A mineral way to catalysis?
Fool’s Gold may prove an unlikely alternative to overexploited catalytic materials.
'Smart’ microcapsules in a single step
A new, single-step method of fabricating microcapsules, which have potential commercial applications in industries including medicine, agriculture and diagnostics, has been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge.
Pushing science to its limits
Cambridge Science Festival is hoping to break new boundaries in celebration of London 2012 as it asks ‘How fast can Usain Bolt run?’ and takes ‘A mathematical look at the Olympics’. Bookings for the UK’s largest free science festival are now open.
Infrastructure revolution
Technology has advanced to the point where the condition of bridges, tunnels and buildings can be monitored in unprecedented detail. Now a new Centre at Cambridge has been formed to kick-start the smart infrastructure revolution.
Theatres of war: public spending on buildings for the arts
National recommendations for using public money to build arts venues are only succeeding in enforcing a system that is already flawed, a new study concludes.
Here comes the sun…
New solar cells could increase the maximum efficiency of solar panels by over 25%, according to scientists from the University of Cambridge.
Defeating dementia in Down’s syndrome
A £1m brain-imaging study has just been launched at the University of Cambridge to investigate why people with Down’s syndrome (DS) are at such high risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Research, policy, practice: conservation in the round
Conservation scientists, working in partnership with practitioners and policy makers, are building practical tools for real-world conservation.
Brain cells created from patients’ skin cells
Cambridge scientists have, for the first time, created cerebral cortex cells – those that make up the brain’s grey matter – from a small sample of human skin. The researchers’ findings, which were funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Wellcome Trust, have been published in 'Nature Neuroscience'.
All set and ready to glow
A breakthrough technique for manufacturing LEDs on silicon is to be exploited in the UK, putting mass-produced, energy-efficient lighting within reach.
Don't write to the Minister - get involved!
How do you cope when the transport sector is working to a 30 year plan but the Government's policy plan has to be only on a four/five year timescale because of the electoral cycle? Is it good to spend so much on major scientific research programmes projects such as CERN when engineering and technology has more immediate benefit?
Biodiversity conservation for life
This month, the University of Cambridge will be profiling research that addresses biodiversity conservation.
The Rede Lecture 2012
The Rede Lecture 2012 on 16 February will be given by the Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, Lord Turner of Ecchinswell.
Project to improve radiotherapy planning
A collaborative project between physicists, oncologists and computer scientists at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, launched last month, will develop improved tools for the planning of high precision radiotherapy. Accel-RT will also help overcome time constraints that currently limit the use of complex radiotherapy treatment.
Great handbags – but what about the politics?
Audiences are spellbound by Meryl Streep’s performance as Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady'. As a Cambridge University PhD student looking at British politics in the same era, Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite was keen to see how the movie portrayed the woman who changed the face of Britain.
Using real-time road traffic data to evaluate congestion
A new project has shown that by using existing sources of information about traffic flow it is possible to create a minute-by-minute image of congestion in cities.
University Electrical Engineering Department of the Year
The Electrical Engineering Division of Cambridge University's Department of Engineering has won the Elektra (European Electronics Industry Awards) for best Electrical/Electronic Engineering Department of the Year (2011).
Thoroughbred speed gene has its origins in native breeds
Research by a team of scientists suggests that a variant of the so-called speed gene found in top racehorses can be traced back to a single British mare living around 300 years ago. That mare may have had a similar genetic make-up to today's sturdy native ponies.
Conquering the Antarctic: The Scott Centenary Concert Tour
City of London Sinfonia, in collaboration with the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), will embark on an ambitious concert tour in February to celebrate the centenary of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910-12.
How wings really work
A 1-minute video released by the University of Cambridge sets the record straight on a much misunderstood concept – how wings lift.
Weaving electronics into the fabric of our physical world
The integration of electronics with materials opens up a world of possibilities, the surface of which is just being scratched. Professor Arokia Nathan has joined Cambridge University to take up a new Chair in Engineering. He will be exploring the application of research that allows us to glimpse a world rivalling our wildest dreams of the future.
Arts Council England to support University of Cambridge Museums partnership
Arts Council England has announced that the eight accredited University of Cambridge Museums (UCM), led by The Fitzwilliam Museum, have been successful in their bid for significant funding over the next three years as a Renaissance Major partner.
English Language Teaching author receives honorary degree from Cambridge
Author Ray Murphy has been honoured for his unique contribution to English Language Teaching (ELT) with admission to an honorary Master of Arts (MA) degree by the University of Cambridge, parent institution of his publisher, Cambridge University Press.
What the Olympic Games have done for us
The genuine scientific benefits that have emerged from the modern Olympic Games have often been lost in the hype surrounding these high profile international events. Dr Vanessa Heggie, a Teaching Associate in Cambridge University's Department of History and Philosophy of Science, puts the record straight.
Rock ‘n roll royalty comes to Kettle’s Yard
Kettle’s Yard has unveiled its 2012 New Music Series featuring 12 cutting edge concerts performed by world class musicians.