What now for the future of energy?
Alarming headlines during the past week claimed that we are dangerously close to power shortages and teetering on the brink of a major ‘energy crisis’, following the warning from the outgoing Chief Executive of Ofgem, Alistair Buchanan.
Cancer researchers and astronomers team up to beat cancer
Cambridge scientists have honed techniques originally developed to spot distant galaxies and used them to identify biomarkers that signal a cancer’s aggressiveness among some 2,000 breast tumours, in a study just published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Harnessing the power of the virus
The clever ways viruses have for evading our immune system are under scrutiny. Exposing their secrets is leading to a new armoury in our fight against disease.
Energy efficiency and human behaviour
Are buildings that consume less energy really more energy efficient as a result? As the University of Cambridge begins Switch Off Week, researcher Scott Kelly explains how predicting energy efficiency is easier said than done, especially once human behaviour becomes part of the calculation.
Cities and how we live in them
More and more of us live in cities where disparate communities jostle for space. Eminent sociologist Richard Sennett will give a public lecture on The Open City in Cambridge this Thursday (21 February).
Meet a flawed hero in Greek drama brought alive
Many of us have seen blockbuster movies based on the stories told in Homer’s epic poems. Now there’s a rare chance to see an accessible dramatisation of part of the Iliad in the original Greek with English surtitles at St John’s College, Cambridge.
World first for fly research
The first ever basic training package to teach students and scientists how to best use the fruit fly, Drosophila, for research has been published. It’s hoped it will encourage more researchers working on a range of conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease to use the humble fly.
No Curia for old age: the radical act of papal resignation
Dr Sara Silvestri, a specialist in religion and politics and a Research Associate with the Von Hügel Institute, St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, examines the implications of the resignation of Benedict XVI for the institutional role of the pope and the future of the Catholic Church.
New US Gates Cambridge Scholars selected
Thirty-nine new US Gates Cambridge Scholars have been selected as the programme continues to expand.
New book explores the challenges older users have with digital technology
Dr Anna Mieczakowski and Professor John Clarkson from the Engineering Design Centre at Cambridge University's Department of Engineering are proud to launch the book Ageing, Adaption and Accessibility: Time for the Inclusive Revolution!.
Cambridge named one of Wellcome Trust’s Centres for Global Health Research
The Wellcome Trust has named the University of Cambridge as the site of one of its five Centres for Global Health Research.
Earn and learn by offering your mind!
The Cambridge Embodied Emotion and Cognition (CECE) Laboratory of the University of Cambridge investigates how emotions, bodily states, and abilities influence people's perception of the world and everyday behavior.
Global economic institute creates partnership with Cambridge economists
In the wake of the global financial crisis, a new partnership plans to shake up economic thinking to reflect a rapidly changing world. Economists at the University of Cambridge have joined forces with the New York-based Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) to advance innovative approaches to understanding how our economy and the associated financial system really work.
Women trafficked into crime in UK are imprisoned without support or protection
Most foreign national women trafficked into the UK and forced to commit offences are given custodial sentences without help or support if arrested – despite being victims of often horrifying crime and abuse themselves, says a Cambridge-led report.
Honorary Degree nominations for 2013
The University of Cambridge Council has submitted the names of eight distinguished individuals to the Regent House, the University's Governing Body, seeking final authority for their admission to Honorary Doctorates at a Congregation on Tuesday 18 June 2013, at which the Chancellor, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, will preside.
Research suggests meerkat predator-scanning behaviour is altruistic
Meerkats are more likely to scan for predators from high vantage points or guard on their hind legs when young pups are present in the group.
Sleeping sickness by stealth
New research is helping to unveil how the parasite that causes sleeping sickness uses stealth tactics to escape detection by the human immune system.
Cambridge uncovers the mysteries of science – with a little help from Sherlock Holmes
Nobel Prize winner John Gurdon will be one of the star attractions at this year’s Cambridge Science Festival – which features Sherlock Holmes star Benedict Cumberbatch as its Guest Director.
Dig into archaeology with actor and presenter Tony Robinson
Don’t miss the chance to hear actor and presenter Tony Robinson talking about his work with Channel 4’s Time Team in a public lecture next Monday (11 February). Speedy booking is recommended for this popular event.
2013 Slade Lectures unveiled
The 2013 Slade Lectures in Fine Art will be given by the Aga Khan Professor of Islamic Art at Harvard University, Gülru Necipoğlu, who will speak on the interconnected architectural cultures of three early modern Islamic empires.
Cambridge scientists create 3D microchip
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have created, for the first time, a new type of microchip which allows information to travel in three dimensions. Currently, microchips can only pass digital information in a very limited way – from either left to right or front to back.
Scientists discover ‘switch’ that turns on aggressive infection in superbug
University of Cambridge researchers have discovered how an antibiotic-resistant superbug exploits oxygen-limited conditions in the lungs of patients with severe respiratory disease to thrive.
Europe pledges one billion euros on graphene as platform for emerging technologies
A major research initiative which will create a European network of academics and companies working on graphene has been approved, with the University of Cambridge set to take a leading role.
Researchers join forces against infectious disease
Professor Sharon Peacock leads a Strategic Research Initiative that is harnessing expertise in infectious diseases across the University of Cambridge. Here, launching a month-long focus on infectious disease research, she explains how the initiative is gearing up to play a major role in global health.
University gives approval for the first phase of the North West Cambridge development
The governing body of the University of Cambridge, the Regent House, has given formal approval for the commencement of the first phase of the North West Cambridge development.