Cambridge Core BlogWatch: How do Insects Walk on Water?
Using the surface tension of water and a hydrophobic coating on their legs, many insects are able to walk on water.…
The Rumen: Fantastic bugs and where to find them
The animal article of the month for September is 'Invited review: Application of meta-omics to understand the dynamic nature of the rumen microbiome and how it responds to diet in ruminants' Demand for meat and milk is predicted to double by 2050 and meeting this increased demand represents a “grand challenge for humanity”. Ruminants are among the most widely adapted livestock on earth, inhabiting outdoor environments from the arctic to the tropics.
Watch: How do Bubbles Freeze?
Freezing bubbles are not only beautiful, but also demonstrate incredibly complex physics. Here, Professor Jonathan Boreyko explains how bubbles freeze with examples of slow motion videos filmed in his laboratory at Virginia Tech.…
Draft Treaty on business and human rights: a digital environment perspective
On July 16, 2019, the UN open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights (the “Working Group”) published a revised draft of a binding treaty on business and human rights.…
PM2.5 air pollution exposure increases the risk of depression and suicide
The RCPsych Article of the Month for August is from The British Journal of Psychiatry (BJPsych) and is entitled ‘Association between particulate matter air pollution and risk of depression and suicide: systematic review and meta-analysis’
Watch: How Strong is an Avalanche?
Measuring the forces present in an avalanche using light. Amalia Thomas from the University of Cambridge explains how to measure the forces between colliding particles in an avalanche based on their photo-elastic response and refractive index.
The Berkeley Tale of 5G
“The faculty and staff at the Berkeley Wireless Research Center (BWRC) have a great tradition of meeting at a remote location to discuss new research directions for our center. It was during one of these meetings in Sausalito, CA (December 2013) that the vision for “xG” was born; see the figure below. To explain the origin of this figure, as a wireless research center, we are always looking at the world of wireless communication and trying to guess (and hopefully set) the research agenda in the right direction. We were compelled by a vision that involved the use of very high frequencies (mm-wave frequencies) to allow hundreds if not thousands of antennas to be integrated into small basestations (or access points) that formed a directional wireless mesh network, obviating the need for a fiber backhaul.”
Watch: Brazil Nut Effect in Avalanches and Cereal
The brazil nut effect describes the movement of large particles to the top of a container after shaking. The same effect also occurs in avalanches where large blocks of ice and rocks are seen on the surface, and in a box of cereal where the large pieces migrate to the top and the smaller dusty particles remain at the bottom.
Promoting Healthy Beverages Through Child Care Holds Promise in Fostering Healthier Beverage Choices and Weight
The Nutrition Society Paper of the Month for July is from Public Health Nutrition and is entitled ‘Effects of a multipronged beverage intervention on young children’s beverage intake and weight: a cluster-randomized pilot study’.
Can Business Make Us More Fully Ourselves?
Imagine a business culture that could exist—but doesn’t (at least, not yet). If you could design that culture, what would it look like?…
Civic Lessons: Policing, Citizenship and Equality
The killing of Solomon Tekah, an 18 year-old Ethiopian-Israeli, shot to death by a police officer, led to mass demonstrations. Young Israelis of Ethiopian descent voiced their frustrations and anger with what they described as racism and police brutality.…
Watch: Martin Fourcade – the Science behind the Olympic Biathlon Skiing Champion
Five-time Olympic Biathlon Skiing Champion Martin Fourcade enlisted the help of two scientists - Caroline Cohen and Christophe Clanet at Ecole Polytechnique - to help to decide the best type of wax to use on his skis in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Here's how they did it...