Doctor Who's trusty invention is anything but sci-fi6 December 2010Ultrasonic engineers at Bristol University and The Big Bang: UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair are uncovering how a real life version of Dr Who's fictional screwdriver - which uses sonic technology to open locks and undo screws - could be created.
University of Bristol Innocence Project: murder case to be heard at Court of Appeal6 December 2010Simon Hall, convicted of the murder of 79-year-old Joan Albert in February 2003, had his case referred back to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in October 2009 following a series of submissions by the University of Bristol Innocence Project (UoBIP). The appeal will begin on Tuesday 7 December 2010, and is scheduled to run over three days.
Life in the wild boosts immune function6 December 2010Life in a demanding environment with limited resources might be better for the immune system than living in comfort, according to new research from the University of Bristol.
Welcome to the future6 December 2010A robot that does the dishes and reacts naturally to your mood. A gardener robot that can charge itself by converting compost or waste water into electricity. Sounds like science fiction? According to scientists at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, not for much longer.
Potential role for vitamin B1 in preventing heart problems in people with diabetes6 December 2010A dietary supplement of the synthetic derivative of vitamin B1 has the potential to prevent heart disease caused by diabetes, according to new research from the University of Bristol, funded by Diabetes UK. Vitamin B1 may help the body to dispose of toxins and therefore protect cells of the heart from becoming damaged.
Universal credit complex and costly4 December 2010The coalition government’s plan to introduce a universal credit to replace the current range of welfare benefits and tax credits will result in large numbers of benefit recipients losing out and substantial costs to the Treasury, according to Professor Paul Gregg of the Centre for Market and Public Organisation (CMPO).
Energy use in the media cloud3 December 2010Academics at Bristol University’s Department of Computer Science have analysed the potential future demand for downloaded data worldwide, such as social networking sites and on-demand TV programs, and the resulting energy requirements.
Novel approach to chronic pain relief1 December 2010An international team of scientists have found what they believe could be a novel approach to more effective, targeted relief of chronic pain caused by nerve injuries. The research, a collaboration involving the Universities of Toronto, Seoul, Korea and Bristol, is reported in the latest edition of the journal Science.
Update following the recent protests1 December 2010A message to staff from Derek Pretty, University Registrar. An update following the recent protests that took place this and last week.
Bristol ChemLabS wins Times Higher Education Award1 December 2010Bristol ChemLabS has won the Times Higher Education Award 2010 for ‘Outstanding ICT Initiative of the Year’ thanks to its inspiring work in the field of interactive learning technology.
Competition winners celebrate the art of science1 December 2010Works by the winners of this year’s Art of Science Competition, run by the Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol, go on display at The Bristol Gallery today.
Effects of El Niño land South Pacific reef fish in hot water1 December 2010Unseasonal warm temperatures caused by El Niño have a profound effect on the fish populations of coral reefs in the South Pacific, scientists have found. An international team of biologists studied the arrival of young fish to the atoll of Rangiroa in French Polynesia for four years and compared their results with satellite and oceanographic data. They found that the El Niño event caused a sudden collapse in the plankton community and this led to a near absence of the young fish that are required to replenish adult stocks.
Rainforest collapse drove reptile evolution29 November 2010Global warming devastated tropical rainforests, 300 million years ago. Now scientists report the unexpected discovery that this event triggered an evolutionary burst amongst reptiles – and inadvertently paved the way for the rise of dinosaurs, a hundred million years later.
Second student 'day of action': staff briefing29 November 2010A message to staff from Derek Pretty, University Registrar, about the second student 'day of action', planned for tomorrow (30 November).
Getting the measure of poverty29 November 2010Following the launch of the largest-ever research project on Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK, Professor David Gordon, Director of the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research, describes the scope and background of this new study.
Adventures in a sea of noise29 November 2010Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau's book The Silent World captured the imagination of generations of armchair adventurers. But it fell short on one minor detail: the underwater world is anything but silent. Dr Steve Simpson in the School of Biological Sciences knows this better than most.
International researchers begin fellowships in UK26 November 2010Three leading international researchers have been awarded Newton International Fellowships to carry out world-class research at the University of Bristol.
Identifying Eadgyth26 November 2010When German archaeologists discovered bones in the tomb of Queen Eadgyth in Magdeburg Cathedral, they looked to Bristol to provide the crucial scientific evidence that the remains were indeed those of the English royal.
Where are all the flowers from?26 November 2010Amborella trichopoda, the world’s most ancient flowering plant, bloomed at the University’s Botanic Garden this autumn.
Claims of Innocence26 November 2010An introduction to wrongful convictions and how they might be challenged is the focus of a new book launched by the University of Bristol.
A high BMI in childhood linked to greater heart disease risk in adolescence26 November 2010Children who have a high body mass index (BMI) between 9 and 12 years of age are more likely to have high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood insulin levels (all risk factors for developing heart disease) by the time they reach adolescence, according to a study by researchers from the University of Bristol, published on bmj.com today.
Ideas on the back of a beermat, please25 November 2010Could you capture a business idea on the back of a beermat? The Beermat Challenge set by Research and Enterprise Development (RED) has been challenging students to do just that for the last six weeks. Using beermats and a parallel website, almost 260 business ideas were captured.
Soup, a sandwich and a side of shamanism25 November 2010An enterprising team of more than 1,000 Bristol students and alumni has founded the Best of Bristol (BoB) lectures. The programme of free lunchtime talks in the University’s Victoria Rooms covers subjects ranging from aviation and chemistry to paganism and philosophy.
Scientists develop new DNA technique to aid crops and trees at risk from deadly 'honey fungus'25 November 2010An international team of scientists has developed a new technique to aid crops at risk from a devastating agricultural parasite commonly known as the ‘honey fungus’, one of the most serious diseases of trees and shrubs across the northern hemisphere. The development allows crops to be screened for natural resistance by adding DNA with fluorescent genes to the fungus before being planted out.
Brunel Institute partnership announced24 November 2010Ambitious plans to promote the national Brunel heritage have come to fruition in a partnership between the University of Bristol and the ss Great Britain Trust.
Dental School scoops national awards for third year running24 November 2010Bristol Dental School and Hospital swept the boards at the 2010 Dental Defence Union (DDU) Educational Awards, with Professor Stephen Lisney winning the Dental Teacher of the Year award and Nikki Rogers named as Dental Care Professional Teacher of the Year.
Chemistry at Christmas24 November 2010Christmas is coming early at Bristol ChemLabS today (24 November) with the annual Christmas Chemistry Conference for school students aged 15 to 18.
Engineer provides new insight into pterodactyl flight24 November 2010Giant pterosaurs – ancient reptiles that flew over the heads of dinosaurs – were at their best in gentle tropical breezes, soaring over hillsides and coastlines or floating over land and sea on thermally driven air currents, according to new research by Colin Palmer, an engineer turned paleontology PhD student in the School of Earth Sciences.
Porters don togs to raise dosh23 November 2010Porters in the University’s Merchant Venturers Building and the School of Veterinary Sciences at Langford came together for Children in Need last week (19 November).
Student 'day of action': staff briefing23 November 2010A message to staff from Derek Pretty, University Registrar, about the planned student 'day of action' tomorrow (24 November).
New research on developmental co-ordination disorder22 November 2010New research by academics at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Child and Adolescent Health has found children with developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) previously known as dyspraxia have an increased risk of difficulties in attention, reading, short-term memory and social skills.
Dr Roger Charles William Berkeley, 1937-201022 November 2010Dr Roger Berkeley, Senior Lecturer in Bacteriology and former Warden of Badock Hall, died on 18 September. Dr Gilbert Howe and Professor Niall Logan offer an appreciation of his life and work.
Bristol students make biotechnology enterprise competition final19 November 2010Five students from the University of Bristol who convinced a panel of biotechnology experts of their business idea for a monitoring device for Legionella bacteria will contend for the top spot in a national enterprise competition.
University of Bristol provides permanent new home for the Mander & Mitchenson Theatre Collection19 November 2010The world-renowned Mander & Mitchenson Theatre Collection is transferring to the University of Bristol Theatre Collection – an exciting move that will create one of the world’s largest theatre history collections. The combination of artwork, recordings, props, photography, costumes and ceramics with a vast array of archival material will provide a comprehensive record of British professional theatre.
Gangster birds running protection racket give insight into co-evolution18 November 2010Like gangsters running a protection racket, drongos in the Kalahari Desert act as lookouts for other birds in order to steal a cut of their food catch. The behaviour, revealed in research led by Andy Radford and Linda Hollén from the University of Bristol, may represent a rare example of two species evolving from a parasitic to a mutualistic relationship.
Elitist European set-up cuts citizens out of debate18 November 2010The elitist nature of European politics leads to a damaging inability of those in power to communicate with the public, while media representations only serve to reinforce the distance between Europe’s citizens and the governing elites, according to a new book by a University of Bristol political sociologist.
Jenner’s Marvellous Medicine17 November 2010Mark Horton, Professor in Archaeology in the University of Bristol’s Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, will tell the epic story of how Edward Jenner saved billions of lives. Jenner’s Marvellous Medicine will be broadcast tonight, Wednesday 17 November at 7.30 pm on BBC Four.
Great Dixter: the past, present and future17 November 2010Christopher Lloyd was an inspired plantsmen and garden writer who spent his lifetime practising and refining his art at Great Dixter, his rambling Sussex manor house. Head gardener, Fergus Garrett, will talk about the various stages in Great Dixter's development, including its inspirational garden, at a public lecture tomorrow [Thursday, 18 November].
Encountering the archive17 November 2010Is there a right or wrong way to use archive film? Is it possible to betray an original meaning or purpose? Should archivists have any say in the re-use and recycling of work from their collections? These and other questions will be addressed at a panel and screening event at the University of Bristol on Thursday 18 November, as part of this year’s Encounters Film Festival.
