Public Lecture will address voluntary euthanasia issues
A public lecture in Cambridge University's Law Faculty next Monday will explore the current legal position on assisted suicide in the Netherlands in the light of the Debbie Purdy case.
Galactic ‘hailstorm’ in the early Universe
Astronomers have been able to peer back to the young Universe to determine how quasars – powered by supermassive black holes with the mass of a billion suns – form and shape the evolution of galaxies.
Women wage peace
Thousands of Jewish- and Palestinian-Israeli women have joined a movement that is spreading across Israel in opposition to repeated cycles of violence in Gaza. Yet Women Wage Peace remains overlooked by the political establishment, and largely unknown outside Israel. An event in Cambridge today will ask why, and examine its significance as a model for women’s action in times of war.
Lack of exercise responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity
A brisk 20 minute walk each day could be enough to reduce an individual’s risk of early death, according to new research just published.
Computers using digital footprints are better judges of personality than friends and family
Researchers have found that, based on enough Facebook Likes, computers can judge your personality traits better than your friends, family and even your partner. Using a new algorithm, researchers have calculated the average number of Likes artificial intelligence (AI) needs to draw personality inferences about you as accurately as your partner or parents.
Tired of London? Maybe it’s time to change postal districts
“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,” observed the writer Samuel Johnson in the eighteenth century. In fact, research suggests such a man may be merely living in the wrong postcode.
Practice really does make perfect
New research into the way in which we learn new skills finds that a single skill can be learned faster if its follow-through motion is consistent, but multiple skills can be learned simultaneously if the follow-through motion is varied.
University of Cambridge appoints new Pro-Vice-Chancellors
Key appointments will provide support and leadership to the Vice-Chancellor over a period of growth and opportunity for the University and Greater Cambridge region.
Responsive material could be the ‘golden ticket’ of sensing
A new responsive material ‘glued’ together with short strands of DNA, and capable of translating thermal and chemical signals into visible physical changes, could underpin a new class of biosensors or drug delivery systems.
Cambridge academics honoured in the 2015 New Year Honours List
Members of the University of Cambridge have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to society.
Geochemical reactions may decrease effectiveness of carbon storage schemes
New research shows that the natural reactions taking place in some of the underground reservoirs used to store carbon dioxide may prevent carbon emissions from being transported to greater depths, where it may be less likely to leak into the atmosphere.
HMS Beagle sketchbooks added to Cambridge Digital Library
Tiny sketchbooks that bring to life one of the most famous voyages in history have been digitised and made available online for the first time.
Egg and sperm race: Scientists create precursors to human egg and sperm
Scientists at the University of Cambridge working with the Weizmann Institute have created primordial germ cells – cells that will go on to become egg and sperm – using human embryonic stem cells. Although this had already been done using rodent stem cells, the study, published today in the journal Cell, is the first time this has been achieved efficiently using human stem cells.
Watts up - aeroplanes go hybrid-electric
An aircraft with a parallel hybrid engine – the first ever to be able to recharge its batteries in flight – has been successfully tested in the UK, an important early step towards cleaner, low-carbon air travel.
Gone in 45 nanoseconds – but a new opportunity for quantum control?
In a breakthrough study scientists have revealed the coherence, or the visibility lifespan, of the spin of an electron in an emerging colour centre in diamond. This could provide a potential component for future quantum networks.
Festive tastes have changed but Christmas is still a cracker
Some of Britain’s traditional Christmas favourites are losing their appeal, a new study of spoken English has revealed.
First of new generation of cancer drugs granted European approval
A new drug for ovarian cancer, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge and AstraZeneca, has today become the first of new class of drugs, known as PARP-inhibitors, to be granted approval anywhere in the world. The drug, Lynparza, has been granted Marketing Authorisation from the European Commission.
Research Excellence Framework confirms Cambridge’s global strength and depth in research
Almost nine out of ten (87%) University of Cambridge submissions for the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) have been rated as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, demonstrating the institution’s strength in research, figures released today (Thursday) show.
Lighter planes are the future
A global fleet of composite planes could reduce carbon emissions by up to 15 per cent, but the lighter planes alone will not enable the aviation industry to meet its emissions targets, according to new research.
Notes from Makeni: fighting Ebola in West Africa
A University of Cambridge scientist is helping the efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone.
‘Crown jewels’ of English lute music go online
Handwritten copies of scores by composers of English lute music have been digitised in a programme to make a precious legacy available to professional and amateur musicians around the world.
Supplement could reduce heart disease risk in people of low birth weight
A simple supplement could be a safe and cost-effective way of reducing heart disease in individuals born with a low birth weight, suggests research from the University of Cambridge. The study, carried out in rats, also raises the possibility of developing a blood test to indicate how much damage there is in the aortas of these individuals.
Genome sequencing used to track MRSA in under-resourced hospitals
Whole genome sequencing of MRSA from a hospital in Asia has demonstrated patterns of transmission in a resource-limited setting, where formal screening procedures are not feasible.
Nanoscience academic honoured
Dr Colm Durkan, a Reader in Nanoscale Engineering at the University of Cambridge, has been elected to the Fellowship of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Pembroke College elects new Master
Pembroke College is delighted to announce the election of Lord Smith of Finsbury as its next Master.