Cracking stuff: how Turing beat the Enigma
More than 70 years after the Enigma was cracked by Alan Turing and his colleagues at Bletchley Park, innovative technology housed at The University of Manchester has provided a detailed peek beneath the bonnet of the German wartime cipher machine. A deadly weapon The German Enigma machine was integral in providing the Axis powers with […]
Decarbonising Manchester
President Trump denies it; the rest of the world has signed up to combat it. Climate change and how to tackle it is one of the largest problems we’re facing this century – so much so that the Paris Agreement (a landmark agreement to combat climate change) was drawn up in 2015. Now, Manchester has […]
Manchester’s most important brain
The University of Manchester has an impressive track record when it comes to computer science. After all, this is where the world’s first stored-program computer, Baby, was created. And in the year that Baby turns 70, our scientists have given birth to yet another marvel of computing. Last week, the one-millionth processor core of this […]
A bright spark AND a diamond – the HV Lab turns 60
Lightning doesn’t strike twice – unless you happen to be stood in the High Voltage (HV) Lab at The University of Manchester, that is. On Sunday, this institution – officially named the National Grid Power Systems Research Centre – celebrates its Diamond Anniversary. We take a look back at its history and the achievements recorded […]
Halloween Special: Through the UMISTs of time – Sackville’s spooky past
Picture the scene: a mist (or should that be a UMIST?) hangs low over an old city churchyard. Men and boys are busily digging pits in the earth, in search of the deceased who have lain in rest here for close to a century. In total, they will uncover and move thousands of bodies – but why? Read on to learn more about The University of Manchester’s ghoulish history.
Why ‘Phantom’ Archaeopteryx discovery has scientists in a flap
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 […]
Ada Lovelace Day: Resetting the balance for women in STEM
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 X Files studies give students the X Factor
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 […]
MECD – the clever new kid on the block
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 […]
Meet Manchester’s most inspiring alumni
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 […]