The current UK population consumes an average of about 8.5g/day of salt, more than 2g/day above the maximum recommended daily amount. This is worrying given its well-known health implications. Salt raises blood pressure, increasing risk of heart disease and stroke. One in three of UK adults have high blood pressure, and as many people are…
Oxford University and Public Health England (PHE) have lead an international team of scientists in an analysis of HIV migration patterns across the Ukraine. This study, which used genomic data to reconstruct the spread of the virus, has shown how geopolitical events have helped to conduct the virus to regions where it is more likely…
When we experience a particularly bad flu season, like the current one, the question of how a single disease can vary so wildly is often raised. The answer lies in the simple fact that the virus copies its RNA genome with very poor accuracy which means that the virus is constantly mutating and evolving to…
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…
