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Bankrupting Physics
Modern Physics is in trouble, it has become a mess of free parameters, over inflated theories and untestable nonsense. In Bankrupting Physics theoretical physicist Alex Unzicker and science writer Sheilla Jones argue that physics, just like the banking sector, has become too big to fail. Unzicker expertly guides us through the wonderful worlds of cosmology, […]
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Test Tube Brains
New mini brains grown in test tubes open up new research possibilities in neuroscience that could help cure brain diseases such as microencephaly. A team from the Institute of Molecular Biology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA) used human pluripotent stem cells to grow 4mm cerebral organoids, or mini brains, in their laboratory. Using […]
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Firework Fun Police
My other half has an affectionate nickname for me; he calls me the Duchess of Doom. I think this might be due to my generally sunny outlook on life. Given my doom loving credentials I thought I would examine the more negative side of fireworks in the scientific literature, which amazingly extends well beyond firework […]
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Exercise in Propaganda
At the moment, outside my window the weather looks something like this… This has curiously removed any desire I might have had to go for a run, which is a shame. There was a time in the not so distant past where I would have branded this, “perfect running weather,” and raced out to wallow […]
Autism brain protein ‘plays a critical role’ in drug addiction
Scientists have found that a brain protein usually associated with autism is also involved in the development of drug addiction. The researchers say that a better understanding of how the protein works could pave the way for new drug addiction treatments. Last year over 193,000 people in the UK were treated for drug addiction. Research […]
Science Churnalism
I have to confess I always used to have a rather romanticised view of science journalism. I thought finding a good science story might involve leisurely chats with scientists over coffee or just popping in to the nearest lab to find out what’s going on. It turns out, for the most part, I was wrong. […]
Bankrupting Physics
Modern Physics is in trouble, it has become a mess of free parameters, over inflated theories and untestable nonsense. In Bankrupting Physics theoretical physicist Alex Unzicker and science writer Sheilla Jones argue that physics, just like the banking sector, has become too big to fail. Unzicker expertly guides us through the wonderful worlds of cosmology, […]
Ada Lovelace Day Live 2013
In October 2013 a host of funny, engaging, inspiring and brilliant women scientists and science communicators descended on Imperial College London for Ada Lovelace Day Live, an evening celebrating women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Ada Lovelace Day Live was the highlight of a series of worldwide events held in honour of Ada […]
Test Tube Brains
New mini brains grown in test tubes open up new research possibilities in neuroscience that could help cure brain diseases such as microencephaly. A team from the Institute of Molecular Biology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA) used human pluripotent stem cells to grow 4mm cerebral organoids, or mini brains, in their laboratory. Using […]