Author: News
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Art acne: diagnosing Georgia O’Keeffe Paintings
Art may be a window into the human condition, but as it turns out, art can occasionally develop a medical condition. One doesn’t usually think of works of art as getting ill, but as the work of American painter Georgia O’Keeffe demonstrates, art can indeed develop one mild skin condition… acne. And now a multidisciplinary…
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Fluorescent urine that detects organ transplant compatibility
Often, an organ transplantation is the only life-saving treatment for organ failure. The process of transplantation requires matching the organs of the donor with the requirements of the recipients. It is only after medical compatibility is established, that the organ procurement from a living or a deceased donor can occur. In what seems like an…
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How fungus kills
A group led by Professor Oliver Werz at the Friedrich Schiller University, Jena have identified the pathway responsible for the incredible pathogenicity of the Aspergillus fumigatus fungus. By blocking the production of chemical messengers, the fungus prevents the immune response of the mould. The NHS characterises aspergillosis as a lung condition caused by the inhalation…
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Festival of Creative Learning: Art and science at small scale
Art and science intersected excitingly last Monday night at the University Main Library. As part of the Festival of Creative Learning, a pop-up exhibition of postcards about science and art was put on display on the first mezzanine of the library and remained up until the close of the Festival on Friday. The postcards were…
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This contraception is just for women? Think again
The University of Edinburgh is part of a groundbreaking trial, alongside nine other global sites including the United States, Sweden, Kenya, and Chile, testing a male contraceptive gel. The enrolment target is 450 couples worldwide with a staggered start – the University of Edinburgh is hoping to have completed enrolment by the end of March.…
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International Day of Women in Science: Eunice Foote
International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a global effort to promote gender parity across STEM education, research and professions, was established by UNESCO in 2015. This year, taking place on 11th February and supported by roughly 70 countries, the theme was ‘Investment in Women and Girls in Science for Inclusive Green Growth’. They…
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International Day of Women in Science: women belong in science
When I was in high school, my physics teacher ascribed me of cheating because I got the highest exams scores in my class In the small Austrian village where I grew up, the image of a woman is still largely dominated by birthing children and spending her days in the kitchen. It seemed unthinkable that…
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Privacy in the age of AI: who’s following our digital footsteps?
Two weeks ago, EdIntelligence, the University of Edinburgh Machine Learning society, launched the “We Need to Talk About AI” seminar series in collaboration with the School of Informatics, with a sold-out event centring around big data and privacy in an increasingly digital world. The event was hosted by postgraduate Artificial Intelligence students Mari Liis Pedak…
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Do we need to menstruate?
Contraception is not a new idea. As far back as Ancient Egyptian times, spermicidal concoctions were mixed by women with the intention to prevent pregnancy. Both the Bible and Koran refer to coitus interruptus, the rhythm method, by which a woman tracks her menstrual cycle to avoid having sex during ovulation. The 1800s saw the…
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Fancy a shark for a friend, or must this friendliness end?
On being asked about the dangers of his deep sea adventures, Michael Mueller, the famous shark photographer from Los Angeles, also fondly known as ‘shark paparazzo’ in journalistic circles, said “People don’t need to be scared. I tickle sharks, I do, when they swim by.” Mueller’s words may have said these words in good humour,…