Science shorts
A summary review of some science that recently hit the headlines, covering such diverse subject matter as superconductors and the Prisoner's Dilemma.
Research
Chemical reflections
The 2001 Nobel Prize for chemistry concerned work with chiral molecules. Varinder Aggarwal, Professor of Synthetic Chemistry, reflects on why this might be important to you and me.
Bristol rises to the cancer challenge
"Cancer remains a major challenge to human health in the 21st century, so we need to make sure that what we learn in the laboratory is appropriately applied in the clinic." Bass Hassan, Professor of Adult Oncology, Department of Pathology and Microbiology.
Better beef and lamb
There is much anecdotal but little scientific evidence that grass-fed beef and lamb are superior in quality to that produced intensively on grain-based diets. Jeff Wood, Professor of Food Animal Science, examines the facts.
Predicting our future
While the debate about whether human activity impacts on climate grows less controversial, predicting the extent of those changes and deciding the political means to mitigate their impact, remain highly contentious. This is science at its most difficult.
What are your chances of having a heart attack?
It is never easy to predict the future but Dr Peter Brindle is trying to find more accurate and inclusive ways of identifying those at risk from coronary heart disease.
Of furry lungs and fuzzy logic
A fruitful collaboration between Dr Jonathan Rossiter from the Artificial Intelligence Group in the Department of Engineering Mathematics and Bristol Royal Infirmary is leading to advances in the automatic detection and diagnosis of lung disease.
Difficult issues
Some of the major advances in medical science would not have been possible without the use of animals in research - insulin, penicillin and anaesthetics, to name but a few...
Fossil molecules see climate change
Rocks and sediments contain the chemical remains of the organisms that once lived in ancient oceans and lakes. These 'biomarkers' can be used to reconstruct plant and animal assemblages living in past settings. Moreover, they can tell us something about the prevailing environment.
Reactions in action
Enzymes enable biological systems to function, speeding up the myriad chemical reactions upon which life depends. Understanding how these biological catalysts work at the molecular level promises undreamt-of technological benefits...