All Posts
Cosmic Connections
Correlation is a central tenet of efforts to explore the structure of the early universe and an indispensable tool for cosmologists. Yoann Launay argues that correlation does not imply causation, but connection.
Monday, 23 September 2024
The Overspecialised Science: Have We Become Too Afraid Of Peeping Into The Backyard Of Our Peers?
Postgraduate chemist Andrea Rogolino interviews undergraduate student Daniel Leong, discussing importance of finding connections between sciences.
Monday, 23 September 2024
How Human Connections Have Shaped Our Evolution
Rachel Duke explores how our connections with one another have formed the human evolutionary trajectory, discussing examples such as lactose tolerance and language in early hominids, to question the future of human evolution.
Wednesday, 4 September 2024
Can Art Change How We Communicate Climate Data?
Emily Goniea explores interpretations of climate data and the role of arts in the future of public outreach for climate science.
Wednesday, 4 September 2024
Making Everyday Life Easier With Soft Robotics
Pranav Addepalli delves into the advent of soft robotics, their numerous underwater, medical, and biomimetic applications and some of the challenges facing soft robots/soft robot development.
Thursday, 25 July 2024
Mental Maps
In her exploration of connectomics, Rachel McKeown reflects on the rapidly advancing field dedicated to mapping intricate physical connections of neurones in diverse networks, and what this holds for the future.
Thursday, 25 July 2024
Seeking Connections: The Essence Of Epidemiology
Bethan Powell argues that seeking connections and patterns is at the heart of epidemiology.
Tuesday, 9 July 2024
Empathy In 2024 : Brains, Media And AI
Spatika Jayaram questions what it means to empathise in today’s age and considers the implications of AI and social media.
Tuesday, 9 July 2024
You Won’t Believe The Insane Reason We’re Drawn to Clickbait
Oliver Macauley discusses how online media headlines can capture our attention and draw us in.
Tuesday, 25 June 2024
Light skies, dark world: backyard stargazers reveal increase in light pollution
Lizzie Knight discusses the impact of increasing light pollution from artificial light sources.
Tuesday, 25 June 2024
The Very Hungry Catastrophe Solution
Phillipa Samella asks if moth larvae and microbes could be the answer to our plastic prayers?
Thursday, 6 June 2024
Running Hot Off the Press: How Medicine is Embracing 3D Bioprinting
Sambhavi Kumar dives into the latest medical technologies that could see 3D printers finding their way into our hospitals and clinic.
Thursday, 6 June 2024
The Evolutionary Roots of Metabolic Regulation in the Immune System: Tracing the Path from Primordial Mechanisms to Modern Complexity
Swetha Kannan discusses the interaction between immune and metabolic processes from an evolutionary perspective.
Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Unlocking the Gut-Brain Connection: The Invincible Army Modulating Brain Activity
Goitseone Thamae shines light on the invincible army modulating brain activity
Thursday, 9 May 2024
Keeping Mental Score: This is Your Brain on Music
Yuthika Pillai outlines how the brain responds to music and why this is so essential to our lives
Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Can Language Be Abstracted?
Shikang Ni reveals the rules of communication and asks whether they can be captured by a computer.
Monday, 15 April 2024
Chipping In: Are the Benefits of Neurolink All Inside Our Head?
Maciej Gabrysiak explores the current state of neural implant technology and examines the claims of its leading proponents
Thursday, 4 April 2024
Intermittent hypoxia: could hypoxia be beneficial?
Mingshuai Zhu discusses the potential benefits of intermittent hypoxia and potential clinical translation.
Tuesday, 26 March 2024
The Magic in Mushrooms: A Quick Dose of The History of Psychedelics
Isabella Bentham-Clark explores psychedelically altered states of perception and cognition.
Thursday, 21 March 2024
The consequence of connection: how human travel impacts global disease.
Alice Sparks discusses the impact of globalisation on the spread of diseases and how our increased connectivity impacts our response to pandemics.
Monday, 11 March 2024
Forces of Life
Rachel Mckeown explores how applying a physical perspective to living systems is yielding new insights into how our bodies are built and shaped during development
Monday, 4 March 2024
An Interview with Jessie Hall: The Philosophy of Virtual Reality
Pauline Kerekes speaks to scientist and philosopher Jessie Hall about materialism and consciousness, and which criteria can be proposed to...
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Review: How Emotions are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett
Rachel Mckeown reviews the book "How Emotions are Made" by Lisa Feldman Barrett
Tuesday, 20 February 2024
The little compass hidden in each of us
Andrea Rogolino explains how a certain biological molecule can detect magnetic fields
Monday, 5 February 2024
Cuttlefish teach cameras to ‘see’ better amid contrasts in illumination
Andrea Rogolino explains how researchers created a new camera based on the eyes of cuttlefish
Friday, 2 February 2024
Researchers discover secret pyramid tunnel
Armaan Shaikh describes how muon radiography identified an undiscovered section of one of the Great Pyramids of Egypt
Tuesday, 30 January 2024
Aging Warriors and Cancer's Game: Navigating Immunometabolic Chessboards in Young versus Seasoned Battlers
Swetha Kannan explains the metabolic interplay between aging and cancer, and the implications of this for therapeutics
Friday, 19 January 2024
Diabolically Ironclad
Tasmin Wood explains what makes the diabolical ironclad beetle so tough
Monday, 15 January 2024
Social Scientists: Our Favourite Online Influencers
Libby Brown highlights some great Instagram accounts for scientists
Friday, 12 January 2024
Quantum birds and their sixth sense
Andy Song and Yena Seo explain the theory behind how magnetoreception could work in migratory birds
Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Shaking Up Scientific Publishing: eLife Announces Controversial New Publishing Plan
Holly Smith discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a more transparent peer review process
Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Quantum Internet: An Entangled World
Shreyas Iyer introduces the reader to the strange and remarkable implications of a quantum internet and its applications in secure communication
Tuesday, 9 January 2024
Clearing the Confusion about Nuclear Fusion
Xavior Wang discusses the promises and challenges of fusion energy
Thursday, 4 January 2024
Power to the People: Creating a Resilient Electricity Grid in the Face of Global Hazards
Lizzie Knight discusses how the electricity grid is susceptible to global hazards and what can be done to improve its resilience
Thursday, 4 January 2024
Botox: From Anti-Wrinkle to Anti-Depressant
Emily Birt discusses the clinical applications of Botox and emerging research into its potential use as a therapy for mental health disorders
Wednesday, 3 January 2024
Mitochondrial Networking: Immunometabolic Symphony in Cellular Societies
Swetha Kannan explains the role of mitochondria in the immune system in the context of cancer and ageing
Saturday, 30 December 2023
ASCUS: Society at the Heart of Science
Pauline Kerekes talks to Keira Tucker, the General Manager at ASCUS Art and Science that provides the only publicly accessible lab in the UK, aiming at strengthening the necessary cross-talk between society and science.
Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Genome Sequencing: its Promises, its Impact
Merissa Hickman and Rachel Duke discuss the societal implications of advancements in genomic medicine
Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Brains in a Dish - Models for the Study of the Human Brain
Anna Pujol explores the different models used to study the brain and its related pathologies
Tuesday, 19 December 2023
GM brought us Golden Rice, but is it a Golden Solution?
Hayoung Choi explores whether GM crops are a solution to the food crisis
Monday, 18 December 2023
Bluesci Goes Green on the Amazing People, Enquiring Minds Trail at Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Rachel Mckeown explores the new Botanic Garden trail and talks to some of the researchers involved
Friday, 15 December 2023
Why Plant-Based Just Makes Sense
William Smith presents the environmental benefits of a plant-based diet
Thursday, 14 December 2023
HeLa: The Immortal Cell Line Shaping Science and Society
Konstanze Schichl discusses the legacy of Henrietta Lacks with a focus on the history and modern-day implications of the use of the HeLa cell line
Wednesday, 13 December 2023
An Interview with Dr Catherine Galloway: Translation and Innovation Lead at the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science, and the Public
Merissa Hickman explores the pioneering ways that the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science and the Public involve and engage the general public in science
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Modifying the genetics of humanity? What we do not know is what matters
Raina Jia reviews the book “The End of Genetics: Designing Humanity’s DNA” by David Goldstein
Monday, 11 December 2023
New Realities
Ailie McWhinnie explores the ways our brains build our unique experiences of reality
Thursday, 2 November 2023
Birdsongs alleviate anxiety and paranoia in healthy participants
Laura Chilver explains how birdsong could benefit people living in urban areas
Thursday, 26 October 2023
Coughs and Sneezes or Attention Seekers?
Libby Brown discusses how captive gorillas may be using complex vocal learning
Monday, 9 October 2023
Rapidx: A Rapid Disease Testing Startup at Cambridge University Using Plasmonics
Yan-Yi Lee describes how laser technology is aiming to improve PCR testing for microbial infections
Wednesday, 4 October 2023
Uplifting Plants: Hebes in New Zealand’s Southern Alps
Anne Thomas discusses the diversification of a flowering shrub in mountain habitats
Monday, 25 September 2023
Access to Electricity: A Growing Issue in 2023 and Beyond
Chisom Ifeobu highlights how a framework to classify people's access to electricity could help plans to improve global access
Thursday, 14 September 2023
Xenotransplantation
Megan Chan discusses recent advances in replacing damaged human tissues with those from other species
Monday, 21 August 2023
Bioreceptive Architecture
Bartek Witek explores how architects are designing building materials that combine plants and concrete
Monday, 7 August 2023
Moon Plants
Barbara Neto-Bradley describes how scientists have managed to grow seedlings in moon dirt
Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Beyond The Periodic Table
Mickey Wong explores the origins of radioactivity and why this means that superheavy elements are unlikely to exist
Monday, 24 July 2023
Nuclear Fusion – Harnessing the Power of Stars
Shikang Ni talks about the future of nuclear fusion energy and where we are now
Thursday, 20 July 2023
Frontiers at the Large Hadron Collider
Manuel Morales Alvarado writes about the importance of the work at the LHC in the progression of high energy physics and its impact on wider society
Tuesday, 18 July 2023
The Decarbonisation Challenge
Clifford Sia explains the difficulty of making the world run on renewable energy
Thursday, 13 July 2023
Pavilion: When Braille Meets Colours
Pauline Kerekes talks to Clarke Reynolds, a visually impaired artist who invented a new form of visual art.
Tuesday, 11 July 2023
Microprocessor Design – We're Running Out Of Ideas
Clifford Sia discusses the challenges involved in building faster microprocessors
Monday, 3 July 2023
Generative Adversarial Networks
Shavindra Jayasekera discusses how competing algorithms can solve the problem of small biomedical datasets
Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Is 3D Printing All It’s Cracked Up To Be?
Sarah Lindsay introduces the many layers of 3D printing
Monday, 19 June 2023
Lateral Flow Tests – Beyond COVID-19
Caroline Reid talks about pushing existing medical technology to its full potential
Tuesday, 13 June 2023
The Green Revolution – How a Jellyfish Transformed Cell Biology
Andrew Smith explores the origins of GFP and how it became the versatile tool that we know today
Thursday, 8 June 2023
In Search of the Missing Jawbone – Solving an Evolutionary Riddle
Hayoung Choi explores various approaches to solving the long-studied evolutionary riddle on the mysterious structures that were repurposed to build the middle ear
Monday, 5 June 2023
Review: Prehistoric Planet (BBC, Apple TV)
Adiyant Lamba reviews the BBC paleobiology series featuring photorealistic CGI dinosaurs and narration by David Attenborough
Thursday, 1 June 2023
The ‘low threshold high ceiling’ approach to nurturing young mathematicians
Ems Lord reviews NRICH, the University of Cambridge's website of mathematical school resources that are both challenging and accessible
Monday, 29 May 2023
Femtech Venture Creation Weekend – May 2022
Benedetta Spadaro reviews the first Femtech Venture Creation event, which focused on how technology could be used to improve female health
Thursday, 25 May 2023
Novel Mapping of the Human Immune System Could Unveil New Targets in Medical Therapy
Yan-Yi Lee and Sung-Mu Lee discuss how researchers have created a map of the signalling proteins of the human immune system
Tuesday, 23 May 2023
Scientists Identify Two Viruses that Trigger Alzheimer’s Disease
Sneha Kumar discusses a possible link between brain inflammation and the viruses that cause cold sores and chickenpox
Wednesday, 17 May 2023
The Role of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Insects and its Possible Applications
Lily Taylor discusses the importance of horizontal gene transfer in insects
Monday, 15 May 2023
A Less Glamorous 'Circle of Life'
Philip Myers describes parasites and fungi that hijack animals' brains
Tuesday, 4 October 2022
The Mystery of Stabilimenta
Laura Chilver describes an unusual feature of spider webs
Thursday, 29 September 2022
Treating C.diff Infection with ‘Crapsules’ — Faecal Microbiota Transplants in Capsule Form
Lily Taylor explores a potential new treatment for microbiota imbalances
Thursday, 29 September 2022
The Toys That Made Us
Maria Julia Maristany delves into how toys make us who we are
Sunday, 25 September 2022
Genes, Carpets, and Mediaeval Manuscripts
Bartek Witek discusses the broad applications of phylogenetic techniques
Saturday, 24 September 2022
Pro-Science? Fight Anti-Science Compassionately
Naomi van den Berg explains how guarding against misinformation helps us fight imminent crises more effectively
Friday, 23 September 2022
Sticking to the Science? The Role of Climate and Conservation Scientists in a Polarised Political World
James Ball explores the delicate boundaries that delineate research, advocacy, and activism in the scientific community
Thursday, 22 September 2022
Pavilion: the Eye of the Beholder
Laia Serratosa walks along the fuzzy, dreamlike borders between science and everything else
Wednesday, 21 September 2022
A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Artist: the Diary and Drawings of Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Livia E. Lisi-Vega reveals how Ramón y Cajal's artistic inclination fueled with Nobel-winning work
Tuesday, 6 September 2022
Acculturation in the Life of an International Student
Manuel Morales Alvarado shares his experience of acculturation in four different countries during his four years of postgraduate study
Thursday, 1 September 2022
Exploring the Zooniverse
Julie Tang discusses how citizen science facilitates scientific research and has potential benefits for both citizen scientists and professionals
Tuesday, 30 August 2022
Q&A with Stephen Braren
Maria Bolevich interviews a fellow researcher about his personal journey in scientific discovery
Thursday, 25 August 2022
Why patient experiences should shape medical knowledge
Jacob Smith explains why and how patient experiences should shape our current medical knowledge
Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Conservation: Subjective, but Still Science
Kate Howlett illustrates how applied science is firmly rooted in its social context
Thursday, 18 August 2022
Handmade: A Scientist’s Search for Meaning Through Making
Bethan Charles considers Ploszajski's journey into materials science
Tuesday, 16 August 2022
Brain Connectomics Throughout The Life Outcome: In-Person Conference at the MRC LMB
Elizabeth English reviews her first in-person neuroscience conference
Thursday, 11 August 2022
Beep-boop: How Brains Struggle to Detect Change During Dementia
Andrew Smith explores new research in dementia
Thursday, 4 August 2022
What happens when legislation does not catch up with the thriving surrogacy industry?
Jung Chen explores the challenging legislature surrounding surrogacy
Thursday, 28 July 2022
Weird and Wonderful - The Large Blue(Sci) Butterfly
Matt Hayes writes about Phengaris arion
Thursday, 14 July 2022
Valuing Vaginal Variation: Why Size Matters
Benedetta Spadaro explores how male-centric research neglects vaginas
Thursday, 7 July 2022
Tiny Owls and Tiny Snakes: Strangest of Bedfellows?
Alexandra Howard explores the relationship between the eastern screech owls and blind snakes of central Texas
Thursday, 30 June 2022
Seeds of Change: A Diverse History of Agricultural Practices in the UK
Tim Birkle delves into the history of crop rotations in the UK, modern farming practices, and the role of collective action in allowing important changes to take root
Thursday, 23 June 2022
Eco-Mining for the Future: The Changing Face of Lithium Extraction
Matthew Morris discusses the need to make lithium extraction greener and how we are bringing this closer to home in more ways than one
Thursday, 16 June 2022
The Dating Game: What Role Does the Major Histocompatibility Complex Play In Sexual Compatibility?
How do we choose our perfect partner? Clodagh Bottomley suggests our DNA has a greater role to play than we might think
Thursday, 9 June 2022
How to Build a Quantum Computer
Xavior Wang explores what makes and breaks a quantum computer
Thursday, 2 June 2022
Where Art Meets Artificial Intelligence
Pauline Kerekes talks to Lukas Noehrer at the Alan Turing Institute
Thursday, 26 May 2022
Reinventing Ourselves: What Do Advances in Artificial Intelligence Mean for Truth?
Gladys Poon discusses how our increasing reliance on algorithms affects the world we live in and our perception of it
Thursday, 12 May 2022
Hedging Your Bets: Is Single Cell Variability Functionally Important?
Roberta Cacioppo delves into the surprising variation between cells and what this might mean at the population level
Thursday, 5 May 2022
The Power of Statistics: A Myth of Objectivity
Charlotte Hutchings asks if statistics really makes science objective
Thursday, 5 May 2022
New Perspectives on Bilingualism and its Connection to Dementia
Yan-Yi Lee unravels three new questions at the intersection of bilingualism and dementia
Monday, 2 May 2022
Something To Declare: Australia’s Cane Toad Problem
Monica Killen uses the example of cane toads to explore complexities around introduced species and the importance of research into their impact
Thursday, 28 April 2022
Seen One Snake, Seen Them All?
Think again! Alexandra Howard delves into the world of snakes to highlight their surprising diversity
Thursday, 21 April 2022
Flexibility or Restriction: Five Ways Fixed-Term Contracts Reduce Diversity
Bethan Charles explores the dominance of temporary contacts in academia and what this means for diversity
Tuesday, 19 April 2022
Same But Different: A Short History of the Human Genome
Bartek Witek discusses our surprising lack of genetic diversity and its clinical consequences
Thursday, 14 April 2022
Crash Course Big History – CrashCourse
Sarah Lindsay reviews a science communication YouTube channel
Thursday, 7 April 2022
The Codebreaker – Walter Isaacson
Hazel Walker reviews a book by Walter Isaacson
Thursday, 31 March 2022
Nipponium: An Element Lost in Time
Anthony Phung explores the story of a Japanese chemist’s lost element
Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Wilding – Isabella Tree
A review of the rewilding of Britain, as explored in Isabella Tree's Wilding
Thursday, 24 March 2022
A Breath of Fresh Air: Needle-Free COVID Vaccine Developed in Cambridge
Elizabeth English explores research into needle-free vaccines.
Sunday, 20 March 2022
The Largest Invertebrate of All Time
Adiyant Lamba explores recent fossil evidence of the largest invertebrate.
Sunday, 20 March 2022
Glass-Like Super Jelly: A Material for the Future
Adiyant Lamba explores research into a new glass-like super jelly.
Thursday, 3 March 2022
Calutron girls in the atomic city
"Calutron girls" worked in Oak ridge in WWII
Thursday, 24 February 2022
Weird and Wonderful: Is ASMR Real?
Denise Tran explores the research behind ASMR.
Thursday, 17 February 2022
It’s Getting Hot in Here, so Override Your Chromosomes
Sarah Lindsay explains the mechanism behind temperature-dependant sex determination
Thursday, 10 February 2022
What cooperation in climate conservation looks like
Donovan Sim discusses the need for scientific and political unity for climate action
Thursday, 3 February 2022
The popularisation of science
Chloe Li weighs up the implications of differing views on simplifying and disseminating scientific findings
Thursday, 27 January 2022
Clinical Trial Design May Perpetuate Health Inequalities
Differences in immunological responses between disparate human populations are well-documented. Lauren Lee considers that inadequate representation of some groups in clinical trials omits the study of the genetic and environmental factors relevant to those populations
Thursday, 20 January 2022
Scientific Discovery, Imperialism and the Geological Map
Octavia Rooks charts the concept of discovery and the role of mapping in colonialism
Thursday, 13 January 2022
Decolonising Natural History Museums
Daniel Lim showcases stories from the colonial origins of the Natural History Museum collections
Thursday, 6 January 2022
Hidden Figures: The Erasure of Scientific Labour and the Hope of Decolonisation
For the FOCUS article of Issue 52, Gianamar Giovanetti-Singh, Rory Kent, and Swathi Nachiar Manivannan discuss who is excluded from the narratives surrounding scientific practice - and who benefits from this exclusion.
Tuesday, 4 January 2022
Following the Science
What do we mean by evidence-based decision making? Andrea Chlebikova tackles misconceptions about the phrase.
Thursday, 23 December 2021
The ‘Leaky Pipeline’: Is Diverse Representation in STEM a Pipe Dream?
Lizzie Knight discusses diversity in STEM and how the metaphor itself might perpetuate problems
Thursday, 16 December 2021
Science ‘Walks on Two Legs’ in Maoist China
Eugene Chia explains how the popular narrative of science under Mao brushes over a complex relationship between science and politics
Thursday, 9 December 2021
What Have We Learnt by Searching for "Gay Genes"?
Chay Graham argues that research into the DNA ancestry of gay sex is really a study of the relationship between LGBT+people, STEM and profit.
Thursday, 2 December 2021
The Myth of Objectivity
Zak Lakota-Baldwin questions whether objective science is possible, or even desireable
Thursday, 25 November 2021
The People in the Trees - Hanya Yanagihara
Bethan Clark reviews The People in the Trees
Thursday, 18 November 2021
Review: Letterbox Science
Letterbox Science is a public engagement project that aims to connect the research work at the Gurdon Institute with people who are often left behind.
Thursday, 11 November 2021
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Susanne Mesoy reviews the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Thursday, 4 November 2021
Getting to the Heart of COVID-19
Tom Wilkins explains two potential treatments for COVID-19.
Thursday, 28 October 2021
Changing Climate Alters How Volcanic Eruptions Affect Our Planet
Swastika Issar explains how natural phenomena can impact climate change
Thursday, 21 October 2021
AI Learns the Tell-Tale Signs of Dementia
Chloe Li explains how machine learning can be used for early diagnosis of dementia
Friday, 15 October 2021
How To Avoid Being Seen: Learning From the Octopus
Sona Popat explains how scientists are uncovering the secrets of camouflage
Tuesday, 14 September 2021
Being baby-faced
Hannah Lin observes the evolution of the face
Tuesday, 7 September 2021
Weird and Wonderful: Is Seeing Truly Believing?
Mirlinda Ademi talks about visual illusions
Tuesday, 31 August 2021
The Ties that Bind the Mind: Exploring the Limitations of Thought
Tom Wilkins discusses seeing the forest for the trees
Tuesday, 24 August 2021
Visualising Science
Bethan Clark tackles the problems and pitfalls of data visualisation
Tuesday, 17 August 2021
Geology Rocks! — How Rock Collections Shaped the Understanding of the Earth
Juliane Borchert explores the history of the Sedgwick Museum
Tuesday, 10 August 2021
To See in a New Light: There is More than Meets the Eye
Xavior Wang explores the scientific advancements in optical technology that transformed our perception of reality
Tuesday, 3 August 2021
Pavilion: Seeing the Supernatural?
Grace Exley explores how photography helped to expose a war-time witch
Tuesday, 27 July 2021
Arteries of the Earth: Why Rivers Run Everything
Will Knapp and Séan Thor Herron investigate how scientists study the importance of river systems throughout Earth's history
Tuesday, 20 July 2021
Whale Tracking Technology Hopes for a Sea Change in Conservation
Hazel Walker takes a deep dive into the world of cetacean tracking
Tuesday, 13 July 2021
Synchrotron Science: A Deep Dive into the Atomic World
Fran Seymour explores the creation of synchrotron light in accelerators and its many usages
Tuesday, 6 July 2021
Collapsing Ecosystems and Melting Permafrost in a Warming World: Is This The Future We Choose?
Mahlaqua Noor discusses the effect of climate change on permafrost ecosystems
Tuesday, 29 June 2021
Stereoisomers
Why position matters, the difference of a bond
Thursday, 24 June 2021
Remote Sensing: the Key to Reducing Seismic Hazard?
Natalie Forrest discusses how satellite data can shed light on seismic processes
Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Animal Magnetism
Susanne Mesoy investigates the mechanisms of magnetoreception
Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Illuminating the Northern Lights
Lucy Hart explains how the solar wind creates the Northern Lights
Thursday, 10 June 2021
Nature Live Online, Natural History Museum
Nature Live Online — bringing science to your home
Tuesday, 8 June 2021
A Sprinkling of Gold Dust: Fairytale or Modern Science?
William Hotham writes about gold nanoparticles
Thursday, 3 June 2021
Southern Reach Trilogy
William Guo reviews the popular science fiction trilogy - and is left pondering some big questions
Tuesday, 1 June 2021
Making an Internet From Scratch
Charles Jameson explores the remarkable levels of complexity underlying something we all take for granted - the Internet
Thursday, 27 May 2021
Kiss the Ground
How agriculture can help with the climate crisis
Tuesday, 25 May 2021
Improved With Crystals
Evelyna Wang explores the intricacies of crystal formation and their many uses
Thursday, 20 May 2021
Tracing the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance
Lauren Lee discusses how antibiotic resistance emerged
Tuesday, 18 May 2021
A Mathematician, A Monster, And A Game With No Players
Maria Julia Maristany takes a look inside the marvelous and magical mind of John Horton Conway
Thursday, 13 May 2021
How Much Sugar is in That Drink?
James Lee investigates the effects of the UK's sugar tax
Tuesday, 11 May 2021
The Chicken or the Egg? First Came a Chicken Virus: Celebrating 50 Years of Oncogenes Research
Benedetta Spadaro and Harry Bickerstaffe delve into the discovery of oncogenes and the development in our understanding of cancer genetics and the therapeutics available
Thursday, 6 May 2021
A Giant Vortex of Liquid Light
Adiyant Lamba on quantum fluid vortices
Tuesday, 4 May 2021
The Music of Black Holes
Owain Salter Fitz-Gibbon discusses how sound waves from a violin resemble gravitational waves emitted from black holes
Thursday, 29 April 2021
The Electrifying World of Energy Harvesting
Liam Ives explores how we can harness the wasted energy from everyday processes.
Thursday, 22 April 2021
Cutting Edge: CRISPR/Cas9’s Molecular Scissors
Hazel Walker explores the Nobel Prize-winning innovation of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing
Thursday, 15 April 2021
Science Twitter Roundup: February/March 2021
A summary of the opinions and witterings of the science community on Twitter
Thursday, 15 April 2021
Enter ‘Monkeydactyl’: The Pterosaur with the Oldest Opposable Thumb
New research reveals the first ever pterosaur with an opposable thumb, a structure normally associated with the primate hand
Thursday, 15 April 2021
Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Vanquisher Or Accomplice Of Osteoarthritis?
Minji Ai discusses osteoarthritis, mesenchymal stem cells, and and how our mechanistic understanding of them both is bringing us closer to a therapy currently just out of reach.
Thursday, 8 April 2021
Stressful Stuff: Is Psychological Stress More Damaging Than We Realise?
Eleanor Sherlock investigates the hidden connection between psychological stress and immune-related illnesses
Thursday, 1 April 2021
Hope Beyond Hype, EuroStemCell
Debbie Ho reviews a stem cell research comic
Thursday, 25 March 2021
Winter Birds, Lars Jonsson
Kate Howlett tells us all why we need a copy of Winter Birds
Thursday, 18 March 2021
A Life on Our Planet Narrated by Sir David Attenborough
Dean Ashley reiterates an emotive and hard-hitting message from Sir David Attenborough
Thursday, 11 March 2021
A stomach-churning discovery
Our impulse to look away from disgusting images is triggered by changes in the electrical rhythm of our stomach, according...
Thursday, 4 March 2021
Healing medicine from its gender bias
Sofia Weiss Goitiandia tells us about a new initiative, "Medical Herstories", that aims to rid medicine of its gender bias
Thursday, 4 March 2021
Making a map of the universe
The Gaia mission was launched in 2013 and aims to help us map the universe, as there is still a...
Thursday, 25 February 2021
AI: thinking in three dimensions
A classical problem in structural biology is the ‘protein folding problem’ – that is, figuring out what final 3D conformation...
Thursday, 18 February 2021
Breaking Symmetry: The First Steps from Cell to Being
Adiyant Lamba describes how cell polarity breaks the symmetry of the embryo to lay down a template for subsequent development
Thursday, 18 February 2021
Study reveals shared developmental programmes underlying psoriasis and eczema
A recent study reveals that cells from patients with inflammatory skin diseases share many of the same molecular pathways as developing skin cells
Tuesday, 16 February 2021
Investing in scientific diversity: Why theoretical arguments aren’t enough
Charlotte Zemmel, Section Editor at Bluesci and co-editor of the Minorities in Science Series, explores why theoretical arguments for diversifying science aren't enough
Monday, 15 February 2021
Stalin and the Scientists
Tom Wilkins gives an in depth review of Stalin and the Scientists written by Simon Ings
Thursday, 11 February 2021
Reflecting on a year of pandemic for women in academia
Julia Maristany, co-editor of the Minorities in Science series, explores the impact COVID-19 has had on women in academia
Thursday, 11 February 2021
Primates, BBC One
Kate Howlett reviews Primates on BBC
Tuesday, 9 February 2021
Quick Prediction of Long COVID
Examination of the immune system in COVID-19 patients shows that the likelihood of severe and ‘long COVID’ may be established very early on following infection
Tuesday, 9 February 2021
Dish Life: The Game – by Pocket Sized Hands
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a scientist? Adiyant Lamba reviews Dish Life.
Thursday, 4 February 2021
A Spoonful of Jelly Makes the RNA Go Down
Benedetta Spadaro explains how bees learn their fate
Tuesday, 2 February 2021
Science Twitter Roundup: January 2021
A summary of the opinions and witterings of the science community on Twitter
Sunday, 31 January 2021
Peanut Butter Diamonds
Elizabeth Brown reveals an unlikely source of diamonds
Thursday, 28 January 2021
A Watery Twist to the Dinosaur Tale
Adiyant Lamba dives into the newly found past-times of our favourite prehistoric creatures
Tuesday, 26 January 2021
The Value of Being Precautious?
Charlotte Zemmel discusses the precautionary principle and how it shaped the UK response to COVID-19
Thursday, 21 January 2021
Seeing Is Believing: Researchers Use Viral Gene Therapy to Restore Lost Sight
Trial uses targeted gene therapy to ‘edit’ mutated genes and reverse effects of genetic blindness
Tuesday, 19 January 2021
A Vaccine for Your Mind
Joanna Lada and Jake Rose look at the increasing prevalence of ‘fake news’ and discuss ways to combat misinformation with inoculation theory
Thursday, 14 January 2021
Science at Speed: Publishing Amidst a Pandemic
Juliana Cudini speaks with Nature Editor-in-Chief Magdalena Skipper and eLife Deputy Editors Anna Akhmanova and Detlef Weigel about the rapidly rising tide of COVID-19 publications
Thursday, 7 January 2021
All Hands On Deck
Alice McDowell explores the need for collaborative drug discovery programmes
Thursday, 31 December 2020
Pangolins, Pigs, and Pets: A Recipe for Another Pandemic
Tatjana Baleta, Hazel Walker, and Anna Tran discuss the biorisk due to zoonotic diseases originating from the dependence of humans on animals, and how these can be sustained in light of their impacts on socioeconomic stability and public health
Thursday, 24 December 2020
Pavilion: Bacterial Art
Pauline Kerekes interviews Dr Berkmen about his vision of art and science
Thursday, 17 December 2020
Science Twitter Roundup: October/November 2020
A summary of the opinions and witterings of the science community on Twitter
Friday, 11 December 2020
A Pathogen’s Dilemma: The Virulence-Transmission Trade-Off
Oakem Kyne explores why pathogens evolve to cause different levels of harm
Thursday, 10 December 2020
Green Space and Public Health
Kate Howlett highlights how access to the great outdoors is key to mitigating the health inequalities produced by COVID-19
Tuesday, 8 December 2020
A World Without Antibiotics?
Megan Hardy discusses antibiotic resistance and the importance of antibiotic development
Thursday, 3 December 2020
Ion-blocking polymers offer sunny horizons for solar power
Pip Knight takes a look at what materials are on the horizon for solar power
Tuesday, 1 December 2020
New Funding for COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance
Researchers will be sequencing viral genomes at a huge scale to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic
Monday, 30 November 2020
Obesity, a Choice or ‘Fat Chance’?
Dean Ashley explores the role of genetics in our lifestyle choices
Thursday, 26 November 2020
Staying Sane In An Insane World: The Challenge Of Social Distancing
Mirlinda Ademi discusses the neuroscience behind isolation and loneliness
Thursday, 19 November 2020
Plan-demic: Decoding Disease Dynamics
Shavindra Jayasekera explores how mathematical modelling can inform plans for controlling the spread of infectious diseases
Thursday, 12 November 2020
Immune Suppression — From Enemy to Therapy
A joint study by the Wellcome Sanger Institute (WSI) and Medical Research Council Cancer Unit in Cambridge, UK, revealed that...
Thursday, 5 November 2020
Negative Mass and the Dark Universe
Alex Byrne considers the bizarre idea of negative mass, and why it might explain the missing 95% of the Universe
Tuesday, 3 November 2020
Artificial “mini-lungs” provide new COVID-19 insights
Researchers from Cambridge and Seoul used lung organoids to study the mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection
Monday, 2 November 2020
Four-Stranded DNA: A New Dimension For Cancer Therapy?
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found that four-stranded DNA structures play a role in certain types of breast cancer and could provide a new target for personalised medicine.
Thursday, 29 October 2020
Yaws: The Revenge
An international research collaboration, including the Wellcome Sanger Institute, tracks the resurgence of the bacterium Treponema pallidum in Papua New Guinea following an eradication campaign
Tuesday, 27 October 2020
Green Energy With Your Greens
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have demonstrated that using tinted semi-transparent solar panels with crop production can increase profits...
Thursday, 22 October 2020
Dying of Ignorance: The History of British Public Health Campaigns
Jessica Knight looks at the long history of mass media public health campaigns, comparing our current representation of COVID-19 to public health crises since World War I and beyond
Tuesday, 20 October 2020
The next generation of solar cells, featuring Dr Elizabeth Tennyson
The next generation of solar cells, featuring Dr Elizabeth Tennyson
Monday, 19 October 2020
Science Twitter Roundup: Nobel Prize Special
A summary of the opinions and witterings of the science community on Twitter
Friday, 16 October 2020
Pavilion: Be Better, Not Banned
‘Ladies and Gentlemen-’ No. Scrap that. See how easy it is to just throw something away. See how quickly those...
Tuesday, 13 October 2020
What happens when metallic hydrogen melts?
A joint effort between Cambridge, EPFL and IBM tasks artificial intelligence with finding out what happens when metallic hydrogen melts
Tuesday, 6 October 2020
Understanding protein behaviour at the nanoscale, featuring Dr Jerelle Joseph
Understanding protein behaviour at the nanoscale, featuring Dr Jerelle Joseph
Monday, 5 October 2020
UN Decade on Biodiversity ends with failure to achieve all conservation targets
A new UN report reveals global failure to halt biodiversity declines
Saturday, 3 October 2020
Re-Discovering Depression
Zuzanna Stawicka explores new research efforts in the study of depression that are looking at the brain to help determine how the disease operates, and hopefully how to treat it better
Friday, 2 October 2020
From pandemic to syndemic: have we been thinking about coronavirus in the wrong way?
As we enter a possible second wave of COVID-19, Richard Horton of The Lancet encourages us to think beyond pure...
Thursday, 1 October 2020
Beneath the layers: exploring the unique properties of hybrid superlattices
Pip Knight explores the exciting possibilities that hybrid superlattices offer, and the novel technologies on the horizon that it enables
Tuesday, 29 September 2020
Science Fact, or Fiction?
Liam Ives investigates the spread of fake science
Tuesday, 22 September 2020
A new step forward in the search for life on Venus
A microbial by-product detected in Venus’s atmosphere hints at the possibility of life on Earth’s closest neighbour
Thursday, 17 September 2020
Science Twitter Roundup: August 2020
A summary of the opinions and witterings of the science community on Twitter
Wednesday, 16 September 2020
The Undercover Hero of the Sea
Ellie Wilding explores how seagrass can help to fight climate change
Tuesday, 15 September 2020
Weird and Wonderful: Disrupting Language
What is the role of association fibers in the neocortex?
Friday, 11 September 2020
Weird and Wonderful: Let’s Talk Baby Talk
Jonathan Lam explains the importance of baby talk
Tuesday, 8 September 2020
Mosquito immune system mapped for the first time
Scientists have created the first cell atlas of the mosquito immune system, a vital new tool in the fight against malaria
Tuesday, 1 September 2020
Energy from (almost) nothing: a review of polymer-based nanogenerator technology
Pip Knight explores the future of nano-generator technology, the potential materials we could make them out of, and the plethora of applications that sit on our horizon. Artwork by Natalie Saideman
Tuesday, 1 September 2020
Cambridge SARS-CoV-2 vaccine awarded £1.9 million for clinical trial
The UK government has awarded £1.9 million in funding to run clinical trials on a promising SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate designed by the Cambridge-based company DIOSynVax
Sunday, 30 August 2020
In2Science: The Student's Perspective
Students Aleena Paul, Matthew Kwok, and Autumn Goddard discuss their experience of the programme
Thursday, 27 August 2020
In2Science: Navigating the next step
Susannah McLaren and Anna Yakovleva discuss their experiences as in2science mentors
Tuesday, 25 August 2020
Science Twitter Roundup: July 2020
A summary of the opinions and witterings of the science community on Twitter
Tuesday, 18 August 2020
Cut-Throat Science: The Less Documented Cases of Scientific Malpractice
Anonymous anecdotes reveal harassment, bullying and sabotage in academia
Friday, 14 August 2020
A Career in Science; Living the Dream?
Lucy Hart explores research culture and its impact on the wellbeing of academics
Tuesday, 11 August 2020
The Lake Kivu Challenge 2020 – Unlocking Africa’s Lower Skies
James Macdonald takes us on a trip through Africa's rapidly developing aviation technology scene
Saturday, 8 August 2020
Weird and Wonderful: Genealogy Through Genitals
Billy Morris talks about how genital morphology can be used to distinguish cryptic species
Thursday, 6 August 2020
Explosive potential hidden beneath gentle Galápagos volcanoes
A multinational research team has found that some volcanoes may not erupt as uniformly as expected, due to chemically diverse magmas hidden beneath the surface
Tuesday, 4 August 2020
Fire and Water on a Warming Planet
Evan Wroe and Annika Schlemm explore the links between climate change and extreme weather events around the world
Tuesday, 28 July 2020
Supercharged Shellfish - Food for the Future?
Scientists at Cambridge University have found a method to enhance shellfish with elevated nutrient levels in order to tackle global micronutrient deficiency
Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Meet the tetraquark, a charming new particle
The tetraquark is a new subatomic particle that has charmed physicists at CERN
Friday, 17 July 2020
Science Twitter Roundup: June 2020
A summary of the opinions and witterings of the science community on Twitter
Tuesday, 7 July 2020
Review: Antimony, Gold, and Jupiter’s Wolf - Peter Wothers
Gareth Hart reviews a book by Peter Wothers
Friday, 3 July 2020
Printing the future, with Tanyaradzwa Mangoma
Printing the future, with Tanyaradzwa Mangoma
Monday, 29 June 2020
The Solution to Antibiotic Resistance?
In a first, researchers at Princeton University discover a novel broad-spectrum antibiotic against which both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria fail to develop resistance
Friday, 26 June 2020
Big Data in Psychology
Gnothi seauton – know thyself. Whether it is for us as a species, or for ourselves as individuals, the imperative echoes through the centuries and many academic fields
Monday, 22 June 2020
Hunting for the Axion: Needle in a Haystack
Shamil Shah and Adiyant Lamba discuss attempts to look for dark matter candidates
Friday, 19 June 2020
Helping on the homefront: homemade face masks and how to make them better
Jago Strong-Wright considers the key factors in what makes an effective homemade face mask
Wednesday, 17 June 2020
Turning Over an Old Leaf
Bryony Yates discusses the value of herbaria with Dr. Lauren Gardiner, Curator of Cambridge University Herbarium
Monday, 15 June 2020
Meet the graduate students behind the COVID-19 educational webapp, featuring Daniel Muthukrishna and Nick Taylor
Meet the graduate students behind the COVID-19 educational webapp, featuring Daniel Muthukrishna and Nick Taylor
Monday, 15 June 2020
Why there are no ant traffic jams?
Serene Dhawan on the recent research into ant migration by Toulouse University and the University of Adelaide
Friday, 12 June 2020
Science Twitter Roundup: May 2020
A summary of the opinions and witterings of the science community on Twitter
Tuesday, 9 June 2020
Fake It 'Til You Make It
Ruby Coates looks at the rise of meat and dairy alternatives
Monday, 8 June 2020
Facebook Dataset to Improve Social Science
Liza Karmannaya discusses the release of a dataset from Facebook
Friday, 5 June 2020
Understanding the immune response to the SARS-CoV2 virus, featuring Dr Chinedu Ugwu
Understanding the immune response to the SARS-CoV2 virus, featuring Dr Chinedu Ugwu
Monday, 1 June 2020
Cambridge researchers tackle COVID-19
Juli Cudini examines how researchers from different fields at the University of Cambridge have united to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic
Monday, 1 June 2020
Flying - a Story of Success
Felicitas Pamatat looks into the emergence of flying species
Sunday, 31 May 2020
Genetic Engineering of Humans - Opening Pandora’s Box?
BlueSci explores the biology and ethics of human genetic engineering
Tuesday, 26 May 2020
New study proves instability in model of the universe
In a recent paper, Georgios Moschidis shows that a hypothetical geometry of our universe - known as anti-de Sitter (AdS) space - is unstable. Instabilities in this spacetime lead to the formation of black holes and may hint at the origins of the second law of thermodynamics
Monday, 25 May 2020
Seeds of Change
Alice McDowell discusses Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement
Monday, 25 May 2020
Review: How is the Scientific Method Doing? - Sabine Hossenfelder
Grace Field reviews a talk by Sabine Hossenfelder
Saturday, 23 May 2020
Connectomics - a Fly-Brained Contribution to Neuroscience
Billy Morris comments on the recent publication of a fruit fly connectome
Friday, 22 May 2020
Aphenotypical: the House Mouse’s Dark Secret
Anna Tran takes a close look at Marion Island, where the mice have developed a taste for albatross meat
Monday, 18 May 2020
Voyage to the Antarctic with Dr Anna Belcher
Voyage to the Antarctic with Dr Anna Belcher
Monday, 18 May 2020
How to Avoid Promoting COVID-19 Misinformation When Trying to Debunk It
Itamar Shatz explains why misinformation is so abundant and what could be done to avoid it
Thursday, 14 May 2020
Mushrooms, Modern Therapeutics and the Psychedelic Renaissance
Jonathon Turnbull and Andrew Malcolm discuss the history and potential of psilocybin from the cultural to the medicinal
Thursday, 14 May 2020
Science Twitter Roundup: April 2020
A summary of the opinions and witterings of the science community on Twitter
Thursday, 14 May 2020
Progressive: Leeches in Medicine
Katarina Grobicki explores how the outdated, historical practice of leeching has a place in modern-day medicine
Wednesday, 13 May 2020
Sequencing the genome of SARS-CoV2, featuring Grant Hall
Sequencing the genome of SARS-Cov2, featuring Grant Hall
Monday, 4 May 2020
Cambridge scientist reveals journey in latest book: ‘The Dance of Life’
Cambridge embryologist Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz reveals her personal and professional journey through science, in her latest book: ‘The Dance of Life: Symmetry, Cells and How We Become Human’.
Monday, 4 May 2020
Cancer-driving mutations in cells of human uterus arise early in life
Zak Lakota-Baldwin discusses a new study into the early developmental origins of uterine cancer
Tuesday, 28 April 2020
A Case for Plant Intelligence
Ivan L. Simpson-Kent argues against the stereotypical definition of intelligence, illustrating this case with the wondrous abilities of plants
Tuesday, 28 April 2020
To Do "No Harm"? the Rise of Paternalism in the Era of a Pandemic
Charlotte Zemmel explores the concepts of paternalism vs autonomy in combating COVID-19, but warns that it may give greater power to governing states in dictating the actions of its people
Friday, 24 April 2020
How Can Academic Labs Support the NHS With COVID-19 Testing?
How can academic labs support the NHS with COVID-19 testing? Featuring Professor Stephen Baker.
Monday, 20 April 2020
How the Cambridge Philosophical Society Shaped Modern Science
Zak Lakota-Baldwin discusses the history of the Cambridge Philosophical Society and its role in shaping modern science.
Thursday, 9 April 2020
Unintelligent Design: Uncovering Bias in Artificial Intelligence
Evan Wroe and Felix Opolka speak to Dr Jennifer Cobbe about the causes of bias in machine learning models and how the associated risks can be mitigated.
Monday, 6 April 2020
Going Deep to Reach the Stars
Tatjana Baleta explores the deep sea and its relationship to outer space.
Thursday, 2 April 2020
Deconstructing the Brain: New Insights into Spatial Organisation
Adiyant Lamba explores a new study on the organisation of cells in the mammalian brain.
Tuesday, 31 March 2020
From Cannons to Apollo: Rockets Through the Ages
Lucy Hart discusses the history of space flight and what could lie ahead for this exciting field.
Monday, 30 March 2020
The Other in Science Fiction
Alex Bates and Billy Gyngell ask why we see too many hominids in science fiction.
Thursday, 26 March 2020
FOCUS: Our Place in the Universe
Maeve Madigan, Philip Clarke and João Melo explain the central concepts behind the 2019 Physics Nobel Prize. The first half...
Monday, 23 March 2020
COVID-19 And You
The current COVID-19 outbreak has caught everyone by surprise. In this special article, find out more about why it is so serious, and what can be done about it.
Friday, 20 March 2020
Charting the Skies, Land and Seas
James Craig reviews the history of map making.
Thursday, 19 March 2020
Trash talk: Tackling Waste in Science
Ruby Coates discusses the issue of plastic waste in science, with Martin Howes.
Monday, 16 March 2020
A Look at the Modern Interactions between Humans and Crops
Eleanor McCartney highlights the importance of agrobiodiversity in our changing world.
Thursday, 12 March 2020
Are we in the Insect Apocalypse?
Zak Lakota-Baldwin discusses how a new study of insect population levels across Great Britain has provided a more precise view of the much-discussed “insectageddon”
Thursday, 12 March 2020
Locked Out of My Own House
Anna Serrichio looks into overcoming language difficulties in aphasia with treatments in Speech and Language Pathology.
Monday, 9 March 2020
Reviewing the Narrative of Dr. Rosalind Franklin
From a female scientist to a scientist who was female - explored by Hannah Kossowska-Peck.
Sunday, 8 March 2020
En Clair - Adam Rodman
Abigail Dutton shares an interesting podcast on forensic linguistics.
Thursday, 5 March 2020
Gender, Race and Power in Science - Angela Saini
Shanice Bailey outlines the key messages from Angela Saini's lecture on why it is important to avoid bias in scientific research.
Monday, 2 March 2020
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells - A Review
Is climate change just about the bees? Let David Wallace-Wells convince you otherwise, says Hazel Walker
Friday, 28 February 2020
New Superfast Charging Battery Developed by Cambridge University Spinout Company
Echion Technologies reveal a new battery which can be fully recharged in 6 minutes, thanks to its Mixed Niobium Oxide anode material.
Wednesday, 26 February 2020
J.J, Is your Corpuscle My Electron?
How the story of the electron shows that the language of ‘discovery’ in science is misleading and problematic.
Thursday, 20 February 2020
Nineteenth century fever
A Stanford research group looks into why humans are cooler now.
Thursday, 20 February 2020
First humans placed in suspended animation
'Freezing' time to save lives - a groundbreaking treatment or a risky gamble, asks Serene Dhawan
Tuesday, 18 February 2020
Bee-tween Here and There
HONEYBEES - Group Decision-Making in Animals
Monday, 17 February 2020
Aphenotypical: Moulding the Future
Aphenotypical: an exploration of inhuman "intelligence"
Thursday, 13 February 2020
Tiny particles, huge computers
Laurence Cooper discusses computational methods and future technologies that can help us improve our understanding of particle physics. Laurence is a PhD student in theoretical physics at DAMTP, Cambridge.
Monday, 23 September 2019
Autonomous Vehicles: Looking at the Road Ahead
James Macdonald interviews Professor John Miles and start-up Wayve about the future of autonomous vehicles
Sunday, 4 August 2019
I need my sleep
Insights from flies challenge traditional notions, reports Matthew Brady
Sunday, 21 July 2019
Scientists capture the first image of a black hole event horizon
A network of eight radio telescopes spanning locations in various continents, from Antarctica to Europe and South America, called the Event Horizon...
Sunday, 14 July 2019
FOCUS: The Earth as a Natural Living Laboratory
BlueSci presents three perspectives on how scientists have expanded our understanding of science using the greatest laboratory of all – planet Earth.
Thursday, 4 July 2019
Review: The Violinist’s Thumb
“Every word and sentence contribute to the engaging narrative - the book is just impossible to put down!”
Thursday, 27 June 2019
Sulawesi: A Seismological Mystery
The Sulawesi earthquake should not have produced tsunamis, but it did. Ben Johnson speaks to Professor James Jackson about how it happened, and how we could prepare for future incidents
Thursday, 20 June 2019
Review: To Be a Machine
“Akin to a traveller’s diary, this book describes unbelievable technologies of tomorrow, such as mind uploading, cryonics, artificial superintelligence and device implantation”
Thursday, 13 June 2019
A Bohmian Rhapsody
Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar talks Bohmian mechanics, the 'causal interpretation' of the strange world of quantum mechanics.
Thursday, 6 June 2019
Review: Chemistry
“Under various pressures the American-Chinese narrator quits her chemistry PhD and struggles with her long-term relationship...”
Thursday, 30 May 2019
A Digital (R)Evolution
Charles Jameson examines neuroscience’s role in solving the most difficult computational problems
Thursday, 23 May 2019
Review: Adventures in the Anthropocene
“For many of us, the effects of the Anthropocene may feel far off, but as human activity continues unabated, this book is an important journey we all should take“
Thursday, 16 May 2019
Let's Talk About Soil
Kasparas Vasiliauskas looks under our feet at some of the Earth's most overlooked material.
Thursday, 9 May 2019
Walking in the footsteps of robotic fossils
Robot of ancient fossil enables scientists to model gait
Monday, 6 May 2019
How the Antarctic is used as a Neutrino Detector
Maeve Madigan discusses how and why we can leverage Antarctic ice to find some of the most elusive particles in the known Universe.
Thursday, 2 May 2019
Most distant planetary flyby in history
The NASA probe captured photographs of the distant object
Monday, 29 April 2019
Drought and the Collapse of the Maya
James Kershaw discusses whether new data is raining on, or could prove, this fashionable hypothesis
Thursday, 25 April 2019
Live bacteria pills, a possibility
Pills containing live bacteria on the horizon
Monday, 22 April 2019
The Future of Earth is Up in the Air
James Weber explains the role of positive feedback loops and how they could lead to runaway environmental disaster
Thursday, 18 April 2019
Pharmaceutical Companies Unite to Advance Nucleotide-Based Medicines
Scientists work together to create more effective medicines
Wednesday, 24 October 2018
Peering into the Past
Dan Brubaker and a mishmash of know-nothings convene at the Dr Ralph L Buice, Jr Observatory, Atlanta
Thursday, 4 October 2018
Time Flies
Philip Myers tells us how scientists unravelled the secrets of time telling using the humble vinegar fly
Thursday, 27 September 2018
Why Limit Ourselves to Silverware?
Think goldware, zincware and copperware! Bianca Provost explains what Professor Mark Miodownik's work can tell us about materials and food
Thursday, 20 September 2018
Review: Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
“... reveals the insidious impact that Big Data algorithms
– in her words, ‘Weapons of Math Destruction’ - have on our society“
Thursday, 13 September 2018
Medicine’s Forgotten Warriors
Laura Upstone tells the story of virus based medicine in the war against bacteria, the wonder drug that almost was
Monday, 10 September 2018
Review: The Secret Language of Anatomy
“... with a sense of wonder and whimsy, this book reveals the thoughtfulness of anatomists through the ages”
Thursday, 6 September 2018
Breaking up at Sea:
The Great Collapse of an Ice Shelf
Dr Alison Banwell tells Silas Yeem Kai Ean and Seán Thór Herron how ice shelves break up
Monday, 3 September 2018
Stick Spiders from Different Hawaiian Islands Evolve in Parallel
Esther Pilla reports on a discovery in evolution
Thursday, 30 August 2018
33 million-year-old toothless whale weighs in on the evolution of oral structures
The blue whale is the largest animal to ever have lived on our planet, with the heaviest recorded weighing in...
Friday, 24 August 2018
Charting the Unknown: Crowdsourcing the Maps for Overlooked Villages
Cara Louise Woods discusses how we are putting places on the map using technology and the power of people, with Dr Bjoern Hassler
Monday, 20 August 2018
Liquid-liquid Phase Transition Observed for the First Time
Esther Pilla reports on the state of water research
Thursday, 16 August 2018
The BlueSci Mental Wellbeing Survey: Interview with Geraldine Dufour, Head of the University Counseling Service
Through Lent term and Easter 2018, BlueSci conducted a survey on mental wellbeing at the University of Cambridge. Our aim...
Sunday, 27 May 2018
The BlueSci Mental Wellbeing Survey: Interview with Keir Murison
Through Lent term and Easter 2018, BlueSci conducted a survey on mental wellbeing at the University of Cambridge. Our aim...
Sunday, 27 May 2018
Cambridge Science Centre: Science For All
Emma Werner discusses the Cambridge Science Centre and its role in inspiring a new generation of scientists with Lisa-Marie Cahill
Sunday, 27 May 2018
The BlueSci Mental Wellbeing Survey
Through Lent term and Easter 2018, BlueSci conducted a survey on mental wellbeing at the University of Cambridge. Our aim...
Sunday, 27 May 2018
A Day In The Life: A Scientist With Wings
Laura Nunez-Mulder interviews Prof. Nicky Clayton
Tuesday, 27 February 2018
A Laser Game Controller for the Cambridge Science Festival
James Macdonald describes designing a system to control video games with lasers.
Tuesday, 13 February 2018
Pterodactyls lived like seagulls
Jack McMinn investigates pterosaur parenting
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Regulation and Foresight
Harry Lloyd ponders our duty to think ahead of technological progress
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Is the Evolution of Language all Talk?
Steve Samuel ponders whether it is worth tackling the central question of how language has come to be
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Lady of the Diptera
Matthew Brady talks to Dr Erica McAlister about her work exploring the world for some of science’s smallest animals
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Judged by your Genes
Katherine Dudman introduces genetic discrimination, the sly cousin of racism and sexism
Sunday, 11 February 2018
No Time for Hot Air
Lauren Broadfield reflects on the state of climate change policies in an increasingly hostile political environment
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Weird and Wonderful: Giving a Fig about Wasps
While many plants entice pollinators with nectar, fig trees do so with the promise of safety and food for the...
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Just Your Cup of Tea
Sophie Protheroe examines the global history of tea and its effect on our health
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Why care about the Polar Bear?
Rachael Beasley reveals how there is more to polar bears than meets the eye
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Read, learn, and inwardly digest
Joy Thompson studies the links between the lavatory and the literary
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Harry Potter and the Reactive Profile Picture
Martha Dillon investigates the technology behind living photographs
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Can Birds Read Minds?
Rachel Crosby puts herself inside the mind of the Eurasian Jay
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Ambling in the Arctic: a geological expedition in remote Greenland
Victoria Honour discusses Arctic camping, bear alarms, and the solidification of magma on her recent expedition to the Skaergaard intrusion
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Marie Curie, 150 years on
First woman to be a professor at a French University; first to receive a Nobel Prize; only recipient of two...
Monday, 1 January 2018
Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded for Detection of Gravitational Waves
Theo Steele explores the science behind this year's Nobel Prize
Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Cambridge’s Latest Nobel Prize
Max Wilkinson explores the science behind this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Wednesday, 11 October 2017
What if We Touched Mars?
Patrick Lundgren reflects on the scientific and moral implications of humanity’s dream of space exploration coming true.
Friday, 7 July 2017
A Psychedelic Conversation: Tackling the Taboo
Antonina Kouli and Bart Nieuwenhuis report on the CamBRAIN panel discussion of psychedelic drugs’ medical potential
Friday, 7 July 2017
The Inexpert Ape
Laura Van Holstein explains why none of us is a specialist, and why this makes us so successful.
Friday, 7 July 2017
The Drug that Brought the Dress Back
Following Professor France Ashcroft’s 2015 damehood, Atreyi Chakrabarty examines how the work of one woman transformed both treatment and understanding of a debilitating childhood disease.
Friday, 7 July 2017
FOCUS: Speak More, Act More
With ongoing political and public apathy surrounding sustainability and development, Kelsey Reichenbach and Paul Cohen ask the experts Professor Simon Schaffer,...
Friday, 7 July 2017
Standing on the Gene: an interview with Professor Wolf Reik
Jiali Gao and Salvador Buse discuss the emerging field of epigenetic modification, and ask Professor Wolf Reik where it might take us.
Friday, 7 July 2017
Lord Martin Rees: the Future and Catastrophe
Lord Martin Rees is a former Master of Trinity College and an accomplished cosmologist and astrophysicist. He has been Astronomer Royal since 1995, and was President of the Royal Society between 2005 and 2010. Lord Rees spoke to Gabija Maršalkaite and Deyan Mihaylov.
Friday, 7 July 2017
Planting Ideas: an Interview with Professor Beverly Glover
Ramya Gurunathan and Caitlin Walker talk to Professor Beverly Glover about communication, collaboration, and botanical research.
Tuesday, 4 July 2017
Understanding the Irrational
Laura Nunez-Mulder discusses psychiatry's future with Professor Paul Fletcher
Tuesday, 4 July 2017
Food for Thought: Fake News and the Diet Industry
Zi Ran Shen talks fad diets and pseudoscience with Cambridge's Dr Giles Yeo.
Tuesday, 4 July 2017
Shakes and the City
Seán Thór Herron talks to Dr Emily So about preparing for earthquakes in urban areas
Sunday, 18 June 2017
Zika Virus
Alex Sampson considers the spread and disappearance of a new disease
Friday, 14 April 2017
The Last Lunar Explorer: An interview with Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon
Jackson Howarth (from LUUSci at the University of Leeds) chats with Gene Cernan
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Cannabis Joins The Fight Against Addiction
Rachael Rhodes explores the potential medical applications of a Class C drug
Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Love on the Line
Jordan Ramsey explores how technology has reshaped our romantic relationships
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Open For Everyone
Haydn King describes the open-source software movement and two of its most striking characters
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Cracking Codes
Philipp Kleppman deciphers the advance of cryptography throughout the centuries
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Decoding Quantum Computing
Simon Watson demystifies the complex world of quantum computing
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Fracking: Facts and Fiction
Ollie Stephenson explains why the fracking debate is far from simple
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Our Neanderthal Ancestry
Alba Landra uncovers the ancient ancestry that underlies modern human evolution.
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Driving Away Mosquitos
Zohaib Arain explains the potential for new genetic tools to tackle deadly diseases.
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
The World Is What We Eat
Jacob Ashton tackles one of the biggest challenges facing mankind.
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Come Flu with Me
Holly Giles tracks the spread of post-World War II collaborations within international research communities
Sunday, 19 March 2017
No Time for Hot Air
Lauren Broadfield reflects on the state of climate change policies in an increasingly hostile political environment
Sunday, 19 March 2017
Big Bucks for Big Bugs
Zoë Carter considers the role of commercial research in the global fight against antibiotic resistance
Sunday, 19 March 2017
Running Away from Unwanted Inflammation
Kimberley Wiggins explores the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise
Saturday, 18 March 2017
Overherd Immunity
Caitlin Stewart discusses the importance of vaccination and the dangers of the anti-vaccination movement
Saturday, 18 March 2017
Multidrug Resistance
Arthur Neuberger explains how increasing antibiotic resistance is a global threat that we breed inside ourselves
Saturday, 18 March 2017
The Ageing Brain
Antonina Kouli and Bart Nieuwenhuis put the future of our brains under the microscope.
Saturday, 18 March 2017
Science, Fiction
Hannah Thorne reveals the alchemy between science and literature
Saturday, 18 March 2017
When Citizen Science Works
Kimberley Wiggins gives us the story of an email that led to a medical breakthrough
Saturday, 18 March 2017
Nanotech? That’s Ancient History!
Ramya Gurunathan shines a light on nanoparticles in Ancient Roman art
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Revisiting the Test Tube
Sarah Foster considers the ethical implications of growing human embryos in the lab for longer-term experiments
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Exploring our Amazing Universe from Cambridge - The Joy of Observing the Night Skies
Andrew Sellek discusses how astronomers and amateurs alike observe the sky at night
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Engineering in Time
Martha Dillon discusses why civil engineers should care about the past
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
The Rise of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Rebecca Richmond-Smith investigates the new kid on the block in medical research.
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
FOCUS: AI and the power of the neuron
Alex Bates looks at how neurobiology has inspired the rise of artificial intelligence
Monday, 13 March 2017
Syndrome: Tumbling into Wonderland
Mirlinda Ademi scrutinises the syndrome that simulates Wonderland
Sunday, 5 March 2017
Tissue Engineering Scaffolds: Guiding the rise of Cell Therapies
Oran Maguire explains how engineering and cell biology are carving out a new field
Sunday, 5 March 2017
How our experiences affect our children
Jiali Gao looks at what toad sex, a suicide and starvation have taught genetics
Sunday, 5 March 2017
In Search of Quantum Gravity
In Search of Quantum Gravity
Sunday, 5 March 2017
Does Your Brain Have a Sex?
Does your brain have a sex?
Sunday, 5 March 2017
Travel and Conservation – Steppes Beyond
Travel and Conservation – Steppes Beyond
Sunday, 29 January 2017
Nature Matters 2016
Nature Matters 2016
Sunday, 29 January 2017
Review: Before the Wilderness
Edited by Thomas Blackburn & Kat Anderson. Published by Malki Press-Ballena Press (1993)
Friday, 27 January 2017
The world’s worst 2 for 1 deal: Co-extinction
Have you ever seen a crayfish with tentacles as well as pincers? Well your opportunity to do so is slowly slipping away, as is the very existence of Australia’s magnificent Mountain Spiny Crayfish along with it’s flatworm symbionts, temnocephalan.
Saturday, 28 May 2016
Viruses help fight drug-resistant bacteria
Nowadays, antibiotics are so commonly used that increasing numbers of bacterial strains have evolved resistance to such drugs. The World...
Friday, 27 May 2016
Magic mushrooms possibly safe as depression treatment
Depression is a large problem around the world, and is estimated to cost the UK £7.5 billion per year. Therefore,...
Friday, 20 May 2016
Spread of contagious cancer in dogs tracked by genetic markers
Cancer arises due to genetic mutations that cause cells to proliferate uncontrollably and form tumours. While it is a devastating...
Thursday, 19 May 2016
Making a Difference in Conservation
Why do we do conservation research? Is it purely for scientific publication or to save species (including our own)? Although...
Sunday, 17 April 2016
‘Unicorns’ roamed Siberia alongside humans
A fossil skull recently discovered in Kazakhstan suggests that members of the horned species Elasmotherium sibiricum may have survived until as recently as 29,000 years ago, greatly at odds with the previous estimate of 350,000 years ago.
Monday, 11 April 2016
Interview: Survival International
Conservation, the effort of protecting other species and ecosystems from over-exploitation, is almost universally considered a necessity. Far less accepted,...
Monday, 11 April 2016
How your brain knows you have eaten enough
Worldwide, 600 million people are obese and the global obesity rate has more than double since 1980. Researchers from Johns...
Monday, 4 April 2016
Interview: Ed Miliband & George Monbiot on Climate Change
A well-known defender of the natural world, George Monbiot has championed such scientific initiatives as ‘re-wilding‘ and the de-carbonisation of...
Friday, 1 April 2016
Beetles provide inspiration for frost prevention
Frost removal is a laborious and costly task that is carried out by engineers in aviation, renewable energy and more...
Wednesday, 30 March 2016
Interview: Prof. Tim Benton
Global Food Security (GFS) Champion Tim Benton is both a governmental policy advisor and interdisciplinary researcher in agriculture-environment interactions. In...
Thursday, 24 March 2016
Wolves and relatives have species-specific howls, extensive study finds
Organisms living in groups have means of communicating with one another, which can be visual, acoustic and/or olfactory. Even though groups may use the same communication system (e.g. acoustic cues), even among closely related species communication (i.e. language) may differ.
Friday, 19 February 2016
Newly identified role for immune cells in maintaining a healthy gut
Our intestines have a complex army of immune cells and molecules that work together fighting against bacterial infections. A new...
Tuesday, 16 February 2016
Want to be the next Einstein?
In case you somehow managed to miss it, physicists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in the U.S. have detected gravitational waves for the first time.
Monday, 15 February 2016
The Ghost Virus
Bethan Clark explains the persistent effects of the Ebola crisis
Sunday, 14 February 2016
Habit formation leads to changes in brain circuitry
A month into the new year, many of us are finding that resolutions to resist cravings are harder to keep than planned. According to new research from Duke University, this may be due to long-lasting changes in particular brain circuits which prime us for giving in.
Monday, 8 February 2016
Northern lakes are the dominant methane source
New estimates place methane emissions from Arctic lakes and ponds north of 50°N latitude as the main source of all...
Thursday, 21 January 2016
Honey bee welfare and virus warfare
The decline in bee populations is causing large concerns not only among ecologists but also among agricultural managers and economists....
Thursday, 7 January 2016
A “Periodic Table” of Protein Complexes
A scientific collaboration involving Cambridge researchers has identified simple rules underlying the assembly of multi-protein complexes, and based on these rules, created a “periodic table” classification scheme for these complexes.
Monday, 4 January 2016
Targets to reduce dengue infected mosquitos
Dengue fever is a virus-driven disease causing a worldwide burden. The WHO estimates that 500,000 infected people are hospitalised each...
Monday, 21 December 2015
Ovarian cancer survival increased by the contraceptive pill
Are there more positive side-effects to the contraceptive pill than we know of? While most media coverage of birth-control methods...
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Cultural shocks enhance cognitive performance
Do you think a ‘cultural shock’ can’t
Wednesday, 2 December 2015
Plate tectonics thanks to plumes?
“Knowing what a chicken looks like and what all the chickens before it looked like doesn’t help us to understand...
Thursday, 26 November 2015
Is the flickering of a far-away star caused by comets or aliens? (It’s probably not aliens.)
NASA’s Kepler space telescope was launched in March 2009 with the goal of discovering Earth-like exoplanets. It also may have...
Thursday, 5 November 2015
Technology: Do-It-Yourself Biology
Verena Brucklacher-Waldert discusses how stay-at-home biologists want to democratize experimental research
Tuesday, 3 November 2015
Improving on gold dust: a new way to bolster semiconductor devices
‘Silicon Valley’ has become somewhat of a byword for success in the technology industries. The rocky, reddish, Northern Californian valley...
Monday, 2 November 2015
New compound offers hope for Ebola
A new compound has been found to protect rhesus monkeys from Ebola when administered three days after infection. The small molecule, known as GS-5734, led to 100% survival rate against the deadly virus, showing promise for further development.
Thursday, 29 October 2015
Postcards from Pluto: Blue skies, red water ice, and more
If we ever travel to Pluto, we might be greeted by blue skies. (This is, of course, assuming we came...
Thursday, 22 October 2015
Month of birth linked to natal and adult differences, study suggests
An adult's behaviour, morphology and physiology develops throughout its life, and their development depends on the interaction between the genes...
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
Neuroscience resources on the Web
Joy reviews Neuroscience Online and Neuroanatomy Online
Monday, 19 October 2015
Is our marine food chain collapsing?
A first-time global analysis looking into the way ocean habitats respond to projected effects of climate change finds that marine...
Friday, 16 October 2015
Water in the brain
Lymphatic vessels discovered in the central nervous system
Wednesday, 14 October 2015
Ouch!
New research reveals sex differences in pain detection.
Sunday, 4 October 2015
Improving the treatment of urinary infections using DNA sequencing
A DNA sequencing device the size of a USB stick could be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of...
Friday, 25 September 2015
Ig, Ig, Hurrah!
From un-cooking breakfast to the immune benefits of kissing, the 2015 IgNobels showcase the very best of weird, wacky, and wonderful science.
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Is Alzheimer’s catching?
A Nature paper hit the headlines last week by suggesting that build-ups of the protein characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease could be transmitted among humans, via contaminated tissue.
Tuesday, 15 September 2015
Train the brain – improving memory in schizophrenia with an iPad game
Schizophrenic patients struggle with many symptoms. They have hallucinations, delusional beliefs, and often lack motivation. Apart from these “classical” symptoms,...
Friday, 7 August 2015
The unique roughness of screams directly activates fear centres in the brain
A group led by David Poeppel from New York University has investigated what makes screaming different from other human vocalisations...
Monday, 3 August 2015
More Microglia, or, Bugs on the Brain
The body’s population of microbes controls the function of the brain’s ‘immune cells’.
Tuesday, 21 July 2015
The Positive and Negative Effects of Cannabis Act via Separate Biological Pathways
Cannabis is known to provide medical benefits such as pain relief to patients. However, it also has severe side effects...
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Huge Hydrogen Cloud Bleeding from Nearby Planet
The Hubble Space Telescope has detected a huge hydrogen cloud, dubbed “The Behemoth”, evaporating from a Neptune-sized planet in a...
Monday, 13 July 2015
Three Ebola virus variants identified in Guinea
Following the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic in March last year, beginning in Guinea it has spread throughout West Africa...
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Scientists call for measures to improve research quality
Cases of scientific misconduct and unreplicable results, such as the infamous study (now debunked) linking MMR vaccines to autism, have...
Thursday, 2 July 2015
The bittersweet truth about chocolate and weight loss
Many read and shared news stories about the paper when it was released – science shows eating chocolate everyday is...
Friday, 26 June 2015
Parental smoking puts nearly half a million UK children into poverty
It is well known that tobacco smoking causes health problems for children passively exposed, but there is now proof it...
Monday, 22 June 2015
Activities can have good or bad impact on sleep depending on their type
Have you ever slept like a stone after training or racing? A new study by the University of Pennsylvania used...
Friday, 19 June 2015
Earth organisms survive under low-pressure Martian conditions
Methanogens are among the oldest and simplest organisms on earth having evolved approximately 3.5 billion years ago. They are highly resilient microbes...
Monday, 15 June 2015
Brain's reaction to certain words could lead to new passwords
With 19 passwords on average per person, it is unsurprising that people often struggle with remembering them all. However, a new study, “Brainprint”, suggests that unique brain responses to a set of particular words could replace traditional passwords.
Friday, 12 June 2015
Artificial Intelligence discovers how worms regenerate body parts
Many dream of the day when medicine finds a way to regenerate organs. But to successfully recreate complex body parts,...
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Changing social attitudes during sleep
Are you biased against Black people? Do you think women are not good at science? Most people would reject such racial and sexual biases when they are asked. But even if you do, does that mean you are truly unbiased?
Wednesday, 3 June 2015
First test of gene-editing method using CRISPR/Cas9 in non-viable human embryos
Last week, a group from China led by Pupin Liang reported the testing of a gene-editing method in human tri-pronuclear...
Friday, 1 May 2015
Two millennia glow-in-the-dark mushroom mystery solved
If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise… If these woods are home to...
Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Comfort eating may make you worse
We all know that fatty and sugary foods are bad for us- increasing our risk of diabetes and heart disease....
Monday, 30 March 2015
So you have your father’s eyes, your mother’s hair….. and your blood type from a bacteria?!
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered that we acquire ‘foreign’ genes from other organisms as part of our development as a species.
Friday, 13 March 2015
Book Review: The Trouble with Popsci
Kathrin Holtzmann, who previously reviewed Michael Warren's Head Trip for us, returns to the Neuroscience Blog - this time with a critique of the popular science genre.
Thursday, 12 March 2015
Microglia and the…Mice of NIMH?
Chimeric mice whose nervous systems contain human glial cells could provide new, powerful models for neurodegenerative diseases.
Friday, 27 February 2015
Deep fried ice cream comet anyone? Hope it doesn’t hit us in (baked) Alaska on a Sundae (sorry).
Astronomers may have discovered why comets, like deep fried ice cream, have an outer crust but a colder, more porous inner core.
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Guest Post: Can we engineer resilience to depression?
Welcome back to a new year of neuroscience blogging! This week, we have a guest contribution by Camilla d'Angelo on the molecular basis of psychological resilience. Camilla is a PhD student in Experimental Psychology, studying the brain basis of compulsivity. Thanks, Camilla!
Monday, 12 January 2015
Flu: How viral infection causes intestinal disease
Why do we often suffer from vomiting and diarrhoea during an influenza? Influenza is an infectious respiratory disease, whereas vomiting and diarrhoea are symptoms of a gastrointestinal disease. Researches have now found the mechanism by which they are connected.
Monday, 15 December 2014
Holes in the brain
What happens when a large part of the brain is missing?
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Inflammation: New regulatory gene identified
Researchers have identified the gene Ccdc88b as a new regulator for inflammation. Factors affecting this gene might be responsible for onset, progression, and severity of several inflammatory diseases, such as encephalitis or multiple sclerosis.
Monday, 24 November 2014
Probe successfully lands on comet for the first time in history
On the 12th of November at 16.00 GMT hours a mission launched by The European Space Agency succeeded on landing...
Monday, 17 November 2014
Communities of ferns communicate to decide an individual’s sex
Sex-determination, the process by which organisms develop into males, females, or hermaphrodites, happens in many different ways across nature. In...
Friday, 14 November 2014
New method for finding water on mars
A young Washington-based undergraduate student Katie Wall, aged 21, has been looking for evidence that water influences crystal formation in...
Thursday, 6 November 2014
Jim Al Khalili – The Edge of Life
Professor Jim Al Khalili, science communicator and voice of BBC’s The Life Scientific makes the case for quantum biology in his lecture Life on the Edge, part of the Cambridge Festival of Ideas.
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
"Can I please get a fly in my soup?"
The first thing that comes to mind at the sight of a bug isn't exactly "Mmmm, lunch!" But don't be...
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
New software allows to live-track cells
Since the discovery of the cell by Robert Hook in the 1665, biologists have been studying cells under microscopes. Currently...
Friday, 17 October 2014
Issue 31: Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science which, in this issue, comes from a competition for sixth-form students
Monday, 13 October 2014
Pavilion
In the course of evolution, insects have developed a variety of strategies to reduce surface contamination and thus to avoid...
Monday, 13 October 2014
Away From the Bench: Absolutely FameLab-ulous
Jonathan Lawson reminisces on this year’s FameLab, a competition for science communication
Monday, 13 October 2014
Arts and Science: The Dolphin Whisperer
Joanna-Marie Howes talks with director Christopher Riley about his latest documentary
Monday, 13 October 2014
Science and Policy: The Pint is Right
Robin Lamboll debates whether the price of alcohol should be raised
Monday, 13 October 2014
Perspective: Textbooks or ‘tubes: YouChoose
Matthew Dunstan investigates the changing role of YouTube and online video in education
Monday, 13 October 2014
Technology: Solitary cell confinement
Verena Brucklacher-Waldert discusses the challenges and benefits of chips that analyse individual body cells separately
Monday, 13 October 2014
Top Headline Grabbers of the Past Ten Years
In celebration of BlueSci’s tenth anniversary, Joanna-Marie Howes revisits the past ten years of influential scientific stories
Monday, 13 October 2014
Top Ten Scientific Discoveries of the Past Ten Years
In celebration of BlueSci’s tenth anniversary, Joanna-Marie Howes revisits the past ten years of influential scientific stories
Monday, 13 October 2014
Ten Years of Nobels
For over 100 years, Nobel Prizes have recognised those conferring “the greatest benefit on mankind”. Meanwhile, the Ig Nobel Prizes...
Monday, 13 October 2014
Where Are They Now?
Since Bluesci’s first issue ten years ago, countless members have contributed to the ongoing success of the magazine. Although they...
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Focus: GM crops: Feeding the nine billion
BlueSci explores the debate surrounding GM crops and whether current legislation hinders progress
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Feature: You are your genes and your environment
Alex O’Bryan-Tear discusses the long-standing nature versus nurture debate
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Feature: Measles: The return of an ‘eliminated’ virus
Sarah Smith investigates the return of measles and developments in vaccines
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Feature: I heal the body electric
Joy Thompson uncovers the importance of bioelectricity in medicine
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Feature: Voyager 1: breaching the final frontier of the Solar System
Simon Watson describes Voyager 1’s journey of a lifetime
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Feature: Our Colourful History
Rhian Holvey explores how colour has shaped our history
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Reviews: Issue 31
Experiment Eleven: Deceit and Betrayal in the Discovery of the Cure for Tuberculosis - Peter Pringle
Saturday, 11 October 2014
News: Issue 31
Addiction, Addicti-off
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Cover: Turbulent encounters
Dhiren Mistry discusses the turbulence we encounter every day
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Editorial: Issue 31 - Michaelmas 2014
Giant’s shoulders
Friday, 10 October 2014
Can sugar affect your memory?
Western diet consumption, high in fat and sugar, is known to be linked to many negative health outcomes including diabetes...
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
When the lights go out
Neurologists may have found a control switch for consciousness.
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder- waves of fear in the brain
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common consequence of overwhelming stressful or fearful events. Although people suffering from PTSD...
Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Brainz: Return of the Zombie Amoeba!
Could microscopic zombies be lurking in a puddle near you? Meet Naegleria fowleri, the water-dwelling amoeba that can crawl up an unsuspecting swimmer’s nose before chowing down on his brain.
Friday, 29 August 2014
[SciCam] Brains wired on physics
Building a working brain depends on complex interactions between nerve cells and their environment. Now, cutting-edge tools from both biology and physics are helping us understand how physical factors shape brain development.
Friday, 29 August 2014
Neuroscience on SciCam
Want double the neuroscience fun? I am now a contributor to SciCam!
Friday, 29 August 2014
Yawn Contagion Occurs in Wolves Too
We’ve all heard about how yawns can be ‘contagious’ – if you see or hear someone yawn, it makes you more likely to do likewise. But now it seems that wolves experience contagious yawning too, with important potential implications about empathy.
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
Elucidating functions of mutant genes in a deadly cancer
Bile duct cancer is one of the most common types of liver cancer. For bile duct cancer, unfortunately, there is...
Tuesday, 26 August 2014
Heated nanoparticles awaken the immune response to attack cancer
Nanoparticles, far too small to be seen by the naked eye, have been the subjects of lots of research recently....
Friday, 1 August 2014
About leadership… something scientists should learn more about
Leadership is something we learn either through our experience or when given an opportunity for formal training. A few months...
Monday, 21 July 2014
Feature: Pulling all-nighters is harming your brain
Camilla d’Angelo looks into some of the beneficial effects of sleep and why skimping on those precious hours can be damaging
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Feature: Homosexuality in the animal kingdom
Ornela De Gasperin Quintero describes the wealth of homosexual behaviour in the animal kingdom
Sunday, 6 July 2014
Summer Science!
You could spend this weekend lounging in the sun but we all know it's going to rain and you need something better to do. Time to geek out about science and let your nerd flag fly...
Friday, 4 July 2014
Using Ancient Faeces to Reconstruct Neanderthals’ Diets
We may think it’s only ‘nutritionists’ who are obsessed with our faeces in modern times, but researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of La Laguna have been conducting scientific analyses on some far older samples.
Thursday, 26 June 2014
Saving the world through zoology?
When people ask me what I study, I say I'm trying to save the world. This is obviously largely the ego of a Cambridge student talking, but there is a grain of truth in it. But I should qualify:
Friday, 13 June 2014
How the Super-Long-Lived Die
As we all know, the life expectancy of populations in developed countries such as England is growing. As everyone’s life...
Friday, 6 June 2014
Guest Book Review: 'Head Trip' by Michael Warren
Our first guest blogger reviews Head Trip, a self-styled 'field guide' to the varying levels of mental awareness.
Thursday, 5 June 2014
A touching story? How touch can trigger emotion
Scientists have described how light, gentle touch conveys events to our brain that are pleasant or rewarding.
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
The importance of timing in Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects one in six people over the age of 80. Along with...
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Westminster versus the Lab
Evidence-based policy sounds like a common sense idea which no-one could object to, yet the reality of translating research into...
Thursday, 22 May 2014
What is science for? Part II: Making sure we fund the right science
How is public funding structured so as to achieve the best net outcome?
Thursday, 22 May 2014
To sleep, perchance to dream
Applying a small electrical current to a sleeping person’s brain can trigger lucid dreaming.
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Issue 30: Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Science and Policy: Stem Cells: with great power comes great responsibility
Alessandro Bertero discusses the controversy behind stem cell therapies
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Behind the Science: Frederick Sanger
Virginia Rutten reviews the life of Frederick Sanger, the British Biochemist and double Nobel Prize winner
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
History: Royal to the Bone
Charlotte Houldcroft outlines the scientific techniques used to identify dead royalty
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Perspective: The Psychology of Discrimination
Alex O’Bryan Tear discusses the psychology behind racism
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Technology: Decoding Quantum Computing
Simon Watson demystifies the complex world of quantum computing
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Overactive bladder? Blame the bacteria
New study finds bacteria populations may be to blame for incontinence caused by an 'overactive bladder' (OAB).
Sunday, 18 May 2014
Focus: Decision making and cognitive biases
BlueSci explores biases in human cognition, from their evolutionary background to their socio-political implications
Friday, 16 May 2014
Feature: Health-boosting Greens?
Ricardo Milho examines the evidence behind the ‘superfood’ claims of cruciferous vegetables
Friday, 16 May 2014
Feature: On the Origin of (a Virus) Species
Michael Nicoll investigates the recent outbreak of a new virus in the Middle East
Thursday, 15 May 2014
Feature: Shake It!
Caroline Fabre invites you into the world of body language in animals
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Feature: Eyes See?
Robin Lamboll explores the unconscious side of sight
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Feature: Blood Groups and Infection
Sarah Caddy discusses how your blood type can alter your susceptibility to infectious diseases
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Reviews: Issue 30
This Week in Virology - Vincent Racaniello
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
News: Issue 30
Bacteria solution to biofuel problem?
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Cover: Open Access
Sarah Smith discusses the advantages of open access images
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Editorial: Issue 30 - Easter 2014
UNDERSTANDING HOW OUR BRAIN WORKS is one of the most complex puzzles of our time. Just last year the president...
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Neuroscience Blog - Oligodendrocyte Poem
During my post-docs, I spent a lot of time working on oligodendrocytes (remember my first post, they are the cells...
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
New metal-eating plant discovered in the Philippines
Researchers from the University of the Philippines, Los Banos, have discovered a new plant species that accumulates enormous amounts of...
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Introducing: the new BlueSci blog network!
The new BlueSci blog network is now live! We are excited to present 5 new blogs.
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
‘Improved’ water sources may not be as safe as previously thought
Access to safe water is a basic human right. The Millennium Development Goals, the set of aims agreed globally in...
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
A novel idea
If I’m not in the lab, I’m always tempted to read fiction rather than scientific papers. So when I came...
Monday, 5 May 2014
Lesson Number One: Don't trust a drongo
Welcome to BlueSci's new Zoology blog! We are Kirsty, Max, and Dave, three PhD students in the department of Zoology, and between us we will be giving you weekly snippets of animal goodness, with a dose of conservation and evolutionary science for good measure.
Saturday, 3 May 2014
A new function for sleep
How many of you have asked yourselves, ’Why do we sleep?’ Well, one of my favourite paper from 2013 might answer the question.
Friday, 2 May 2014
Are faeces a drug? Canadian health authority shuts down experimental faecal transplants
The harmless bacteria in our gut help us to digest food, but can also wreak havoc on our bodies. Antibiotics...
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Gene responsible for weight gain identified
A multinational researcher team discovered the gene Nnmt as being required for body fat accumulation. Inactivation of Nnmt, which encodes the enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), protected mice from diet-induced obesity.
Monday, 28 April 2014
X-Ray-Generated Model Helps to Reveal How Flies Turn in Flight
We often take insect flight for granted and as casual observers, it’s hard to understand – flies move too fast and are too small for our limited eyesight. But a paper published recently in PLOS Biology provides beautiful and novel insights into how flies fly.
Thursday, 24 April 2014
Fake birth control pills hit market - scientists develop quick screening method
Nearly a quarter of birth control pills analysed in a study were substandard or fake, according to researchers from the Georgia...
Friday, 18 April 2014
New Mouse Model Predicts Fialuridine Side Effects Which Killed Five
In 1993, five participants of a clinical trial testing fialuridine lost their lives because of the drug’s unexpected liver toxicity,...
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Of brains and nerves part II
As Joy introduced nicely, our blog will be about Neuroscience.
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
A new smart tag revealing if your food is spoiled
Pouring milk onto your cereals only to find out it is spoiled can be a tough way to start your day.
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Tobacco Companies Didn’t Fight Fair on Standardised Packaging
The British Government’s decision to introduce standardised packaging on tobacco products has been reached after a hard-won battle with the tobacco companies. A paper recently published in PLOS Medicine suggests that these companies may not have played fair.
Monday, 14 April 2014
Review: Building Bridges in Medical Sciences Symposium 2014
Stimulating; diverse, top-notch and passionate speakers; inspirational – these were some of the reflections of participants of the 6th edition...
Sunday, 13 April 2014
Welcome to the Science News Blog!
We deliver reporting and commentary on the latest and greatest discoveries in science.
Saturday, 12 April 2014
Of nerves and brains
How do we see? How do injured nerves heal? Why do we sleep? Welcome to the Bluesci Neuroscience blog, where we will ponder these questions and more!
Saturday, 12 April 2014
Why?
My decision to start writing about cutting-edge Physics research, bringing it to as wide an audience as possible, is based on the assumption that people would be interested in reading about it.
Friday, 11 April 2014
Slow-growing bacteria resist antibiotic treatment
A team of Swiss and British scientists have provided new insights into the underlying mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics are important to treat bacterial infections. However, today’s widespread antibiotic resistance poses a serious threat to human health.
Friday, 11 April 2014
What is science for? Part 1: The economic argument
Clearly that's a bit of a simplistic question with a multitude of possible and valid answers. But I'm thinking here...
Monday, 7 April 2014
Withdrawal of “revolutionary” stem cells research
A few months ago, a paper published in Nature revealed what was described as a “major scientific breakthrough”. Dr. Haruko...
Thursday, 3 April 2014
Why write about science policy?
Science is sometimes portrayed as a rational scepticism, its practitioners as Doubting Thomases who constantly question and seek more evidence...
Wednesday, 2 April 2014
A face-specific mechanism for recognising people in the brain?
Humans are amazingly skilled at recognising faces. A recent study suggests that the brain has a unique mechanism specialized for...
Monday, 31 March 2014
Five second rule does indeed save dropped slices of toast
How often have you dropped a piece of lovingly prepared food on the floor, then hurriedly picked it up whilst muttering ‘five second rule...’? Well, now new research has shown that there is a scientific basis to this habit.
Friday, 14 March 2014
Neanderthal lineages excavated from modern human genomes
Research has shown that a substantial fraction of the Neanderthal genome exists in modern human populations. Resent research analysing whole...
Thursday, 27 February 2014
Probable hydrogen river observed flowing through space
Astronomers from West Virginia University have spotted what could be a hydrogen river floating through space. Galaxies have different shapes,...
Thursday, 6 February 2014
Issue 29: Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
A Day in the Life: Neurophilosopher
Sergio Lainez Vicente catches up with science writer and former developmental neurobiologist Mo Costandi, author of the Guardian blog Neurophilosophy.
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
Pavilion: Sculpting T4 Bacteriophage
This glass sculpture depicts a T4 bacteriophage, a virus that infects Escherischa coli bacteria, once used as an alternative to...
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
Perspective: Cost and Conservation
Martha Stokes discusses why it pays to conserve biodiversity
Monday, 3 February 2014
Behind the Science: The Women Behind the Science
Sarah Smith considers the impact of the founding mothers of computer science
Monday, 3 February 2014
Arts and Science: Counting Out Loud
Matthew Dunstan explores the complex interplay between language and numbers
Monday, 3 February 2014
Science and Policy: Designer Babies
Maria Mascerenhas discusses the issues surrounding Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis
Monday, 3 February 2014
History: No Monkey Business
Sophie Harrington revisits the Scopes MonkeyTrial of 1925
Monday, 3 February 2014
Focus: Lines of Communication
BlueSci explores how the natural world communicates, from single cells to the birth of the digital era
Monday, 3 February 2014
Feature: Tapping into New Water Sources
Digory Smith discusses the issue of water shortage and the technology employed to meet demand
Monday, 3 February 2014
Feature: In Search of a Cure for Black Bone Disease
WingYing Chow explains how we might find possible treatments for a rare disease
Monday, 3 February 2014
Feature: Bubbles of Trouble
Robin Lamboll explores how different organisms have coped with life in boiling water
Monday, 3 February 2014
Feature: Making Sense of the Senses
Toby McMaster explains how the quest to understand hormones changed our appreciation of sensation
Monday, 3 February 2014
Feature: Genomes from Beyond the Grave
Charlotte Houldcroft discusses the search for ancient pathogen genomes
Monday, 3 February 2014
Reviews: Issue 29
Gravity: Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney
Monday, 3 February 2014
News: Issue 29
Babies suppress own immune system
Monday, 3 February 2014
Cover: Discovering Cell Fate
Mubeen Goolam discusses the advancing technology used to generate this issue’s cover image
Monday, 3 February 2014
Editorial: Issue 29 - Lent 2014
Communication is key...
Monday, 3 February 2014
Sparrho: A one-stop shop for scientific discovery
Sparrho is a scientific discovery platform that allows you to easily browse through scientific content relevant to you. We aggregate,...
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Watch and vote online for the Cambridge FameLab heats!
Videos of the Cambridge heats for this year's FameLab competition are now available to watch online. You can vote for your favourite until Tuesday 4 February.
Sunday, 26 January 2014
Apply to Join BlueSci - Deadline 20 January!
2014 will be an exciting year for BlueSci – in Michaelmas it will be 10 years since the publication of our first issue, a milestone we hope to celebrate with a number of special events, and we want you to be involved!
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Festival of the Spoken Nerd: THE FULL FRONTAL NERDITY TOUR!
Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe, the sell-out comedy phenomenon is back on tour with a brand new show for the insatiably sci-curious.
Thursday, 19 December 2013
Mice can transmit fear to their offspring through sperm
A study has shown that mice can transfer fear to specific odours through their sperm to their offspring and grand...
Wednesday, 18 December 2013
Muscle protein keeps blood stem cells alive
A protein known to allow muscle contraction is now also thought to maintain our blood stem cells. Dennis Discher’s lab...
Monday, 2 December 2013
Issue 28: Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Monday, 25 November 2013
Arts and Science: Game (R)evolution
Matthew Dunstan examines how science has impacted the development of gaming
Monday, 25 November 2013
Perspective: Standing Up for Science
Brianne Kent discusses why attitudes towards scientific research need to change
Monday, 25 November 2013
Science and Policy: The Bee All and End All
Greg Mellers analyses the background and consequences of the neonicotinoid ban
Monday, 25 November 2013
Away from the Bench: To the Future, or From the Past?
Hugo Schmidt chats to Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the Moon, about space exploration
Monday, 25 November 2013
Initiatives: The End of Extinction?
Emily Pycroft summarises decisions of the CITES meeting on animal trading practices
Monday, 25 November 2013
Technology: Love on the Line
Jordan Ramsey explores how technology has reshaped our romantic relationships
Monday, 25 November 2013
Focus: Whatever the Weather
BlueSci explores the origins of the ever- changing weather and how it affects us
Monday, 25 November 2013
Feature: A Trip to the Psychiatrist
Camilla d’Angelo argues the case for more research into street drugs
Monday, 25 November 2013
Feature: No Pain, No Gain
Christopher Tsantoulas explains why a world without pain is not as good as it sounds
Monday, 25 November 2013
Feature: Tracing Cholera
Celebrating his birth bicentenary, Laura Pearce looks back at the detective work of John Snow
Monday, 25 November 2013
Feature: Bug Off!
Joy Thompson investigates how bacteria within insect cells are harnessed to combat dengue fever
Monday, 25 November 2013
Feature: Sleep - Keeping Scientists Awake at Night
Toby McMaster discusses why we need to sleep at night—and for how long
Monday, 25 November 2013
Reviews: Issue 28
The Hive: The Story of the Honeybee and Us – Bee Wilson
Monday, 25 November 2013
News: Issue 28
Azure Planet Spotted by Hubble
Monday, 25 November 2013
Cover: Visualising Vision
Xana Almeida discusses the 4D imaging method used to generate this issue’s cover image
Monday, 25 November 2013
Editorial: Issue 28 - Michaelmas 2013
“To Boldly Go...”
Monday, 25 November 2013
New theory to propagate seeds of life in asteroids
A new look at the early Solar System has introduced an alternative to the long-taught and accepted theory that explains...
Friday, 22 November 2013
Birds pay attention to speed limits, study shows
European birds decide how soon to fly away from a car according to the speed limit of the road, a...
Friday, 8 November 2013
Scientists uncover a novel way to tackle Flu
The influenza virus continues to pose a serious risk to human health; it is estimated that influenza is responsible for...
Friday, 1 November 2013
Major breakthrough in Alzheimer’s treatment research
As the number of patients with dementia increases dramatically, research focused on new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease is at its peak.
Friday, 25 October 2013
Drinking impairs healing of broken bones
A study performed in Loyola University Medical Center has shown that alcohol abuse impairs the healing of broken bones. Alcohol-related...
Monday, 21 October 2013
Relatively well connected
What makes a genius? This is the question Professor Dean Falk is attempting to answer through her studies on the...
Friday, 11 October 2013
Life on Earth has 1.75 billion years left on the clock.
Our home planet will remain habitable for a further 1.75 billion years new research suggests. During this time, Earth will...
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
New moon on Neptune
In an age when we are observing new planets around distant stars almost every day, it is stunning to realise...
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Social networks shape monkey ‘culture’ too
In our over-connected digital lives, we all think of social networks as a synonym for Facebook and Twitter, but actually...
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Can imagination change what our senses perceive?
Apparently, yes! According to experiments published in Current Biology by Christopher Berger and Henrik Ehrsson; what you hear can change what...
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
Voyager 1 crosses the magnetic highway out of our solar system
The Voyager 1 spacecraft has encountered an unexpected region at the edge of our solar system which has become known as the “Magnetic Highway”, 18.5 billion km from the Sun.
Monday, 29 July 2013
Solar panels as affordable as paint?
Solar panels have been hailed as one of the best ways of harnessing renewable energy in homes but purchasing, installing,...
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Key B cell lymphoma gene identified
The first step to finding a new treatment for cancer is to identify pivotal factors, such as genes, that the disease cannot survive without. For the majority of B cell lymphomas, Dr Melnick and colleagues in New York have discovered one such gene: EZH2.
Friday, 7 June 2013
Extensive glacial retreat in the Mount Everest region
Researchers from the University of Milan have found that glaciers in the Mount Everest region are shrinking. Glaciers are large...
Friday, 24 May 2013
Cell body clocks are altered in depression
Our biological rhythms are tuned to the day-night cycles, light-dark cycles in which we live because the cells of our...
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Issue 27: Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Arts and Science: On a Scientific Note
Christoforos Tsantoulas explores the relationship between music and science
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Behind the Science: The Notoriety of Oliver Sacks
Robin Lamboll looks at the controversial career of a neurologist who works with music
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
History: The War Against Infection
Nathan Smith explains how the pre-antibiotic era could come back to help us
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Away from the Bench: Altitude Science
Two weeks before he treks out, Elly Smith talks to Dr Andrew Murray about science on Everest
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Initiatives: Making New Scientists
Elizabeth Mooney reflects on the opening of the new Cambridge Science Centre
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Science and Policy: Waste of Research
Maja Choma discusses the environmental impact of biomedical research
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Focus: A World of Music
BlueSci explores the phenomenon of music—what it is, where it comes from and why we do it
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Feature: Cracking Codes
Philipp Kleppmann deciphers the advance of cryptography throughout the centuries
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Feature: Commemorating a Commission
Felicity Davies celebrates the centenary of the Medical Research Council
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Feature: Open for Everyone
Haydn King describes the open-source software movement and two of its most striking characters
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Feature: The Myriad Genes
Chin-Chin Chen discusses the implications of a Supreme Court ruling on BRCA cancer gene patents
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Feature: Have You Heard the Northern Lights?
Shane McCorristine examines the eerie sounds made by the glowing sky
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Reviews: Issue 27
Bad Pharma: how drug companies mislead doctors and harm patients – Ben Goldacre
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
News: Issue 27
New Twists in the Tale of DNA
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Cover: Electron Microscopy
Nicola Love explains the technique used to obtain this issue’s cover image
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Editorial: Issue 27 - Easter 2013
Humans have been making music for thousands of years. The oldest musical instrument dates to 36,000 years ago, and it...
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Issue Editor: Issue 28
You might fancy being issue editor yourself. This is a very rewarding role. You have complete control over the content of the magazine, the editing process and production.
Friday, 10 May 2013
Supermarkets seriously misinforming customers about health risks
In an open letter to ten supermarket CEOs, early career researchers have called on supermarkets to stop misleading customers about health risks. They accuse the supermarkets of playing on unfounded fears about health effects from GM, MSG, parabens and aspartame.
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Music is my drug
A new study reveals that pleasurable music engages reward-related neurocircuitry. Scientists found that discovering a new favourite song activates similar...
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Genetic flags identify cancer causing genes
More than 1000 scientists have been involved in a recent study that has discovered over 80 genetic markers associated with...
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Bacteria commit suicide to protect others
Escherichia coli bacteria commit suicide to protect other bacteria, even when they don’t share many genes with them; a study...
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Feature: Food for Thought?
Brianne Kent investigates the links between appetite and brain development.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Captain, there’s something on the radar
The Royal Navy have just unveiled their new radar system and the Artisan 3D boasts statistics stats that would impress tech-addicts everywhere.
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
A stroke of genius
Feeling the pinch? This expression shows how negatively we view the sensation of being pinched. Scientists have known for some time about the existence of specific neurons, cells of the nervous system, dedicated to detecting this nasty event.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Observing the birth of a planet
An international team of astronomers appear to have made the first observations of a planet being born. The team, led...
Friday, 15 March 2013
Game on: why video games help you to read
“Stop playing those video games, they rot your brain!” - A phrase likely to become a thing of the past.
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
BlueSci Film: How to Look Inside a Volcano
Cambridge University volcanology PhD student Tehnuka Ilanko takes us to the top of Mount Erebus volcano in Antarctica where studies on plume gases are helping scientists understand what goes on beneath the crater's surface.
Friday, 1 March 2013
The scars of human evolution and standing on our own two feet
The transition from walking on four legs to walking on two legs has resulted in some unwelcome side effects, new research shows.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
A sea of possibilities for new antibiotics
The collaborative project PharmaSea aims to combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance by looking for new drugs in our ocean trenches.
Friday, 15 February 2013
Generating new ear cells- yes you heard right!
Mammalian ear hair cells are not regenerated, and so deafness due to their loss is an irreversible condition, or so...
Friday, 8 February 2013
DNA could store digital files
A group led by Nick Goldman in Hinxton, UK, has demonstrated that DNA - the so-called “code of life” - can now be used to accurately archive all-sorts of digital media. Information encoded in DNA could be stored and read for thousands of years.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Issue 26: Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Friday, 25 January 2013
Art and Science: Art, Maths and the Universe
Zac Kenton discusses the mathematical basis of the great artist M.C. Escher
Friday, 25 January 2013
Behind the Science: Craig Venter vs The World
Jordan Ramsey looks at the life of one of modern science’s most divisive figures.
Friday, 25 January 2013
History: HMS Challenger
Amelia Penny explores the expedition of the HMS Challenger which marked the beginning of oceanography
Friday, 25 January 2013
Science and Policy: Anything but Elementary
Matthew Dunstan looks back at the history of the naming of elements
Friday, 25 January 2013
Perspective: Babies with Three Parents?
Nicola Love looks into the science and ethics of Mitochondrial Replacement
Friday, 25 January 2013
Focus: Lazy Universe
BlueSci explores the universal principle of energy minimisation across the sciences
Friday, 25 January 2013
Feature: One to Another
Alessandro Bertero looks at our increasing ability to change the fate of our cells
Friday, 25 January 2013
Feature: Digging for Dinosaurs
Amelia Penny discusses the importance of the fossil record, and the impact of fossil-hunters on our historical knowledge
Friday, 25 January 2013
Feature: The Journey of the Bicycle
Karsten Koehler explores the history of the bicycle, and how our understanding of the physics of cycling has developed over time
Friday, 25 January 2013
Feature: Living in Fear
Sarah Smith examines biological terrorism and its effect on science
Friday, 25 January 2013
Feature: Senses in Symphony
Shi Khoo and Vanda Ho take a look at the cognitive perspective of synaesthesia
Friday, 25 January 2013
Reviews: Issue 26
How the Hippies Saved Physics – David Kaiser
Friday, 25 January 2013
News: Issue 26
Does Earth need planetary sun block?
Friday, 25 January 2013
Cover: Synthetic Biology
Haydn King explains the scientific discipline behind this issue’s cover image
Friday, 25 January 2013
Editorial: Issue 26 - Lent 2013
As long as there have been scientists there has been conflict. From the denial of supernatural diseases by Hippocrates to the...
Friday, 25 January 2013
One step closer to HIV immunity
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a form of gene therapy that stops human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from latching onto...
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
The world beneath our feet
Ecologists have used a state of the art technique known as ‘metagenomic sequencing’ to unlock the genetic secrets of the microbial underworld that lies within the world’s soils.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Stem cells cure mice from blindness
Published on: Jan 17, 2013 @ 15:08
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Need a use for your old Christmas tree? Give it a second life in biomedicine!
You’ve lost and won countless games of Monopoly, consumed your body weight in turkey sandwiches and selection boxes, and sung...
Friday, 11 January 2013
How excess holiday eating disturbs your 'food clock'
New research from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) shows how your body's 'food clock' can become disturbed when...
Monday, 7 January 2013
Committee nominations re-opened
We've had several applications for committee positions for 2013, but several places are still available. We have therefore decided to...
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Committee Positions
We hope you're all enjoying the Christmas vacation. 2012 has been a good year for us, we have developed stronger...
Thursday, 27 December 2012
Obese but happy?
All too often, we find ourselves feeling pity toward clinically obese individuals, trying to navigate their way about normal life....
Friday, 14 December 2012
The pixie of all pixels
Scientists at the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge have demonstrated a new use for carbon nanotubes (CNTs)....
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Genetic engineers flying high - A novel Drosophila model sheds light upon human Epilepsy
Scientists at Brown University and the University of California-Irvine made use of elegant genetic techniques to introduce a single key mutation into a Drosophila gene and thus create a fly model for human epilepsy.
Monday, 5 November 2012
Discovery of a geological ‘sombrero’ on the Earth’s surface
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, found beneath the Earth’s surface and which often collects in chambers to feed...
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
CSAR and BlueSci Energy Debate
This evening at Churchill college representatives from BlueSci and CSAR will be debating the future of green energy with teams...
Monday, 29 October 2012
Issue 26 Magazine Cover Image
Is your research visually stunning? We are looking for images for the cover of the next issue of BlueSci. This...
Thursday, 25 October 2012
BlueSci event: Scavenger Hunt
BlueSci will be hosting its very first science scavenger hunt! It will take place from 2 until approximately 4PM on Sunday, November 4th and will involve prizes, pints, and fun! Sign up in teams of up to 3 people to take part in the scavenging madness here.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
‘Super- Earth’ likely to be made from diamonds
A planet twice the size of Earth orbiting a sun-like star, 55 Cancri e has been described by researchers at...
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Issue 26 Magazine Meeting
If you have ideas for regular articles to contribute to Issue 26 or would like to try your hand at...
Friday, 19 October 2012
Oxygen and Ice – how geochemistry revolutionised life on Earth
The evolution of multicellular animals, or metazoans, was made possible by a huge increase in oxygen levels after a major global warming episode, a new study suggests.
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
A Nobel pursuit
Cambridge biologist John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University, Japan have become this year’s Nobel Prize winners for Physiology or Medicine, for “the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent".
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Bumblebees could teach robots how to navigate
Bumblebees are surprisingly efficient navigators. With simple brains and no mental map to guide them, bumblebees must learn routes to...
Friday, 5 October 2012
Weird & Wonderful: Issue 25
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Perspective: Science for All
Leila Haghighat discusses the recent revolution in academic publishing
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
History: Life on Mars
Hugo Schmidt reveals the advances made in the field of Astrobiology
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Initiatives: Big Issues in Science – UKCSJ
Ian Le Guillou reports from the 2012 UK Conference of Science Journalists
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Science and Policy: Minority Report
Vicki Moignard examines exactly where scientific information is coming from.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Behind the Science: Written in the Stars
Matthew Dunstan explores the life of controversial physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Focus: Armchair Experimentation
BlueSci reveals how technology has made science more accessible
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Issue 25 Specials: [POPULAR Science]
Helen Gaffney discusses BlueSci’s series of science communication talks.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Issue 25 Specials: BlueSci Radio
Anand Jagatia discusses the benefits of communicating science over the airwaves.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Issue 25 Specials: BlueSci News
Louisa Lyon talks about the fast-paced world of science news.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Issue 25 Specials: BlueSci Film
Nick Crumpton explores the past, present and future of science documentary making.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Issue 25 Specials: Not-Sci
We’re celebrating the 25th issue of BlueSci with this special collection of articles describing some of the other activities and...
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
2012 Graduate School of Life Sciences Image Competition
The graduate school of Life Sciences (GSLS) image competition is a celebration of the variety of biological research that is ongoing here...
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Feature: Balm or Burden?
Isaac Elliot finds out how sleep deprivation influences our mood.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Feature: Through the Looking Glass
Jonathan Lawson reflects on the two faces of handedness.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Feature: Whose Training is it Anyway?
David Kent wonders whether doctorates have gone stale.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Feature: Such Stuff as Dreams are Made On
Leila Haghighat finds out what we really know about our dreams.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Feature: We Look Like You
Nick Crumpton looks at the stereotype of the scientist.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Reviews: Issue 25
Successful Science Communication - David J Bennett & Richard C Jennings
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
News: Issue 25
Microbes Help Immune Cells Function
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Cover: A History of Making History
Jonathan Lawson recounts the story of BlueSci from the beginning.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Editorial: Issue 25 - Michaelmas 2012
Let’s talk science
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
The reptilian wiring in our hearts
New research by scientists from Aarhus University and the University of Amsterdam has begun to illuminate the evolutionary origin of...
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Exercise for body and mind
Scientists have now confirmed that regular exercise is good for the mind as well as the body.
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Issue 26 Features Deadline: 19th October
With Issue 25 almost here, it's time to start work on Issue 26. The deadline for feature articles is rapidly...
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Do dry soils attract rain?
New research indicates that rain storms are more likely to form over drier than wetter soils.
Friday, 14 September 2012
X-Rays shed new light on mantle plumes
New studies using highly focused X-Rays have moved one step closer to explaining hotspot volcanism by investigating how huge plumes of hot mantle rock could form deep inside the Earth.
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Superhuman medicine
The latest Spider-Man film features researchers attempting to re-grow human body parts by combining lizard DNA with that of humans....
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Concussions cause brain ageing?
The first sign that concussion can prematurely age the brain by breaking down its signalling pathways has been found by...
Friday, 17 August 2012
Reaffirming Rio
Rio+20 marked 20 years since the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, which made early progress in recognising climate change and...
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Nuclear weapons give climate change research a helping hand
Testing nuclear weapons and researching climate change seem to be at opposite sides of the scientific spectrum; the former seeks...
Friday, 10 August 2012
BlueSci Committee: Managing Editor Post Available
This is your chance to join the BlueSci committee and play a major role in the running of the magazine...
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
The power of suggestion
Suggestions exert a powerful influence on how we think, feel, and act but it appears that the effects play a much larger role in shaping our lives than most people realise.
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Fool’s Gold- not such a fool after all?
Researchers have found that Fool’s Gold plays an important role in governing atmospheric oxygen concentrations.
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Mickey Mouse fights the flab – Oh boy!
June 2012 marked The Walt Disney Company’s announcement of a junk food commercial ban from 2015. Roughly a third of...
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Alzheimer’s early detection ‘timeline’ developed
Researchers can now detect signs of Alzheimer’s 25 years before the expected onset of the disease.
Saturday, 14 July 2012
BlueSci Film: Bioblitz at Cambridge University
Starting at 3pm on Friday June 22nd 2012, experts, volunteers and members of the public raced against time to count...
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Drinking coffee may protect against heart failure
Contrary to American Heart Association guidelines discouraging habitual coffee drinking, new research from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (BIDMC) indicates that moderate coffee consumption may be an effective preventative of heart failure.
Friday, 6 July 2012
Lichen can survive in space
Lichens can survive journeys through space – even when exposed to potentially lethal radiation levels and temperature changes.
Friday, 29 June 2012
Scientists identify protein required to re-grow injured nerves
Nerve cells in the brain are notorious for their inability to heal. But the situation is different for nerve cells...
Friday, 29 June 2012
Arctic warming linked to Antarctic ice
New findings suggest that the Arctic may be subject to very warm ‘super-interglacials’ linked to the loss of the Antarctic ice sheet on the other side of the world.
Monday, 25 June 2012
Issue 25 Features Deadline
Don't forget, the Issue 25 features deadline has been extended to this Friday, 29th June. Features are 1200 words and...
Saturday, 23 June 2012
Plastic-eating fungus discovered in the Amazon
Undergraduate students from Yale University have discovered a fungus capable of degrading the common plastic polyurethane. With low costs and high demand, the volume of plastics produced overwhelms waste management systems and threatens ecosystems and human welfare globally.
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Feature: Your Love is my Drug
Brianne Kent explores the similarities between love and drug addiction.
Sunday, 17 June 2012
BlueSci: Issue 25 Magazine Meeting
The magazine meeting for the next issue of BlueSci will be at 6pm on Wednesday 13th June at the Earth Sciences Common Room in the Downing Site.
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Genes can determine your ability to quit smoking
Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, have found that the same gene variants that make it...
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Gates Foundation and Big Pharma unite to combat neglected tropical diseases
The largest yet collaborative effort towards the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) was unveiled in London earlier this year....
Friday, 8 June 2012
Smallest fossils change understanding about sturdiest dinosaurs
Weighed down by the burden of their armour, ankylosaurs were the rhinoceroses of the dinosaur age, defending themselves against predators with their thick dermal plates and tail clubs.
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Tiny mammoth once roamed Crete
Scientists from London’s Natural History Museum predict that millions of years ago a dwarf mammoth once roamed on the Mediterranean...
Friday, 1 June 2012
Facebook could be addictive
You could be addicted to Facebook, suggests a new study lead by a team of researchers in Norway.
Monday, 28 May 2012
Feature: Holistic Biology – it’s science alright, but not as we know it....
Aoife O’Shaughnessy discusses how systems biology may help to shape the future of medical research.
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Bionic eye gives hope for blindness
Scientists at Stanford University in California have invented a wireless retinal implant which can help to cure blindness. Illnesses such...
Friday, 25 May 2012
Using photoacoustics to screen for breast cancer
50,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK annually – on average someone every 10 minutes, and although...
Sunday, 20 May 2012
Magnetic bacteria can build tomorrow's biocomputers
According to a group of researchers at the University of Leeds, microbes are the key to producing tomorrow’s super-fast computers....
Friday, 18 May 2012
Giant feather dinosaur discovered
Three almost complete skeletons of a huge feathered dinosaur have been unearthed in north-eastern China. The new species has been...
Monday, 14 May 2012
Feature: Coming of AGE - how molecular strategies may soon improve quality of life
Rhian Grainger explains how small drug-like molecules may soon help us tackle the biological impacts of ageing.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Tiny hitchhikers target cancer cells
Scientists at Northwestern University, Illinois have been the first to develop a nanoparticle that can deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to...
Friday, 11 May 2012
Leeches can track jungle mammals
Monitoring the abundance of mammalian species in tropical rain forests is difficult due to the uncooperative environment. Not only does...
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Weird & Wonderful: Issue 24
Scientists from Oregon state University have found that placing oestrogen capsules in male snakes makes them attractive to other males and...
Friday, 27 April 2012
Away from the Bench: Science on Ice
Hugo Schmidt talks to Pierre Dutrieux and Paul Holland about science at the South Pole.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Science & Policy: Preparing for the Unknown
Tim Middleton examines risk and uncertainty in policy-making.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Perspective: The Genome Generation
Nicola Stead reveals what we have learnt from a decade of the human genome.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Behind the Science: The Grand Question
Helen Gaffney explores the many-sided life of Cambridge scientist Joseph Needham.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Arts & Science: Dreaming up Science
Beth Venus looks at how thought experiments have explained scientific phenomena.
Friday, 27 April 2012
History: From Herbs to Hormones
Vicki Moignard explores how approaches to contraception have evolved over time.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Focus: Higher, Faster, Stronger
BlueSci explores the role of science in pushing the boundaries of human physical ability.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Feature: Turbocharged Thinking
Camilla d’Angelo asks whether society will become dependent on brain‑enhancing drugs to function.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Feature: Type ‘L’ for Love
Jordan Ramsey reveals how computers are being used to simulate love and investigate our choice of life partners.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Feature: Big Ideas, Small Beginnings
M Fernando Gonzalez investigates the microelectronic revolution and the role of transistors.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Feature: Symmetry in Science
Jack Williams discusses symmetry in nature and its fundamental place in the Universe.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Feature: Staying Alive
Beth Richardson looks at new recommendations for performing CPR.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Reviews: Issue 24
Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie – Lauren Redniss
Friday, 27 April 2012
News: Issue 24
Promising Alzheimer’s Treatment
Friday, 27 April 2012
Cover: Deducing Diffractions
Lindsey Nield explains the science behind this issue’s front cover.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Editorial: Issue 24 - Easter 2012
Left-Brain vs Right-Brain
Friday, 27 April 2012
Final flight of Discovery
After a year of decommissioning, NASA’s flagship Space Shuttle Discovery has made its final flight, this time within Earth’s atmosphere...
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
New compounds trigger dramatic weight loss
Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida have developed two synthetic compounds that could potentially treat obesity, plus many...
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Genes shape our response to flu
Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, have uncovered the genetic basis behind individual variation in response to influenza infection.
Saturday, 14 April 2012
A step in the right direction
Bipedalism, or walking upright, is one of the key features to distinguish humans from the great apes. However, exactly why...
Monday, 9 April 2012
Özti the Iceman
Although he may look a little like Gollum of ‘Lord of the Rings’ fame, Özti the Iceman is actually the...
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
How the zebra got its stripes
Existing theories as to why zebras have evolved stripes centre on their role in combating predators. Stripes may provide camouflage...
Thursday, 29 March 2012
New blood
When asked their blood group, many people would probably be able to reply “A”, “B”, “AB” or “O”, with some...
Monday, 26 March 2012
How to detect traces of explosives
Scientists at the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology in Trivandrum, India, have developed a simple method for detecting attogram (10-18 g) quantities of the explosive trinitrotoluene (TNT).
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Feature: Powering East Africa from below
Tom Bishop explores the potential of geothermal energy in Africa.
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Synthetic steak
It seems that the promise of regenerative medicine is no longer enough. Not satisfied with preventing ageing and curing disease, stem cells are now also being charged with solving the impending global food crisis.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Do you hear what I hear?
It may one day be possible to listen to the “imagined speech” of patients who have been left unable to communicate following strokes or paralysis, thanks to the work of researchers at the University of Berkeley.
Sunday, 11 March 2012
When the heart skips a beat
Despite the claims of Olly Murs, the heart is in fact most likely ‘to skip a beat’ during the morning in accordance with the internal body clock, a recent study in Nature has revealed.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Short-term memory based on synchronised brain oscillations
Holding a picture you’ve just seen in your 'mind's eye' is a task that requires long-distance communication between visual and...
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Listening in on lysozyme
Researchers from the University of California have used a ‘molecular microphone’ to listen to a single protein molecule at work.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Review: Wednesday is Indigo Blue - Discovering the Brain of Synaesthesia
As you listen to the voice of a weather forecaster describing the highs and lows of tomorrow’s temperature, a kaleidoscope...
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Towards a universal flu vaccine
New research suggests that vaccines targeting key influenza proteins could provide immunity against multiple strains of flu.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Males and females run on different programmes
Variations in gene expression within the brain have been implicated in some of the fundamental behavioural differences between the sexes.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
The immortal devil’s contagious cancer
Cancer is still one of the biggest killers worldwide, arising when our own cells turn against us and grow out of control. As human life expectancy continues to increase, so too does our risk of cancer.
Thursday, 23 February 2012
DNA analysis may be open to interpretation
The genetic sequence encoded within the double helical strands of an individual’s DNA has long been considered decisive evidence for...
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
New insights into malaria mechanisms
A recent study in Cell reveals the way deadly malaria parasites transport proteins in infected red blood cells. Targeting this transport pathway may offer new opportunities for malaria treatment.
Sunday, 19 February 2012
A human wind turbine
At 12 noon on Friday 10th February, Cambridge University students gathered on Parker’s Piece to rally for renewable energy.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Turning a mouse into an elephant
“Animals get bigger through time”. This, in a nutshell, is the evolutionary ‘rule’ named after the American palaeontologist Edward Drinker...
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Feature: Psychedelic Psychiatry
Ecstasy and magic mushrooms have recently been shown to help people with treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders. Camilla dʼAngelo explores how these drugs could radically change the landscape of psychiatry.
Saturday, 11 February 2012
New cancer drug target discovered
Scientists at the University of Leicester have identified a new molecule that could serve as a target for an entire family of future cancer drugs.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Solving a monkey puzzle
In a study published recently in the journal Cell, scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center in the USA announced that they have created the first chimeric primates.
Monday, 6 February 2012
Energising Cambridge
A new student campaign, Energise Cambridge (http://www.energisecambridge.org/), has been launched to try and persuade the University of Cambridge to buy a larger proportion of its energy from renewable suppliers.
Friday, 3 February 2012
Bacterial bio-pixels could detect poisons
Researchers led by Prof. Jeff Hasty at the University of California have created “bacterial bio-pixels” by combining two methods used by Escherichia coli...
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Clever corvids: quoth the raven 'look at this'
Ravens have recently been seen to use the types of gestures previously thought limited to just the great apes and...
Sunday, 29 January 2012
BlueSci Film: Wanted - Scientists in the field
We are interested in showcasing the work that scientists here at Cambridge do when away from the city. So if you're interested in sharing your experiences, contact BlueSci Film Editors Nick and Alex at <a href="mailto:film@bluesci.co.uk">film@bluesci.co.uk.
Friday, 27 January 2012
‘Great Lake’ on Jupiter’s moon may harbour life
Scientific analysis of the surface of Jupiter’s moon, Europa, suggests that warm water rises from its deep oceans to form shallow nutrient-rich lakes that could support life.
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Using antibodies to help prevent HIV infection
Researchers in California have developed a novel form of gene therapy for preventing HIV infection. In a recent Nature paper,...
Sunday, 22 January 2012
BlueSciFilm: We are Sitting in the Mollusc Store
Snails, clams, squids and octopoda... Dr. Richard Preece took BlueSci film editor Nick Crumpton behind the scenes in the University...
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
A Day in the Life: The Science Diplomat
Ian Le Guillou interviews David Clary
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Arts & Science: Writing the Future
Matthew Dunstan investigates the role of science fiction in shaping science fact
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
History: Science’s Royal Beginnings
Nicola Stead takes a look back at the origins of the Royal Society and its founding members
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Behind the Science: Computers, Codes and Cyanide
Jordan Ramsey explores the persecuted genius of computing pioneer Alan Turing
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Science & Policy: The Race to the Edge
Beth Venus discusses the future of manned space missions
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Perspective: Capturing Change
Tom Bishop discusses carbon dioxide capture as one solution to climate change
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Focus: Intelligence
BlueSci looks at the science of human intelligence: how do we test it, what controls it, and how do we even define it?
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Feature: Aspects of Ageing
Andrew Szopa-Comley explores possible explanations for why humans age at the molecular level
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Feature: Warning - Contains Peanuts
Mrinalini Dey investigates our attempts to alleviate the anxiety of allergy sufferers
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Feature: The Eccentric Engineer
Sarah Amis looks into the life of one of the world’s most innovative, yet troubled, inventors
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Feature: Neglecting Vets
Peter Moore explores the importance of Veterinary Medicine for mankind
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Feature: The Need for Sex
Anna Wilson looks at the evolutionary benefits of sexual reproduction
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Reviews
The God Species - Mark Lynas
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
News: Issue 23
…and this little piggy corrected mutations
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Cover: Creating Crystals
Lindsey Nield looks into the story behind this issue’s cover image
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Editorial: Issue 23 - Lent 2012
Science has come a long way since C.P. Snow gave his 1959 Rede lecture: “The Two Cultures”. In this lecture...
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Dreaming, not time, is the healer of all wounds
Researchers at the University of California have found that spending time in rapid eye movement (REM) or “dreaming” sleep can make painful memories more bearable.
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
New metal is world’s lightest material
A team of researchers has developed a ‘micro-lattice’ material that is approximately 100 times lighter than polystyrene.
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Dopamine-deficient worms join the fight against Parkinson's
Scientists at the University of Texas, Austin, have found a way to use dopamine-deficient worms to identify new drugs for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Earth's survival, thanks to the sacrifice of a gas giant
New research published by Dr. David Nesvorny of the Southwest Research Institute provides strong evidence that the solar system may initially have had five giant gas planets, as opposed to the current four.
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Paracetamol no longer a mystery
The common painkiller’s mechanism of action has finally been identified
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Genetically engineered E. coli could be used to make biofuels
In a discovery that pushes the dream of worldwide implementation of renewable energy towards reality, researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) in Berkeley, California have synthesised three advanced biofuels using genetically engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Friday, 23 December 2011
Interview: Dr Rupert Soar - Fungus Farming to Freeform Construction.
Nick Crumpton talks to Rupert Soar about termite-inspired buildings, sustainable architecture and the future of construction.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Synthetic spider silk for water-catching webs
Dew-drops on spider webs are a common sight on foggy mornings, but only recently have scientists realised their implications for...
Monday, 19 December 2011
A bug in the programme
Scientists have discovered a parasite that can alter behaviour by manipulating brain chemistry.
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Review: Frank Close - Physics, Prizes and Phantom Particles
Winning a Nobel Prize in neutrino physics, is all about longevity. That was the message of Professor Frank Close OBE to a joint audience from BlueSci, Cambridge University's Science Magazine, and the Cambridge University Physics Society.
Monday, 12 December 2011
Pythons with big hearts can help protect ours
Fatty acids that appear in the bloodstream of pythons after eating have been found to promote healthy heart growth.
Friday, 9 December 2011
Biosensors help to detect neurodegenerative diseases
Shalini Prasad and colleagues at the University of Texas, Dallas, have developed a biosensor that can differentiate between Alzheimer's disease...
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Making a CASE for PhDs
In an exciting new development for interdisciplinary research and development, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has today announced the recipient of the first ever GSK Oncology collaborative awards in science and engineering (CASE) PhD scholarship.
Monday, 5 December 2011
Review: Building Bridges in Medical Sciences Symposium 2011
The 4th annual Building Bridges in Medical Sciences (BBMS) symposium was held in October at the Cancer Research Institute in...
Monday, 5 December 2011
Review: The First Chief Scientific Adviser in the Foreign office
Government and Science. The two often have an interesting relationship; long term predications and concerns, such as those associated with...
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Interview: Filming Frozen Planet - Capturing the Public Imagination
Frozen Planet director Adam Scott talks to Nick Crumpton about one of the most extreme environments on Earth.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
New vaccine reduces risk of malaria
A new vaccine tested on African infants may reduce the risk of malaria by half, according to a recent publication...
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Being bilingual may help delay Alzheimer's disease
Speaking more than one language may help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease according to a new study published in “Cortex”.
Friday, 25 November 2011
Stars send out distress flares
Astronomers have revealed that stars send out distress flares as they’re torn apart by black holes.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Children, but not chimps, prefer teamwork
A new study has shown that children display a preference for cooperation that is not shared by chimpanzees.
Friday, 18 November 2011
Temporal cloaks mask our perception of reality
Through a remarkable feat of physics, researchers at Cornell University have been able to hide an event in time by...
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Review: Parasite Rex (Carl Zimmer)
Sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis and hundreds of other parasitic diseases plague millions of people across the world. We have no clear...
Monday, 14 November 2011
It's not all about the snap
The world's largest lizard, Indonesia's Komodo Dragon, is well adapted for a carnivorous, ambush-hunting lifestyle, with serrated teeth, a venomous...
Friday, 11 November 2011
Review: Ten Top Tips for Televisual Triumph
Why do journalists often get their facts wrong when they report on science stories?
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Feature: Life on Air - Listening in on Natural Science
Some sort of bubbled ‘moo’: that’s what I assumed manatees were going to sound like. A muffled Chewbacca would have...
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Radar can now see us through walls
Since the development of RADAR (Radio Detection And Ranging) in 1940, its ability to pinpoint fixed objects and determine the...
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Polymer plug "LeGoo" approved in US for use during surgery
Blood vessels are traditionally blocked during surgery using clamps to pinch the vessel and stop blood flow. This can lead to damage and trauma of the artery. However, a new product called 'LeGoo' may make clamps a thing of the past.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Review: The Future - A Mini-retreat
Where does the Future lie for PostDocs and Graduate Students? This was the focus of the 2011 Biochemistry Mini-Retreat organised...
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Raising the alarm against viruses
Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have identified the precise mechanism by which the detection of foreign agents in cells can lead to a rapid immune response.
Thursday, 3 November 2011
New observations question our understanding of dark matter
According to the standard cosmological model, dark matter plays an important role in the description of our universe. Dark matter...
Monday, 31 October 2011
Abusive boobies may prove a good model for human ‘cycle of violence’
Scientists studying the Nazca booby in the wild have observed the same ‘cycle of violence’ as seen in humans: birds that get abused as youngsters are more likely to go on to abuse nestlings when they grow up.
Friday, 28 October 2011
That Friday feeling
Looking forward to the weekend? Scientists at Cornell University have used Twitter to explore changes in people's moods over the course of the day, week and year.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Review: Virtual Water (Tony Allan)
How much water do you need to make a cup of coffee? According to Tony Allan, Professor of Geography at...
Monday, 24 October 2011
The personal touch: crizotinib and lung cancer
Study shows that the drug crizotinib produces good results in certain non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients
Sunday, 23 October 2011
A step closer to artificial intelligence
Scientists at Tel Aviv University, Israel, have restored lost brain function in rats using an artificial cerebellum. Like a real...
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Nobel Prize awarded for insights into the immune system
Major breakthroughs in understanding the way in which our immune system is activated have seen Bruce A. Beutler, Jules A. Hoffmann and Ralph M. Steinman awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Monday, 17 October 2011
Introducing BlueSci Radio
BlueSci is pleased and excited to unveil BlueSci Radio. Our brand new radio show will broadcast live on CamFM, Tuesdays...
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Announcement: New Writing & Editing Guidelines
BlueSci is proud to release a new set of writing, editing and copy-editing guidelines, which have been written to provide...
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Review: Principles of social evolution (Andrew F. Bourke)
Ed: In the first of our new online Review section, which will incorporate reviews of books, games, talks, events and...
Friday, 14 October 2011
Feature: Conference - Threats to the University
In recent years, despite generating an historic amount of research in fields barely imaginable a generation ago, science has hit...
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Bigger than the Big Bang - 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics
The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Saul Perlmutter, Brian P. Schmidt and Adam G. Riess, whose efforts during the 1990s led to the astonishing conclusion that the rate of expansion of the Universe is increasing.
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Discoverer of quasi-crystals wins Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize for chemistry has gone this year to Dan Shechtman, the man who discovered quasi-crystals – materials that...
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Notice: New Committee Members
BlueSci is pleased to welcome two new members to the committee. Tom Bishop, fresh from editing Issue 22, replaces Steph Glaser as Managing Editor whilst Louisa Lyon steps into the role vacated by Rob Jones, becoming the new News Editor.
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Monday, 3 October 2011
Away from the Bench: Skeletons and Flame Tornadoes
Aaron Barker explains how certain types of CHaOS can be fun and informative
Monday, 3 October 2011
Science & Policy: Reactive Politics
Rose Spear analyses the varying global stances on nuclear energy
Monday, 3 October 2011
Perspective: Colliding at Colossal Costs
Richard Thomson gives his opinion on whether the Large Hadron Collider is worth its substantial investment
Monday, 3 October 2011
Arts & Science: Caring for Art
Tim Middleton uncovers the role of science in the storage and conservation of paintings
Monday, 3 October 2011
History: Science in Print
Helen Gaffney explores the rise of popular science magazines
Monday, 3 October 2011
Behind the Science: The Father of Forecasting
Lindsey Nield reflects on the life and voyages of Admiral Robert Fitzroy
Monday, 3 October 2011
Focus: Beneath the Surface
BlueSci looks at an endlessly fascinating and increasingly useful world deep below
Monday, 3 October 2011
Feature: Beyond Darwin
Jamie Hackett examines whether it is possible to inherit the experiences of our parents
Monday, 3 October 2011
Feature: A Bolt from the Blue
Simon Page reveals the colourful side of one of chemistry’s more dangerous reactions
Monday, 3 October 2011
Feature: Eye-popping Films
Aaron Barker looks into the physics behind 3D cinema
Monday, 3 October 2011
Feature: The Age of Endeavour
Vicki Moignard recalls the captivating history of the Space Shuttle
Monday, 3 October 2011
Feature: A Clean Slate
Yinchu Wang looks back to a life unknowingly dedicated to science
Monday, 3 October 2011
Reviews
Cool It - Bjorn Lomborg
Monday, 3 October 2011
News: Issue 22
Bat wing hairs act as airflow detectors
Monday, 3 October 2011
Cover: Cultured Brains
Jonathan Lawson looks into the story behind this issue’s cover image
Monday, 3 October 2011
Editorial: Issue 22 - Michaelmas 2011
Rationality, References and Radio
Monday, 3 October 2011
Online game players solve structure of AIDS protein
Players from an online gaming community have solved the crystal structure of a retrovirus protein causing AIDS in rhesus monkeys. The gamers determined in just three weeks something that has eluded scientists for over 10 years.
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Overconfidence is a winning trait
Scientists in Edinburgh and California have found that being overconfident can help you succeed.
Monday, 26 September 2011
Canadian amber found to hold clues to the evolution of feathers
Researchers in Canada have discovered feathers preserved in amber from 70 million years ago.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
iGEM 2011: Squid to E. coli - Bactiridescence
Squids and octopi (cephalopods) are renowned for their stunning ability to change their skin colour, as a means of camouflage...
Monday, 19 September 2011
Plant circadian clock mystery solved
Researchers at Yale University have identified a key component of the plant circadian clock, solving one of the final mysteries that remained in understanding this process.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
BlueSciFilm: Interview with Lord Martin Rees
Sita Dinanauth interviews Lord Martin Rees; Astronomer Royal and Master of Trinity College on his career in astrophysics research and his many prestigious accolades.
Monday, 12 September 2011
New material offers superior rate performance for batteries
Battery technology could soon see a vast improvement due to the discovery of a new material that could increase power, energy density and safety, as well as reduce charge time.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Self-cleaning fabrics could be cleaner than ever
Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have developed a new self-cleaning fabric that is more robust, has improved antibacterial qualities, and is easier to manufacture.
Saturday, 10 September 2011
A man-made mountain in the Netherlands?
A Dutch journalist has proposed the idea of creating a mountain in the Netherlands, believing it will benefit the nation’s athletes and become a top attraction.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
Rivers of ice discovered in the Antarctic
The ice flow of the Antarctic ice sheet has been mapped in high resolution for the first time.
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Fighting malaria with microwaves
Researchers at Penn State University have been awarded a grant by the Gates Foundation to develop their idea of treating malaria with microwaves.
Friday, 26 August 2011
DRACOnian measures for disease-causing microbes
Scientists from the Lincoln Laboratory at MIT have unveiled DRACO, a new drug designed to kill all viruses.
Thursday, 18 August 2011
The internet tells children to love pandas but not their back gardens
The increased reliance of children on virtual media rather than hands-on outdoor activities means their consideration in protecting species along...
Monday, 15 August 2011
Ageing of the brain differs between chimpanzees and humans
A recent study of the brain size of humans and their closest living relatives has found important differences relating to aging.
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Test post
Here is a header to the post
Friday, 5 August 2011
A universal flu vaccine?
Scientists have used the 2009 swine flu outbreak to bring us closer to a universal vaccine.
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Superconductor model fits with extreme correlation
Physicists at the University of California have developed a technique that helps to explain the behaviour of electrons in a high-temperature superconductor.
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Genome of the potato sequenced
A group of international scientists have recently published the genome sequence of the humble potato, Solanum tuberosum. It is hoped that the sequence will aid better breeding of this disease-susceptible plant.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
BlueSci gets Creative
The BlueSci committee are pleased to announce that from now on we will be placing all material published by BlueSci,...
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Symptoms of climate change become apparent in European oceans
A species of plankton, Neodenticula seminae, has returned to the North Atlantic for the first time since going extinct 8 million years ago. This is the latest example of how changing climate conditions cause species to move or change their behaviour.
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Turtles finally find their place in the evolutionary tree
A genetic analysis of turtles has shown that they come from the same branch of the tree of life as lizards.
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Surplus metabolic capacities indicate history of yo-yo diet
A recent analysis of digestive capacities shows that predators in the wild are able to capitalise on pulses of food abundance, and suggests an evolutionary history of feast and famine.
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Eye test could be used to detect Alzheimer's disease
A simple eye test could help detect Alzheimer’s disease in its earliest stages, Australian scientists report.
Friday, 15 July 2011
Spearheads and minds sharpened by humans 200,000 years ago
Archaeologists at Lund University in Sweden have found that the development of spearhead technology played an important part in the advancement of human thinking and behaviour 80,000 years ago.
Friday, 8 July 2011
A genetic history of coconuts
A new genetic analysis shows that modern coconuts were brought into cultivation in two independent regions, and discusses how human trade and travel has influenced genetic diversity in coconut populations.
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Enceladus plumes come from underground ocean
Direct sampling of water plumes jetting into space from Saturn’s moon Enceladus suggest that liquid water exists in large underground reservoirs.
Friday, 1 July 2011
Putting waste energy to good use
A prototype produced by engineers in the United States can capture wasted heat from exhausts and use it for air conditioning and the generation of electricity.
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Ancient-language dictionary completed after 90 years
The first dictionary of an ancient Mesopotamian language is finally complete after ninety years in the making. At 21 volumes, this creates an unparalleled resource for studying the first urban civilisations in history.
Monday, 20 June 2011
Study reveals neurobiological mechanism that links smoking with food intake
A receptor in neurons of the brain that links nicotine with reduced food intake has been identified and offers a new target for weight loss drugs.
Monday, 13 June 2011
Hummingbird tongues don’t suck but ‘trap’ nectar
Hummingbirds have evolved an extraordinarily ingenious mechanism that allows them to feed with barely any work being performed at all.
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Fjords revealed under Antarctic ice sheet
Recent surveying of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet reveals a landscape of mountains and fjords, with dynamic ice sheet configurations.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
UV vision helps reindeer survive in the harsh Arctic
Sensitivity to the UV spectrum gives reindeer crucial extra visual information, new research shows.
Thursday, 2 June 2011
The bright lights attract bats too
Greater numbers of bat species are found in areas associated with human populations, according to a study published in the journal Mammalian Biology.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Reprogrammed cells are rejected in mice
Stem cells can trigger an immune reaction in the same strain of mice from which they were derived, according to a recent report.
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
The last Neanderthals may have lived near the Arctic Circle
The recent dating of remains from northern Russia suggests that Neanderthals may have survived near the Arctic Circle until around 31,000 to 34,000 years ago.
Monday, 23 May 2011
Serendipitous supercapacitors
The unexpected discovery of a new three-dimensional porous carbon material could allow supercapacitors to rival the performance of the standard lead-acid battery.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
A new method to harness solar energy
Scientists reporting in Nature Materials have built a prototype to show that the thermoelectric effect might provide an alternative way to generate electricity from sunlight.
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Atlas of the stars
An amateur astrophotographer has travelled over 60,000 miles to capture images of the stars and produce a stunning interactive atlas of the night sky.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Health risks associated with ‘new ecstasy’ revealed
The serious side effects of a drug termed the ‘new ecstasy’ have been revealed through studies at Anglia Ruskin University.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
An innovation odyssey- from basic research to the world’s fastest selling consumer electronics product
Review of Centre for Science and Policy ((http://www.csap.cam.ac.uk/)) Distinguished Lecture Series. 12th May 2011, Professor Chris Bishop, Microsoft Research, Cambridge.
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Blind legless lizard declared a new species
Zoologists in Cambodia have discovered a new species of legless lizard sheltering under a log in the Cardamom Mountains of the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary.
Friday, 13 May 2011
Study identifies recall memory in monkeys
A study by scientists at Emory University suggests that rhesus monkeys are capable not only of recognising images, but also recalling them from memory.
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Carbon nanotube microsensors designed to improve gas masks
A new type of sensor described recently in the journal Advanced Materials could lead to safer respirators for emergency workers.
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Feature: What is going on in schizophrenic brains?
Daniel Martins-de-Souza investigates the role of protein expression in cases of Schizophrenia.
Monday, 9 May 2011
BlueSciFilm: Understanding ocean currents
BlueSciFilm interview Natalie Roberts, PhD student in the Department of Earth Sciences at Cambridge University, about her work as a paleoceanographer, studying circulation of water around the Atlantic and its association with climate change.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Away from the Bench: Medical Writing
Andy Shepherd talks to Richard Thompson about working at Caudex Medical
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Technology: Computationally Challenged?
Anders Aufderhorst-Roberts examines the demands of the digital economy
Saturday, 7 May 2011
History: Immortal Hearts and Henrietta
Nicola Stead looks back at the beginnings of cell culture
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Arts & Reviews: Shadow Catchers
Stephanie Glaser discovers how shadows caught by camera-less photography bring light to an image
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Perspective: Common Knowledge
Tim Middleton gives his perspective on access to data and the recent scandals
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Behind the Science: Women Who Led the Way
Jessica Robinson uncovers some of the pioneering female scientists
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Focus: Small Channels, Big Ideas
BlueSci explores microfluidic technology and its dazzling array of applications
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Feature: Superheroes, Fact or Fiction?
Mark Nicholson discovers how nature has turned fantasy into reality
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Feature: Bird’s Eye View
Ian Le Guillou finds out about the ‘biological compass’ of cows, crocodiles and migrating birds
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Feature: The Challenge of Chocolate
Rachel Berkowitz looks at the science that will allow us to make chocolate better: healthier, cheaper and as tasty as before
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Feature: Mountains - Go with the Flow
Alex Copley explains how fluid dynamics can help us understand geology
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Feature: Between You and Me
Louisa Lyon examines how distinct genomes can co-exist in an individual
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Book Reviews
The Humans Who Went Extinct
Saturday, 7 May 2011
News: Issue 21
The Sun as we’ve never seen it before
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Cover: A Prettier Shell than Ordinary
Tom Ash looks into the story behind this issue’s cover image
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Editorial: Issue 21 - Easter 2011
In Ink and On Paper
Saturday, 7 May 2011
The singular origin of the melanic moth
Scientists have identified the gene region that controls melanism in the peppered moth, a famous example of natural selection in action. They also suggest that the mutation responsible for the dark melanic form arose just once and spread throughout British populations.
Friday, 6 May 2011
Antihelium discovered in STAR experiment
Physicists at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider have detected 18 examples of antihelium, breaking their own a world record for the heaviest particle of antimatter ever found.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Late Stone-Age enclosures for gazelle hunting identified
Archaeologists have found evidence of large-scale culling of hundreds of gazelles by humans 6,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
The Human Brain Atlas
The Human Brain Atlas is the first computational map of the brain, developed over four years by the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle and costing $55 million ((http://www.brain-map.org/)).
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Plasmonic resonances in semiconductors
Scientists have demonstrated localised surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in semiconductors, extending the range of materials that can be used for photonics and offering new possibilities for light harvesting, nonlinear optics and quantum information processes.
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Feature: Man & Machine
KT Roberts is surprised by the achievements of cybernetics
Monday, 25 April 2011
'King of rabbits' unearthed on Minorca
Palaeontologists have discovered an enormous fossil rabbit on the Spanish island of Minorca. It has been officially named Nuralagus rex, meaning ‘Minorcan hare king’.
Saturday, 23 April 2011
Earliest tooth decay linked to teeth evolution
A fossil recently discovered in Texas provides the earliest evidence of tooth decay in a terrestrial vertebrate. The fossilized remains...
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Catchy whale tunes
Humpback whale songs have been found to be transmitted culturally on a huge scale from west to east.
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Feature: The ‘Map of Life’
Further to our recent news story, Tim Middleton interviews creators of the new ‘Map of Life’ website ((http://www.mapoflife.org/index/)) and looks into the apparent absurdities and controversies of convergent evolution.
Monday, 18 April 2011
Puddingstone film
In this short film, Dr Bryan Lovell, President of the Geological Society of London, tells us about his favourite rock:...
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Earliest non-marine multicellular life seen in Scottish fossils
Large populations of diverse microfossils from lochs in the northwest of Scotland indicate that the evolution of multi-cellular organisms may have commenced on land far earlier than previously thought.
Saturday, 16 April 2011
The search for antimatter
This month the space shuttle Endeavour will make its final journey after a loyal 19 years service and its last...
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Overprescription of pain-relief drugs
Increasing prescription rates of pain-relieving drugs suggest a worrying trend of drug abuse in the United States.
Friday, 8 April 2011
New maps of Earth's gravity unveiled
Models illustrating the most accurate measurements ever recorded of the variation in gravity across the Earth have been unveiled at an international conference at the Technische Universitat in Munich, Germany.
Monday, 4 April 2011
Renewable petroleum to the rescue
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have taken a step closer to making a renewable hydrocarbon fuel.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Zoos urged to join forces in conserving biodiversity
A team of scientists based in Germany are urging zoos and aquariums to collaborate in establishing breeding programmes for endangered animal species.
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
A new family tree for primates
A report published in the journal PLoS Genetics has produced a much-needed update of primate phylogeny. The study, which is the fruit of an international collaboration, greatly clarifies the evolutionary history of humans and our closest relatives.
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Loss of a special bear
The famous polar bear Knut died last Saturday at Berlin Zoo aged four years and three months. A necropsy in progress suggests he died of brain damage.
Friday, 25 March 2011
Metamaterials for superheroes
The invisibility cloaks of comic books may not be all that far-fetched according to a paper recently published in the journal Nature. Their origins lie with the 19th Centrury physicist James Clerk Maxwell.
Thursday, 24 March 2011
New look at a bacterial weapon
The needle complex that makes Salmonella and related bacteria such infectious pathogens has been modelled at the subnanometre scale.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
MESSENGER spacecraft begins historic Mercury orbit
A space probe launched over six and a half years ago has achieved orbit around the planet Mercury, an engineering and scientific milestone for NASA.
Monday, 21 March 2011
Neurotransmitter key to motor learning behaviour?
Researchers from the University of Oxford have investigated the cellular basis of learning and have helped to explain why some people are quicker to learn piano pieces or perfect dance routines.
Friday, 18 March 2011
Polymer failure
Researchers at Duke University in the United States have shown for the first time how soft polymers can break down when exposed to high electric fields.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Filming inside living cells
A new design of microscope has been developed which produces amazingly detailed 3-dimensional movies of live cells, and could potentially open up whole new areas of research.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Mass extinction imminent?
A mass extinction on a scale only witnessed five times in the last 540 million years could be just around the corner, scientists warn.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Epileptic self-defence
Researchers from Brown University have found that after an epileptic event the brain has the capacity to protect itself from further seizures. If this finding can be confirmed in human cases, it may provide a new approach to treat epilepsy.
Monday, 14 March 2011
Cambridge launches the 'Map of Life'
The University of Cambridge’s Map of Life project has gone online, aiming to draw fresh attention to the remarkable stories told by convergent evolution.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Organic monitors
A completely organic series of compounds are being developed to make display screens cheaper, more efficient and more flexible.
Friday, 11 March 2011
Egyptians first to use prosthetics
A researcher from the University of Manchester believes that two artificial toes dating from before 600BC may have been the world’s earliest functional prosthetic body parts.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Last flight of Discovery
NASA’s workhorse, ambassador, scientist and equal opportunity emissary the Space Shuttle Discovery today completes its final mission.
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Brain matter makes the mind
A multi-institutional group of researchers from the University of Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre have uncovered a possible basis for differences in mental abilities by identifying links between genetic makeup and the efficiency of brain function.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Avoiding stereotypes
Researchers from the University of Michigan have developed a method that uses novel organic catalysts to produce pure chiral products...
Monday, 7 March 2011
World-leading computer vision techniques used to create giant sculpture
Software developed by a team of engineers from the University of Cambridge has been used by the artist Antony Gormley to create a 60-tonne monumental sculpture.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Sitting is not so pretty
A long-term study on the associations between sedentary behaviour and mortality has suggested that the amount of time people spend sitting down has an effect on their lifespan that is independent of the amount of physical exercise they take.
Friday, 4 March 2011
How much is too much?
Phosphorus is now one of the major causes of water pollution in the Western world. A new study has found...
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Disease epidemic endangers bats
Bats play an important role in controlling insect pests and are an integral part of cave ecosystems, but some populations in North America are facing endangerment or extinction due to a disease epidemic.
Monday, 28 February 2011
Spacecraft that think for themselves
Scientists at the University of Southampton have developed a new control system for spacecraft, allowing them to make decisions more independently than ever before using artificially intelligent ‘sysbrains’ ((http://www.sesnet.soton.ac.uk/people/smv/avs_lab/index.htm)).
Saturday, 26 February 2011
The 'bear' necessities of hibernation
“I wish I could hibernate like a bear this winter!” This sentiment is often expressed by Cambridge University students as they slog through the darkest moments of their degrees. But they might want to reassess what “hibernate like a bear” really means.
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Pollen discovered to be a new line of plant defence
Ecologists from Zurich have shown that flowering plants produce chemical defences in their pollen that prevent bees from being too...
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
New class of magnetic atomic clusters discovered
Atomic clusters are particles containing a small number of atoms, which often possess unique properties that make them different from...
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Twirly-whirly electrons
Transmission electron microscopes (TEM) are used to study and image a wide variety of materials due to their sub-nanometre resolving power. In a TEM electrons are shot through an object and adsorption, deflection and energy loss of the electrons is measured.
Saturday, 19 February 2011
New strategy to engineer universal vascular grafts
The need for donor organs and tissues for transplants is a well known and so far unsolved problem. Patients suffering from...
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Eggs show arctic mercury cycling may be linked to ice cover
A team of researchers has used seabird eggs to suggest that the level of mercury cycling in the flora and fauna of the Arctic is related to the amount of ice cover.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Can meditation change your brain?
Meditation has been used for thousands of years in religious rituals and as an aid to relaxation and thought. A...
Friday, 11 February 2011
New theory reveals fractal nature of arithmetic
A full mathematical description of partition numbers, the basis for addition, has long eluded mathematicians. Ken Ono of Emory University...
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
Deep space monitored by world’s largest telescope
Giant radio telescopes in the Netherlands, France, Germany and the United Kingdom have been used together for the first time...
Saturday, 5 February 2011
New hope for the hard of hearing
The problem of progressive hearing loss affects a large proportion of the population, young and old, but findings released recently from...
Thursday, 3 February 2011
London’s top secret discovery
Security service helicopters circle MI6 headquarters, armed police surround the building and all the while a small team are busy...
Monday, 31 January 2011
Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Away from the Bench: In the Driving Seat
Rosie Robison recounts her experience working at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Technology: Mind Games
Tom Ash looks into the development of computer systems that can receive commands directly from the brain
Saturday, 29 January 2011
History: The Great Trigonometrical Survey
Tim Middleton explores how India was mapped and the world’s tallest mountain named
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Arts & Reviews: This is Your Brain on Mozart
Lindsey Nield discovers the hidden power of music
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Perspective: Test Tube Babies
Sara Lejon gives her perspective on Nobel prize winning in vitro fertilisation technology
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Behind the Science: An Ordinary Genius
Ian Fyfe uncovers the personal life of Albert Einstein
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Focus: Life Will Find a Way
Worlds on worlds are rolling ever
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Feature: Climbing Space
Mark Nicholson discusses the science behind the fiction of the space elevator
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Feature: Eradicating Rinderpest
Paul Simpson looks at the history of a quietly devastating disease
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Feature: The Science of Significance
Annabelle Painter shows how the amygdala may be key to culture, spirituality and identity
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Feature: The Blue Screen of Death
Wing Yung Chan traces the imperfect path to the perfect program
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Feature: Cell Talk
Rhea Chatterjea explores the medical frontiers of gap junction research
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Book Reviews
Discoveries of the Census of Marine Life: Making Ocean Life Count
Saturday, 29 January 2011
News: Issue 20
Benefits to weaker immune system
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Cover: Of Minerals and Meteorites
Richard Thomson looks into the story behind this issue’s cover image
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Editorial: Issue 20 - Lent 2011
Taylor Burns, Editor
Saturday, 29 January 2011
The dawn of dinosaurs
A new dinosaur has been discovered in Argentina ((Ricardo N. Martinez et al., “A Basal Dinosaur from the Dawn of...
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Feature: Bringing Science and Politics Together
Nina Klein reveals what she learnt as an intern with the Centre for Science and Policy
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Small-scale earthquakes hit Britain
Mention earthquakes and most people will think of places such as Japan and California, where major damaging earthquakes happen once...
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Features and Cover Images Needed for Next Issue
We are now accepting feature article submissions for the next issue of
Monday, 24 January 2011
Tsunami warning systems
Six years have passed since the Boxing Day tsunami disaster which claimed 5,400 victims and devastated coastlines of Thailand, Indian,...
Sunday, 23 January 2011
BlueSciFilm: Insights into human motor control
Our very own BlueSciFilm interview Daniel Wolpert, Professor of Engineering at Cambridge University, about humans, robots and motor control.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
FIT incentives and free solar panels
Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) were introduced in April 2010 to encourage homeowners to generate their own electricity. Technologies such as solar...
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
An average approach to managing risk
New research suggests that there may be a serious flaw in the way that many investors approach risk. A report...
Friday, 14 January 2011
Enjoying the VISTA
2011 is already proving to be a significant year for astronomy. In addition to a conjunction of the planets, a partial solar eclipse and the Quadrantid meteor shower we have obtained spectacular new images of both the Andromeda galaxy and our home galaxy, the Milky Way.
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Neural mechanisms link sleep, general anaesthesia and coma
General anaesthetics are widely administered to patients before surgery. While anaesthesia is often referred to as “sleep”, the process is...
Sunday, 9 January 2011
The goldilocks body temperature
A new mathematical model has shed light on why mammals spend so much energy staying warm-blooded, a phenomenon that has long been poorly understood.
Friday, 7 January 2011
Hope in the water
2010 was a year for extreme weather including some of the strongest illustrations of the global environmental crisis. As the country recovers from the “big freeze” it is reassuring that, at least in small ways, we are improving the world around us.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Blue light to combat cancer
A team of researchers, led by the University of Warwick, have developed a new light-activated, platinum-cased, anti-cancer drug. The drug...
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Scientific balloons launched from Antarctica
NASA and the National Science Foundation of the United States are launching a series of large high-altitude scientific balloons on...
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Feature: The secret life of an element
Katarzyna Kopanska examines the importance of a well-known element.
Monday, 3 January 2011
“Living” rock art
The Bradshaw rock art in the Kimberly region of Australia is of interest to archaeologists, not only because of its...
Sunday, 2 January 2011
How many lightbulbs?
Cambridge University physicist, David Mackay, offers a passionate yet simple, quantitative analysis of the energy crisis in the UK. The film is based on his book "Sustainable Energy without the hot air", which is available free on his website.
Friday, 31 December 2010
Feature: Aliens found using arsenic - fact or fiction?
Wendy Mak investigates the supposed arsenic loving bacteria.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
A sustainable Christmas?
Tucking into second helpings of turkey? Why not treat yourself to another glass of Chardonnay and turn the thermostat up...
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Right or left handling at birth: does it matter?
<img class="size-medium wp-image-703" title="From: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baby%27s_hand.JPG" src="http://www.bluesci.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/babys-hand-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" />
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
To soar or to flap?
Large birds, such as storks and hawks, have long been known for choosing to soar and glide on thermal currents...
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Carbon hot-house planet examined by NASA’s Spitzer
The blazing-hot exoplanet Wasp 12b has revealed its black stripes as its carbon-rich composition helps it live up to its...
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Creative problem-solving for computers
Have you ever had one of those ‘light bulb moments’ - flashes of insight that present you with an instant...
Friday, 17 December 2010
New paradigm for cancer therapies
Cancer treatments could undergo a complete transformation in the way they are designed in an attempt to significantly improve their...
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Shrinking the mosquito population
Another weapon in the war against mosquito-borne diseases could be on the horizon. Researchers at Riverside Lab in California have...
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Haitian outbreak of cholera likely originated from South Asian source
Following the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, thousands of families were displaced from their homes and were forced to...
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
90GB of data stored in 1g of bacteria
Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong have succeeded in demonstrating data storage and encryption with bacteria.
Monday, 13 December 2010
One step closer to nano-machines
A team of scientists, led by Johannes Barth at TU Muenchen, have succeeded in the self-assembly of rod-shaped molecules to form nano-rotors within a honeycomb structure.
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Networks that make up the mind
We spend much of our lives making decisions, most of which occur in a fraction of a second. This involves...
Friday, 10 December 2010
Bacterial romance?
A new study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that the bacteria living inside the guts of fruit flies have an effect on the choice of mates made by the host organism – potentially leading to the development of a new theory of evolution.
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Closing the gender gap
Education researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder have claimed success in reducing the gender performance gap in physics exams using only a simple writing exercise.
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Space observations show warming of Earth’s lakes
Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have used satellite nighttime thermal infrared imagery to measure the surface temperature of inland lakes over the period 1985 to 2009. The data show an average rate of warming of 0.045oC per year.
Monday, 6 December 2010
Let there be light
Scientists from the University of Bonn in Germany have developed an entirely new source of light, based on a quantum...
Saturday, 4 December 2010
Oldest known salt mine found in Azerbaijan
Rock salt deposits at Duzdagi, in the Araxes basin in Azerbaijan, have been found to have been exploited as early...
Thursday, 2 December 2010
The mammals' time to shine
It has long been suspected that the dinosaurs’ demise at the end of the Cretaceous period made way for the...
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Weird and Wonderful
A selection of the wackiest research in the world of science
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Book Reviews
The Cambridge Companion to Science and Religion
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Technology: Ready to Go Paperless?
Wing Ying Chow investigates the advantages of electronic lab notebooks
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
History: Boosting Your Defence
Stephanie Glaser travels back through the history of vaccinations
Monday, 8 November 2010
Arts & Reviews: Modern World, Modern Art
Ian Fyfe explores the way in which science and technology have revolutionised fine art
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Perspective: Saving Species
Imogen Ogilvie gives her perspective on conservation and asks whether it is worth trying to conserve species at all
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Away from the Bench: Are You Receiving Me?
Sarah Leigh-Brown travels to London to see how the BBC produces the science radio programme Material World
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Behind the Science: The Man Who Weighed The Earth
Anders Aufderhorst-Roberts describes the life of the eccentric genius Henry Cavendish
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Focus: Gene Therapy
BlueSci explores the development of gene therapy, the remaining challenges and the recent triumphs
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Feature: Out of Body Experiences
Celia St John-Green discusses the science behind out of body experiences
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Feature: Cherish Your Enemies
Olivier Restif explains why we should learn to live with our pathogens
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Feature: The Transformation of Archaeology
Maggie Jack digs into the techniques of archaeology, how they are evolving and how this may help us to answer questions like “who killed King Tut?”
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Feature: Ocean Acidification
Matthew Humphreys examines the impact of carbon dioxide on the oceans
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Feature: Forgotten Knowledge
Andrew Holding looks at the discovery and loss of a cure for scurvy
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Pavilion: Issue 19
Fish vertebrae – unlike mammalian bones – grow in a layered manner, much like tree rings. Isotopic analysis of the...
Sunday, 7 November 2010
News: Issue 19
The first non-human, non-verbal dictionary has been created at the University of St Andrews. Erica Cartmill and Richard Byrne spent nine months observing orangutans and trying to discern a lexicon of gestures and signals.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Cover: Manipulating Behaviour
Lindsey Nield looks into the story behind this issue’s cover image
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Editorial: Issue 19 - Michaelmas 2010
As England descends back into winter and its inhabitants are once again embraced by perpetual gloom, we thought it might cheer you up to read about what science is doing to improve humanity’s lot.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
New site update
Please bear with us whilst we update the new website.
Saturday, 30 October 2010
New model for vertebrate jaw evolution
A team of international scientists have proposed a novel model for jaw evolution that contradicts previous understanding.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Icy Mars mystery - solved?
Scientists believe that they have finally found a theory to explain the phenomena of disappearing ice on Mars, also shedding light on the planet's water cycle.
Monday, 11 October 2010
Lower suicide rates not necessarily linked to antidepressant switch
Neither a rapid increase in the total use of antidepressants nor a decline in potentially toxic ones are related to a simultaneous drop in suicide rates, according to a study analysing drug sales and causes-of-death registers in Nordic countries over the past 30 years.
Saturday, 9 October 2010
On the origin of complexity
Theoretical models have suggested that complexity comes with a cost, and the simplest organisms are the best at adapting to their environment. How then, have the most complex plants and animals evolved?
Friday, 8 October 2010
Quarks: strange, colourful and now, apparently, dancing randomly
The world of quarks is a bizarre one. Seemingly everyday words are employed to provide tangible names for otherwise abstract...
Friday, 8 October 2010
Early nutrition affects male maturity and differences between sexes
Recent research from Northwestern University (Philippines) finds that early infant nutrition strongly shapes the sexual and biological fitness of adult males.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Control your emotion or it will control you
Although the Chinese adage does not allude to voluntarily controlling local brain activity, researchers have found that this is the key to tempering feelings.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Human cytomegalovirus genome cloned
By reconstructing a complete viral genome, British-based scientists have greatly improved the clinical relevance of fundamental research on a leading cause of congenital disability.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
New mathematical model to aid biodiversity conservation
A new theory of species diversity has been developed that predicts the number of species in an ecological community by mathematically accounting for the interdependent properties of individual species as well as those of the environment.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
A break-down in communications
Climate change. Nuclear power. GM crops. Vaccines. Why is it that the general public is so often divided on issues that scientific experts largely agree on?
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Leaner, meaner, faster, stronger
Wouldn't it be great if we can have denser, stronger bones, but also be leaner and weigh less? While it may sound like a gym advertisement, a group of researchers in Maine have found a protein that achieves this in mice.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
The vascular endothelial cell and its growth factor
Both have been connected to lung diseases, and have therefore shed light on potential treatments.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Song of a distant star could solve mysteries close to home
By eavesdropping on far-away stars, scientists hope to better understand the Sun's magnetic properties and its influence on our lives.
Monday, 13 September 2010
The Environmentalist's Paradox: Why are we still doing so well?
Humankind is responsible for causing considerable damage to many of the planet's ecosystems. According to environmentalists, this degradation should also be having a negative effect on our own well-being. But it's not. What's going on?
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Links between iron deficiency and Chronic Heart Failure syndrome established
Low iron in red blood cells causes anaemia and may be linked to heart failure
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Global CO2 emissions on the decline
Recent measures show the global financial crisis leading to this decade's first drop in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
New infrared technique could help to understand cancer
Chemists have developed a new technique using infrared light to study the behaviour of lysosomes more clearly and extensively than ever before, potentially taking the fight against cancer and many other diseases to another level.
Sunday, 5 September 2010
Why matter matters: a new kind of physics?
Particle collision experiments reveal inadequacies in existing theory.
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Sun + Plastic Sheet = Energy
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed a major improvement for organic solar cells, reporting their results in the...
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Nourishing the ageing brain
Research findings suggest new links between B vitamin deficiency and the degeneration of the ageing brain.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Earliest Animals Discovered
Princeton University geoscientists have discovered what they believe to be the earliest body-fossil evidence of animal life.
Monday, 23 August 2010
Species in the Soil
Research in the Panamanian rainforest shows that soil-dwelling organisms promote local species richness and keep the rare trees rare.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Carbonate rocks and life on Mars?
Scientists writing in Earth and Planetary Science Letters ((Adrian J. Brown et al., “Hydrothermal formation of Clay-Carbonate alteration assemblages in...
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Culture: Shaping the brain
Psychological scientists have reported growing evidence that different cultures can have a marked effect on fundamental brain function and structure.
Monday, 9 August 2010
Disease and the dysfunctions of metabolism
Researchers at Harvard and Boston University have found that the different pathways of the human metabolic network interact and induce deep epistasis, the suppression of a mutation by one or more seemingly unrelated genes.
Monday, 9 August 2010
Temperature toggles learning in flies
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology in Germany have used a non-invasive technique to pinpoint neurons required for...
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Continuing education can compensate for dementia symptoms
Researchers have found that increased education is connected to reduced chance of showing dementia symptoms, suggesting increased schooling to have a compensatory effect on the brain.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
The passion and profession of Richard Ernst
On Wednesday 7 July, an audience of over a thousand scientists gathered to hear Nobel laureate Richard Ernst talk about the scientific investigations on Tibetian religious paintings known as thangkas.
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Revolutionising life
Researchers have discovered 2.1 billion year-old fossils that answer new questions about the origins of life on Earth ((Abderrazak El...
Monday, 5 July 2010
The Casanova antidote: how testosterone increases skepticism in women's perception of men
Dutch researchers have demonstrated that testosterone, which is suggested to have antagonistic properties to oxytocin, downgrades interpersonal trust and enhances...
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Pigeons carry harmful pathogens
Feral pigeons could be asymptomatic or subclinical carriers of the pathogens Chlamydophila psittaci and Campylobacter jejuni, responsible for acute diarrhea in humans.
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Brain's Expectations
A damaged prefrontal cortex leads to impaired preparation and reaction speeds in response to a stimulus.
Monday, 21 June 2010
Natural selection in favour of specialisation
Despite outliving the Ice Age, the Hundsheim rhinoceros rapidly disappeared without any effective changes to its environment, becoming foe to...