Artificial intelligence has pervaded human imagination since antiquity. The Greeks wrote about statues produced by men who “discovered the true nature of the gods” and mechanical men produced in ancient China that could “walk with rapid strides”. The Renaissance saw an unprecedented explosion of mathematical and scientific ideas fly across Europe in the so-called Age…
This term (HT18) Bang! Science Magazine is relaunching with a new name: The Oxford Scientist. We decided that the magazine should not only celebrate science, but also pay tribute to all our amazing contributors – writers, artists, editors – and many of the scientists whose work features in our pages, who all call this world famous university…
The latest issue is here! Pick up a copy from college common rooms or publication stands and get to grips with the forefront of scientific advance. With a diverse range of fascinating articles, from artificial intelligence to a gastro-revolution, there is something for everyone!
Quantum technologies to treat it; quantum physics to create it? An ambitious agreement: Tokyo, December 13th, 2016 The agreement is signed, five organisations join forces. Equipped with accelerating lasers and deflecting, superconducting magnets, they will develop a Quantum Scalpel. Their ambition is zero cancer deaths, says Toshio Hirano, chief of the National Institutes for Quantum…
Members of the Oxford Department of Zoology have tracked peregrine falcons in the field as they attacked dummy prey – and discovered that they use the same control strategies to catch them as modern projectile weapons. This suggests a new way to tackle the problem of rogue drones. Principle investigator Professor Graham Taylor said “Falcons…
Alzheimer’s disease is a major global health problem, with the number of people with the disease in the UK expected to double by 2050. Efforts to develop an effective treatment have not yet been successful as we don’t properly understand what causes it. What do we already know about Alzheimer’s? One of the key features…
It is understood that climate change will lead to increased humidity, but why should we care? The reason is that heat stress, which is set to become a prominent and pressing issue as global temperatures rise, is compounded by humidity. Materials provided by The Earth Institute at Columbia University explain that it is more difficult…
A recent study, published on Nature Neuroscience, lays groundwork for potential development of first neurobiologically-based therapy for patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This research from the O’Donnell Brain Institute in the U.S. explored a specific area within the right cerebellum, called CrusI. Whilst cerebellar abnormalities in ASD patients were known for some time, the…
Tuberculosis is currently the most deadly infectious disease worldwide, killing an estimated 1.7 million people in 2016. The only licensed vaccine currently available is BCG, which is only 70% effective. While most vaccines work by inducing antibodies, mycobacterium tuberculosis (or Mtb for short) hides inside cells, preventing antibodies from reaching it. T cells, which help…
A year ago, I found an advert sent out by the University’s volunteering hub to work on an innovative new app called “Self-Heal”. Having won funding from the Oxford IT innovation challenge, a group of students had recently developed the app, with input from clinicians, as a toolkit for students to manage self-injury. It covers…
