The debate about vaccination safety was recently pushed back into the spotlight after a measles outbreak in Berlin led to the death of an 18-month-old boy. Fifteen years ago, the United States had declared measles […]
Beware the rise of the machines
From supermarkets with multiple self-checkouts, to borrowing books from libraries without the need for a librarian, it’s clear that automation is upon us. Society won’t stop the advance of technology, but there are questions to […]
New cream has potential to remove that unfortunate tattoo
In the future, there could be no need for laser tattoo removal. Alec Falkenham, a PhD student at Dalhousie University in Halifax, claims he has developed a tattoo-removal cream that could potentially save a lot […]
Did the Big Bang really happen?
The Big Bang is a concept familiar to many. It seems Brian Cox is contractually obliged to mention it whenever he talks publicly, while the phrase has even made its way into the English language […]
The Listening TV: The tables have turned
Talking to a newly installed TV at home is a recent experience of mine. As a family, we were taking it in turns to ‘get to know’ the device through voice activation. After my several […]
Astronomy and Astrophysics: 2 weeks in 3 minutes
[ht_fancy_title color=”colordefault” title=”A selection of interesting developments in astronomy and astrophysics from the past couple of weeks”] [ht_heading style=”” title=”The Year Ahead in Planetary Exploration” type=”h1″ font_size=”” text_align=”left” margin_top=”30″ margin_bottom=”30″ color=””] This year is set […]
How long until driverless cars are feasible?
As of this month, driverless cars are being tested in the UK, and changes to road regulations and the Highway Code are being considered in order to accommodate for this kind of technology. The government […]
Fracking frack the frack off, you frackers
David Cameron has got a fight on his hands. It is no secret that he avidly supports fracking in the UK and has even said he will risk party politics to make sure fracking happens. […]
Male and female orgasms – What’s the difference?
Sex is everywhere, from your favourite TV show, to the morning after debriefs with your friends. Everyone’s obsessing about it, but no one really knowns what’s going on inside your body, or the differences between […]
Sex, gender and gender dysphoria
In a large proportion of the population, the words gender and sex are seemingly interchangeable – a boy will both have male reproductive organs and believe himself to be male. However, there is an important […]
The science behind the smooch
Be my biological Valentine: How microbes define physical attraction Kissing can mean many things to many different people. It can be an expression of mutual affection, an act of reconciliation, a desperate attempt at midnight on […]
How bad science created a stigma that has been hard to shake off
Around 35 years have passed since the beginning of the HIV pandemic; time enough for a generation to grow up without having experienced the crisis firsthand. Yet while scientists have conquered other pathogens, stamping them […]