Today’s physics news: Cern’s Paralympic view, GCSE marking and London Met visa scandal

Physics news for 31 August 2012.

God particle team hail discovery’s starring role at the Paralympics

The spectacular representation of the Higgs boson in the Paralympics Opening Ceremony signals science is reclaiming its place in popular culture, according to the director of the laboratory where the particle was discovered. Yesterday, Professor Rolf-Dieter Heuer, director-general of Cern, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, welcomed the depictions. “Seeing such a discovery make it into festivities such as the opening of the Paralympics shows that science might get back more into society,” he said. “I think it’s very important to have this.” 

The Times (Subscription)

GCSE marking fiasco could have been avoided

Exams regulator Ofqual identified a major problem that may have led to this summer’s English GCSE grading crisis three years ago but failed to act, it has emerged. The Times Education Supplement reported that Ofqual came up with a workable solution that might have avoided the row that has erupted since last week but decided not to implement it. The TES reported that former Ofqual chief regulator, Isabel Nisbet, raised the problem in October 2009 when modular GCSEs were first introduced.

The Guardian

UK sector will take hit from London Met visa scandal, senior figures warn

The decision to strip London Metropolitan University of its licence to recruit overseas students has implications “for the whole UK sector”, according to the vice-president of Universities UK. The British Council, which promotes UK higher education abroad, also warned that the London Met situation “could be hugely damaging to the UK’s excellent reputation overseas”.

Times Higher Education