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At least three kinds of evolutionary applications are transforming medicine and public health. First are well-established population genetic and phylogenetic evolutionary methods that are now being used on new genetic data. Second are attempts to address evolutionary questions about why natural selection left our bodies vulnerable. Some of the most powerful applications are in infectious disease,

Gene editing using ‘molecular scissors’ that snip out and replace faulty DNA could provide an almost unimaginable future for some patients: a complete cure. Cambridge researchers like Dr Alasdair Russell from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute are working towards making the technology cheap and safe, as well as examining the ethical and legal issues surrounding one of the most

April 2016 saw the first performance of reconstructed 11th-Century ‘lost songs’ that hadn’t been heard in over 1,000 years - a performance made possible by the research of one of our lecturers (http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/first-performance-in-1000-years-lost-songs-from-the-middle-ages-are-brought-back-to-life-0) Two years on, a CD of this repertoire has just been released, and we are

Howler monkeys are about the size of a small dog, weighing around seven kilos, yet they are among the loudest terrestrial animals on the planet, and can roar at a similar acoustic frequency to tigers. Evolution has given these otherwise lethargic creatures a complex and powerful vocal system. For males, a critical function of the roar is for mating: to attract females and scare off rival males.

The '60 Second Impressions' are a series of one-minute films featuring current Cambridge undergraduate students. These students talk about what it's really like to study at Cambridge, live in a College, and take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Jasmine is from High Wycombe, and is studying Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES). In her 60 Second Impression, she talks about

This film is one of the outputs from a major EPSRC-funded research project undertaken by Cambridge, Loughborough, Leeds and the Open universities. The project investigated thermal conditions in a representative sample of NHS hospital buildings dating from the 1930s to the present, and, on the basis of this work, predicted their future performance through to 2080. Having diagnosed these buildings'

You might think that today image is more important than ever. From photo filters, to selfies, to celebrities on Instagram, what do our images say about us? Mary Beard meets model and influencer, Sasha Pallari who campaigns against filters and their promotion of a beauty ideal - Mary even tries one on for size! But making choices about our image is nothing new. Classicist and art historian, Carrie

By chemically sampling the atmospheres of two dead stars in the Hyades cluster 150 light years away, researchers at Cambridge and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered the building blocks for Earth-sized planets formed around the stars while they lived. The study offers insight into what will happen in our solar system when our Sun burns out 5 billion years from now. This animation is an

This optical microscopy image shows the drying and cracking of a film formed when an aklyl ketene dimer (AKD) dispersion is deposited and dried on a glass microscope slide. AKD is a waxy material that is commonly used in industry to treat paper and reduce its water absorbance. This can improve the quality of inkjet printing by reducing the spread of ink drops. As part of an on-going European

Find out about the importance of interdisciplinary research at Cambridge and the lively network of cross-School initiatives at the University. Postgraduate students, early-career researchers and researchers new to the University in particular may not be aware of the range of opportunities for interdisciplinary networking and collaboration. There are a number of interdisciplinary initiatives such

There have been several recent egregious examples of private prosecutions, including the case of the Post Office prosecuting numerous Postmasters for losses caused by a faulty IT system. Professor John Spencer discusses these cases, the evolution of the system of private prosecutions, and the considerations involved in regulating such actions. Professor Spencer is Professor Emeritus of Law and

A presentation by Professor Lawrence Sherman, Wolfson Professor of Criminology, Director of the Jerry Lee Centre for Experimental Criminology at the University of Cambridge and Director, Police Executive Programme. Repeated experiments show that focused policing reduces crime. Yet research shows that prison increases offenders' crime rates, especially after they are sent to prison for the first

The placenta is the interface between the mother and her baby, which means it is not only key to a successful pregnancy, it determines the future health of every one of us. In this film Professor Graham Burton discusses how the Trophoblast Centre was established to generate a fresh approach into placental research. The Centre focuses on common complications during pregnancy that have their roots

You might think that today image is more important than ever. From photo filters, to selfies, to celebrities on Instagram, what do our images say about us? Mary Beard meets model and influencer, Sasha Pallari who campaigns against filters and their promotion of a beauty ideal - Mary even tries one on for size! But making choices about our image is nothing new. Classicist and art historian, Carrie

The '60 Second Impressions' are a series of one-minute films featuring current Cambridge undergraduate students. These students talk about what it's really like to study at Cambridge, live in a College, and take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Alexa is from the USA, and is studying HSPS. In her 60 Second Impression, she talks about the diverse range of people at Cambridge and

Despite adolescence being a high-risk time for developing major psychiatric and drug dependence disorders, very little is known about the teenage brain. A novel research project jointly led by scientists from the University of Cambridge and UCL (University College London) aims to shed light on what happens to the brain as young people mature as part of a £5.4 million project funded by the

One of the earliest Anglo-Saxon Christian burial sites in Britain has been discovered in a village outside Cambridge. The grave of a teenage girl from the mid 7th century AD has an extraordinary combination of two extremely rare finds: a 'bed burial' and an early Christian artefact in the form of a stunning gold and garnet cross. The girl, aged around 16, was buried on an ornamental bed -- a very

AFRICAN PLANT SCIENTISTS DEVELOP NEW SKILLS IN CAMBRIDGE TO TACKLE PROBLEMS AT HOME Researchers and students gathered at the Sainsbury Laboratory on Tuesday 4 April for the inaugural African Diaspora Biotech Summit. Among the participants were 17 postgraduate students and academics from six African countries who had earlier taken part in the Molecular Laboratory Training Workshop, held in

Study of a unique rock collection -- and its astonishingly beautiful microscopic crystal structures -- could change our understanding of how the Earth works. The collection of igneous rocks, housed at the University of Cambridge's Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, dates back to at least the early 1800s and contains around 160,000 rocks and about 250,000 slide-mounted rock slices that are thin

In the light of the discharge of the jury in the trial of Vicky Pryce, questions have been asked about the value of the jury system. Professor John Spencer discusses the pitfalls of the system over the years, and suggests ways in which the delivery of justice might be improved. Professor Spencer is Professor of Law, Co-Director of the Centre for European Legal Studies, and Honorary President of

100 years ago, celebrations marking the end of the First World War were cut short by the onslaught of a devastating disease - the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. Its early origins and initial geographical starting point still remain a mystery but in the Summer of 1918, there was a second wave of a far more virulent form of the influenza virus than anyone could have anticipated. Soon dubbed ‘Spanish

This is a beautiful image of human brain cells, which can now be grown from adult skin cells. Cambridge University's Under the Microscope is a collection of videos that show glimpses of the natural and man-made world in stunning close-up. Check out the rest of the series here: http://bit.ly/A6bwCE Yichen Shi: "Brain neural stem cells derived from human skin cells: these stem cells express typical

In the early hours of 24 June 2016, the result of the UK referendum on EU membership was announced. By a narrow but clear majority the vote was to leave the European Union. This result has begun a chain of seismic political consequences in the UK and the EU, and will have widespread implications for the law and constitution in the UK. In this video, Mark Elliott assess the immediate impact of the

Lecture presented by Professor John O'Doherty for the Darwin College Lecture Series 2010. A deeper understanding of how the brain makes decisions will not only inspire new theories of decision making, it will also contribute to the development of genuine artificial intelligence, and it will enable us to understand why some humans are better than others at making decisions, why humans with certain

"I would expect there to have to be some tax increases in the next parliament because people expect improved public services and infrastructure." Professor Diane Coyle lays out what the next government will need to do to grow the economy and looks at what gets in the way of private sector investment. ️ What is at stake for the UK General Election? In this new video series, students and

One of the most important maps of the UK ever made – described as the ‘Magna Carta of geology’ – is to go on permanent public display in Cambridge after being restored to its former glory. - See more at: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/the-magna-carta-of-scientific-maps#sthash.cfVPSGJz.dpuf William Smith’s 1815 Geological Map of England and Wales, which measures 8.5ft x 6ft,

Towards the unification of the behavioural sciences Professor Herbert Gintis (New Mexico, USA / Budapest, Hungary) Summary: Despite their distinct objects of study, the human behavioural sciences all include models of individual human behaviour. Unity in the behavioural sciences requires that there be a common underlying model of individual human behaviour, specialized and enriched to meet the

“For Cambridge to sustain the success of our innovation ecosystem, we need the brightest and best from the UK and around the world to come here.” Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice outlines what policies would most help Cambridge and other UK universities deliver economic growth. ️ What is at stake for the UK General Election? In this new video series, students and

A Cambridge team frustrated by the apathetic response to biodiversity loss has developed a dramatic new way to highlight the demise of nature – and people are listening. Driven by the observation that human activities are silencing nature, researchers have linked a piece of classical music, Mendelssohn’s ‘Hebrides Overture’, with the loss of an iconic species: the North Atlantic humpback

Mr Bill Nicholl, a lecturer in design technology for the Faculty of Education, and Mr Ian Hosking, a senior research associate in the Department of Engineering, are co-founders of Designing Our Tomorrow, a platform for transforming D&T education in schools. Their public engagement initiative began in 2009 and brought together research around inclusive design and creativity in education. Through

Cambridge University is a global institution that is firmly and proudly planted in the East of England. Working with local partners, researchers are helping to enhance agriculture, tackle inequality, understand coastal erosion, ensure healthy ageing, and much more. “Our roots in the region run deep. The breadth and longevity of our mutually beneficial partnerships with local authorities and

New research, from the laboratory of Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz of the University of Cambridge, enables scientists to view critical aspects of mammalian embryonic development which was previously unobservable. Around the fourth day, at which point the developing embryo implants into the mother's womb, its development becomes hidden from view as this is taking place. Yet this is a very

Dr Hazel Wilkinson is postdoctoral researcher investigating the history of reading and writing habits in the 18th century. In collaboration with Dr Will Bowers at the University of Oxford, she has developed an online public platform, journallists.org, which allows readers to engage with instalments of periodicals, diaries, letters, and novels, on the anniversaries of the day on which they were

In his speech at Chatham House on 10 November 2015 (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-ministers-speech-on-europe), the Prime Minister David Cameron outlined those aspects of the EU he would like to see reformed prior to any referendum on the UK's continued membership of the EU. EU employment law - one of the most controversial areas of EU policy - was not expressly identified in his

There has recently been a great deal of controversy surrounding judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the attempted deportation to Jordan of radical cleric Abu Qatada, and the decision to oblige the UK to give convicted prisoners the right to vote. In the first video in the series, Professor David Feldman discusses the judgements of the European Court, and the

In Ilott v The Blue Cross [2017] UKSC 17 the Supreme Court considered the competing claims of the animal charities included in a woman's will and her estranged adult daughter, who was excluded from the will but living in necessitous circumstances. In this video, Brian Sloan considers the outcome of the case, which raised fundamental principles of succession law, and its broader implications.

It’s a kid’s dream to discover the world, to unravel its mysteries, to understand its secrets laws. The good news is that we humans are inherently equipped with the tools and mechanisms to do so; Mathematics. This film is a collaboration between researcher Sara Merino Aceituno and filmmaker Sameer Patel. Sara Merino Aceituno is a PhD research student in Mathematical Physics, University of

“I’m registered to vote... It’s the first time I can voice my opinion!” Cambridge students tell us if they’re registered yet, why where they vote matters and how they feel about voting for the first time. Cambridge students: remember to register to vote in the General Election on 4 July. You can register at home and at your term-time address, but you must only vote in one place on the

On the 15 November the UK Supreme Court decided that the United Kingdom's policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful. In this short video Dr Kirsty Hughes explains the Court's reasoning, and considers the Government's response and possible next steps. Kirsty Hughes is an Associate Professor specialising in Human Rights Law. She is joint General Editor of the European Human Rights Law

Professor Sir Colin Humphreys and his team in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy have developed a way of growing a remarkable man-made material – gallium nitride (GaN) – which is being used by British manufacturer Plessey Semiconductors to make light-emitting diodes for home lighting. LED bulbs have much longer working lives than any other forms of

On the 23rd November the UK Supreme court decided that the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to enact legislation to hold a second independence referendum in Scotland. In this short video Professor Alison Young explains the backdrop to the case, sets out how the Supreme court decided the case, and explores possible future paths to Scottish independence. Alison Young is the Sir David

“The Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic vote is so crucial during these elections on many issues.” With election day in the UK fast approaching, Lord Simon Woolley reflects on the importance of the Black and Minoritised Ethnic vote and the opportunity that voters have to continue the conversations on racial equality. ️ What is at stake for the UK General Election? In this new video series,

Dr Paul Coxon is a postdoctoral research associate in the Materials Chemistry Group, in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy. His research looks to improve the efficiency of solar cell devices using new, nanoporous silicon surfaces such as 'black silicon'; one of the blackest materials on earth. Over the past 10 years, Dr Coxon has endeavored to engage with audiences often

The successful appeal in R v Jogee and Ruddock v The Queen before the a combined Supreme Court and Privy Council raises important issues in the criminal law of complicity (sometimes unhelpfully labelled 'joint enterprise'). In this video Dr Matthew Dyson, who advised the appellant's counsel in the case considers the law of complicity, what the case changed, and its implications. Dr Matthew Dyson

Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights holding that the UK's blanket ban on voting by convicted prisoners violates Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights have caused controversy in the UK. Professor David Feldman discusses the judgements of the European Court, and considers the principles behind allowing prisoners to vote. Professor Feldman is Rouse Ball

The idea that characteristics could be passed from one generation to another was crucial to Charles Darwin’s theory of how new forms of life develop. In the 1950s the structure of DNA, the compound that encodes genetic information, was finally deciphered by Francis Crick, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, all of whom were working in or trained in Cambridge. Cambridge

In January 2018 it was reported that the Parole Board had approved the release of John Worboys, the so-called ‘Black Cab Rapist’. Worboys had been incarcerated since his conviction for a number of sexual offences in March 2009, and it was believed that he was responsible for many attacks over which he was not charged. The announcement of the decision caused much public unrest, and led to

"How are we going to make sure that the next government, whoever wins the election, is ready to safeguard democracy in the face of Gen AI?" As we continue to witness the explosive growth of Generative AI, Professor Gina Neff suggests three simple steps the next government should adopt to protect democracy. ️ What is at stake for the UK General Election? In this new video series, students and

On Thursday 17th March leading UK ferry operator P&O Ferries sacked 800 British crew across its entire fleet and stopped all sailings. The move sparked fury amongst employees and unions, and consternation in parliament. Many asked was the move - and the proposal to use cheap agency staff instead - legal, and also was it a result of Brexit? In this video, Professor Catherine Barnard considers the

Lord Simon Woolley explains how a mobilised Black and Minoritised Ethnic vote can be an election game changer. ️ What is at stake for the UK General Election? In this new video series, students and academics from the University of Cambridge share their insights on some of the biggest themes facing our country at this crucial moment, from AI to racial inequity, levelling up to misinformation,