Solar-powered car to take on Australian Outback challenge
Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER) secures support vital to maintain momentum.
Celebrating Cambridge: a small city with big ideas
For the eighth year running, members of the public will be offered rare access into parts of Cambridge they may never have seen before during the city’s three-day cultural and heritage celebration, Open Cambridge, which takes place on 11-13 September.
To conduct, or to insulate? That is the question
Researchers have identified a material that behaves as a conductor and an insulator at the same time, challenging current understanding of how materials behave, and pointing to a new type of insulating state.
Major gift for Cambridge Economics research
American husband and wife philanthropists are to make a multi-million pound gift to the University of Cambridge to enhance the teaching and research of its prestigious Economics Faculty.
'Map of life' predicts ET (so where is he?)
The author of a new study of evolutionary convergence argues that the development of life on Earth is predictable, meaning that similar organisms should therefore have appeared on other, Earth-like planets by now.
Is big data still big news?
People talk about ‘data being the new oil’, a natural resource that companies need to exploit and refine. But is this really true or are we in the realm of hype? Dr Mohamed Zaki, Research Associate at the Cambridge Service Alliance, Institute for Manufacturing, explains that, while many companies are already benefiting from big data, it also presents some tough challenges.
Engineering atoms inside the jet engine: the Great British Take Off
The Periodic Table may not sound like a list of ingredients but, for a group of materials scientists, it’s the starting point for designing the perfect chemical make-up of tomorrow’s jet engines.
I always feel like somebody’s watching me...
What power can individuals have over their data when their every move online is being tracked? Researchers at the Cambridge Computer Laboratory are building new systems that shift the power back to individual users, and could make personal data faster to access and at much lower cost.
Study suggests new treatment for impulsivity in some dementia patients
Restoring the low levels of the chemical serotonin may help improve brain function and reduce impulsivity in some dementia patients, according to Cambridge researchers. A study published in the July edition of the journal Brain suggests a potential new treatment for people affected by frontotemporal dementia.
Researchers develop ‘pick & mix’ smart materials for robotics
Researchers have successfully combined multiple functions into a single smart life-like material for the first time. These ‘designer’ materials could be used in the robotics, automotive, aerospace and security industries.
University teaching awards honour excellence
Thirteen inspirational Cambridge academics have been honoured for the outstanding quality and approach to their teaching.
How to read a digital footprint
Researchers are using social media data to build a picture of the personalities of millions, changing core ideas of how psychological profiling works. They say it could revolutionise employment and commerce, but the work must be done transparently.
Expanding the DNA alphabet: ‘extra’ DNA base found to be stable in mammals
A rare DNA base, previously thought to be a temporary modification, has been shown to be stable in mammalian DNA, suggesting that it plays a key role in cellular function.
Silent flights: How owls could help make wind turbines and planes quieter
A newly-designed material, which mimics the wing structure of owls, could help make wind turbines, computer fans and even planes much quieter. Early wind tunnel tests of the coating have shown a substantial reduction in noise without any noticeable effect on aerodynamics.
New technique for ‘seeing’ ions at work in a supercapacitor
A new technique which enables researchers to visualise the activity of individual ions inside battery-like devices called supercapacitors, could enable greater control over their properties and improve their performance in high-power applications.
Cambridge academic recognised for bringing engineering to life
Dr Hugh Hunt, Reader in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, has been awarded the 2015 Royal Academy of Engineering Rooke Award for outstanding contributions to the public promotion of engineering.
Lord Sainsbury awards Honorary Degrees 2015
Eight distinguished individuals were awarded Honorary Degrees yesterday (Thurs) by The Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Lord Sainsbury.
Cambridge gets REAL about overcoming obstacles to global education
The Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre aims to promote education as an engine for sustainable development.
Computer tutor designed to help English language learners
Millions of English language tests are taken each year by non-native English speakers. Researchers at Cambridge’s ALTA Institute are building ‘computer tutors’ to help learners prepare for the exam that could change their lives.
Researchers begin 'mining for corruption'
Researchers have developed a new technique that trawls the enormous amounts of public procurement data now available across the EU to highlight unscrupulous uses of public funds: from national and regional levels to individual contracts, companies and politicians.
Cambridge people named in the Queen's Birthday Honours list
Seven distinguished members of the University have been named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list announced at the weekend.
Images of rare Magna Carta find go online
Images of a rare copy of Magna Carta at St John's College have been made available to coincide with the document's 800th anniversary.
Machine learning students are newest Qualcomm fellowship recipients
The UK winners of the Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship, which include two Cambridge University Department of Engineering researchers, have been announced.
The price of a happy ending can be bad decision-making, say researchers
Research using gambling techniques shows that even very recent experiences carry a ‘temporal markdown’ so that those more immediate carry disproportionate weight in decision-making, meaning that a ‘happy ending’ can wildly skew what we think we should do next over what experience would tell us.
B is for Bear
The University of Cambridge Animal Alphabet series celebrates Cambridge's connections with animals through literature, art, science and society. Here, B is for Bear – found roaming Cambridgeshire 120,000 years ago, on 17th century murals in Madingley Hall, and keeping Lord Byron company at Trinity College.