Roger Penrose wins 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovery about black holes
Professor Sir Roger Penrose, Honorary Fellow and alumnus of St John’s College Cambridge and honorary doctor of the University, has jointly won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity.
Squeezing light inside memory devices could help improve performance
Researchers have developed a method to ‘squeeze’ visible light in order to see inside tiny memory devices. The technique will allow researchers to probe how these devices break down and how their performance can be improved for a range of applications.
Vice-Chancellor’s awards showcase impact and engagement during the pandemic
Academics, students and professional members of staff from across the University of Cambridge have been recognised in this year’s Vice-Chancellor’s Research Impact and Engagement Awards for their work in areas including COVID-19 testing, PPE production and online engagement.
Cambridge launches the Observatory for Human-Machine Collaboration
A new experimental space dedicated to research in human-machine collaboration has been launched at Cambridge University's Department of Engineering for use by different University departments, industry and government institutions.
New Crop Science Centre opens in Cambridge
A new Centre, designed to fast-track technologies to sustainably improve farmers’ yields worldwide, has been launched in Cambridge.
Cambridge to divest from fossil fuels with 'net zero' plan
The University of Cambridge aims to divest from all direct and indirect investments in fossil fuels by 2030 as part of the University’s plan to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2038, more than a decade before the date set by the UK Government
3D-printed ‘invisible’ fibres can sense breath, sound, and biological cells
From capturing your breath to guiding biological cell movements, 3D printing of tiny, transparent conducting fibres could be used to make devices which can ‘smell, hear and touch’ – making it particularly useful for health monitoring, Internet of Things and biosensing applications.
Many ventilation systems may increase risk of COVID-19 exposure, study suggests
Ventilation systems in many modern office buildings, which are designed to keep temperatures comfortable and increase energy efficiency, may increase the risk of exposure to the coronavirus, particularly during the coming winter, according to research just published.
The testimony of trees: how volcanic eruptions shaped 2000 years of world history
Researchers have shown that over the past 2000 years, volcanoes have played a larger role in natural temperature variability than previously thought, and their climatic effects may have contributed to past societal and economic change
Record 1.5m UK users log on to Cambridge maths outreach website following COVID-19 closure of schools
After coming to the rescue of more than 1.5 million UK schoolchildren, parents and teachers when the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools in March, mathematicians from a Cambridge University outreach programme are helping pupils get back on track now classrooms have reopened.
Tree rings show scale of Arctic pollution is worse than previously thought
The largest-ever study of tree rings from Norilsk in the Russian Arctic has shown that the direct and indirect effects of industrial pollution in the region and beyond are far worse than previously thought.
Royal Academy of Engineering announces 2020 Fellows
Cambridge engineers and alumni have been announced Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering in recognition of their outstanding and continuing contributions to the profession. They join an Academy on a mission to use the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and create an inclusive economy that works for everyone.
How machine learning can help to future-proof clinical trials in the era of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest global healthcare crisis of our generation, presenting enormous challenges to medical research, including clinical trials. Advances in machine learning are providing an opportunity to adapt clinical trials and lay the groundwork for smarter, faster and more flexible clinical trials in the future.
Cambridge researcher named to Time 100 list of world's most influential people
Professor Ravi Gupta has been named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year, in recognition of his work to bring about the second-ever cure of a patient with HIV.
Whittle Lab research key for accelerating development of zero-carbon flight, says Prince of Wales
This week HRH The Prince of Wales gave the opening address to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Turbo Expo conference, the largest annual conference on the subject of flight and land-based power generation, due to have been held in London earlier this year but which is being held online due to the pandemic.
Astronomers discover the first ‘ultrahot Neptune’: one of nature’s improbable planets
An international team of astronomers, including researchers from the University of Cambridge, has discovered a new class of planet, an ‘ultrahot Neptune’, orbiting the nearby star LTT 9779.
Extent of India’s COVID nudge campaign revealed
The Government of India’s use of nudge theory in the first three months of the pandemic helped to tackle the virus on numerous fronts, a new study suggests.
University of Cambridge Centre celebrates 10 years’ work towards transformation in the construction industry
Since its inception 10 years ago, the Laing O’Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology, University of Cambridge, has focused on driving transformation in the construction sector, in collaboration with strategic industry partner Laing O’Rourke.
ARPA-type funding gives green technology an ‘innovation advantage’, study finds
Startups funded by US agency ARPA-E file patents at twice the rate of similar cleantech firms. The UK should trial its own climate-focused ARPA as part of COVID-19 recovery package, argues a Cambridge professor.
Hints of life discovered on Venus
A UK-led team of astronomers has discovered a rare molecule – phosphine – in the clouds of Venus, pointing to the possibility of extra-terrestrial ‘aerial’ life.
Major European starting grants awarded
Six Cambridge researchers are among the latest recipients of European Union awards given to early-career academics.
Cambridge helps launch £10m Trinity Challenge to protect the world against future pandemics
The University of Cambridge has joined a coalition of some of the world’s leading businesses and academic and tech institutions to launch The Trinity Challenge. This global challenge provides a £10m prize fund for breakthrough solutions to make sure one billion more people are better protected against health emergencies
Punctured lung affects almost one in 100 hospitalised COVID-19 patients
As many as one in 100 patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 develop a pneumothorax – a ‘punctured lung’ – according to a study led by Cambridge researchers.
Living Planet Report reveals 68% decline in global wildlife populations since 1970
Global populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish have declined by over two-thirds in less than half a century, due in large part to the same environmental destruction that is contributing to the emergence of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19, according to a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) report released this week.
AI shows how hydrogen becomes a metal inside giant planets
Researchers have used a combination of AI and quantum mechanics to reveal how hydrogen gradually turns into a metal in giant planets.