The Pi Perspective: Week 2
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
At Pi Online, we are a massive group of editors who work together to curate content for the website. But who are we really? What do we like, dislike, observe, think?
Each week, we’re pulling back the curtain with a new editorial spotlighting what’s been on our minds.
Editors-in-Chief
In what has been a rather gloomy first week of term, it’s been lovely to see the human spirit persevere around campus.
From the teaching faculty who tirelessly deliver lectures and the baristas who make endless coffees and hot chocolates to warm us up, to the students who toil in the Student Centre all day and the security and cleaning staff who keep the place running, everyone is doing a rather swell job of not letting the grim weather get to them.
I, for one, hate the rain. We barely got any where I grew up, so I’m not used to it at all. Not to mention, I hate how the bottoms of my jeans get soaked and my glasses get so fogged up that I’ve pretty much permanently switched to contact lenses.
And yet, despite my Grinch-ian disposition, watching everyone around me soldier on regardless has made the drizzle feel a little more bearable, and reminded me that even the greyest weeks are easier when we’re all trudging through them together.
News
Amongst the global narratives of foreign intervention, protests, and AI controversies, it is the unfolding of a British political scandal which has captured my attention. Robert Jenrick’s sacking, and subsequent defection to Reform, seems to encapsulate existing trends in UK politics. The possibility of Jenrick’s move to Reform had been known for some time, yet the shock of Kemi Badenoch’s actions, sacking him before he could leave, drew attention away from the strengthening of Reform to the Tories themselves.
While part of the story is the continuation of Reform’s growing support at the expense of the Tories, this seems less a moment of weakness for Badenoch and more one of strength. She has become as large a player in this event as Jenrick himself, and managed to reassert her leadership within the party.
Considering also that it was a junior staff member who brought Jenrick’s defection speech to party leadership, perhaps some loyalty towards the Tory party does remain. So perhaps it is not only about the strengthening of the Reform party, despite them gaining from the situation, but about the ongoing fight on the British right.
Features
Two years ago my friend used ChatGPT to dispute a fine from the Dublin tramline. I had never come across AI being used like this before (i.e. outside of academia). It was crazy to me that you could generate in seconds a well-crafted, persuasive, perhaps even a little zesty, email, and effortlessly render that arduous task you’ll never get round to complete.
Nowadays the use of ChatGPT is commonplace in practically all contexts. For book lists, recipes, decision-making and fact-finding, by students, job-seekers and employers. I have this image of our world increasingly being run by ChatGPT. Whilst we sit back, AI decides what we eat, the content of our emails, and who is appointed which job. Whilst we sit back, we forget how to use what makes us human; our minds. In the image I see humans becoming the robots with AI holding the remote.
Opinion
In an era of political defection and delirium, we seem to be witnessing the death of ideology itself. More and more, our politicians appear to be driven not by deep-seated convictions or ideals, or even visions for how our society should function, but simply by a languid desire for notoriety or petty power. Of course, Robert Jenrick is a prime example, but as part of the political carrion of the decaying Conservative Party, his craven move to Reform is hardly surprising (however amusing it was to see him pushed before he could jump).
The Prime Minister himself is the most troubling patient of this pandemic of ideological emptiness. Whilst Starmer appears well-intentioned, there is no guiding doctrine of ‘Starmerism’, merely a vacillating commitment to technocratic reform. Given our domestic and geopolitical predicaments, perhaps what the UK needs is a strong dose of political philosophy. Unfortunately for us, none of our politicians seem able to administer this medicine.
Lifestyle and Culture
For those at least semi-observant of the entertainment industry, missing this winter’s showbiz meanders was not an option. The Netflix-Warner Bros-Paramount love triangle is certainly an intriguing corporate precedent – yet what does this mean beyond the numbers game?
We consumers may feel barely affected by the broadcaster alterations, if at all. Rather, the implications manifest on a deeper, institutional level. Film as a commercial art form is slowly but surely drifting away from its charming devotion to global discourse. Once a tool for representation and unity, the medium is now rapidly growing as a profitable commodity and a convincing political messenger. Netflix and Paramount have long been crowned the industry giants. But, perhaps, there’s a point after which expansion morphs into gluttony?
Diversity of voices in the media production arena is crucial, as audiences deserve to experience stories not limited to a single narrator. The monopolisation of the craft is thus concerning. On a brighter note, though, this might be a great time to support independent filmmakers and broadcasters.
Science and Technology
With the New Year comes a promise of opportunity and innovation in science and tech. However, with the rise of misogynistic AI bots (I’m looking at you Grok…) and the resurgence of medieval diseases, it can be hard to stay optimistic!
So, to revive hope for 2026, I would like to introduce: The Making Spaces Project, led by Professor Louise Archer who is here at UCL’s very own Institute of Education. The overarching aim is to diversify STEM participation through Makerspaces: informal, multipurpose areas of hands-on learning.
The Project, which began in 2020, brought researchers together from 3 UK Makerspaces, including the Institute of Making, to reimagine STEM learning. Since then, the project has expanded internationally, with contributors from Nepal, Slovenia, USA, and Palestine.
A further benefit of this project is its focus on fostering youth-led innovation to address social and environmental challenges. For example, The Making Good Prize 2023-24 highlights designs from floor-sitters for wheelchair users in the USA to a fertilisation initiative, converting food waste into nutrient-rich compost in Palestine.
The project is ongoing and I look forward to following its positive progress!
Sports
At the tail end of last year, Birmingham City FC unveiled bold new plans for their stadium, including more than doubling the capacity, and building eye-catching industrial chimneys around the bowl. The plans have drawn a lot of praise from fans and locals alike, however much criticism has also been voiced about the aesthetics of the stadium with some calling it an eye-sore, but in my opinion, the stadium not only looks impressive and imposing, but also pays important homage to the city’s history.
Birmingham has a strong industrial past, the remnants of which can still be seen around the city today, and using the beloved blues to pay homage to its history shows how Birmingham’s industrial roots have shaped the city. By more than doubling the capacity, it also shows intent to build a larger base of supporters, and prove that Birmingham is willing to fight to be promoted back into the Premier League, where they have spent a total of 57 seasons.
Although some criticise the aesthetics of the stadium, I believe it reflects an important history, and symbolises a new future for Birmingham City FC.