science wire

The mathematics of a heart beat could save lives
What we perceive as the beating of our heart is actually the co-ordinated action of more than a billion muscle cells. Most of the time, only the muscle cells from the larger heart chambers contract and relax. But when the heart needs to work harder it relies on back-up from the atrial muscle cells deep within the smaller chambers (atria) of the heart.

Pushing science to its limits

University leads the way on high performance computing
The University of Manchester is heading up a large interdisciplinary network focusing on numerical algorithms and high performance computing.

Computational research aims to alleviate embarrassing bladder problems
Scientists from the University of Birmingham and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay are working together to develop new ways of treating bladder overactivity, a problem which affects millions of people worldwide. The joint research focuses on understanding the electrical activity in the bladder and how this goes wrong and causes urinary incontinence.

Dying at home is on the rise
Although around two thirds of us would prefer to die at home, in the developed world the trend in recent years has been for the majority to spend their final days in an institutional setting, such as a hospital or hospice.

Sherlock: the case of Moriarty's maths
In the movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows the sleuth's arch-enemy has a new weapon: mathematics supplied by a team from Oxford University.

On the hunt for the next Alan Turing

Professor Stephen Hawking’s 70th birthday symposium will focus on ‘The State of the Universe’
Professor Stephen Hawking will look back on his life at an event to celebrate his 70th birthday this weekend in Cambridge.

Can science predict a hit song?
Most people remember listening to the official UK top 40 singles chart and watching the countdown on Top of the Pops, but can science work out which songs are more likely to 'make it' in the chart? New research has looked at whether a song can be predicted to be a 'hit'. The paper, to be presented at an international workshop this week, argues that predicting the popularity of a song may well be feasible by using state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms.

Sussex and Cambridge help to share Newton treasures with the world
Sussex and Cambridge help to share Newton treasures with the world The original works of one of the greatest ever scientists – Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) – have been made available to the world online thanks to a special project that involved the University of Sussex.

Olympic Torch Relay distance calculator earns Inspire mark for London 2012
A new web tool that enables pupils to calculate and store the distance from their home or school to locations that the Olympic Torch Relay will pass through has been granted an Inspire mark by the London 2012 Inspire programme.

Mathematical secrets of Escher’s images to be revealed at University of Warwick public lecture
A public lecture at the University of Warwick is set to shed light on the mind-bending art of Dutch artist Escher by taking a closer look at the mathematics behind his images.

Concern over accuracy of suicide rates in England and Wales
07 Oct 2011 The increasing use of “narrative verdicts” by coroners in England and Wales may be leading to greater underestimation of suicide rates, warn experts.

Less than minimum wage for some care workers
The number of social care workers being paid less than the minimum wage is five times higher than previously believed, according to research from King's College London. A study by Shereen Hussein, Senior Research Fellow at the Social Care Workforce Research Unit (SCWRU), found that nine per cent of the care workforce in England is earning less than the statutory minimum wage, which is now £6.08 per hour for adults over the age of 21.

Bone drug is mixed blessing for breast cancer patients
A drug used to protect bone may extend survival in older breast cancer patients, according to researchers at the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds. The AZURE trial has revealed that the bisphosphonate drug zoledronic acid boosts disease-free survival in postmenopausal breast cancer patients but may have an adverse effect on younger women.

Study predicts Jimmy Dickinson and Jimmy McIlroy next in line for football statues
Study predicts Jimmy Dickinson and Jimmy McIlroy next in line for football statues Portsmouth FC´s Jimmy Dickinson, and Burnley and Northern Ireland winger Jimmy McIlroy can expect to be the