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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Technology and Terrorism: Is our cyber world safe from prying eyes?
Computers and the internet have become so ingrained in our lives that many of us have become ambivalent to the security threat that surround this technology. To many, security is that annoying pop-up that appears […]
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 […]
MDMA, EDM and the love/hate affair
EDM (electronic dance music) and MDMA (ecstasy) are so intrinsically linked in their evolution that a CBS reporter recently confused the two. MDMA was originally synthesised in Germany in 1912 with the aim of creating […]
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 […]
Lego dumps Shell: the Greenpeace campaign that doesn’t stack up
Last week, news that Lego is to end its relationship with Shell caused quite a stir. Initially this seemed like a major victory against Shell drilling in the Arctic. But when you start to dig […]
Leeds Light Night – LightTAG: when science and art collide
If you’re looking for some ‘light’ relief after the first week of lectures then Leeds Light Night is for you. Every year the city centre is illuminated with a mix of theatre, film, dance, music […]