Fingerprinting rare earth elements from the air
Vital to many modern technologies yet mined in few places, the ‘rare earth elements’ are in fact not that rare – they are just difficult to find in concentrations that make them economic to mine. Researchers from Cambridge University and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are investigating whether the remarkable properties of these materials can be used to track them down from the air.
Diabetes sniffer dogs? ‘Scent’ of hypos could aid development of new tests
A chemical found in our breath could provide a flag to warn of dangerously-low blood sugar levels in patients with type 1 diabetes, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. The finding, published in the journal Diabetes Care, could explain why some dogs can be trained to spot the warning signs in patients.
Opinion: What Brexit means for UK science: a view from the coalface
Simon Redfern of Cambridge University’s Department of Earth Sciences discusses how Brexit may impact EU research opportunities and funding in the UK.
Would you live in a city made of bone?
The cities of today are built with concrete and steel – but some Cambridge researchers think that the cities of the future need to go back to nature if they are to support an ever-expanding population, while keeping carbon emissions under control.
Opinion: Britain and Europe: a long history of conflict and cooperation
Brendan Simms of the University of Cambridge Department of Politics and International Studies discusses Britain's relationship with Europe, from the Vikings to the Referendum.
Parent-led tool opens up NHS children's heart surgery data to families
Researchers are calling for the end to an era of confusion and alarm about children's heart surgery statistics by launching an innovative communication tool that will help people make sense of published survival data about children’s heart surgery in the UK and Ireland.
Awards recognise University of Cambridge researchers
Researchers from across the University of Cambridge have been recognised for the impact of their work on society, and engagement with research in the inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Awards and Public Engagement with Research Awards.
Students invent new technology to improve later life
A team of post-graduate students has published research with the potential to transform the lives of millions of older people around the world.
'Map’ of teenage brain shows link between antisocial behaviour and brain development
The brains of teenagers with serious antisocial behaviour problems differ significantly in structure to those of their peers, providing the clearest evidence to date that their behaviour stems from changes in brain development in early life, according to new research led by the University of Cambridge and the University of Southampton, in collaboration with the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” in…
Leaders in fields from sport to computer design awarded University's highest honour
Seven distinguished individuals were given Honorary Degrees, the highest honour that the University of Cambridge can bestow, by The Chancellor, Lord Sainsbury, at a special ceremony in the Senate House yesterday (Weds).
Students and artist create an ‘alternative classroom’ at North Cambridge Academy
An art partnership project between Kettle’s Yard, one of Britain’s best art galleries, and North Cambridge Academy opens its doors to the public next week (24 June 2016).
Policing: two officers ‘on the beat’ prevent 86 assaults and save thousands in prison costs
The results of a major criminology experiment in Peterborough suggest that investing in proactive PCSO foot patrols targeting crime ‘hot spots’ could yield a more than five-to-one return: with every £10 spent saving £56 in prison costs.
Darwin’s 'true century' was delayed until animal biographies illuminated social evolution
Over the past 50 years, long-term studies following individual animals over entire lifespans have allowed insight into the evolutionary influence of social behaviour – finally fulfilling the holistic approach to evolution first suggested by Darwin, argues the author of a new milestone work on mammal societies.
How to build a healthier city
Life in towns and cities can grind you down, but putting health and wellbeing at the centre of new housing and infrastructure developments could make for happier, healthier citizens.
Nano ‘hall of mirrors’ causes molecules to mix with light
Researchers have successfully used quantum states to mix a molecule with light at room temperature, which will aid in the exploration of quantum technologies and provide new ways to manipulate the physical and chemical properties of matter.
Graphene leader Andrea Ferrari honoured as MRS Fellow
The Materials Research Society (MRS) has recognised Professor Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre, as a 2016 MRS Fellow.
Going green: why don't we all do it?
From wind turbines and solar photovoltaics to grey water recycling and electric vehicles, technology is making it ever easier for us to be green – yet many of us are not. Now, Cambridge researchers are discovering that our personalities and communities have a major impact on our environmental decisions, opening up new ways to ‘nudge’ us into saving energy and carbon.
Smart glass goes from clear to opaque and back again – 27 million times
A smart material that switches back and forth between transparent and opaque could be installed in buildings or automobiles, potentially reducing energy bills by avoiding the need for costly air conditioning.
Cellulose: new understanding could lead to tailored biofuels
In the search for low emission plant-based fuels, new research may help avoid having to choose between growing crops for food or fuel.
Minecraft tree 'probably' the tallest tree in the Tropics
A tree the height of 20 London double-decker buses has been discovered in Malaysia by conservation scientists monitoring the impact of human activity on the biodiversity of a pristine rainforest. The tree, a Yellow Meranti, is one of the species that can be grown in the computer game Minecraft.
Larger wine glasses may lead people to drink more
Selling wine in larger wine glasses may encourage people to drink more, even when the amount of wine remains the same, suggests new research from the University of Cambridge.
Blueprint for success: what makes a city thrive?
Why is Milton Keynes one of the most successful cities in the UK, and Dundee one of the least? What gives Leeds its economic edge over Liverpool? How did London survive the 1990s recession, going from boom to bust and boom again? Researchers are asking these questions and many more in the largest ever analysis of what makes cities thrive.
Women and people under the age of 35 at greatest risk of anxiety
Women are almost twice as likely to experience anxiety as men, according to a review of existing scientific literature, led by the University of Cambridge. The study also found that people from Western Europe and North America are more likely to suffer from anxiety than people from other cultures.
Squeezing out opal-like colours by the mile
Researchers have devised a new method for stacking microscopic marbles into regular layers, producing intriguing materials which scatter light into intense colours, and which change colour when twisted or stretched.
Consortium scores €9 million for textile nanofibre research
The University of Cambridge Department of Engineering will coordinate a new €9 million European Commission-funded project on technical textiles.