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CREATING BLACK HOLES ON EARTH
How the Large Hadron Collider will unlock the door to new dimensions
The science of
summer movies
How real are they?
Can we stop
headaches?
Closing in on a cure
How longitude
was measured
The incredible story
sciencefocus.com
ISSUE 270 / SUMMER 2014
WHO IS THE
GREATEST
GENIUS?
The brightest minds
of all time chosen
by today’s top
scientists
PLUS
VOTE FOR YOUR
TOP GENIUS AT
SCIENCEFOCUS.COM
THE UNIVERSAL
TRANSLATOR
The technology that
instantly translates
languages as you speak
Q&A
Are coin tosses really random?
How many supervolcanoes
are there?
Is there such a thing as ESP?
SMART
SHOOTERS
Compact, powerful,
intelligent cameras
reviewed and rated
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
ADVERTISEMENT
Home cinema
Which sort of visual system do you go for? Projector and
screen, or plasma, LCD or LED TV? 3D or non-3D?
Choosing a home cinema system
is a potential minefield that must
be negotiated with great care or
safely avoided by letting experts
guide you. If you want to end up
with a system that, as a minimum,
meets your expectations in terms
of picture and sound quality,
reading magazine product reviews
and choosing the recommendations,
five-star favourites or best buys
can only ever be part of the answer
at best. Looking for the cheapest
price and having a system
delivered to your door, even with a
‘knowledgeable’ friend to help set it
up, is a well-trodden path to
disappointment.
There is a bewildering choice of
components on the market today and also
different ways in which components can
be installed and connected together.
Which sort of visual system do you go for?
Projector and screen, or plasma, LCD or
LED TV? 3D or non-3D? Full 1080p
capability is now the only sensible choice
but the appropriate source components,
such as a Blu-ray player, need to be part
of the equation.
The sound performance of a system is
also hugely important, even more so if you
will be listening to music, or music DVD’s,
through the same system. If so, you need
an amp that approaches the performance
of a decent 2-channel hi-fi amp, which is
not that easy to find. Having an amp with
the right inputs for the best connectivity is
essential but you will also need to decide
on a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system, passive
or active sub and, crucially, where they will
be sited for the best results. In short, it’s
complicated and very fertile ground for
getting it wrong.
selected and installed on a DIY basis (that
is without professional input) are
performing at way below their optimum
level. To compound matters, most are also
ill-matched to the room in which they are
installed and are, in reality, the wrong
system. Without considerable knowledge
or experience, high quality home cinema
is not a suitable DIY activity. Our aim must
be to buy a home cinema system that will
provide an excellent picture quality plus an
audio delivery that will match, or even
better, the commercial cinema experience.
It must be exciting, reliable and deliver
true value for money.
Achieving potential
To select a system, you could choose a
collection of ‘Best Buy’ components in the
hope that they will be a great combination.
Maybe, but probably not. You could buy a
pre-packaged all-in-one system from one
manufacturer. This is almost certainly not
the best route either, as you will miss out
on enormous potential. From informal
surveys conducted, it appears highly likely
that the majority of home cinema systems
so good you’ll
believe
you’re there
!
“
Home cinema
”
Selecting and installing
home cinema on a
DIY basis may leave
the system performing
at way below its
optimum level.
Confused ?
What and Where to buy
To ensure a home cinema system is right
for you, where do you start? Here’s an
important tip …don’t start with WHAT, start
with WHERE. There’s only one way to give
yourself the best chance of getting it right
first time, and that’s through a specialist
AV dealer. It’s possible you have
preconceived ideas that put you off visiting
one. Although you would welcome the
advice and guidance, you don’t know the
technical jargon. You don’t want to be
talked down to. Your friend has said they
only sell expensive gear and they’re not
interested if you don’t have a big budget.
They’re expensive. These are just myths.
Most specialist AV dealers are running
their business because, above all, home
cinema is their hobby. They spend a large
portion of their time comparing systems to
get the best possible results. They know
the component combinations which don’t
gel together and, conversely, they know
the combinations which give the best
performance within a given price range.
Very importantly, they know how to get a
system working to its optimum. But they all
also know the system must suit you.
Getting the best deal
Unless you’ve got money to burn, you’ll
be living with your new system for years.
Most of these dealers offer much longer
equipment guarantees than provided by
the manufacturer, a very worthwhile
benefit, but it also makes it in the dealer’s
interest to ensure high build quality and
reliability. Maybe you could save a few
pounds by buying piecemeal but you’ll
lose out on the overall package. As far as
the dealers are concerned, they believe
that taking care of their customers
properly is a far better way of doing
business than just handing over boxes.
The Dealers listed below have been
selected because they are known to do
an excellent job in guiding customers
towards home cinema systems that
will provide years of superlative
performance and total satisfaction.
Our Top20 AV shops in the country
SOUTH
Chelmsford
RAYLEIGH HI-FI SOUND & VISION
216 Moulsham Street.
01245 265245
www.rayleighhifi.com
Maidenhead
AUDIO VENUE
36 Queen Street.
01628 633995
www.audiovenue.com
Norwich
MARTINS HI-FI
85-91 Ber Street.
01603 627134
www.martinshifi.co.uk
Rayleigh, Essex
RAYLEIGH HI-FI SOUND & VISION
44a High Street.
01268 779762
CUSTOM INSTALL DEPT.
01268 776932
www.rayleighhifi.com
Southend-on-Sea
RAYLEIGH HI-FI SOUND & VISION
132/4 London Road.
01702 435255
www.rayleighhifi.com
N1
GRAHAMS HI-FI
190a New North Road.
020 7226 5500
www.grahams.co.uk
SW11
ORANGES & LEMONS
61-63 Webbs Road, Battersea.
020 7924 2040
www.oandlhifi.co.uk
MIDLANDS
Coventry
FRANK HARVEY HI-FI EXCELLENCE
163 Spon Street.
024 7652 5200
www.frankharvey.co.uk
Nottingham
CASTLE SOUND & VISION
48/50 Maid Marian Way.
0115 9584404
www.castlesoundvision.com
Buying or being sold to?
There are dealers around, web based or
otherwise, who will sell you anything you
are willing to pay for. They may be a bit
cheaper but that’s all they offer. Now
there’s a carefully selected group of long-
established specialist dealers who are
totally committed to putting the customer
first. Their idea of ‘selling’ is to discuss
your requirements, offer their advice, give
you the best options, then play the
systems for you and allow you to be the
judge. You’ll probably be surprised and,
almost certainly, relieved to discover how
easy it is to see and hear the differences
between components and between
systems. You’ll be able to make a clear
and informed decision about what to buy.
The story doesn’t end there. These shops
won’t abandon you once you’ve put your
hand in your pocket. They won’t leave you
to set up the system you’ve selected as
best you can. They’ll install it in your
home, make sure it performs to its best,
and ensure you’re entirely happy with the
way it works. Why? Because a high
proportion of these dealers’ custom comes
through people who have bought from
them before, either directly or by
recommendation. It’s vital to them to get it
right for you.
NORTH
York
SOUND ORGANISATION
2 Gillygate.
01904 627108
www.soundorg.co.uk
LONDON
Ealing
AUDIO VENUE
27 Bond Street.
020 8567 8703
www.audiovenue.com
The majority of the above dealers
are members of one or both of
the major trade organisations,
BADA or CEDIA.
www.top20uk.info
2222
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STAR QUALITIES
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WELCOME
GENIUS IS DEFINED in my dictionary as ‘exceptional
intellectual or creative power or other natural ability’.
In other words, it’s an exclusive club. On p46 of this
issue, you’ll encounter some of the greatest geniuses,
as nominated by top scientists. When you’ve read the
article, do vote on our website – and if you think we’ve
left someone out, do let me know who, and why. We’ll
print your replies in future issues.
Since it’s summer, the cinemas are already chock-full
of blockbusters that stretch science to the limit. Villains
hit by multiple bullets but still fighting... heroes surviving falls through plate glass
windows... I won’t go on, but I will direct you to Helen Pilcher’s article on p37,
where she reveals which Hollywood favourites have any basis in reality.
We also find out if a cure for headaches is at hand (p60); if we’re on the verge
of creating black holes on Earth (p77); and see some unbelievable cameras being
created in the lab (p56). I really can’t wait to see them working.
Meanwhile, Helen Czerski has been shortlisted for columnist of the year at
the prestigious PPA (Professional Publishers Association) 2014 Awards for
her Everyday Science column in this magazine. See www.ppa.co.uk/events/
ppaawards2014 for the other contenders, and turn to p31 to read her page on
an exploding baked potato. Enjoy the issue!
FOCUS DIGITAL
Available for Android iOS Kindle Fire
Kindle e-reader
THIS MONTH WE…
...talked to author
Gaia Vince
about the
Anthropocene – the name
for a controversial
geological era of human
impact on the planet.
Listen to our chat with
her on the podcast.
...went to the launch of
Longitude Prize 2014,
at which some big
projects were unveiled.
Find out about the original
18th Century Longitude
Prize that inspired the
search on p92.
...tried out some of
the most high-tech
cameras
ready for
summer. Read our review
on p88 and keep an eye
on sciencefocus.com for
a more in-depth look at
the Samsung NX30.
Graham Southorn,
Editor
Don’t miss our August issue,
on sale
24 July 2014
CONTACTS
ADVERTISING
steve.grigg@immediate.co.uk
0117 314 8750
EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES
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0117 314 7388
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APPEARING IN THIS ISSUE…
Martyn
Poliako
Prof Poliako is many
people’s idea of a
genius, having brought
chemistry to the masses in the popular
Periodic Table of Videos on YouTube.
See p50 for his genius nomination.
Heather
Williams
Heather is director and
founder of ScienceGrrl,
which promotes
women in science. You’ll nd Heather’s
genius nomination on p49 and more
about her work at sciencegrrl.co.uk
Kate
Russell
Kate is a familiar face
on BBC TV, appearing
on
Click
and other
programmes. Kate brings you the latest
apps for Apple and Android – see p102
for this month’s selection.
Maggie
Aderin-Pocock
Maggie had big shoes
to ll when she
replaced Sir Patrick
Moore on
The Sky at Night
but she’s
quickly become a viewers’ favourite.
Find her genius nomination on p51.
COVER: GLUEKIT
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On p32, psychologist
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discusses the
latest developments in the eld of cognitive science

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