Research impact and institutes
Ain’t no sunshine when it’s gone
The sun is the great star of human existence in more ways than one. All life on Earth depends on it, and the creation of our very planet would have been impossible without it. You would think, therefore, that when it dies, our iconic star would go out in style. However, until recently, scientists were […]
The mega threat to mega-herbivores
The University of Manchester has teamed up with Chester Zoo to fight the potential extinction of some of the planet’s most iconic – and threatened – species. A collaboration between the Zoo and the University will see a £1.1 million investment made in research aimed at protecting the future of creatures like the Eastern Black […]
A delicious threat to our planet’s eggs-istence?
Research impact and institutes
You may have lost an hour of sleep when the clocks changed last weekend, but the good news is you’re an hour closer to eating lots of lovely Easter eggs. It should go without saying that Easter is a chocoholic’s Christmas – but is your habit damaging more than just your wallet and waistline? A […]
Postgrads have a hand in future of bionic engineering
A team of postgrads from The University of Manchester have emerged victorious from an international competition, thanks to the creation of a 3D-printed bionic limb. They hope soon to make the design available to the public without charge. What started as (and remains) a final year Mechanical Engineering Master’s project has resulted in Alex Agboola-Dobson […]
Baby bird proves big deal to palaeontologists
A tiny bird that was smaller than your little finger and lived the briefest of lives has proven itself a giant of fossil history. The chick in the picture below may look like a character from a Disney remake of Walking With Dinosaurs, but this little chap has provided us with a valuable insight into […]
New predator shows its teeth
Fuxianhuiid – it may not be simple to say but these ancient arthropods have always seemed like pretty simple animals in all other respects. However, things aren’t always what they seem and the discovery of a new type of fuxianhuiid has provided a valuable insight into how predators evolved. A team of scientists including Dr […]
Jurassic Park meets Arachnophobia
It’s the ultimate 90s movie mash-up – Arachnophobia meets Jurassic Park. And it’s happened in real life, right here at the University of Manchester. Imprisoned within a block of amber dating back to the Cretaceous period, a spider has been discovered that could provide an unparalleled insight into the evolution of everyone’s favourite creepy-crawly. And […]
Who’s the daddy? Mystery of the mummy brothers unravelled
Who can resist an episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show when it’s a DNA results special? Well, here at The University of Manchester, we’ve just wrapped up our own DNA mystery – and the result was just as shocking. As is a popular theme on the ITV chat show, the question we wanted to answer […]
Brewing up a catastro-tea
This Dry January, you’re probably putting your kettle through its paces – replacing beer with healthy green teas and energising coffees. And there’s nothing more innocent than a good old cup of tea, right? Well we hate to break it to you, but that brew may not be as guilt-free as you thought. Researchers at […]
The science behind Christmas
There’re just days to go until Christmas and we bet you’ve already mentally checked out even if you’re still keeping up the pretence of focusing on anything that’s not Yuletide-related. Not us though. Here at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, we wanted to look at the science behind some of our greatest Christmas traditions […]