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Online Review: Nine
Nine is like Moulin Rouge for grown-ups. Set in achingly chic 1960s Italy, it is interspersed seamlessly with musical numbers. Based on Federico Fellini’s 1963 film 8 1/2, Nine tells the story of Guido Contini, a struggling film director with one last chance to make a good movie and save his career. Unfortunately, with one week until filming begins, Guido is still a little short of ideas. Will he be struck with inspiration in the form of his beautiful muse, the world-famous actress Claudia Nardi (Nicole Kidman)? We follow him through the build-up to the beginning of filming, squirming all the way as he awkwardly tries to dodge questions about the whereabouts of the script, and fails spectacularly to successfully juggle all the women in his life.
The idea of the film is loosely based on the notion that behind every good man is a good woman, except in this case, behind one rather lost and pathetic man are seven really rather super, strong Italian women at the ready to prop him up, put cigarettes in his mouth and shout at him when necessary.
One way in which the film unequivocally succeeds is in juggling its stellar cast. Indeed, six of the ladies plus Day-Lewis have been nominated for “Best Acting Ensemble” at the 2010 People’s Choice Awards. There was always a danger that with Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Penelope Cruz and, of course, Fergie, all jostling for position in an 118 minute film, the overall result would be like a huge group of superbly talented people all trying to cram through a doorway at once. Part of this success can be attributed to the format of the film, in which, in a way vaguely reminiscent of Chicago, each of the female characters are in turn showcased and given the chance to express their stories and struggles through the medium of song, dance, and in one case, stripping down to her bra and knickers in anguish.
The sophistication of the setting is part of the pleasure of watching Nine. This sentiment is nicely summed up in Kate Hudson’s flashbulb-blowing number ‘Cinema Italiano’, which has earned its writer Maury Yeston nominations for best song at both the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes. It is the catchiest of all the songs in the film, while others are not hugely memorably. Although at times the film can seem slow, there are plenty of moments to enjoy. Watch out particularly for Guido slipping into a steamy bath with a high-ranking Catholic cardinal who proceeds to lecture him on morality.
This film seems to divide opinion between those who are dazzled by the glamour of the 1960s Italian, cheap, feel-good movie business, and those who are bored because they can’t bring themselves to care about Day-Lewis’s drink-sodden, cheating, chain-smoking, almost-washed-up film director who has no problem indulging his inner child.
Ultimately, due to his reputation for being a bit picky about what he appears in, Day-Lewis’s latest film was always going to raise expectations – particularly as his last offering was the staggeringly well-received There Will Be Blood. Unfortunately for him, this is not the seminal masterpiece that he, or the audience, may have hoped for. Nevertheless, it is well made and good fun, and you can at the very least sit back and enjoy the razzle-dazzle.
three stars
Afghanistan debate: room to improve
I wasn’t able to make it to this Thursday’s debate on withdrawing from Afghanistan, but guest blogger Jacob Donovan did, and had this to say:
Union debates are always a bit hit and miss. After scouring Wikipedia and inviting every person in the UK, and sometimes the Western World, who has ever made a pronouncement on the subject at hand you often get quite an odd mix of characters, many of whom are about as expert on the subject as Paris Hilton is on the war in Iraq. With a lineup that included General Sir Richard Dannatt and a former advisor to President Kennedy this debate looked set to be somewhat different. Unfortunately, on the whole, it wasn’t.
The debate was opened by Hassan Ali (Secretary’s Committee ChCh), who had very little charisma. After waffling on about the usual insider Union “banter” Mr Ali made a series of specious, unfounded comments that were designed more to shock then inform. They did neither, proof that the continuing Union practice by some Presidents of giving paper speeches to aspiring Union politicians they want to support who have no public speaking ability or interest in the topic at hand needs to change. Maybe when the hacks concerned realise that making a fool of yourself in front of the electorate doesn’t actually get you elected, it will.
Bob Blizzard, a Labour MP and Foreign Policy expert was, on the other hand, an excellent choice. He carefully outlined the differences between the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, highlighting the need for victory and the advances made by coalition troops in Afghanistan, and created a platform for what could have been an excellent debate. But, alas, the proposition quickly descended into a series of bizarre analogies countered by an Opposition who seemed stuck in the type of jingoistic assertions that Kipling would’ve been proud of. Most surprising was the rather lacklustre performance by the star attraction, General Dannatt, a man for whom most in the chamber had the utmost respect as a soldier, but who seemed a little uncomfortable in his new role as Tory Defence supremo. The General would probably have been a lot more interesting as an individual speaker.
The motion eventually fell by a margin of over 200 votes, a result that probably had more to do with the titles and pedigree of the Opposition then the arguments raised. This was a shame, as with a slightly better start this could well have been a much more entertaining and interesting debate.
Oxford’s voice of sport returns
At the beginning of the year we left behind a decade sprinkled with a selection of memorable sporting intrigue, images and icons. Roll on then to a new year, and a new decade that promises to be every bit as good, if not better, than the last. One thing is for certain: you’ll be able to keep track of the big sports stories of the year on ‘Extra Time.’ Oxide Radio’s successful sports show is back and this term it promises to once again bring the major sports stories to Oxford’s airwaves.
January sees a comprehensive look ahead to this year’s Six Nations Tournament, which is sure to witness both scintillating rugby and raise plenty of stirring questions. How will Martin Johnson’s England cope after a poor set of performances in the Autumn Internationals? Can Ireland carry on from where they left off last year and consolidate their status as the number one side in the Northern Hemisphere? We’ll also be shifting our attention to the other side of the globe, where we’ll be talking Australian Open Tennis and assessing Andy Murray’s prospects of winning that elusive first Grand Slam Title.
On to February where ‘Extra Time’ will have a very special show dedicated to Super Bowl XLIV. As well as the glitz and the glammer we’ll be assessing the two teams who’ll be competing to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy and those much coveted Super Bowl rings.
‘Extra Time’ will also be covering the wide range of Varsity matches taking place, from women’s netball and lacrosse to men’s ice hockey., looking ahead to tennis and basketball.
Rowing will very much be in the spotlight as we enter into March. From the Torpids college rowing regatta to, of course, the big one, the University Boat Race, we’ll be assessing how preparations are going and hearing from all the important people involved. The Varsity Boxing and Football are also sure to be featured as we round off what looks like being another eventful sporting term.
So, whether it’s a bit of sporting controversy, diversity or entertainment that you’re looking for as you wake up on a Saturday morning, then ‘Extra Time’ is the place where you’ll be able to hear it all.
‘Extra Time’ on Oxide Radio is broadcast on Saturday mornings from 11am-12pm. Listen live at www.oxideradio.co.uk/listen.html
Black and Blues
Any university-level sport demands huge effort and commitment from its aspiring Blues, but few seem to strain the mind and body as brutally as Oxford’s Amateur Boxing Club. Training sessions here are gruelling; the warm-ups alone leave honed athletes exhausted and depleted, weeding out the weaklings before gloves, pads and punchbags are even sighted- a punishing sport necessitates a punishing regimen, and the long practices can be endured only by the fittest competitors.
One particular fresher survived two weeks before succumbing to the physical and mental pressures that boxing inexorably imposes: ‘The track-running, skipping and circuit work are tough enough; getting into the ring with some of the best here is, at best, a frightening idea.’ Countless others come and go, attracted by boxing’s promise of glory and but repelled by its steep and arduous road to success.
Visions of Rocky celebrating atop Philadelphian steps are distant day-dreams. The reality is bruising 2-hour stints at Iffley Road. Technique is emphasised religiously by OUABC’s coaches and the majority of a session comprises pain-staking work on the details and intricacies of certain punches, blocks and stances. Speaking of pain, that isn’t entirely lacking either: blood has been shed in the heat of intra-squad sparring, where natural aggression and adrenaline flow in controlled measures.
Would-be boxers arrive at OUABC with all ranges of experience, from the seasoned internationals to the eager novices. It’s easy to imagine that Oxford might be more likely to produce Ali the rhetorician than Ali the champion, but the standard here is high, and competition for places in the Varsity match is fierce. Last year’s humiliating defeat to the Light Blues will be used as material for motivation: after all, no other varsity sport presents a more literal opportunity to dominate and hurt the rival Tabs. Passions run strong in all of the Oxbridge fixtures, though it is hard to believe that any other clash becomes as intensely personal as this. The Boat Race might well be ferocious, but on the water fists do not meet faces.
Founded in 1881, OUABC is the oldest student-run boxing club in the country, boasting a prestigious heritage. For one thing, it holds the longest consecutive streak of Varsity victories among any Oxford sports club (racking up an astounding tally of 16 straight wins before a close loss in 2002). Since 2004, women’s boxing has been a half-blue sport, encouraging even greater participation across the university.
Boxing is not a sport merely for brutes and gym-warriors; David Haye’s recent defeat of 7ft 2” Russian Nikolai Valuev underscored that point emphatically, and at the world’s highest level too. It might have dropped into sports cliche, but Ali’s famous ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ maxim is still held up as the golden aim. Grace and extraordinary balance are as crucial as strength and power; it is certainly no coincidence that boxing has inspired some of the finest and most subtle sports journalism of the last century.
Left, left, right. Left, right, left. Right, right, left. Repeat. The goal of perfect form and technical accuracy in every punch is chased relentlessly, considered by the club to be the key to victory in Varsity and beyond: the sheer will to win in the ring should take care of the rest.
Sporting Heroes
There are a lot of ways to score a brilliant goal. You can dribble your way past half the side; beat the keeper from inside your own half; curl the perfect free-kick in from 35 yards. These are all practised by millions of hopeful dreamers worldwide everyday. Everyone knows what they would like to be able to do if only they could.
But there is another way to score a great goal. Not only to score one which others could never execute; but to do what others could not even imagine.
Watch a video of Diego Maradona’s second goal against England in 1986. It is quite possibly the best goal ever scored in a football match; a fusion of pace, dribbling ability, fearlessness and a brilliant finish. You wonder, “how on earth did he do that?” Every footballer across the world harbours dreams of waltzing so magisterially through the opposition.
Now watch Dennis Bergkamp’s goal against Newcastle in 2002. Spectacular, but surely even the most one-eyed Arsenal supporter could not argue that Maradona’s tour de force was inferior. It inspires a subtly different reaction. It is not merely ‘how did he do that?’ The more discerning question is: ‘how did he think of that?’
Footballing superstars can dazzle with their dexterity on the ball; their speed; their apparent immunity to pressure.
Something altogether rarer is to astonish with their imagination. It takes a special player to execute what everyone is dreaming of. Bergkamp could succeed in what no-one else was dreaming.
In fact, he relatively lacked two of those three attributes of the greats of the game. His pace was pedestrian set against the likes of Thierry Henry. And his tally of red cards proved he could be wound up by less-skilled opponents.
In this sense he was very human: he could not be relied upon to win his side a crucial game – though he did so on countless occasions – as he could not even be relied upon to be on the pitch. But he was otherworldly in his vision, his comprehension of angles and intricacies and complete understanding of the range of creative possibilities the footballing field provides. They say sport is all in the mind: for Bergkamp it was too, but in a very different sense.
Pakistan’s political cricketer
When Imran Khan sits, he does so regally: this is a man who inspires awe in every room he walks into. Indubitably, he is one of the all-time greatest cricketers – rated the third best bowler ever by the ICC rankings. Cricket gave him his legendary status, of that there can be no denying. Yet could it be that his true legacy is not to a sport he served so brilliantly but to a country he loves even more dearly?
As a cricketer he captained Pakistan with distinction for a decade. This ultimate warrior-king had a presence so powerful it is scarcely believable, a product not just of his all-round cricketing brilliance but his bounding self-confidence (or outright arrogance, in the view of many). To this is added his searing intellectual abilities – a fearsome combination which helped him unify that most enigmatic of cricketing beasts, Pakistan. A nation of rich diversity, a fusion of misty industrial cities and passionate tribesman in areas of immense barrenness, this has traditionally been mirrored in their cricket side.
Throughout their cricket-playing history, they have been volatile to the point of caricature; brilliant but fickle to the point of tedious cliché. Imran – or, more accurately, The Cult of Imran – was able to transcend the petty squabbles that have characterised so much of their cricketing history. Under his transformative leadership, the ‘cornered tigers’ triumphed in the 1992 World Cup, by far their most significant cricketing achievement.
The ‘Cult of Imran’ is still at work today – but cricket, the sport that made him, can seldom have seemed so insignificant. His passion for the betterment of his country is fierce, and this is what he’s devoted his energy to more recently. Some may have expected a lecture on Pakistan’s problem; Imran responds to questions almost confrontationally. He interrogates an English-educated Pakistani; “Are you going to use this knowledge to come back and improve the lot of your own country?” To Imran, returning is a matter of duty.
And, just as he led by example on the cricket pitch, so he is doing so in trying to fix his fragmented country. In 1996, he formed his own political party, the Movement for Justice – something sorely lacking in Pakistan, where “you cannot imagine the cruelty that is going on to the common man, because there is no justice.”
Imran began studying PPE at Keble in 1972 as a 19-year-old, by which point he had, extraordinarily, already made his Test debut for Pakistan. What immediately struck him about the country was not the wealth or glamour but the way in which the poor were looked after. “When I saw what a welfare state was, that’s what I understood a humane state was.” This is in stark contrast with present-day Pakistan – “In what country do the poor people subsidise the rich?” He has attacted the interest of far too many gossip columns to name throughout his life, he has retained a desire to help those less fortunate than himself. This has primarily been through extensive charity work, and more recently through the political life that he has emhe has so immersed itself in.
As he freely acknowledges, his brilliant cricketing career allowed him to “rub shoulders with some of the jet set” – something he took great pleasure from. Yet “is the purpose of life comfort of the self?” Imran’s dream is to restore Pakistan to being the great Islamic welfare state it once was –his optimism is admirable and extraordinary considering the plight currently facing his homeland.
Khan compares present-day Pakistan to “France just before the French Revolution”. He warns of incredibly dangerous, yet incredibly exciting, times ahead, and pinpoints the next six months as being pivotal in shaping the future of the country.
What is this optimism based on? “The level of political awareness in Pakistan is unprecedented”; the people are aware of the corruption that is propping up the small ruling elite. With the people suitably engaged, “we have all the prerequisites…now all we need is an election.” A fair election, unlike that in 2007 which Imran boycotted, is essential for Pakistan’s transformation into the sort of state he dreams of. But he believes circumstances will make this inevitable within a few months.
Admittedly the task following the election will hardly be an easy one. He argues “the biggest problem is this war on terror.” Like so many, Khan has been disappointed by Barack Obama (after the stratospheric expectations, one could hardly fail to be), though he is more scathing than most in his comment on the surge in Afghanistan, going as far as labelling him “Bush +”.
Imran’s message, delivered forcefully yet with charm and charisma is unmistakeable. To all those Pakistanis currently living happily in England, “you have a responsibility to go back and help your own country”. He is himself proving as good as his word.
Tennis Blues ace their opponents
The hardy members of Oxford University Lawn Tennis Club (OULTC) are currently wondering why Federer, Murray et al are living it up in the Melbourne sunshine whilst we are attempting to battle rain, snow and other adverse weather conditions just to get to the indoor tennis courts. However, in contrast to the weather, it is not at all gloomy in Oxford tennis this year. Five out of six of our teams are currently competing in the BUCS leagues, with the Women’s 3rds hopefully the next to join. The Men’s Blues are in the Premier League for our third consecutive year and the women are pushing through Division 1A, looking like they may very well match the boys in tennis achievement.
This Wednesday both the Men’s and Women’s Blues were travelling against the snow to their respective matches, against Bristol 1sts and Warwick 1sts. The matches started with a pro-set (first to 8 games) of doubles, and the Men’s 2nd pair of Gregory Weir (Keble) and Tim Matthewson (Brasenose) quickly showed their dominance by winning a stunning 8-1. The Men’s 1st pair of Marc Baghdadi (Pembroke) and Fred Burgess (Trinity) had a much tighter, see-saw set. After going down an early break of serve, they recovered and managed to go up a break themselves to lead 5-3. However, the lead was lost two games later, and after going down another break, couldn’t recover and lost the set 9-7. This meant the overall match was poised at 1-1, and with four singles to come, everything was still to play for.
With the luxury of having four courts to play on, all four players went on at the same time. The first to come off was Fred, playing at number 4. Matched up against a more experienced opponent, Fred unfortunately went down 6-2 6-2. Next off was Tim, playing at number 2. This time, it was Tim who had the much stronger game, and beat his opponent 6-1 6-1. The overall match was back on level terms. Both remaining singles matches had only just finished the first set by this time.
Greg, playing at 3, got off to a slow start, letting his opponent race into a 4-0 lead. However, he managed to claw his way back, and sneaked the set on a tie-break, 7-6. He then raced through the second set 6-0 with an easy confidence. Marc, playing at 1, let an early break slip at 5-4, and lost his first set on a tie-break 7-6. The second set also went a lot quicker, but unfortunately the wrong way again, as he lost it 6-2. This meant another 5-5 draw for the Men, who remain in 3rd place in a tight and talented group, just a point behind 2nd-placed Bath, who are their next opponents. A victory against Bath would make a second place finish still a distinct possibility.
At the same time the Women’s team, comprised of Anjoli Foster (Keble), Astrid Grindlay (Christ Church), Philippa Coates (Somerville), and Vicky Moffett (Keble), travelled to Warwick. Both the doubles were straightforward affairs, with Philippa and Vicky on top form, winning 8-0 at second pair, and Anjoli and Astrid winning 8-3 at first pair. With both doubles under their belts, they seemed to be cruising to victory with the singles still to be played. The matches were played in reverse order, so Vicky, playing at 4, and Philippa, at 3, were first on. Both came through very comfortably, with Vicky winning 6-3 6-1, and Philippa winning 6-3 6-2. The win already secure, Anjoli went on and came off just as quickly, with a 6-3 6-1 demolition as well. This left Astrid, playing at 1, to finish off a comfortable whitewash.
However, this match proved a little tougher. A tight first set eventually went the way of the Warwick girl, 7-5. The second set was equally tight, but with Astrid leading 5-4, the match unfortunately had to be abandoned as court time had run out. Under BUCS rules, the win was therefore given to Astrid, and the Women came home with their third 10-0 win of the season.
They are now firmly in second place in their Division, just three points behind leaders Birmingham, but with the last match against them. With a much greater rubber difference, a win next week would see them leap into first place, and gain the promotion play-off spot to join the Men in the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history.
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Friday: Rose Lane – Apocalyptic Sunset. Rachel Chew
Thursday: I’ll meet you by the bridge. Chris Moses
Wednesday: Holocaust Memorial Day. Wojtek Szymczak
Tuesday: Equus Press Preview – Ollie Ford
Monday: Exeter’s Iron Man awaits Burns Night. Chris Moses
Sunday: Gaza and Occupied Oxford: One Year On at the Town Hall – Jumanah Younis
Saturday: Head of the River – Una Kim
Oxford’s Innovations
All around Oxford, in laboratories, in offices, in ivory towers, the University’s
academics and students are busy investigating and innovating. Wherever there are unanswered questions, where there is doubt, where there are problems to be overcome, the dedicated and talented minds of this city will be hard at it, experimenting, travelling, writing, chewing their pencils, tapping their clipboards, meeting, greeting and working. Always working. This week, Cherwell has done research of its own, into a selection of the potentially world-changing research going on in Oxford at the moment.
Flight Mechanics
Oxford’s Innovations Dr Graham Taylor’s research team in the Department of Zoology works to uncover the secrets that underpin the exceptional flight performance of birds and insects. Funded by a €1.95M grant from the European Research Council, the team studies questions ranging from how the sensory physiology of a hawkmoth is tuned to its flight dynamics, to how the flexible feathers of an eagle’s wings allow it to tolerate gusty conditions. The experiments push hard at the frontiers of technological possibility and almost all of the team’s apparatus is custom-designed and built, including an immersive virtual reality flight simulator for hawkmoths and an inertial sensor unit and video camera carried by the group’s trained Steppe Eagle Cossack (pictured). The team comprises Engineers and Biologists, and the work has obvious applications to the design of miniature air vehicles. Nevertheless, it is the deeper biological questions that Dr Taylor says drive his research: most fundamentally, how natural selection tunes the dynamics of a system as complex as a bird or insect in flight. Answering this question will have implications not only for our understanding of animal flight, but for our understanding of the evolutionary process itself. For funded DPhil opportunities in 2010 contact [email protected].
Photo: Simon Walker
Ultrasound
The Biomedical Ultrasonics and Biotherapy Laboratory (BUBL) has been working
to develop drug delivery systems that combine therapeutic ultrasound with microbubble technologies, for applications such as thrombolysis, reversible
opening of the blood brain barrier, and gene therapy for cardiovascular disorders. BUBL’s research focuses on whether ultrasound-induced cavitation can be used to remove the physiological barriers presented by tumour vasculature in order to enhance the therapeutic effect of otherwise potent anticancer agents throughout the tumour. The use of focussed ultrasound allows the tumour microenvironment to be disturbed in a controlled manner in order to promote the delivery of anticancer agents whilst leaving surrounding healthy tissues unaffected. To benefit from the full therapeutic potential of the proposed drug delivery system, cavitation activity must be controlled, enhanced and optimized at the site of interest. This can be accomplished by monitoring the broadband noise, harmonic and subharmonic emissions from various types of volumetric and shape oscillations that arise as a result of different cavitational behaviours. Non-invasive, passive and active monitoring of these emissions is viewed as a way of correlating particular types of cavitational activity with particular enhancements in drug activity and uptake. Ultrasound itself can also be used as a trigger for localized drug release.
Rice Growth
The problem: by 2050, global population is expected to reach 10 billion, while resources, climate change and water availability will all become increasingly unpredictable. 700 million people in Asia currently rely on rice for the majority of their calorific intake, and this is expected to increase by 50% in the next 40 years. To address this, a global group of scientists are spearheading the ‘C4 Rice’ project, coordinated by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Professor Jane Langdale is leading a research group at Oxford that investigates certain genes which are thought to play a key role in the photosynthesis of plants. The project aims to adapt the anatomy of rice leaves to change the photosynthesis pathway that is used. Rice currently uses what is known as a ‘C3′ pathway, which under warm conditions is very inefficient. The project aims to adapt the pathways to make use of the ‘C4′ form of photosynthesis, which is found in plants like maize. It is thought that the genes (GLK) Professor Langdale is investigating regulate whether a plant employs C3 or C4 methods of photosynthesis, and by transferring genes from a plant such as maize, which uses the C4 method, this more efficient form of photosynthesis could be utilised by rice, greatly reducing the amount of water and fertiliser needed to grow this staple. Currently the research is in the middle of the ‘proof of concept’ stage which tests the feasibility of the project as a whole, but has potential to be taken further.
Photo: Or Hiltch
World Healthcare
The Global Health Governance Project (GHGP), a part of the Global Economic Governance Programme based at University College, has been working since 2006, investigating the global health system, and specifically trying to establish what can be done to improve the provision of healthcare to developing nations. The GHGP tackles a range of related issues, from the accountability of global health institutions to the divergence between the healthcare priorities of the developing world and the actual provisions of donors. The interdisciplinary nature of the research allows for wide collaboration; the project draws on the skills of academics from the Department of Politics and International Relations, the Department of Public Health and Primary Care and the Oxford Centre for Tropical Medicine. The research methods include semistructured interviews with government officials and NGOs, participation in global health conferences and detailed anthropological fieldwork. Dr Devi Sridhar, founding Director of the GHGP, explained, ‘We hope that the project will lead to better accountability and transparency in relations between developing countries and donors.’ The project is currently embarking on research into the increasing usage of tobacco in many poor countries, with particular emphasis on identifying barriers to the implementation of tobacco control policies. Sridhar added that in addition to the tobacco project and recently publishing a report on the global response to HIV/AIDs, the GHGP will be ‘looking closely at the emerging economies and the role they play in shaping global health’.
Chilli Molecules
How do you know how hot a chilli is without biting into it? In the world of chilli sauce production it’s a pretty important problem, and scientists in Oxford’s Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Labs have developed a product that solves it. It seems an odd thing for Oxford researchers to be working on. However, the chilli molecule happened to be the perfect shape for the chemists to demonstrate a new nano-technology. This is part of “bottom-up science”, where University researchers focus on breakthroughs in the fundamental science and occasionally stumble upon something with a possible
real-world application. Supermarkets buy tons of chillies and pulp them to make sauce. They usually employ a panel of expert tasters to judge their hotness on the ‘Scoville scale’, from Tabasco Pepper Sauce strength (about 2,500 units) to incredibly strong sauces like Mad Dog’s Revenge (1m units – about twice the strength of pepper spray). However, this is unreliable and time-consuming. Over the last 2 years, the Oxford scientists have built and patented a handheld device using carbon nanotubes which gives an instant Scoville measurement. “You just dunk the sensor in and get a reading,” explained Prof. Compton, one of the researchers. Their next project is a garlic sensor.
Photo: Neil Rees
