Evidence from sulphur in terrestrial rocks suggests that there may have been enough oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere to support complex animal life about 400 million years earlier than was thought, around 1.2 – 1.3 billion years ago.
A paper published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) suggests that at least one ‘brain training’ game can improve cognitive abilities and can even transfer improvements to real-world skills, while another study, published in Current Biology, shows that maths ability can be enhanced by electrical stimulation of the brain.
The world’s fastest supercomputer is Chinese, beating the Americans into second place for the first time since 2004 with a machine which is smaller and more energy efficient than its closest US rival.
A collaboration between the University of Chicago, Cornell University and US firm iRobot has come up with a simple solution to the complexities of robotic hands.
The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded €580 million in ‘Starting Grants’ to 427 researchers at the beginning of their research careers.
Several hundred scientists and supporters of science gathered outside the UK Treasury in London on Saturday afternoon to protest imminent cuts to government science funding – an unusual move by a community that rarely takes to the streets to voice its displeasure.
Filming human embryos used for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) at an early stage in their development has allowed scientists to select those with the best chance of going on to develop into healthy babies with an accuracy of more than 93%.
What would the impact of forthcoming cuts in science funding on British universities look like if they go ahead?
Continuing the pre-emptive strike by British scientists against forthcoming research budget cuts, the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) today released a report commissioned to estimate the value of chemistry research to the UK economy.
Following yesterday’s letter from the House of Lords science and technology committee to Science Minister David Willetts urging a rethink of science cuts, Lord Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society, and five heads of prominent universities held a press conference at the Royal Institution today to send the same message.
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