Category: Feature
-
Bacteria in space: why biological life support systems are the future of space travel
One of the greatest challenges limiting our ability to send astronauts on long-haul missions is the need for constant resupply of essential materials from Earth. Any manned spaceflight needs to carry enough food, water and oxygen to sustain a crew for the duration of the mission, but there is only so much weight a single…
-
Fear: from ancestral origins to modern thrill-seekers
Fear as an emotion is universal; whether it be the fear of the dark, spiders, or heights. This intense, emotional reaction to a perceived threat infects the minds of many. It may seem more hindrance than help, however, for without fear we would all be reckless beings, putting our lives at risk. Not so great…
-
Finding NEMO in the Sustainable Development Goals
In my previous article, synthetic biology emerged as an extremely powerful tool that can help tackle some of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. As a member of the 2020 University of Edinburgh iGEM team, I would like to exemplify how this can be done in practice using our project. iGEM is an independent, non-profit…
-
Synthetic biology meets the Sustainable Development Goals
People, the planet and prosperity are at the core of the UN’s 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The agenda is a comprehensive action plan with the aim to stir socioeconomic and environmental development back onto a sustainable path. In 2015, the UN announced the 17 sustainable development goals(SGDs) which target all dimensions of sustainable development.…
-
Exploring asexuality: how research and awareness benefit each other for this minority identity
Today is the start of Ace Week, a global effort for awareness and education about asexuality. This underrepresented identity is still not as widely known, let alone understood, as it should be, in the general public or in scientific circles. Research into asexuality is, therefore, faced with an enormous task, of which we are still…
-
Fake science: an infodemic in a pandemic
The pandemic brought the world to a halt, allowing for focus on important issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the ever-developing situation surrounding the coronavirus. Locked inside, much of the world’s attention turned to screens for information on how the pandemic was evolving, and in particular, how the science was progressing. Since…
-
How memory science can help us this semester
With teaching taking place almost exclusively online this semester (if not the whole academic year), many of us will have either very sparse or entirely empty timetables. For some courses, all teaching is taking place asynchronously, meaning that students will need to structure and plan their learning independently. Whilst some may enjoy the new-gained freedom…
-
RZSS share the impact of lockdown on conservation
Talking to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, who own Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, Ailie McWhinnie investigates the vital conservation work in Scotland and around the world that has taken a hit during the pandemic, and what we can do to help. The Cairngorm plateau, a wild and rugged landscape strewn with…
-
Dissecting BP’s 2050 net-zero carbon pledge
Sami Cheqrouni Espinar examines the credibility of each of the aims outlined by BP to shift its position in a transforming energy sector. On the 12th of February 2020, BP set a company-wide ambition of achieving net-zero emissions by the year 2050. Bernard Looney, the current CEO of BP, stated, “the world’s carbon budget is…
-
Reflections on the history of radiocarbon dating
Alice Spaccasassi explores what the history of radiocarbon dating can teach us about how we celebrate and remember scientific discoveries. Few recent discoveries in chemistry have affected as many scientific fields as radiocarbon dating. Archaeologists, geologists, oceanographers and many others use it to determine the age of objects up to 60,000 years old. For reference,…