
Less than the width of a human hair: have the Photon Science Institute created the world’s smallest pumpkin?
Research impact and institutes
It’s a crisp autumn morning. There’s a chill in the air and the crunch of leaves underfoot, Manchester is adorned with a kaleidoscope of vibrant crimson and orange hues. In the spirit of Halloween, our friends over at the Photon Science Institute have honoured the holiday in the best way they know how: using a […]

Turning football shirts into bags – to help the environment!
If you’ve got kids who support a football team, chances are they’ve owned a replica shirt at one time or another. In fact, let’s be honest, if you’re a football fan there’s probably an equal chance you’ve owned one yourself. Replica football shirts are big business; shirts account for the largest part of a football […]

Guest post: We’re calling – but will aliens pick up?
Research impact and institutes
Might aliens – one day – discover humans, and not the other way around? Student Lucinda Shirreffs considers exciting new research suggesting just that.

Guest post: Some stars have a pulse – and astronomers have cosmic stethoscopes
Research impact and institutes
Student Lucinda Shirreffs sets focus on pulsars – and how Manchester researchers are helping to measure their properties in greater accuracy than ever before.

Celebrating The University of Manchester’s science and engineering heritage
To mark World Heritage Day (18 April) we take a look at the remarkable – and truly unique – story of science and engineering here at The University of Manchester.

‘Make it so’ – creating super-strength concrete from Mars dust, potatoes and salt
Research impact and institutes
Discover the ‘cosmic concrete’ that Manchester scientists believe might, one day, enable humans to build a colony on Mars – and aid the climate fight on Earth.

Guest post: The Firs’ World War – medical botany from Fallowfield to the frontline
Manchester student Henry Lloyd-Hughes digs a little deeper into the Firs Environmental Research Station’s important – and surprising – contributions to WWI.

One small step for a dinosaur; one giant leap for scientists
A huge, record-breaking footprint has been discovered along ‘Dinosaur Coast’ in Yorkshire – and scientists are excited by what it could mean.

Climbing the iconic Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank
We don our hard hats to climb Jodrell Bank’s incredible Lovell Telescope and meet the remarkable people who work there – keeping it safe 24/7.

‘Going for it – with purpose’: A science journey from Nigeria to Manchester
To mark International Women’s Day (8 March) we hear from Dr Cecilia Medupin, who has been telling the Ignite podcast about her remarkable journey into science.