Articles
I’m a scientist, Get Me Out of Here
It’s a format that’s been a worldwide sensation – so why not apply the principles of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! to research scientists and help children build more ‘science capital’? I’m a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here, developed by Shane McCracken, connects scientists directly with schools to help young people engage with STEM subjects and […]
Going global: How a Japanese University is revolutionising English-language learning
As the process of globalisation continues to interconnect the Earth’s people, the ability to communicate effectively has become integral to the development of partnerships and relationships all over the world. Toward such means and ends, the teaching of English – as the defacto lingua franca – has become paramount. In Japan, Hiroshima University (HU) is at the forefront of global education […]
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Culturally-relevant chemistry for American Indian students
American Indian students in the USA are under-represented in all science and engineering fields by up to a half. To find ways to bring cultural relevance to American Indian students, Professor Mark Griep and his colleagues Beverly R. DeVore-Wedding, Janyce Woodard and Hank Miller are indigenizing chemistry courses at two tribal colleges in Nebraska. By focusing on laboratory experiences, their […]
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An integrated toolkit for high-dimensional complex and time series data analysis
Big data can be too large and complex for traditional methods and conventional software packages to deal with. Dr Fang Han, Assistant Professor in Statistics at the University of Washington, Seattle, is meeting this challenge head on. He is creating an integrated statistical toolkit comprising robust statistical procedures, including distribution-free inference and rank-based methods, which can be applied to high-dimensional […]
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How a minority can swiftly shape collective actions
Understanding how groups of animals react to sudden threats has eluded researchers for many years and previous models failed to provide a mechanism for how social information can disseminate quickly through the ranks. For the past ten years, Dr Bertrand Lemasson, based at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Oregon, USA, has studied how and when an individual’s actions within […]
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Using low-cost sensors and citizen science to examine air quality
Air pollution is often a direct cause of poor health. Although useful, governmental air quality recording sometimes lacks spatial coverage. By harnessing the power of modern day’s ‘digital residents,’ citizen science projects can be easily employed to continuously gather vast quantities of data. Dr Andrew May and colleagues from The Ohio State University are teaming up with teachers and students […]
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Zeolite membranes for chemical separation
Petroleum is not just a fuel, it is a complex mixture of chemical species. This is why it is such a rich source of many essential chemicals for pharmaceutical and plastics manufacturing. However, the distillation process for separating these different chemical species are incredibly energy intensive. Dr Motomu Sakai at the Waseda University Nano Life Innovation Research Organization is developing […]
Light therapy improves cognitive function after traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injuries affect millions of people every year and the long-term symptoms are often unresponsive to current treatments. Dr Greg Hipskind and his team have developed a novel method of light therapy which seeks to improve cognitive function and cerebral blood flow. Results are extremely positive for a study cohort of 12 military Veterans living with the consequences of […]
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The Tommie Science Network: A high-speed network for high-level research
As science research projects increasingly focus on utilising ‘big data’, universities and research centres have needed to upgrade their research networks in order to facilitate the management and sharing of large and unwieldy datasets internally and externally. The University of St. Thomas, Minnesota has recognised this need, and Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Innovation & Technology Services Ed […]
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A potential new tool for cardiovascular disease prevention
Cardiovascular disease is still one of the leading causes of death around the world. With the ultimate goal of developing new diagnostic tools to enable cardiovascular disease prevention, Dr Otilia Vieira, based at the NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal, is keen to understand the ways in which our body deals with excess cholesterol. Atherosclerosis is a potentially serious condition where […]
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