Author: News
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Edinburgh International Science Festival 2018 / The Science and Spirit of Scotland
On Tuesday evening a capacity crowd of revellers descended upon Summerhall’s Dissection Room to enjoy a panel discussion on the ‘spirit of Scotland’. No, not the foul tasting orange insecticide that perplexingly outsells Coca-Cola here, but Scotland’s other national drink (the one to which changes in recipe are celebrated rather than derided). Upon entry to…
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Edinburgh International Science Festival 2018 / Should we “edit out” disability?
The first panel member to speak at this thought-provoking discussion pointed out early on that on closer examination, the quotation marks of the title could be placed around almost any word or words: “should” we edit out disability (as if a decision of this magnitude is so simple a question)? Should “we” edit out disability…
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Edinburgh International Science Festival 2018 / The survival of nothing: is extinction important?
Humans have a tremendous impact on the environment, making the topic of species extinction a pressing issue. Human dominance can make us feel like we are invincible. But what about our own extinction? Organised as a part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, a discussion led by the renowned palaeontologist Dr Steve Brusatte, raised some…
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Inspiring STEM
The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he’s one who asks the right questions. – Claude Levi-Strauss. Having been a ‘researcher’ for a few years now, I have had to battle the stereotype of a ‘crazy scientist’ with many school-going kids. In my attempts at outreach activities, I have tried to explain…
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Health benefits of coffee: the verdict
With so many contradicting headlines declaring the devastating health effects of coffee or its limitless health benefits, it can all get very confusing. Fortunately, there is now enough data available for us to begin unpicking the truth. That is what researchers from the universities of Southampton and Edinburgh have set out to do. They have…
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Fruit fly studies reveal brains continue to grow in adulthood
When we talk about the brain or the nervous system, the cell type that we most hear about are neurons – the cells that transmit signals throughout the brain. However, in the past couple of decades, there has been enough evidence to show that glial cells (or glia, as they are commonly called) have major…
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The science of snowflakes
The season of festive cheer is descending upon us, with our thoughts already wandering to those things that are iconically entangled with Christmas time. One such quintessential facet of any dreams of Christmas are scenes of snow falling all around us, which for almost all of the country (bar Edinburgh!) is currently less of a…
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Brain implants boost human memory for the first time
Brain implants that enhance the natural capabilities of humans may seem like science fiction, but with research on brain implants taking place from the US Department of Defence to Elon Musk, it seems only a matter of time before such devices become a reality. Now, for the first time ever, a group of researchers from…
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The cure for macular degeneration: a race against time
University of Edinburgh researchers have set out to create a treatment for the Western world’s most common cause of irreversible blindness – and has just raised $42.5m in venture capital funding to help them reach this goal. University of Edinburgh’s Professor Paul Barlow and Dr Andy Herbert are scientific founders of Gemini therapeutics, based in…
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The Midlothian Science Festival: a volunteer’s perspective
A take on the the ‘Bright Sparks’ gala day celebrated for under-fives at the Danderhall Library Who would have thought that, at 22 years old, I would find myself scouring the house on a Friday night asking my flatmates to save the loo rolls and return them to me. At a workshop I’d attended that…