Blog
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June 7, 2016
Just Because We Can? The Chimera Question
Without a doubt, the advent of gene editing through CRISPR technology is a scientific and ethical game changer. The potential now to ‘edit’ an embryo has created all sorts of questions that science and governments are grappling with. But another issue at the forefront now is whether we should edit the genes of another species … Read more
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February 18, 2016
Women in Science: Lost in a Black Hole?
What do gravitational waves and the first International Day of Women and Girls in Science have in common? Both were celebrated on 11 Feb, 2016 but only one appeared to cause a ripple effect across the universe. As the world marvelled at the confirmation of waves in space time – a phenomenon Einstein predicted one hundred … Read more
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January 29, 2016
Can Yogurt Make You Happier?
If cultured yogurt can make a despondent mouse find the will to live, researchers are hoping that someday probiotics could possibly be a substitute for Prozac. As scientists gain insight into the role of our gut microbiome, they are finding more and more evidence of what’s been termed the “gut-brain axis” and its bidirectional … Read more
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January 13, 2016
Do You Really Know Where You’ve Come From?
It’s common for most of us to know where our grandparents and great-grandparents were born and raised. But go back a few more generations and things get a bit murky. Less so in England, where detailed birth and death records have been kept for hundreds of years. But what about before we started obsessively keeping … Read more
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December 2, 2015
Defending Your PhD: Learning to Shine
Achieving a PhD is a tremendous accomplishment. Getting to that point can be slow-going, though hopefully it’s been a rewarding process. But the build-up to defending your research to a committee of people who may know more than you do within your field of study can be painfully intimidating. It needn’t be. The most important thing … Read more
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November 15, 2015
How Science Can Reduce Violence
This week we’ve seen another spate of terrorist attacks on everyday people, starting in Beirut and ending in Paris. World leaders are reacting to the incidents with emotion, and talk is of fighting back, bombing, declaring war. However, before we set off on a path of mutual assured destruction, could science contribute to our efforts … Read more
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November 5, 2015
Why Journals Reject Manuscripts
This week, the Washington Post reported that a study highlighting the stunning rise in the death rate of middle-aged American whites was rejected by two prestigious journals before finally being published by The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study was conducted by Angus Deaton and Anne Case, both distinguished Princeton economists, and Dr … Read more
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November 2, 2015
Why Translation and Editing Software is Bad for Your Reputation
You got that modest grant to carry out your research. You ran your study as frugally as possible and ate ramen noodles five nights a week. Now you’re tempted to run your data and text through inexpensive translation and grammar software before submitting for publication. Think again. Translation software is not savvy. Humans are. Even though … Read more
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October 4, 2015
The Hidden World of Sand
Even if you lay your cheek upon the surface of a sun-baked beach, you’re unlikely to see clearly the kaleidoscopic world beneath you. Gary Greenburg, a research affiliate at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, created a 3D high-definition light microscope in the 1990s, and he’s been capturing fascinating sand close-ups since then. He’s put out … Read more