Gates Cambridge Trust announces new Provost
Leading neuroscientist Professor Barry Everitt has been appointed the next Provost (CEO) of Gates Cambridge – one of the world’s most prestigious scholarship programmes.
Graphene joins the race to redefine the ampere
A new joint innovation by the University of Cambridge and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the UK’s National Measurement Institute, could pave the way for redefining the ampere in terms of fundamental constants of physics.
Geographic information systems make history clickable
Geographic information systems – once limited to the domain of physical geographers – are emerging as a promising tool to study the past, as researchers are discovering for medieval history.
‘Polluted’ stellar graveyard gives glimpse of our solar system after sun's implosion
By chemically sampling the atmospheres of two dead stars in the Hyades cluster 150 light years away, researchers at Cambridge and NASA/ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered the building blocks for Earth-sized planets formed around the stars while they lived.
Rutherford Schools Physics Project launches with support from DfE
A new five-year project aimed at developing the skills of sixth-form physicists has been awarded a £7 million grant by the Department for Education.
Mood-tracking app paves way for pocket therapy
An Android app which keeps tabs on users’ mood swings and works out what might be causing them has been developed by researchers, with implications for psychological therapy and improving well-being.
Cinematic geographies of Battersea
Research is combining film ‘archaeology’ with digital technology to create a new approach to ‘sites of memory’ for the London borough of Battersea.
Samuel Butler celebrated
The completion of the Samuel Butler Project will be celebrated in an exhibition at St John’s College on 11 May. In accompanying talks, Roger Robinson and Simon Heffer will explore contrasting aspects of the Victorian writer who attacked the hypocrisy of his society. The event is free and open to the public.
Gareth Evans gives public talks on war and peace
In a series of public talks over the next ten days, the distinguished Australian politician and university chancellor Gareth Evans will look at some of the most pressing issues that face us in avoiding the horrors of war between and within states.
Genetic ‘fine tuning’ controls body’s own attack against breast cancer
The body’s own immune system’s fight against breast cancer is controlled by genetic ‘fine tuners’, known as microRNAs, according to a study just published in Nature.
The first book of fashion
Fashion conveys complex messages. The recreation of an outfit taken from one of an extraordinary series of Renaissance portraits reveals how one man made his mark on society.
'Dirty dozen' invasive species threaten UK
Parts of the UK are at greater risk of invasion by non-native aquatic species than previously thought, according to new research.
Pirate utopias: a history of digital distribution
How the ‘Hacker ethic’ almost killed the music industry, then helped save it, but might spell the end of ownership as we know it.
Conversations with Cornel West
Don’t miss the chance to hear the controversial commentator Cornel West in dialogue with other great minds on politics, philosophy and literature, touching in particular on issues of race and identity.
‘Mid-sized’ firms key to UK manufacturing
A reduction in the trade deficit by £20bn and an estimated 200,000 UK-based jobs could be created over the next ten years, as mid-sized manufacturing firms end the outsourcing of production to Asia in response to changing business dynamics, according to a report published this week.
Movement of pyrrole molecules defy ‘classical’ physics
New research shows that movement of the ring-like molecule pyrrole over a metal surface runs counter to the centuries-old laws of ‘classical’ physics that govern our everyday world.
Down but not out
Most business start-ups fail. But countless failed entrepreneurs go on to establish further enterprises. In his PhD research, Dr Keith Cotterill, a businessman with more than 25 years’ experience, examined attitudes to failure in Cambridge, Munich and Silicon Valley.
From EDSAC to Raspberry Pi: 75 years of 'computers that work'
Cambridge’s Computer Lab marks its 75th anniversary this month, celebrating a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that has taken it from the age of vast mainframes to its modern day place at the heart of silicon fen. Cambridge Computing: The first 75 years, published to coincide with the anniversary, tells the story of this remarkable institution.
Improving the public understanding of mathematics and science
Professor David Spiegelhalter will deliver Newnham College’s inaugural Gillian Vaisey Memorial Lecture this Friday (April 26) at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law on West Road.
Frances Crick Memorial events
On the 60th anniversary of the publication of the structure of DNA tomorrow (25 April,) a memorial to Frances Crick is to be unveiled at his old College, Gonville and Caius.
New study shows how Salmonella colonises the gut
Researchers plan to use data collected to develop vaccines to control Salmonella in animals and humans.
UK-India Advanced Manufacturing Research awarded £1 million funding
Cambridge University Department of Engineering's Centre for International Manufacturing (CIM) has won a major new grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of India in response to a research call facilitated by Research Councils UK and the UK Science and Innovation Network.
Autism prevalence in China
Researchers from the University of Cambridge, the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) met yesterday (Thurs) to launch a new collaborative study into the prevalence of autism in mainland China.
Resurgence of endangered deer in Patagonian ‘Eden’ highlights conservation success
New research shows that collaborative approaches to conservation can give hope to endangered species such as Chilean national icon the Huemul deer.
Vice-Chancellor challenges universities to engage with global poverty
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, has spoken powerfully about universities' role in overseas development.