science wire

Software to chart rise of Empire trade
A study of the rise of the British Empire is likely to show that mass global trading was big business at the time.

Objects of devotion
Why did Renaissance shoppers fill their baskets with rosaries, crucifixes, Christ-dolls and devotional paintings? A new study by historian Mary Laven investigates the significance of Catholic clutter, as she explains.

Q&A with Scott Centenary Tour composer
The Scott Polar Research Institute is proud to have provided the inspiration for a major new composition by leading British composer, Cecilia McDowall.

African theologian to give University Sermon
Professor Musa W Dube of the University of Botswana will preach a University Sermon in Great St Mary's, the University Church, on Sunday 5 February at 11.15 a.m. The title of her sermo

Great handbags – but what about the politics?
Audiences are spellbound by Meryl Streep's performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. As a PhD student looking at British politics in the same era, Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite was keen to see how the movie portrayed the woman who changed the face of Britain.

Narratives of Conversion
A project concluding this weekend examines why women choose to convert to Islam - and what the experience is like.

Courts endangering religious freedom, academic claims
Religious freedom in Europe and North America is being endangered by the courts, an Oxford University academic has claimed in a new book.

History holds key to future energy policy, says report
History holds key to future energy policy, says report Policymakers should look to history to learn how best to tackle the challenges of a low carbon economy, says a new report co-authored by University of Sussex energy analyst Professor Jim Watson.

Viking mass grave linked to elite killers of the medieval world
A mass grave found in Dorset could belong to a crew of Viking mercenaries who terrorised Europe in the 11th century - according to a new documentary on National Geographic which pieces together the story behind the burial. Clearly these men had shown a level of bravery similar to the Jomsviking code." —Britt Baillie A crew of Viking mercenaries - some of the fiercest and most feared killers in the medieval world - could be the occupants of a mysterious mass grave in the south of England, according to a new theory.

Arts Council England to support University of Cambridge Museums partnership

Shipwrecked: women and children first?
Romantic notions of heroism - the captain refusing to leave his sinking ship, women and children being ushered to safety - have been shattered by reports emerging from the Costa Concordia.

Oxford announces honorary degrees for 2012

Historian uncovers a real-life Dickensian tale of prostitution and suspected murder
Research by a legal historian at the University of Warwick has uncovered a real-life 19th century couple whose tragic tale could have been taken straight out of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. While researching the extent of cohabitation in the 19th century, Professor Rebecca Probert came across the story of a couple whose fate almost mirrors that of the Dickens' character Bill Sykes and his prostitute girlfriend Nancy.

University Library’s greatest treasures on show
An unpublished Rupert Brooke poem will sit alongside some of Cambridge University Library's greatest treasures when a free exhibition of highlights from its priceless collections opens to the public today.

A story of horror and hope for Holocaust Memorial Day

Charting the Rise and Decline of the Gothic Cathedral
A comprehensive exploration into Gothic cathedrals and their place in medieval society will be the focus of a series of Cambridge University Slade Lectures in Fine Art entitled The Gothic Cathedral: A New Heaven and a New Earth.

Exhibition remembers wartime refugees
An exhibition hosted by the Institute of Archaeology is to remember the experiences of refugees who sought shelter in Oxford during World War II.

Professor of Palaeography and Manuscript Studies appointed
King's College London has appointed Julia Crick as Professor of Palaeography and Manuscript Studies in the School of Arts & Humanities.

Picture This # 12 – they’re going on a bear hunt, Madingley Hall
" What is it? This image of a bear hunt is taken from one of three remarkable wall paintings in the Murals Room at Madingley Hall.

A click up the Eighties: Archive’s digital project opens up our recent past to a wider audience
A click up the Eighties: Archive's digital project opens up our recent past to a wider audience The words and voices of ordinary people commenting on the extraordinary events of the 1980s as the

New Year Honours 2012

‘Extreme Sleepover #9’ – waiting for sunrise in the Congo
In the ninth of a series of reports contributed by Cambridge researchers, historian Catherine Porter visits the Democratic Republic of Congo to people in the city of Lubumbashi about their political and cultural identity.

‘Extreme Sleepover #4’ – religious fervour and fireworks in the Peruvian Andes
In the fourth of a series of reports contributed by Cambridge researchers, historian Gabriela Ramos travels to a village high in the Andes to taste the heady mix of worship and wonder that surrounds a regional festival honouring the Virgin Mary.

Queuing for the magic of King’s on Christmas Eve
Each year hundreds of people queue day and night in the cold to experience the magic of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in King's College Chapel.

Oscar winner returns to "inspiring" Sussex

Extreme sleepover: the importance of being there
Tomorrow we launch a series of 12 articles by Cambridge researchers who tell us about the unfamiliar places where they've spent the night in the course of their work.

Site of earliest house is scheduled by the Government
21 Dec 2011 One of Yorkshire's most outstanding historical sites has been given protection by Heritage Minister John Penrose.

Manchester inspires future Olympians
20 Dec 2011 The University of Manchester has been awarded the Inspire Mark by the London 2012 Inspire programme for an event organised to engage with local schools and educate children about various aspects of the 2012 Games.

The Bronze Age – now in 3D
One of the most important later Bronze Age sites ever discovered in Britain is being excavated near Peterborough, providing a richly detailed, "3D" view of life around the year 1,000 BC. This is a 3-D vision of of life during the Bronze Age that we only see very rarely anywhere in the world, let alone in this country." —David Gibson The world will get its first glimpse of one of the most significant later Bronze Age sites ever recorded in Britain today, yielding a rare and extraordinarily detailed view of life 3,000 years ago.

Cold War PR – spinning the ideological battlefront

Island language in a sea of change
Norman languages spoken in the Channel Islands for a thousand years are now severely endangered. Cambridge linguist Mari Jones has been analysing the languages and tracing why they have declined.

Bah! Humbug! There is more to Dickens then Christmas, says University of Warwick expert
For many, Charles Dickens and his classic story A Christmas Carol epitomise the festive period, but a leading professor at The University of Warwick wants people to have greater expectations when it comes to Dickens.

Being told painting is fake changes brain’s response to art
Being told that a work of art is authentic or fake alters the brain's response to the visual content of artwork, Oxford University academics have found. Fourteen participants were placed in a brain scanner and shown images of works by ‘Rembrandt' – some were genuine, others were convincing imitations painted by different artists.

Island research
A Cardiff researcher will be sharing her expertise in zooarchaeology with students in the Philippines to help enhance the quality of higher education in the country.

Faculty of Theology plans name change

Divinity appoints first Muslim professor
The University of Edinburgh's School of Divinity has appointed its first Muslim professor. Professor Mona Siddiqui, a regular on BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day, is the new Professor of Islamic and Inter-religious studies at the University.

Swimming starlet wins gold in Canada

Eminent Notts scientist receives blue plaque honour
A blue plaque commemorating the life and work of one of Nottinghamshire's most eminent scientists is to be unveiled at the Beeston home he built.

¤4.3million project to examine history of the transatlantic slave trade
Two University of Bristol archaeologists are part of EUROTAST, a new European-funded network which will bring together an unprecedented range of young researchers to examine one of the most traumatic chapters in world history: the transatlantic slave trade.

Kaiser, Reich and the making of modern Germany
Europe is in crisis and its future is said to depend on Germany. The most comprehensive study of Germany's early modern history ever undertaken, published this week, questions just how much we know about its past - and how much we understand it as a result.

Digital church records offer window into past
Digital church records offer window into past The University of Sheffield's Humanities Research Institute (HRI) has completed a project with the University of York to digitise records of

Wake-up call for coffee drinkers over caffeine toxicity
One of the largest collections of old Bibles in the UK is currently being showcased at Glasgow's Mitchell Library in an exhibition to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the production of the King James Bible in 1611.

Museum receives cast of 1.9 million year old hominid
Oxford University Museum of Natural History has been presented with casts of the skull and hand of Australopithecus sediba, a 1.9 million year old hominid species.

Strictly Orthodox now one fifth of British Jews
ew statistics produced this month by an academic from The University of Manchester show that the Strictly Orthodox - or Charedi - community accounted for 20 per cent of all Anglo-Jewry in 2010.

Rugby rivalry renewed
One of the oldest rivalries in rugby is to be renewed in a unique match in London. Two of the founding members of the Scottish Rugby Union, the Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews, will meet in London for the first time.

Recreating ‘The Great Escape’
First it was the Dambusters raid, now Cambridge University's Hugh Hunt has helped to recreate 'The Great Escape' from Germany's infamous Stalag Luft III.

Where God meets physics
Eminent thinker and commentator Revd John Polkinghorne, Fellow of the Royal Society, will be giving a public talk - titled A Destiny Beyond Death - tomorrow lunchtime at St Edmund's College, Cambridge.

New galleries bring Egyptian and Nubian collections of out storage
The Ashmolean Museum has opened six new galleries to house the collections of Ancient Egypt and Nubia (present day Sudan).

Academics shed new light on old links between classical, African and Middle Eastern cultures
Academics from the Universities of Warwick and Oxford have shed new light on the history of interactions between the classical world, Africa and the Middle East.

Interactions between classical, African and Middle Eastern cultures explored
Academics from the Universities of Oxford and Warwick have shed new light on the history of interactions between the classical world, Africa and the Middle East.

New wave of Danish art to be explored
A free public lecture looking at the recent rise of the Danish contemporary art scene will take place at Churchill College on November 24, given by top art critic Lisbeth Bonde.

'Want an ethical career Become a banker'
Ethically-minded people should consider a career in banking rather than joining the third sector, an Oxford University ethicist has suggested.

King’s Russia Institute
King's College London is set to open a Russia Institute in 2013, which will aim to become the leading international centre for the study of contemporary Russia.

World champions debate Scottish independence
The Glasgow University Union (GUU) is hosting a debate on Scottish independence on Saturday to mark the 30 th anniversary of the World debating championships.

From Band Aid to X-Factor: a history of the charity single
From Band Aid to X-Factor: a history of the charity single The charity single season gets under way in earnest this week with the release of the BBC charity Children In Need's song Teardrop, followed by TV talent show The X-Factor's Christmas single, Wishing On A Star.

‘Picture This #10’ – The Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 lines, University Library
The Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 lines is the oldest dated and illustrated Sanskrit manuscript known worldwide.

How will we remember them?
As we approach Remembrance Day, a Cambridge University project that looks at the role of memorials in conflict-torn communities is drawing to a close.

Powerful words
Ancient manuscripts that hold important clues to India’s intellectual and religious traditions will be the focus of a new study.

The authoritative lectures on authority

Known and unknown: great travellers of the Pacific
Islanders: The Pacific in the Age of Empire tells the story of the Pacific Islanders and their early interactions with Western travellers from the viewpoint of the Islanders themselves and sets the arrival of Westerners within a context of existing voyages within the region.

Bristol archaeologist publishes book on the gold of Ancient Panama
A lavishly-illustrated book on the pre-Columbian goldwork of Panama has been published by Nicholas Saunders, lecturer in the University of Bristol's Department of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Scientists race against time to save the last ‘Flying Pencil’
Scientists are in a race against time to help save the last remaining intact World War II German light bomber Dornier Do-17, known as The Flying Pencil (Fliegender Bleistift), which lies underwater in the English Channel off the Kentish coast in the UK.

The Cockleshell Heroes
Research by a Plymouth graduate has shed new light on the World War II Cockleshell Heroes raid, which will be screened on national television this week. Tom Keene’s research conducted as part of his Plymouth PhD studies reveals that a lack of communication between allied units led to unnecessary deaths during the famous Cockleshell Heroes raid on enemy shipping.

Celebrating 400 years of King James Bible
The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham is to give the first in a series of free talks at The University of Nottingham's Great Hall to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the King James version of the Bible.

Children get expert help on their Ancient Egypt project
20 Oct 2011 Children at Moorlands Junior School in Sale are getting expert help with their project on ancient Egypt.

Viking boat burial find is UK mainland first
19 Oct 2011 The UK mainland's first fully intact Viking boat burial site has been discovered by archaeologists working in the Scottish Highlands. The 5m-long grave contained the remains of a high status Viking, who was buried with an axe, a sword with a beautifully decorated hilt, a spear, shield boss and bronze ring-pin.

Senator Mitchell honorary degree
Senator George Mitchell, former US Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, received an honorary doctorate from King's at a reception yesterday in the Great Hall.

Threatened Syrian citadel gives up secrets in midst of conflict
14 Oct 2011 An archaeologist working in Syria has solved the mystery of why one of Islam's earliest fortresses dropped out of the historical record around 1,100 years ago.

Arts and Humanities Festival 2011
The Power of Stories will be the theme for this year's Arts and Humanities Festival when the School throws opens its doors to the public to showcase the diversity and impact of its research on society.

TV historian gives first Mass Observation anniversary lecture
TV historian gives first Mass Observation anniversary lecture A series of five lectures to celebrate Mass Observation's 75th anniversary begins this month with a talk by social historian and best-selling author Juliet Gardiner.

Historians can play key role in tackling world’s problems
Historians should play more of a role in tackling some of the greatest questions facing the planet, according to a new book.

19th Century ‘Protestant work ethic’ at heart of Europe’s North/South debt crisis split
Research from the Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE) at the University of Warwick suggests the 19th Century ‘protestant work ethic' could have given the economies of

World-renowned engineer Sir Ove Arup honoured with unveiling of new bust

Schoolroom Science and Other Revolutionary Ideas
Talk by Emily Winterburn on Saturday 1 October 2011 How did you learn science at school‘ Do you think it would have differed very much from a lesson in 1911 or even earlier' The University o

War and conflict documentaries showing at IWMN
Six documentaries produced by University of Manchester MA students are to be screened at a special Imperial War Museum North event next week (27 Sept).

After 150 years, rebel hymns finally hit right note
A selection from what has been identified by a University of Manchester academic as the only surviving Chartist hymn book is to be performed in public for the first time since 1854.

Olympic dream becoming a reality for Rebecca

Glasgow University Academic Reveals the True Story Behind William Wallace’s Rising Against the English
For centuries historians have believed that the spark that led to the popular Scottish uprising against Edward I in 1297 was William Wallace's killing of the English Sheriff of Lanark, William Hesilrig.

Researchers to unlock distinctive West Midlands accent
The region's linguistic heritage is set to be explored in a new research project comparing the way today's West Midlands residents speak to text from an ancient medieval manuscript originating from the area.

University of Glasgow to feature in landmark BBC radio series "The Scottish Intellect"
The history, traditions and ethos of the University of Glasgow form a major element of a landmark six part BBC Radio Scotland series to be broadcast each Wednesday afternoon at 1405, beginning on Wednesday 14 September 2011.

Jack uses pedal power to reach World Cup final
During the week, Jack Reading is a student in Optometry at The University of Manchester – but in his spare time, he is one of the best Downhill Mountain Bikers in the UK.

Dig to shed light on rich past of much loved park
An excavation led by University of Manchester archaeologists and started this week, is to shed some light on the rich Victorian and Edwardian heritage of a much loved park.

Inside Britain’s biggest Iron Age fortress
A major excavation at Britain's biggest Iron Age hill-fort has begun in Somerset, in the hope that it will at last enable historians to explain the meaning and purpose of the enigmatic site.

Trustee role for King’s History Professor
Professor Ludmilla Jordanova, from the Department of History, has been appointed a Trustee of the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI).

Who are the ’unmeltable’ in the great melting pot of America 9/11 ten years on.
Who are the 'unmeltable' in the great melting pot of America? 9/11 ten years on.

Book commemorates 9/11 by questioning what it means to say I am an American?
Book commemorates 9/11 by questioning what it means to say 'I am an American? Shortly after the events of 9/11, a Public Service Announcement was broadcast on US television in which American cit

Lost Roman port found in Wales
The remains of a 2000-year-old Roman port have been discovered in south Wales by archaeologists from the University. Uncovered outside the Roman fortress in Caerleon by a team of staff and students from the School of History, Archaeology and Religion, the port is only the second known from Roman Britain and sheds new light on Wales? role in Roman Britain.

And they’re off...1,000 mile Life Cycle begins
The University of Nottingham Life Cycle team are setting off on a gruelling 1,000-mile charity bike ride from John O'Groats to Land's End.

More sex please, we’re Greek: exposing the myth of Platonic love
Plato lent his name to Platonic love but a new book reveals that the ancient Greek philosopher never advocated love without sex. University of Manchester science historian Jay Kennedy, who hit the headlines last year after revealing he had cracked the code in the great thinker's writings, has now published a decoder's manual that lays bare the secret content of Plato's ancient works.

Getting inside the mind (and up the nose) of our ancient ancestors
Reorganisation of the brain and sense organs could be the key to the evolutionary success of vertebrates, one of the great puzzles in evolutionary biology, according to a paper by an international team of researchers, published today in Nature.

Find gives human face to Australia’s convict past
A series of archaeological finds in Tasmania have shown how colonial guards secretly eased the brutal treatment of women prisoners in 1850s Australia, rewriting our understanding of life inside Britain's colonial prisons Down Under.

Transcript of Nixon phone call reveals depth of collapse of the US UK special relationship in 1973
‘Document' is aired on Monday, 20.00, BBC Radio 4.

University of Warwick researcher calls for re-think on celebrity obsessed culture
A philosophy professor at the University of Warwick has urged for a re-evaluation of our notions of celebrity – calling for a return to when fame was a reward rather than simply a goal.

Franco-Scottish alliance against England one of longest in history
A University of Manchester historian has uncovered evidence which shows how a defensive alliance against England between Scotland and France might never have formally ended – potentially making it the longest in history.