Chinese scientist Jiankui has claimed, in a series of YouTube videos, to have successfully edited the genomes of two embryos. These embryos were then allowed to develop and produced twin girls with altered DNA. Their genomes were edited using CRISPR, a gene editing technique first developed in 2015 to stop the function of a gene called […]
Marijuana and cancer
Marijuana has long been the subject of debate, pro-legalisation campaigners argue that marijuana can cure a wide variety of diseases (as a quick google search will show) from various Psychoses to Autism, Alzheimer’s, or perhaps most worryingly Cancer. For many of these stories there is no strong evidence of any benefit, in fact, marijuana may […]
Immune response to Fast Food
We’re all partial to a little fast food now and then – I know I am. But do we really think about the effects it has on our bodies? A new study from the University of Bonn has been investigating, and the results are certainly Food for Thought (Pun intended). Researchers fed mice with a […]
Now that’s what I call science
Cassini’s grand finale The end of a 19-year mission occurred at 12:55pm (GMT) 15th September 2017 when the Cassini space probe lost contact with the earth, after diving down through the atmosphere of Saturn sending back information about Saturn’s gravity, analysis of particles in the famed icy rings and some truly spectacular photos of never […]
The Stranger Things
The new season of Stranger Things hit our screens this year and we’re still mad for it, so we’re unlocking the curiosity door again and taking a trip through the most weird, wonderful, and vaguely disturbing scientific stories from the past year. Skull cults usually form for one of two reasons … Young Blood There’s […]
Fake News
We’ve all seen classic knock off products, perhaps you’ve been tempted to buy them? You wouldn’t be alone. 40% of people in a UK survey admitted to buying pirated films and music or purchasing counterfeit clothing and accessories. This is despite the fact that 90% of respondents in the same survey agreed that it was […]
Ig Nobel Prizes 2017
The IgNobel prize honours the most baffling questions that science has to offer, giving centre stage to papers which make you laugh at first, but then lead you to a deeper level of thought. Given the recent release of the 2017 prize-winners, it seems only right to give some (dis)honourable mentions to the questions that […]
Intelligenes
Ever wondered why some people seem naturally smarter than others? Been jealous of that student who always gets top marks, seemingly without trying? Or sighed as the teacher had to explain a concept for the fifth time? A new study from the Free University of Amsterdam may just have found you the perfect excuse. Free […]
Tel-ape-athy?
We read other peoples mind’s every day, guessing their thoughts, emotions and intentions each time we talk to them. This understanding of other people and the ability to attribute mental states is called the “theory of mind”. The theory explains how you attribute thoughts, desires, and intentions to others to predict or explain their actions, […]
Review: The Play That Goes Wrong
There is a saying throughout the theatrical world, immortalised in song by Queen, “The Show Must Go On”. Never is this truer than when the hapless thespians of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society attempt to stumble their way through a performance, battling dropped lines, errant sound cues and a set that is clearly designed to […]