It has been said many times that virtual reality technology will be the next big thing. In the early nineties there was a myriad of video game systems and other gadgets that attempted to push […]
The Flight of the Sun
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 […]
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 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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]