news 2011

Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - 17.04
Orangutan nest building shows high degree of sophistication
Orangutans may be smarter than previously thought if a new study into the sophisticated way they build nests is any indication. Scientists at The University of Manchester spent a year observing and filming (video footage available) orangutans at a research facility in Indonesia and found they apparently possess complex knowledge of mechanical design and material properties.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - 26.03
Stem cell study aids quest for MND therapies
A breakthrough using cutting-edge stem cell research could speed up the discovery of new treatments for motor neurone disease (MND). Researchers have discovered that key pathological events can be detected in motor neurones derived from MND patient skins cells that had been reprogrammed to become stem cells.

Mathematics - Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - 15.12.2011
Less knowledge, more power: Uninformed can be vital to democracy, study finds
Contrary to the ideal of a completely engaged electorate, individuals who have the least interest in a specific outcome can actually be vital to achieving a democratic consensus. These individuals dilute the influence of powerful minority factions who would otherwise dominate everyone else, according to new research published in Science.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - 21.09.2011
Motor Neuron Disease gene pinpointed
Families suffering from a history of motor neuron disease have helped an international team locate a new gene linked to the incurable disease. The investigators studied a large group of Finnish patients and a family from Gwent who have lost many relatives to early onset motor neuron disease (MND) and the neurodegenerative disease fronto-temporal dementia, also known as Pick's disease.

Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - Life Sciences - 20.09.2011
New gene identified for familial motor neuron disease
Families suffering from a history of motor neuron disease have helped an international scientific team locate a new gene linked to the incurable disease. The investigators studied a large group of Finnish patients and a family from Gwent, South Wales who have lost many relatives to early onset motor neuron disease (MND) and the neurodegenerative disease fronto-temporal dementia, also known as Pick's disease.

Physics/Astronomy - Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - 3.09.2010
The smallest possible refrigerator
When it comes to refrigerators, size matters. Who hasn‘t at least once in their life wished for a bigger fridge' However, who can say they‘ve wished for the extreme opposite ' the smallest conceivable one? But this is exactly what experts in quantum mechanics from the University of Bristol have done.

Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - 2.05
Olympic kayak designer’s quest for gold
Great Britain's Olympic canoe slalom team is hoping to reap the rewards this summer of pioneering new research into kayak design by a University of Nottingham PhD student and former canoe champion. For the past four years, doctoral researcher in the Faculty of Engineering , Stuart Morris, has been working on a ground-breaking project to develop a scientific methodology for the ultimate kayak design to maximise athletes' performance in the sport.

Environmental Sciences - Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - 10.02
Flumes and lasers test elite sportswear
Fabric used to make what is believed to be the fastest swimsuit to ever go on the market was tested Leeds researchers who simulated conditions close to those experienced by elite swimmers. A team led by Sedimentologist Jeff Peakall developed a methodology using lasers and flume tanks contained in a giant black box to accurately measure the speed of fabric through water.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - 31.10.2011
Royal visit for new chair in motor neurone research
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal attended a lecture today to mark the appointment of Professor Kevin Talbot to the new Chair of Motor Neuron Biology at the University of Oxford. The position will support research into motor neurone disease with the aim of increasing understanding of this complex disease.

Physics/Astronomy - Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics - 20.04.2010
Collaborative engineering paper a Nanotechnology ’highlight’
A collaborative research paper including work by Dr Fabrizio Scarpa from the University of Bristol's Department of Aerospace Engineering has been named as one of the highlights of 2009 by leading journal Nanotechnology.