*(You may really have seen a phantom in SSB, as the building has quite the chequered history \u2013 the perfect breeding ground for a party of restless, undead souls. You can find out more about this here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n So, to mark the spookiest day of the year, we\u2019re taking a look at the scientific truth behind the horrifying fiction of some of the most terrifying myths, legends and ghost stories of all time.<\/p>\n If ever there was a cautionary tale about the poor management of chemicals, it\u2019s this. Robert Louis Stevenson\u2019s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde<\/em> acts as a stern warning to anyone wishing to meddle with science.<\/p>\n In order to indulge his darkest desires without fear of remorse, Dr Jekyll invents a potion that causes his evil impulses to take on the form of a wholly separate person \u2013 Edward Hyde. For a time, the personality is controlled \u2013 presenting itself when he drinks the potion and retreating as he transforms back into Dr Jekyll after drinking the tonic again. But soon, Hyde begins to take over.<\/p>\n Determined to be rid of the fiend once and for all, Jekyll determines to produce a new potion to replace his original stock, which has run dry. However \u2013 as is every chemist\u2019s nightmare \u2013 the salt he used in the original tonic has run out and, despite buying more, he is unable to recreate the desired effect.<\/p>\n \u201cMy provision of the salt, which had never been renewed since the date of the first experiment, began to run low [\u2026] I have had London ransacked; it was in vain; and I am now persuaded that my first supply was impure, and that it was that unknown impurity which lent efficacy to the draught.\u201d For the want of the salt, Hyde is able to take over.<\/p>\n Never has there been a more harrowing story of a chemist running out of salt. Luckily, there have been no instances (that we know of) of mad doppelg\u00e4ngers causing havoc on North Campus \u2013 but we hope our chemists are taking precautions with their labelling all the same.<\/p>\n When it comes to stories of science gone bad, there can be few as tragic as that of Mary Shelley\u2019s Frankenstein<\/em>.<\/p>\n Every scientist (actually, every human) has grappled with the question of the meaning of life \u2013 and solving this conundrum is definitely worthy of a Nobel Prize nomination, at least. However, given the living nightmare in which Dr Victor Frankenstein finds himself after trying to answer the query, we think it\u2019s probably better not to ask. Some mysteries are better left unsolved!<\/p>\n Dr Frankenstein is determined to unravel the secrets of life and death, and decides to do so by creating life in the form of \u2018the creature\u2019.<\/p>\n As any neuroscientist will know, the human body is pretty complex, so Victor scales everything up to get to grips with the delicate task of fusing bone, muscle and nerve endings from various pieces of cadaver. A spark of electricity later, and the monster is brought to life.<\/p>\n \u201cI had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body,\u201d Dr Frankenstein laments. \u201cFor this, I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.\u201d We\u2019ve all had projects that haven\u2019t panned out quite how we hoped.<\/p>\n At the time of writing, Mary Shelley was inspired by widely reported breakthroughs in medicine and the scientific understanding of the human body. There were few more enticing ways to while away the afternoon than watching a human autopsy. Indeed, some unscrupulous types made a healthy living digging up corpses to supply doctors with new material for their classes. Two Manchester grave robbers even snatched cadavers from the graveyard that was once located on the site where Sackville Street Building stands today.<\/p>\n Our current knowledge of medicine and the human body is largely thanks to the discoveries made at this time. However, in spite of the many breakthroughs made by the Victorian medical profession, they failed to create life.<\/p>\n Yet Frankenstein <\/em>remains a cautionary tale as advancements continue in artificial intelligence. While our scientists may not be stitching decaying limbs together, they are making advancements that could one day lead to a new form of life.<\/p>\n Take, for example, the Department of Computer Science\u2019s Professor Steve Furber \u2013 the creator of SpiNNaker. The result of reverse engineering the human brain, SpiNNaker has more in common with a mind than a computer<\/a> \u2013 although there\u2019s a long way to go before it reaches the complexity of a biological brain. Let\u2019s hope that when it does reach that level of intelligence, complexity and understanding, SpiNNaker doesn\u2019t embark on a path of destruction seeking revenge against its creators!<\/p>\n From one fantasy classic to another, Ghostbusters<\/em> sees three scientists swap their test tubes for proton packs as they scour the streets of New York City in search of paranormal beings.<\/p>\n As an old city, Manchester is home to more than a few spooky goings-on. However, as scientists, we\u2019re sure there\u2019s a rational explanation. And for anyone wanting a more detailed answer than simply \u201cit\u2019s all in your head\u201d, there are several potential explanations for the phenomenon.<\/p>\n For example, there are those who believe that the presence of mould in a building can prompt a wave of ghostly sightings. There are dozens of different types of mould and each comes with its own unique properties. Among these are the moulds that can bring on dementia-like symptoms in those who come into close contact with them \u2013 which could explain why ghosts are often reported in dank, old buildings.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s carbon monoxide. The deadly gas is odourless, colourless and without taste \u2013 and it\u2019s impossible to detect using human senses. Its presence can cause flu-like symptoms and even prove fatal \u2013 but another risk is its power to prompt aural and visual hallucinations.<\/p>\n Ghost hunters often use electromagnetic field meters to search for spirits \u2013 sometimes relabelling them as ‘ghost detectors’. While scorned by much of the scientific community, there are those who believe the presence of an electromagnetic field can prompt the feeling of having company.<\/p>\n However, ultimately, the existence of ghosts is largely unaccepted within the academic community \u2013 and there remains no scientific proof that they exist at all.<\/p>\n There may be a lack of support for ghosts within the scientific community, but it\u2019s a totally different story for aliens. What once seemed confined to works of fiction like HG Wells\u2019 War of the Worlds<\/em> or Steven Spielberg\u2019s Close Encounters of the Third Kind<\/em>, aliens are now considered practically a scientific certainty.<\/p>\n We caught up with the Chief Scientist of NASA, Dr Jim Green<\/a>, who emphatically believes in life off Earth. In fact, NASA is working on a programme to discover alien life in both our own Solar System and planets that are further afield too.<\/p>\n \u201cIs there life out there? We haven\u2019t answered that question, but we will in our lifetime. And I believe the answer will be \u2018yes\u2019.\u201d Well, who are we to argue with the Chief Scientist of NASA<\/a>?<\/p>\n We hope you\u2019ve enjoyed this round up of the science behind your nightmares. Sleep peacefully tonight, safe in the knowledge those bumps in the night are just mould (although you may want to get that sorted).<\/p>\n Be sure to\u00a0<\/strong>subscribe on our homepage<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to keep up to date with all the latest posts from The Hub.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Words \u2013 Hayley Cox<\/p>\n Images \u2013 The University of Manchester, National Science and Media Museum<\/a>, InsomniaCuredHere<\/a>, Danny Howard<\/a>, Interdimensional Guardian<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Scientists and engineers are rational thinkers. You can\u2019t scare them with tales of things that go bump in the night; the demons that lurk within; the monsters that roam the streets, or the creatures that watch us from space. Or can you? This Halloween, we look at the fact behind the fiction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":2326,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[213],"tags":[282,281,195,283,254,90],"class_list":{"0":"post-2321","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uom-life","8":"tag-aliens","9":"tag-ghosts","10":"tag-halloween","11":"tag-medical-science","12":"tag-nasa","13":"tag-space-travel","14":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nThe Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde<\/h2>\n
![\"My](\"https:\/\/www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2019\/10\/Hyde-633x494.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFrankenstein<\/h2>\n
![\"Frankenstein's](\"https:\/\/www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2019\/10\/Frankenstein-751x494.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGhostbusters<\/h2>\n
![\"Ghostbusters](\"https:\/\/www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2019\/10\/Ghostbusters-768x494.jpg\")
<\/p>\nClose Encounters of the Third Kind<\/h2>\n
![\"UFO\"](\"https:\/\/www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2018\/10\/UFO.jpg\")
<\/p>\n