The identification of a single case of bird flu virus H5N8 on a duck farm in East Yorkshire led to the immediate enforcement of a 10km containment zone last week. Within just 24 hours, officials […]
Philae and Rosetta: Deciphering the language of the solar system
Two weeks ago an amazing feat of space exploration took place. Comet 67P/Churyumar-Gerasimenko received its first visitor from earth, 514 million km away, in the shape of a washing machine sized lander called Philae. The […]
The grey area: Cannabis and cognitive impairment
Since the 3rd millennium BC (from the early to middle Bronze Ages), cannabis has been inhaled as a recreational drug worldwide. As the most common drug to be taken, 6.9% of the population take cannabis […]
The Caffeine Diaries – My Brewed Awakening
‘Decaf is like masturbating with an oven mitt.’ Not my words, but those of the late, great Robin Williams. Words that resonate with coffee drinkers everywhere, and until recently, words that I never truly appreciated. […]
The Dark Web: the other side of the internet
We think we know the internet. We think we can use it extensively and comprehensively, be that keeping up with our friends on Facebook, buying goods on Amazon, or searching the trenches of Google for […]
Beware – ‘Smart Drugs’ make you dumb
Whether it’s the last minute cramming before your end of year exams, or the 4am finishing of your 3000 word essay, there will undoubtedly be times during your at university studies where you wish you’d […]
Climate change consequences: the weird and the worrying
Hotter summers, melting icecaps and more extreme weather are the symptoms of climate change that we are used to hearing about. However, there are a whole range of weird impacts that are likely to result […]
From films to the real world
A look at the technologies bringing the ideas you’ve seen in films to life. Back to the Future II – Nike AirMags Back in 2011, Nike took the internet by storm with their (extremely limited) […]
Space Tourism: A magnifying glass on growing inequality
Last week saw the tragic crash of Virgin Galactic test plane SpaceShipTwo, a commercial vehicle designed to fly passengers to the edge of space. The plane broke up over the Mojave Desert when the aerobrake […]
Botox: All fill and no thrill
Cosmetic surgery is a very hot topic in the news at the moment – whether it concerns the almost unrecognisable Renee Zellweger, Kyle Jenner’s ever expanding lips or Kim Kardashian’s infamous rear-end. Most articles superficially […]
Rosetta Comet Landing – A first for humankind
Humankind has made history as the Philae lander has separated from the Rosetta orbiter to becoming the first spacecraft to touch down on a comet. Comets have inspired wonder throughout human history, and some scientists believe that […]
Into the Void: What would happen if a Black Hole Entered our Solar System?
With Christopher Nolan’s newest film Interstellar, now in cinemas (see our recent article on the incredible black hole at the heart of this film) it’s safe to say that black holes are becoming quite the subject […]