St John's College News
Female fish can breed a new species if they aren’t choosy about who is Mr Right
02/12/2019"Our research shows that hybridisation can fuel the evolution of new species"Fish will mate with a species outside their own if the male’s colouring is attractive enough or if the female can’t see him properly, according to new research. Such ‘mistakes’ in mate choice can lead to the evolution of new species, an international team of scientists found. The group studied 2000 fish and analysed the DNA of more than 400 cichlid fish from two freshwater lakes in East Africa.…read moreFestive Michaelmas music
29/11/2019Concerts for the festive seasonFrom carol services sung by the Choir and St John’s Voices to jazz concerts with the St John's Big Band and a cappella singing with Aquila and The Gents of St John’s, there are plenty of festive musical events taking place in the College to bring Michaelmas Term to a close. The popular St John’s Advent Carol Services include lessons, hymns and carols to reflect the anticipation of Christmas. The…read more‘Dazzling genius’ Sir Jonathan Miller dies aged 85
28/11/2019Tributes have been paid to Sir Jonathan Miller from all over the worldSir Jonathan Miller, the Johnian writer, theatre and opera director, has died. Miller co-wrote and acted in the seminal stage revue Beyond the Fringe in 1960 with Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett. The groundbreaking satirical show was met with critical acclaim when it premiered at the Edinburgh Festival and quickly transferred to the West End and Broadway. Miller studied Medicine at St…read moreSir Stephen Cleobury (1948-2019)
28/11/2019"Stephen was one of the giants of the choral music world during the past half century"Sir Stephen Cleobury, St John's Organ Scholar (1967-71) and Director of Music at King's College for 37 years, has died aged 70. Stephen passed away peacefully in York, where he had lived since his retirement in September, in the evening of 22 November after a long illness. During his long tenure with King’s College, Stephen enhanced the reputation of the Choir, and had a long association with…read moreThe Revd Canon Mark Oakley appointed new Canon Theologian for Wakefield Cathedral
26/11/2019"I am delighted that Mark has accepted this significant role in the life of the cathedral"The Revd Canon Mark Oakley has accepted an invitation from the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, to become Canon Theologian at Wakefield Cathedral. In this honorary role, which he will hold alongside his role as Dean of St John’s, Canon Oakley will support the Bishop and the Cathedral Chapter in their theological reflections and encourage integrity in their discernment and decision-…read more‘Trickster god’ used fake news in Babylonian Noah story
25/11/2019“Ea tricks humanity by spreading fake news"An early example of fake news has been found in the 3000-year-old Babylonian story of Noah and the Ark, which is widely believed to have inspired the Biblical tale. Nine lines etched on ancient clay tablets that tell the Gilgamesh Flood story can now be understood in very different ways – according to a Cambridge academic. Dr Martin Worthington’s new research analysing the word play in the…read moreinnocent smoothie entrepreneurs talk to students after innovation pilot success
22/11/2019"I saw the workshop as an opportunity to expand my knowledge of entrepreneurship"The brains behind innocent smoothies came back to St John's to share the secrets of their success with the next generation of Johnian entrepreneurs. Jon Wright and Richard Reed, two of the three Johnian founders of innocent, talked to students about how they developed the company into a global brand that eventually sold for more than £500m. The founders were invited to the College by…read moreAquila has landed
20/11/2019"Aquila is now a central part of music-making in College; long may it continue!”It may have taken 500 years for St John’s to get a women’s singing group, but the members of Aquila are determined to make up for lost time, Louise Hanzlik learns. Music has a long and illustrious history at St John’s. The Choir of St John’s is beloved by fans around the world and has clocked up more than 90 recordings since it was founded in the 1670s. The Gentlemen of St John’s have been…read moreSt John’s author nominated for Irish Book of the Year award
31/10/2019"This year’s shortlist is a testament to the breadth and depth of Irish writing talent"From murder to beekeeping, discover how the Irish ate, drank, loved and lied in a book co-authored by a John's academic. A history of Ireland in 100 words has been nominated for ‘best Irish-published book of the year’ in the An Post Irish Book Awards 2019 – Ireland’s major literary event. The book tells the history of Ireland by looking at the development and changing meaning of 100 medieval…read moreChoir releases album to celebrate the tradition of Evensong
21/10/2019“Magnificat features a great variety of music; something for all tastes"St John’s College Choir is releasing its first album dedicated to the Evening Canticles on Friday 25 October. Magnificat is a celebration of the tradition of Evensong, sung daily in College during term time, and contains six contrasting settings of the Evening Canticles. The settings were chosen by Andrew Nethsingha, Director of Music at St John’s, and each one has personal significance to him…read more‘Artificial leaf’ successfully produces clean gas
18/10/2019"You may not have heard of syngas itself but every day, you consume products that were created using it"A widely-used gas that is currently produced from fossil fuels can instead be made by an ‘artificial leaf’ that uses only sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, and which could eventually be used to develop a sustainable liquid fuel alternative to petrol. The carbon-neutral device sets a new benchmark in the field of solar fuels, after researchers at the University of Cambridge demonstrated that it…read moreMedieval bible returns to its former home after 700 years
14/10/2019Staff at the Gisborough Priory Project arranged for the Gisburne Bible to be borrowed from St John’sA medieval treasure from St John’s Library is the centrepiece of a special exhibition being held to mark the 900th anniversary of a Yorkshire priory. The Gisburne Bible – a richly decorated, handwritten copy of the Vulgate Bible – was bequeathed to Gisborough Priory by a prominent Yorkshire clergyman in 1333 after a catastrophic fire destroyed most of the Priory’s library. The manuscript…read moreLive retelling of Virgil’s epic poem comes to Cambridge
08/10/2019"However 'literary' Virgil, Ovid and others have become, the magic of their voices is the most thrilling dynamic to come out of their world."A rare live performance of one of ancient literature’s masterpieces will be hosted at St John’s in November. Adapted from Virgil’s first-century BC epic poem the Aeneid, The Song of Arms and a Man tells the story of legendary hero Aeneas’s struggle to fulfil his destiny as the founder of Rome. It charts his escape from the burning ruins of Troy and his doomed affair with the Carthagian queen…read moreFreshers awarded £81,000 in pre-admissions prizes
08/10/2019"These prizes honour some of our outstanding new students as they arrive at St John’s and they would not be possible without the unfaltering generosity of our alumni"A group of 15 new undergraduates at St John’s College have been awarded up to £8000 each on the day they arrived in Cambridge to begin their studies. Prize-winners were selected on the basis of their academic track record, potential and broader financial need. The exceptional new students were invited with their families to a special ceremony at St John’s to mark their achievements. A total of…read moreVice-Master appointed at St John’s College
03/10/2019“Tim is an experienced academic leader who will continue the tradition of strong leadership of the College as we prepare to welcome a new Master next year.”Professor Tim Whitmarsh has been named as Vice-Master of St John’s College. The interim position will build on the principled and engaged leadership of Professor Sir Christopher Dobson, the late Master who died in September. Professor Whitmarsh is Director of Studies in Classics Part IA & IB at St John’s s, A. G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at the University of Cambridge, and Co-…read moreSt John’s graduate to appear in new BBC war drama
25/09/2019Jonah Hauer-King plays Harry Chase, one of the leading characters in World on FireJonah Hauer-King, actor and St John’s alumnus, is to appear on our TV screens at the end of September in BBC One’s new epic war drama World on Fire. Rising star Jonah, who graduated from St John’s in 2017 with a first-class honours degree in Theology, plays Harry Chase, one of the lead characters in the drama. Credit: BBC/© Mammoth Screen 2018World on Fire, starring Sean Bean, Helen Hunt, Lesley…read moreDiary of polar scientist on ill-fated Shackleton voyage donated to St John’s
23/09/2019“We left the ship this evening: it still floats, but has been so badly damaged by the pressure of the last 24 hours that it will never float again once the ice opens."When explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance became trapped on ice in Antarctica and eventually sank in 1915, Sir James Mann Wordie was one of the crew that escaped in lifeboats to an uninhabited island. Wordie, who was a student, Fellow and eventually Master at St John’s College, was recruited in 1914 as the geologist and chief of scientific staff for Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic…read moreAncient story of revenge shortlisted for film award
20/09/2019The film tells the story of a compelling folk tale found etched on a clay tablet in South-East TurkeyThe world’s first ever film in Babylonian – a language that died out 2,000 years ago – has been nominated for a top research prize. Students led by Dr Martin Worthington, a Fellow at St John’s College, University of Cambridge, made the innovative film based on a Babylonian folk tale about a violent and comic story of revenge from 700 BC. The Poor Man of Nippur has now been shortlisted in…read moreTrainee primary school teacher turned Professor wins $3.9million Yidan education prize
19/09/2019"Usha’s research is truly globally significant both to children’s development and to education"The world’s largest education prize awarded to someone who is ‘creating a better world through education’ has been won by Professor Usha Goswami. Professor Usha Goswami, a Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, a Director of the Centre for Neuroscience in Education and a Fellow of St John’s College, is an international leader in literacy research and she has today been named as…read more‘Game-changing’ research could solve evolution mysteries
11/09/2019"This new analysis will start an exciting new chapter in the study of molecular evolution"An evolution revolution has begun after scientists extracted genetic information from a 1.7 million-year-old rhino tooth – the largest and oldest genetic data to ever be recorded. Researchers identified an almost complete set of proteins, a proteome, in the dental enamel of the rhino and the genetic information discovered is one million years older than the oldest DNA sequenced from a 700,000-…read moreOnline book of condolence launched to mark death of ‘intellectual giant’ Professor Sir Christopher Dobson
10/09/2019An online book of condolence has now been opened by St John’s CollegeTributes to Sir Christopher Dobson, Master of St John’s, have flooded in from around the world after we shared the news of his death. An online book of condolence has now been opened by St John’s College to allow those who wish to pay virtual tribute to Sir Christopher who was a brilliant scientist, an inspirational mentor, a much-loved Master and a friend to so many. Messages can be left…read moreTributes paid to Master of St John’s College who has died age 69
09/09/2019"Chris was loved by so many and will be hugely missed by us all"Professor Sir Christopher Dobson, Master of St John’s College, died on Sunday, September 8 2019. He is survived by his wife, Dr Mary Dobson, their sons, Richard and William, and his beloved dog, Jimbo. He was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and died at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Surrey. Sir Christopher, known to most people simply as Chris, was a member of the St John’s community for…read moreClimate change, migration and AI explored at international summer school
06/09/2019"International events of this nature are hugely important in the current times when global collaboration is required"A group of 100 German students came to St John's to take part in a special summer school to explore the big issues facing the future of society. The week-long Studienstiftung Summer Academy was organised by St John’s in partnership with the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, the largest scholarship organisation in Germany, to bring students from the sciences and humanities together to…read moreNo deal will lead to prolonged and severe political and economic uncertainty, new academic report finds
04/09/2019"Leaving without a deal will have significant negative consequences for the UK economy"No deal will not “get Brexit done” rather, it will usher in a period of prolonged uncertainty for citizens, workers and businesses, which is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, a new report by academic think tank The UK in a Changing Europe reveals. The report – No deal Brexit: issues, impacts and implications – written by 11 academics from a variety of disciplines including Dr Meredith…read moreDissertation inspired by refugee crisis wins John’s student £1000 MPhil prize
30/08/2019"It is concern, grief and anger at the way in which European states were dealing with refugees which brought me to this research"Esther Luigi, who graduated with an MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History from St John’s earlier this year, has been awarded the 2019 Quentin Skinner Prize. The prize, which launched in 2008, is presented by the Faculty of History for the best performance in the MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History. It is awarded annually to the student with the highest mark…read more