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 […]
You don’t have to be Wonder Woman to be a Woman of Wonder
Since 1901, there have been 585 Nobel Prizes awarded. Do you know how many have been awarded to women? Forty-eight. It’s difficult not to feel shocked by this number, with the UN revealing that, globally, women and girls “continue to be excluded from participating fully in science”. As part of an effort to change this, […]
Guest post: Research with global impact in a stunning location
I work in a place where robots roam the hallways, chemists explore radioactive materials and physicists work with the world’s most powerful dual-beam particle accelerator. Located between the Irish Sea and the beautiful Lake District National Park, the Dalton Cumbrian Facility is a satellite site for the University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute. It is […]
Life on Mars? Graphene could make it a reality
As if they weren’t content with desalinating seawater, filtering the colour from whisky and creating a new rubber for running shoes, graphene scientists have now used the 2D advanced material to mimic photosynthesis – and the potential of this breakthrough could be interstellar. Researchers led by Professor Sir Andre Geim (yes, the very same man […]
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 […]
Expert comment – Finding SuperNEMO and solving the mystery of the origin of matter in the universe
The Savoy region of France is best known for its fir-lined ski slopes and picturesque Alpine villages. Less known is the fact that, deep beneath some of these slopes, scientists are investigating one of the greatest mysteries in physics: the origin of matter. The Fréjus road tunnel in the region carries traffic between the French […]
Godlee Observatory – Sackville Street’s best-kept secret
At the top of Sackville Street Building is a little secret – and it’s something all of us in Manchester have a share in. Next time you walk by, look up. You might just spot the white dome that is home to the Godlee Observatory. This tiny window to the stars has been at the […]