Posted by admin in Space on 19. Feb, 2010 | No Comments
A cosmic perspective: Multi-wavelength astrophysics Astronomers use many different tools to study and explain the wonders of our Universe. Tom Jarrett and Michelle Cluver explain how the electromagnetic spectrum and, through this, multi-wavelength astrophysics is key to understanding our Universe. Our Universe is truly magnificent, becoming ever more
Continue Reading »Posted by admin in Space on 19. Feb, 2010 | No Comments
Shedding light on dark matter Claude Carignan shows how South Africa will be at the cutting edge of astrophysics with KAT-7, MeerKAT and the SKA. In the 16th century, Copernicus realised that the Earth is not the centre of the solar system, but rather is in orbit around
Continue Reading »Posted by admin in Space on 19. Feb, 2010 | No Comments
The Square Kilometer Array: A path to unveil the unknown Our exploration of the cosmos has answered many questions – but in the process, even more fundamental questions have arisen. Sergio Colafrancesco looks at how the SKA will help to answer these questions. There are some fundamental questions
Continue Reading »Posted by admin in Featured, Space on 19. Feb, 2010 | No Comments
‘Seeing’ radio waves How can we ‘see’ radio waves? André Young and David Davidson explain the engineering components for the Square Kilometre Array. The Square Kilometre Array is planned to be the largest radio interferometer array ever built. Needless to say, there is a lot of engineering that
Continue Reading »Posted by Bridget in Biology, Climate change, Life
Increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide alter how plants use water. Above the forest canopy: looking down at the trees from a Michigan eddy-covariance tower. Spurred by increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, forests over the last two decades have become dramatically more efficient in how
Continue Reading »Posted by Bridget in Life, Palaeontology
An international team of scientists has discovered that the female ancestor of all living polar bears was a brown bear that lived in the vicinity of present-day Britain and Ireland just prior to the peak of the last ice age – 20 000 to 50 000 years ago.
Continue Reading »Posted by Bridget in Biology, Health, Life
Shaun Mason Researchers from UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Centre have discovered that specific types of bacteria that live in the gut are major contributors to lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells. Published online ahead of press in the journal Cancer Research, the study was
Continue Reading »Posted by Bridget in Physics & Maths, Science in Society, Technology
When we think of a lab, we might imagine scientists in white coats and goggles pouring chemicals into vats or technicians in clean suits putting together microchips. Hear the words ‘living lab,’ and we might imagine researchers viewing tiny creatures under microscopes in a biological sciences research
Continue Reading »Posted by Bridget in Health, Science in Society
Mark Wheeler Controversy exists over what some mental health experts call ‘hypersexuality,’ or sexual ‘addiction.’ Namely, is it a mental disorder at all, or something else? It failed to make the cut in the recently updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, considered the
Continue Reading »Posted by Bridget in Health, Science in Society, Technology
Elaine Schmidt Ten years ago, the American Journal of Public Health published a special issue, ‘Built Environment and Health,’ that launched a new movement exploring how the physical design of our neighbourhoods influences our health. In a new AJPH article, Dr Richard Jackson, chair of environmental
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