2015

Hundreds of ships go missing each year, but we have the technology to find them: Dr Nigel Bannister from the Department of Physics and Astronomy on new technologies allowing us to better find ships that go missing at sea
First atomic bomb test may mark the beginning of the Anthropocene: Dr Jan Zalasiewicz and Professor Mark Williams from the Department of Geology theorise on when the Anthropocene may have begun, suggesting that July 16, 1945, the date of the world’s first nuclear test, is a “practical and effective” choice.
System to rate the scarcity of important metals aims to keep shortage at bay: Drs Gawen Jenkin, Dan Smith and Dave Holwell from the Department of Geology discuss how metals are generally abundant throughout the Earth's crust, but not always at the right cost in the right place at the right time
Is it time to update our climate change language?: Dr Dimitrinka Atanasova discusses how the media framing of issues such as the rise in greenhouse gas emissions appears to influence the extent to which people believe that governments should do more to respond to global warming
Out of the ashes: It took a lot of fossil fuels to forge our industrial world. Now they're almost gone. Could we do it again without them? Dr Lewis Dartnell addresses this question
DartnellCharcoal.jpg: Source: Wikipedia; Dry charcoal
Wood.jpg: Source: Wikipedia; Sections of tree trunk
Forget the James Webb, a future high-definition telescope could probe life on exoplanets: Professor Martin Barstow discusses the limitations of the James Webb Space Telescope and the potential of future space telescopes
Ancient DNA reveals how Europeans developed light skin and lactose tolerance: Dr Daniel Zadik explores food intolerance in ancient cultures
First among equals? Recommendations and guidelines for deciding who gets authorship credit: Emma-Louise Aveling and Graham Martin from the Department of Health Sciences argue that with funders pushing for wider collaboration, dilemmas about how to allocate authorship fairly is set to intensify (Written for the London School of Economics and Political Science website)
The Earth stands on the brink of its sixth mass extinction and the fault is ours: Professor Jan Zalasiewicz discusses how the rate at which vertebrate species are dying at the moment far exceeds the norm
Polarised light and the super sense you didn’t know you had: Dr Juliette McGregor explores new insights into the ability to perceive polarisation of light in humans
Celebrity selfies helped us to uncover how memories are formed in the brain: Rodrigo Quian Quiroga discusses new research into how the brain encodes memories
From Citizen Science to Citizen Humanities – 19th Century history in the digital age: Dr Geoffrey Belknap explores ways in which members of the public can produce knowledge and participate in research
Airshows are risky – that’s why we like them – but they also have a strong safety record: Dr Simon Bennett discusses aviation issues in light of the recent Shoreham Air Display disaster
Armed police drones: not necessarily a bad idea, but we need to keep careful watch of these eyes in the sky: Dr Jon Moran weighs up the pros and cons of armed drones in the skies
Unveiling the genetic potential of UK Biobank: With all genotype data from UK Biobank to be made available next year, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Public Health Martin Tobin shares his experience and exciting study findings
Using forensic science to fight back against sexual violence in conflict: Dr Lisa Smith discusses her project to empower victims and support prosecutions in cases of sexual violence in conflict zones
Can digging up 100-year-old bodies help crack unsolved murders?: Dr Stuart Hamilton discusses how forensic science can reveal secrets from the past
Mars, Pluto… and beyond: Professors Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams discuss the significance of water on Mars and beyond
First person: 'Doomed? No, science can still save us': Dr Alan Cann discusses how bacteria have been evolving ways to shrug off the effects of antibiotics