On 9th March, a plane took off from Abu Dhabi. Not an uncommon sight in UAE but this time was different – the plane was completely powered by energy from the sun. Solar Impulse 2 […]
Germanwings crash aftermath: we can still trust our pilots
On Tuesday the headlines were filled with the news that a Germanwings plane carrying 150 people had crashed into the Alps, killing all on board. Immediately the question was raised: why did this plane suddenly descend […]
I can see the light!
Is light a wave or a particle? The question has engaged physicists for over a century. It turns out the answer is both, and it can behave as either depending on the situation. Physicists have […]
Head transplants more science than fiction
A new surgery could make it possible to transplant a head onto another person’s body within the next two years. The question is, if feasible, how realistic or ethical is this surgery? A human head […]
Women at the Cutting Edge
[ht_fancy_title color=”colordefault” title=”‘‘The perfect surgeon must have the heart of a lion and the hands of a lady…’’ – Lord Moynihan of The Royal College of Surgeons, Leeds.”] Quite so. Incidentally, it was reported that […]
And the Nobel Prize goes to a man… again.
The Nobel Prize is a prestigious award that has only been awarded to just 46 women, in comparison to 814 men. Of these 46 women only 16 were awarded a Nobel Prize for science, the […]
The little known Lacks legacy
Henrietta Lacks is a name you might not recognise, but probably should. Thanks to Lacks’ cells, scientists have developed a polio vaccine, and done research into AIDS, radiation, toxic substances and gene mapping. They were […]
The 5 most cringe-worthy ways to encourage women into science
Here is a list that is one of those “you have to laugh or you’ll cry” type of things. A countdown of five ways encouraging (or discouraging as the case may be) women into science. […]
Destructing science’s glass ceiling: The article that shouldn’t have to exist
A simple Google search for ‘women and science’ brings up a plethora of web sites aiming to encourage women in the subject. But weirdly, when I see this, I get an uneasy feeling. I am […]
Language: Is it innate or learned?
Language is a cognitive skill essential to human communication.Without language as a means of communication, life would be very different. In linguistics there has been a long standing debate as to whether language is innate […]
The generation game of scientific research
“With age comes wisdom”. The timeless words penned by Oscar Wilde have offered comfort to those afraid of the approaching ailments of old age, the loss of hair, hearing and beauty. However, a recent study […]
New Raspberry Pi 2 is Camera Shy
Since 2009, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has been developing the credit card sized computers for promoting computer science in schools. These single board computers have been incredibly popular in both schools and in the hands […]