Research Outreach Archives

Skin cancer awareness month

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As balmy, long evenings and temperate sunshine return to the western hemisphere, May marks the arrival of more than just the first of the season’s strawberries and the smell of sun cream. May is skin cancer awareness month. Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, making up a third of all diagnosed cases. They are abnormal […]

Research Outreach – Issue 129: Sustainability, ethical banking, and baby robots

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Although this issue was published earlier in the year, the scientific research was too good not to round up here on the blog. This issue of Research Outreach investigates a number of ways that sustainability issues are being tackled, including strategies in green central banking, opportunities to improve urban transport and a transdisciplinary approach to restoring the river Thames. Research […]

Research Outreach – Issue 130: Pollution problems, ethical engineering, and civilisation decline

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Research Outreach 130 highlights international research in a diverse array of topics, including volatile oil prices, a new delivery system for dietary supplements, and a deeper understanding of civilisation decline in the Late Holocene era. Waste management is once again a key topic, as we share research into one region in Finland that is helping transition to a circular economy. […]

For the love of chocolate

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A variety of chocolate bars, cocoa powder and cinnamon sticks. Chocolate is linked to endorphin release such as serotonin.

Chocolate. The feeling of delight triggered by a mouthful is familiar to many of us. Its visual aspect, its scent, its taste, the sound it makes when we bite into it, the sensation once in the mouth – chocolate provides an experience that activates all of our senses. Of course, not everyone loves chocolate, but most of us do. Some […]

Cactus: The new leather?

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An image of a prickly pear cactus with fruits growing from the top. This type of cactus is being used to develop plant-based alternatives to leather.

It’s widely known that the production of animal leather is very harmful to the environment, but leather is a staple of many industries. As an answer to this problem a variety of more eco-friendly leather alternatives have recently been developed. One of these is an organic material called Desserto®, made of nopal (or prickly pear) cactus. This alternative has the look and […]

The science behind a perfect cup of coffee

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A cup of coffee in a green cup and saucer is on a table, next to a scoop that has coffee beans pouring out of it.

There is something about the smell of a good cup of coffee in the morning that just cannot be beaten. Unless you prefer tea of course, in which case it should be gently highlighted that coffee is now the most popular drink worldwide and it’s probably time to give it a go. But how do you make a perfect cup […]

Life on the moons of our Solar System

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A picture of the surface of a moon. Speculating about which moons in our Solar System would be the best candidate for the terraforming process

Spreading out among the stars and building new colonies has long been a dream for humanity, but we shouldn’t just looked at neighbouring planets as potential future homes. Scientists have been collecting information on the moons in our Solar System for decades, and they are often just as interesting as the planets they orbit. Our Solar System is home to […]

Dry January: Can alcohol affect your eyes, bones, and perceived reliability?

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The first month of the Gregorian Calendar is often marked by a renewed set of hopes and intentions for the year to come. From resolutions on personal and professional growth to plans to implement healthy lifestyle changes, New Year’s resolutions are widespread. Some choose to participate in an event called Dry January, the aim of which is to abstain from […]