. We hope that the opportunity for people to see conservation first hand will inspire our visitors.” said Jack.  

The Provost's Awards for Public Engagement takes place every year in the spring to recognise the fantastic work that UCL's staff and students do to open up research and teaching at UCL to the wider world by engaging with communities.There were seven winners earlier in the year – which you can read about here – but we had over fifty nominations from across UCL. With such a wealth of projects, we didn’t want to miss an opportunity to shout about this work – which is all amazing. So we decided to run this new news feature - the Provost Awards Spotlight.  This feature will run throughout the rest of the year in the run up to the next Awards, and will tell the stories of these individuals using their platform at UCL to mobilise, inspire and amplify. [[{"fid":"4955","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Rafael Prieto Curiel","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Rafael Prieto Curiel","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"321","width":"1392","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]Our first Spotlight is on Rafael Prieto Curiel, a mathematician from Mexico. Rafael worked for the Police Department in Mexico City before coming to UCL, first for a Masters in Statistics (2013-2014) and then decided to carry on with a PhD in Mathematics and Crime. Alongside his studies, Rafael has created Chalkdust – a magazine “for the mathematically curious”, and we wanted to know more.The magazine - now in its fifth issue - brings the world of mathematics to a broad audience through fun how-to guides, articles and interviews. There’s something for everyone, from the light-hearted, ‘What’s your least favourite number?’, to the delicious-sounding, ‘Croissant equation’ to ‘Linear Algebra… with diagrams’ and all sorts in-between.[[{"fid":"4943","view_mode":"xl","fields":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Hot and Not","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Keep up with all the latest maths trends.","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"Keep up with all the latest maths trends.","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EKeep%26nbsp%3Bup%20with%20all%20the%20latest%20maths%20trends.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Hot and Not","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Keep up with all the latest maths trends.","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"Keep up with all the latest maths trends.","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EKeep%26nbsp%3Bup%20with%20all%20the%20latest%20maths%20trends.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"251","width":"1512","class":"media-element file-xl"}}]]It’s also pretty surreal. One of our favourite regular features is that of 19th century mathematician Johann Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet, who makes an unlikely return as Chalkdust agony aunt in the ever-popular Dear Dirichlet column. He’s helped readers with their feelings on free-market capitalism and awkward social interactions, and is mildly obsessed with badgers. Who knew?[[{"fid":"4915","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dear Dirichlet","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dear Dirichlet","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"300","width":"670","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]We asked Rafael why he started the project and why it continues to be important,“It matters because of the impact it has. We sometimes work with the authors (particularly the younger ones) to create an article with them. We’ve published A-Level students who wouldn’t easily be able to publish an article in a maths journal or magazine.”Giving students their first experience of being published is a great way to both build confidence and to engage with the next generation of maths whizzes. It’s also acted as a pull for prospective new students to UCL. One Chalkdust contributor told Rafael, he wasn’t sure whether or not to accept the place he was offered for his PhD but then saw the magazine, “I realised UCL would be a great place to study when I learnt about Chalkdust, a magazine produced by students here”. Chalkdust demonstrates a fantastic way to share ideas outside of lectures and a way to get new students excited about their subject. But it’s not just UCL bods getting in on the action….[[{"fid":"4907","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Maths graphic","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Maths graphic","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"355","width":"792","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]Chalkdust works through submissions, and receiving them is one of the most exciting parts of the process for Rafael, “People from different parts of the world have sent us articles that could be published by us and that is precisely one of our aims: to create a space for everyone to share maths”. This formula seems to be working - since its start, Chalkdust has published the work of 70 different authors, generating over 260 articles, produced by 40 undergraduate and postgraduate students, who have circulated 15,000 copies, and distributed to over 25 UK universities![[{"fid":"4959","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Chalkdust covers","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Chalkdust covers","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"278","width":"1008","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]Despite this momentum, Rafael has had concerns for the project. He told us, “Chalkdust  is  an  ongoing  project,  so  there  were  two  challenging  parts: beginnings and  endings. In  order  for  our  project  to  survive,  we  strongly  depend  on  recruiting  new members  of  the  team,  since  we  are  all  students  and  we  will  all  finish  our degree at a certain point.”. This highlights a common problem in volunteer projects, how do the original members ensure the project lives on, even after their departure? Rafael remains optimistic however, and has been investing time in the next generation to equip them with the skills and encouragement to flourish. He hopes this will protect the project’s future, “For the past six months, I have passed my experience and knowledge about directing a maths magazine to the new generation of Chalkdust members. Once I finish my PhD in the next months, I will carry on doing research and hopefully, I will also be a keen reader of the new issues of Chalkdust produced by the new generations”  - We hope so too!If you would like to read Chalkdust’s articles, or contribute to the next issue, Rafael wants to hear from you – so visit the website and see how you can get involved www.chalkdustmagazine.com.