Since its discovery 150 years ago, scientists have heralded Archaeopteryx as the ‘missing link’ in the evolution of dinosaurs to modern birds. A transitional fossil, the species was commonly referred to as Urvogel – meaning “first bird”. But as is so often the case, once something reaches such lofty heights, it’s human nature to want […]
Women of STEM and their achievements often go under the radar. After all, while Alan Turing was breaking the German Enigma, star of the silver screen Hedy Lamarr was taking a holiday from Hollywood and inventing a radio guidance system upon which modern-day Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are based. And while in 2004 Prof Andre Geim […]
How long will it take to find a job after graduating university – and are we alone in the universe? Two huge questions that no doubt every student asks – and we may have the answers! The University College for Interdisciplinary Learning (UCIL) is offering undergraduates the chance to learn different skills and disciplines to […]
On the block between Grosvenor Street, Upper Brook Street and Booth Street East, a huge construction project is underway. It’s difficult to tell right now, but when the work is complete, it will cover the space of 11 football pitches. In fact, the main building, MEC Hall, could house a sandwich made from Beetham Towers […]
When it comes to science and engineering, Manchester has an illustrious heritage. If you’ve joined the Faculty of Science and Engineering this week, read on to see in whose illustrious footsteps you’re following. Dr Bachir Ismaël Ouédraogo Burkina Faso’s Minister for Energy completed his PhD here at The University of Manchester, and he hopes that […]
A new breakthrough means that the inclusion of graphene in the manufacture of underwater oil and gas networks could be in the pipeline. Corrosion is not only very expensive to fix, but it can also lead to “catastrophic failure” when not addressed. However, graphene could act as the perfect barrier to the problem. A paper […]
Goodness gracious – two great balls of fire have been spotted in the skies over Manchester. But there’s no need to run for higher ground quite yet – while fireball events aren’t always caught on camera, they are fairly common. In the last month alone, a brand new meteor camera located here on The University […]
Fiona Porter, Postgraduate at the School of Chemistry, and Sebastian Leaper, Postgraduate at the School of Chemical Engineering, are both Outreach Representatives for the Graphene NOWNANO Centre for Doctoral Training. Bluedot 2018 was their final event. They share their experiences of working at the festival below: Fiona Porter: “For the 2018 Bluedot Festival, a team of […]
It takes backbone to try and tackle one of the age-old mysteries of the evolution of life, but a researcher at The University of Manchester has proven he’s certainly not too spineless to take on the challenge. Just like close to ten per cent of all life on Earth, we humans are vertebrates – meaning […]