Research suggests brains can control wheelchairs
Best known for having created a full body robotic suit which helped a paralysed man to kick off the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis does…
Nerd Nite Review: February 2015
This month, hosted at Komedia, a larger and rather upgraded venue than the usual gathering area, Nerd Nite featured a SciFest Special. Nerd Nite, featuring nerdy science, laughter and quizzes,…
The facts behind DIY genetic testing kits
Self-testing for illnesses has been a growing trend, with an array of DIY kits for sale online and in pharmacies over the past 10 years. These tests promise to check…
Research suggests RNA molecules are life’s engineers
At the very foundation of modern biology lies the idea that the majority of genes encoded in DNA are transcribed into smaller RNA molecules which are then translated into proteins.…
De-Extinction: A Recipe for Resurrection
De-extinction; the term given to the notion of bringing vanished species back to life. The concept has been hovering between reality and science fiction for more then two decades since…
The biology of us – Part 2: The growing stage
Have you ever wondered why the human body is shaped the way it is? The answer goes back to when a fertilised egg was growing in the mothers womb. This…
A lowdown on the ‘three-parent babies’ debate
On February 3, MPs voted in favour of changing the law on a controversial IVF technique to create babies with ‘three parents’. The new law will allow IVF clinics to…
Scientists aim to solve the problem of aging
Many Doctor Who fans will remember the somewhat strange image of The Face of Boe who, and I hope I am not revealing any spoilers for readers, is revealed to…
The biology of us – Part 1: The beginning
Did you know, the one fertilised egg cell we begin life as goes on to form around 100 trillion cells, producing people like you and me? That’s a lot of…
Nerd Nite: Science Festival Preview
Music, cake, laughter, quizzes and nerdy science talks – yes, you guessed it. It’s time for this month’s Nerd Nite. As you most probably know, Nerd Nite delights and fascinates…
The Five Year Production Line – Life as a medical student Pt. 4
Work hard play hard. Fully accepting the consequences of a heavy night out, Adira lays across her bed, eagerly anticipating the arrival of her mother to collect her for the…
Research suggests cancer can be caused by ‘bad luck’
‘Most cancers are caused by bad luck’; the title that has featured in headlines recently. Many news articles have claimed that the risk of getting cancer is due more to…
The season is changing, Winter is coming; Sad or S.A.D?
The days are shorter, the wind is tougher, the rain is heavier, and the cold is crisper. Let’s face it; winter is on its way. However there is more to…
Nerd Nite: November 2014 Review
Editor’s note: Nerd Nite Brighton is a monthly event promising to bring you three ‘nerdy’ talks. Previous talks have ranged from how ants work out how to get back home…
One small step forward for space travel, two giant crashes back
Last month saw two tragic incidents plague the commercial spaceflight industry. The first was Antares, an unmanned rocket sending supplies to the ISS, which exploded shortly after take-off. Just days…
The Five Year Production Line – Life as a medical student Pt. 4
The weeks are now tumbling by the wayside, shooting past at a speed that shows absolutely no regard for our need to settle down in our own time. No excuses…
The future of food production
When someone asks us to think of threats to the environment; automatically we think about emissions from burning fossil fuels that are exasperating the effects of global warming. However statistically,…
The complexities of the blood vessel system and angiogenesis
If all of your blood vessels were aligned in a straight line, the length of the new line would be greater than the distance of travelling around the world twice.…
The vast space between the stars
A common misconception is that space is “just space”, however the region between the stars in our universe is known as the “interstellar medium”. This interstellar medium consists of matter…
“An Earth cousin”: Kepler-186f
Named after NASA’s Kepler space telescope, Kepler-186f was discovered 490 light-years away from Earth. This ground breaking discovery marks the latest planet outside our solar system which is similar enough…