The voice of an Ancient Egyptian priest who fell silent over 3000 years ago has been brought back to life thanks to a team of scientists from Royal Holloway and the University of York. The group, part of the ‘Voices of the Past’ Project, created a 3-D printed model of the man’s vocal tract constructed…
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is spreading at an alarming rate, yet the antibiotic industry is only shrinking—could a pre-antibiotic era return as our future? Antimicrobials revolutionised medicine. Before antibiotics, the average life expectancy was 47 years. Infections such as pneumonia could easily be fatal, and to put it bluntly, a scratch could kill. There is no…
Rapid technological development has made self-driving cars a reality. This advancement raises questions about how these cars should make ethical decisions in place of human drivers. While technology can replace, and will undoubtedly supersede humans in actual driving ability, driving a car involves moral decisions. These choices would have to be programmed—for instance whether to…
by Jake Pugsley, Year 13, The Cotswold School, Gloucestershire When I hear the term “unsung hero of science,” the first thought that comes to mind is of an underrated, belittled researcher, his theses discredited by the wider world of erudition. I imagine a man, slumped at his desk, disparaged by his fellows’ baseless accusations that…
by Krishna Gowda, Year 11, Merchant Taylors Boys School Crosby, Merseyside Whether interested in science or not, the vast majority of people have heard of Albert Einstein, esteemed physicist, renowned for his four ground-breaking papers. However, in recent years, evidence has emerged that calls into question the belief that Einstein worked alone, after a series…
by Mirela Smolenska, Year 11, Benenden School, Kent When people think of the Theory of Evolution, Charles Darwin is widely accredited as the sole creator of it, especially as the theory is often known as Darwinism. However, little is attention is payed to the co-discoverer: Alfred Russel Wallace. Wallace is also seen as the ‘Father…
A recent study from Climate Central, published in the journal Nature Communications, suggests as many as 150 million people live on land that will be underwater at high tide by 2050, even if global warming is kept to the Paris Agreement target of 2C – a threefold increase on previous estimates. Previous estimates of flood…
Arianna Schuler Scott “What is privacy to you?” The large black letters on the board set the tone immediately for Arianna Schuler Scott’s talk which asked us all to think carefully about the privacy of our data, how secure it is and how bothered we should be. In her five minute talk, Schuler Scott (a…
Following the release of ‘Finding Nemo’, numerous global news providers, including the BBC and CNN, reported that the movie’s popularity was driving an increase in demand for clownfish as pets and threatening wild populations. This effect, dubbed the ‘Nemo effect’ by media outlets, was so widely reported that it became conventional wisdom amongst amateur animal…
We will be announcing our next school science writing competition very shortly. Check back here for more information soon! We are thrilled to announce the winners of the MT2019 Oxford Scientist national school science writing competition! Through our science writing competitions, we hope to encourage school students to think about science outside of the classroom,…
