BBC Dragon urges those in education to embrace new thinking3 December 2012Former Dragons’ Den star and businessman Doug Richard is coming to Bristol to share his knowledge and help people to ‘unleash their entrepreneurial potential’. The investor, who is himself a serial entrepreneur and founder of School for Startups which teaches people how to start and run better businesses, will be leading two workshops at the University of Bristol on Wednesday, 12 December.
Media coverage of research that men and women see things differently3 December 2012Researchers at the University of Bristol have found that men and women see things differently. The findings, published in PLOS ONE, have been covered extensively in the national and international media.
Sara Lewis (née Hombal), 1970-20123 December 2012Sara Lewis, a former Personnel Manager, has died after a short illness. Fiona Ford and other friends and colleagues offer an appreciation.
Bristol Poetry Institute competition to find the region's best young poets3 December 2012Bristol's budding young poets (aged 16-19) are invited to enter the first Bristol Poetry Institute Competition to win a cash prize, poetry books for their school library and the chance to read their work alongside three established poets at an event at the University of Bristol.
Genes link growth in the womb with adult metabolism and disease2 December 2012Researchers have identified four new genetic regions that influence birth weight, providing further evidence that genes as well as maternal nutrition are important for growth in the womb. Three of the regions are also linked to adult metabolism, helping to explain why smaller babies have higher rates of chronic diseases later in life.
Special presentation day marks medal tribute from the Queen30 November 2012Two long-serving members of staff at the University of Bristol have been presented with a British Empire Medal - a special accolade bestowed on them by the Queen to mark her Diamond Jubilee.
Cabot Institute Director wins Lloyds Science of Risk Prize30 November 2012Professor Paul Bates from the University of Bristol has won this year's Lloyd’s Science of Risk Prize in the category of Natural Hazards for his work on flood modelling. He is also co-author of the winning entry for the prize's other category, Climate Change.
Empire, war and nation in the Bay of Bengal29 November 2012How resistance against the British Empire has been commemorated in the Andaman Islands, a Union Territory of the Republic of India, since Independence in 1947 is the subject of a public lecture at the ss Great Britain on Wednesday 12 December.
University Cycling Club ride with Tour of Britain winner29 November 2012Members of the University of Bristol Cycling Club's (UoBCC) Performance Squad went for an impromptu ride with Tour of Britain winner and newly signed Team Sky rider Jonathan Tiernan-Locke this week.
Scientists develop new approach to support future climate projections28 November 2012A new approach for evaluating past climate sensitivity data has been developed by scientists to help improve comparison with estimates of long-term climate projections developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Autumn sets in rapidly on Saturn's giant moon28 November 2012Thanks to NASA's Cassini spacecraft, scientists including Dr Nick Teanby, have been able to observe for the first time ever the seasonal atmospheric circulation direction change on Titan – an event which only happens once every 15 years and is never observable from Earth. Their findings are published today in Nature.
Major breakthrough in deciphering bread wheat's genetic code28 November 2012Scientists, including Professor Keith Edwards and Dr Gary Barker from the University of Bristol, have unlocked key components of the genetic code of one of the world’s most important crops. The first analysis of the complex and exceptionally large bread wheat genome is published today in Nature.
Smart Grid - hope or hype?28 November 2012The Smart Grid will be the focus of a free public lecture taking place at the University of Bristol tomorrow [Thursday 29 November].
University of Bristol student named best UK science blogger27 November 2012A PhD student from the University of Bristol has been named the joint winner of a national competition to honour the best science bloggers in the country. Suzi Gage, whose Sifting the Evidence blog focuses on research and ideas in the field of epidemiology and public health, won the 2012 UK Science Blog Prize alongside renowned pharmacologist Professor David Colquhoun.
Scientists capture winter wonderland from intestinal proteins27 November 2012A winter wonderland derived from cells deep within the intestine is just one of a selection of winning images created by scientists inspired by some of the cellular processes that underpin human life. The University of Bristol’s annual Art of Science Competition challenged researchers to look for aesthetic beauty in the laboratory to help make their work more accessible to the public.
Should we trust scientists?26 November 2012Leading voices from the world of science are gathering in Bristol to debate the extent to which scientists inform policy and how far we should trust their views. The free event on Monday, 3 December, organised by the University of Bristol’s Institute for Advanced Studies, will look at how difficult decisions are made – from culling badgers to building nuclear power stations and planting GM crops.
Scientists analyse millions of news articles26 November 2012Researchers at the University of Bristol’s Intelligent Systems Laboratory and the School of Journalism at Cardiff University have used Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to analyse 2.5 million articles from 498 different English-language online news outlets over ten months.
National award for South West engineering collaboration26 November 2012A strong partnership between the University of Bristol and a thriving helicopter equipment company has won a top national award for its collaborative work, which led to the development of world-leading technology.
Top honour for Bristol business leader’s ‘outstanding contribution’23 November 2012A leading business association has awarded Nick Sturge, the Director of Bristol SETsquared Centre, with a top accolade in recognition of his work to help start-up businesses in the city to grow. UK Business Incubation (UKBI) highlighted the work Nick does to support high-tech business ventures and boost the regional economy, honouring him with an Outstanding Contribution to Business Incubation award at its annual conference.
£875,000 to investigate protein that could hold the key to reversing the effects of heart failure23 November 2012A pioneering study that aims to investigate if a key protein, which is thought to be responsible for regulating the structure and function of the cells that cause contraction of the heart, can be manipulated to inhibit or reverse the effects of aging and heart failure will begin shortly thanks to funding of £875,000 from the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Graduate student launches Russian Art Week22 November 2012Theodora Clarke, a PhD student in History of Art, has launched the first Russian Art Week (22-28 November), a major new project in London that aims to bring together the commercial and academic art worlds.
New evidence of dinosaurs’ role in the evolution of bird flight21 November 2012A new study looking at the structure of feathers in bird-like dinosaurs has shed light on one of nature’s most remarkable inventions – how flight might have evolved. Academics at the Universities of Bristol, Yale and Calgary have shown that prehistoric birds had a much more primitive version of the wings we see today, with rigid layers of feathers acting as simple airfoils for gliding.
Bristol expert quoted on election of new Bristol mayor20 November 2012Dr David Sweeting, from the University of Bristol's School for Policy Studies, has been widely quoted about the election of the city's first directly elected mayor.
600 pupils help celebrate 1,000 lectures on five continents20 November 2012Over 600 pupils from across Bristol and South Gloucestershire will be treated to a fun and explosive demonstration of chemistry to mark the special anniversary of a Bristol science project which has become a global success. An outreach project run as part of Bristol ChemLabS will be celebrating its 1,000th lecture on Friday, 23 November, when it hosts a free event in the Wills Memorial Building.
Growing a living history of Bristol20 November 2012Primary schools and community groups across Bristol are to be invited to grow their own history of the city, thanks to the award of a grant of £38,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, it was announced today. The University of Bristol is leading a heritage project which will encourage people to learn about the city’s trade and maritime past through growing Ballast Seed Gardens.
Engineering alumnus wins Shell Innovation Award20 November 2012Dr Nithin Thomas, a former graduate student in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, has won the prestigious Shell LiveWIRE 2012 Innovation Award.
PhD student honoured by Dashkova Humanities Institute20 November 2012Jessica Tipton, a PhD student in the School of Modern Languages, has been awarded a Princess Dashkova Medal by the Dashkova Humanities Institute in Moscow.
Pioneering ballet production takes to the stage19 November 2012Past and present University of Bristol students are staging a full-scale ballet production – the first of its kind to be held in the city. With completely original choreography and music, SYMBA introduces African tribal themes and martial combat into mainstream ballet, telling a story of morals, love and trialling times.
Students ‘escape’ to Venice in Jailbreak challenge16 November 2012A trio of students from the University of Bristol ‘escaped’ 798 miles to Venice as part of the Jailbreak charity challenge, helping to raise thousands of pounds.
Bristol mayor now ‘needs to deliver what the voters want’16 November 2012Local government experts from the University of Bristol have given their reaction to the election of the city’s first mayor – independent candidate George Ferguson.
South American cricket ears shown to rival human hearing15 November 2012Scientists studying a species of South American bush cricket with some of the smallest ears known have discovered it has hearing so sophisticated that it rivals our own. The study, published in Science, is the first to identify hearing organs in an insect that are evolutionary convergent to those of mammals.
Even moderate drinking in pregnancy can affect a child’s IQ15 November 2012Researchers at the University of Bristol have found that relatively small levels of exposure to alcohol while in the womb can influence a child’s IQ. The findings, published today [14 Nov] in PLOS ONE, have been covered extensively in the national and international media.
Could poor sleep contribute to symptoms of schizophrenia?15 November 2012Neuroscientists studying the link between poor sleep and schizophrenia have found that irregular sleep patterns and desynchronised brain activity during sleep could trigger some of the disease’s symptoms. The findings, published in the journal Neuron, suggest that these prolonged disturbances might be a cause and not just a consequence of the disorder’s debilitating effects.
