Physics
Ernest Rutherford – the ‘crocodile’ physicist who never looked back
Departments 15th October 2019
LONG READ: Discover the amazing life of Ernest Rutherford and the quirkier stories that shaped the man who ‘split the atom’ at Manchester and is regarded as the father of nuclear physics.
Football transfers – can you predict a quick success?
Departments 8th August 2019
It’s impossible to predict whether a football transfer will work out… or is it? New research from the Department of Physics and Astronomy calculates how long it takes a new signing to adjust.
When Doctor Who came to Jodrell (and UoM’s other sci-fi hits)
UOM life 12th December 2018
Did you know that without mathematicians, the entire Universe would crumble and decay into nothing? At least, that’s according to a classic episode of Doctor Who (our School of Mathematics colleagues are good, but even they’re not holding-together-the-very-fabric-of-the-Universe good). Logopolis is the final instalment in the adventures of the Fourth Doctor, played by the legendary […]
Meet Manchester’s most inspiring alumni
Departments 17th September 2018
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 […]
One small step for man, one giant leap for Manchester
UOM life 21st June 2018
Like the plot of a movie, a team of students from across the Faculty of Science and Engineering have overcome some serious odds to claim victory at an international space probe competition in Texas. The fourth annual American Astronautical Society CanSat Competition took place at Tarleton State University; with a team from The University of […]
Like a diamond in the sky
Departments 14th June 2018
‘Twinkle twinkle little star’ could prove itself more science lesson than nursery rhyme thanks to a new discovery. For the first time, diamonds far smaller than grains of sand have been observed shimmering around stars. But this discovery is more a case of A Touch of Frost than Frost of London, as it’s allowed a […]
Ain’t no sunshine when it’s gone
Departments 8th May 2018
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 […]
Inspiring the future women of STEM
Departments 2nd May 2018
Science and engineering is all about coming up with solutions to the great mysteries and challenges of our age. But one of these challenges is proving hard to overcome, and that’s how to encourage more girls to choose a career in these subjects. When children are very young and first begin learning about the world […]
You don’t have to be Wonder Woman to be a Woman of Wonder
Social responsibility 9th February 2018
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, […]
Expert comment – Finding SuperNEMO and solving the mystery of the origin of matter in the universe
Departments 13th December 2017
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 […]