Protecting our data and identity: how should the law respond?
Many of us see our privacy as a basic right. But in the digital world of app-addiction, geolocation tracking and social oversharing, some may have cause to wonder if that right is steadily and sometimes willingly being eroded away.
Potential new treatment for haemophilia developed by Cambridge researchers
A new treatment that might one day help all patients with haemophilia, including those that become resistant to existing therapies, has been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge.
Self-renewable killer cells could be key to making cancer immunotherapy work
A small molecule that can turn short-lived ‘killer T-cells’ into long-lived, renewable cells that can last in the body for a longer period of time, activating when necessary to destroy tumour cells, could help make cell-based immunotherapy a realistic prospect to treat cancer.
Next-generation smartphone battery inspired by the gut
A new prototype of a lithium-sulphur battery – which could have five times the energy density of a typical lithium-ion battery – overcomes one of the key hurdles preventing their commercial development by mimicking the structure of the cells which allow us to absorb nutrients.
Elvis is alive and the Moon landings were faked: the (conspiracy) theory of everything
As a global population we are awash with conspiracy theories. But what effect do these really have on the public as we go about our day-to-day lives? asks a team of Cambridge researchers.
Cambridge extends world leading role for medical imaging with new brain and body scanners
The next generation of imaging technology, newly installed at the University of Cambridge, will give researchers an unprecedented view of the human body – in particular of the myriad connections within our brains and of tumours as they grow and respond to treatment – and could pave the way for development of treatments personalised for individual patients.
Kettle’s Yard on the move to celebrate 50th anniversary
Works by some of the leading artists of the 20th and 21st centuries – including Ben Nicholson, Alfred Wallis, LS Lowry and Helen Frankenthaler – are to go on display in Cambridge as Kettle’s Yard celebrates 50 years as part of the University of Cambridge.
Artificial intelligence: computer says yes (but is it right?)
Computers that learn for themselves are with us now. As they become more common in ‘high-stakes’ applications like robotic surgery, terrorism detection and driverless cars, researchers ask what can be done to make sure we can trust them.
New research investigates how to make workplace culture more inclusive for women
Collaborating with Men is ground-breaking research conducted by Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, into the behaviours and perceptions of men regarding women’s workplace experiences. Up until now, most research on workplace experiences has talked to women.
Stephen Hawking helps to launch Centre for the Future of Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has the power to eradicate poverty and disease or hasten the end of human civilisation as we know it – according to a speech delivered by Professor Stephen Hawking yesterday evening (Weds).
Cambridge prepares for the first bumper weekend of Festival of Ideas
How do we stem the trafficking of people across Europe? Who can really say what to whom on the internet? What are the distinct opportunities and challenges for 21st Century families? These questions and more will be explored during the first packed weekend of the 2016 Cambridge Festival of Ideas.
Anti-inflammatory drugs could help treat symptoms of depression, study suggests
Anti-inflammatory drugs similar to those used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis could in future be used to treat some cases of depression, concludes a review led by the University of Cambridge, which further implicates our immune system in mental health disorders.
Researchers road-test powerful method for studying singlet fission
In a new study, researchers measure the spin properties of electronic states produced in singlet fission – a process which could have a central role in the future development of solar cells.
University launches Brexit Week
This week, in conjunction with UK in a Changing Europe, the University of Cambridge is holding a number of interdisciplinary discussion events to engage students and the local community in key current debates about Brexit and the UK’s future relationship with the EU.
Cambridge Festival of Ideas kicks off
Is digital media making us stupid? What is the future of our libraries? Is smartphone fiction the future of reading? Questions about how technology is shaping our culture and identity are at the forefront of this year’s Cambridge Festival of Ideas, now underway.
Internet censorship: making the hidden visible
Despite being founded on ideals of freedom and openness, censorship on the internet is rampant, with more than 60 countries engaging in some form of state-sponsored censorship. A research project at the University of Cambridge is aiming to uncover the scale of this censorship, and to understand how it affects users and publishers of information.
The Whistle: verifying digital evidence of human rights violations
Smartphones and social media have made it easy for accidental witnesses “in the wrong place at the wrong time” to capture and share violations and crimes. But how can we tell what’s real and what’s fake?
New approach to treating type 1 diabetes aims to limit damage caused by our own immune system
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have taken the first step towards developing a new form of treatment for type 1 diabetes which, if successful, could mean an end to the regular insulin injections endured by people affected by the disease, many of whom are children.
Professor Oliver Hart wins economics Nobel Prize
Professor Oliver Hart, a former undergraduate at King’s College (1966), and a former Fellow of Churchill College, has been jointly awarded the 2016 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, along with Bengt Holmström of MIT for their work in the field of contracts.
When is a book not a book?
The e-book has made continued inroads into the publishing world but the printed book has defied predictions of its death. Research by Professor John Thompson focuses on the challenges facing the publishing industry as it embraces the opportunities afforded by the digital revolution.
Professor Stephen Toope nominated as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge
International law scholar and university leader Professor Stephen Toope was nominated as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.
The science, drugs and tech pushing our brains to new limits
Rapid advances in neuroscience are driving a huge shift in our understanding of how the brain works and could improve both our cognitive abilities and our brain health, writes Professor Barbara Sahakian (Department of Psychiatry) on The Conversation website.
Cambridge alumni win 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics
Three alumni of the University of Cambridge were today awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics for their pioneering work in the field of condensed matter physics.
Cambridge Festival of Ideas 2016 hosts over 200 events
Bookings are now open for the 2016 Cambridge Festival of Ideas, with a host of events and discussions on issues ranging from the risk of another global financial crash and the rise of populism to whether our identities are becoming more fluid.
Brexit and the importance of languages for Britain
In the first of a new series of comment pieces written by linguists at Cambridge, Sarah Colvin, Schröder Professor of German and Head of the Department of German and Dutch, argues that learning languages is key to understanding how people think and plays a major role in social cohesion.