Why are you laughing: The science of humour
While humour is an innate part of being human, dating back to ‘primate laughter’, exactly what makes something funny is still mostly unknown
In conversation with The Lion King’s Head of Masks and Puppets
The Mancunion was fortunate enough to attend an Insight Session at the Lyceum Theatre and sit down with The Lion King’s Head of Masks and Puppets Joseph Beagley to learn more about the science behind his craft
AI learns its first words (and helps explain how humans acquire language)
How do we learn to associate specific objects with specific words? A team from New York University have developed an AI ‘baby’ to help us answer this question.
Fake papers in research: When science lies
Nature revealed last year that 2% of scientific papers – tens of thousands – are not as true as you’d think they are. Hannah looks into the situation at hand
Science in the news: Sleepy penguins, record-breaking icebergs and the end of wine fraud
An AI sommelier, a remarkable sleeping habit and a giant iceberg are all covered in these stories of science in the news
Flying Green: The first transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable fuel jets off
The first transatlantic flight run on 100% sustainable fuel ran at the end of last year – it could be the start of more environmentally friendly travel
The rise of designer DNA: Yeast as a model organism
Researchers, including teams from the University of Manchester, have produced yeast with over 50% artificial genome
One of a kind: The science behind snowflakes
Perfectly unique snowflakes tell an interesting story of their path to the ground, led by probability and chance. A story of chemical bonds, mathematical probability and a sprinkle of physics; read on to find out how they are made.
We’re all in this together: Scottish wildcats are merging with domestic cats
The Scottish wildcat population has been severely weakened by genetic mixing with domestic cats. Concerted conservation efforts will be needed to restore them to their former glory
How reindeers keep their cool
With all the exercise reindeers supposedly get up to (think flying across the globe) how do they keep cool with such a well-insulating coat? Here’s the answer
Eternal youth explored- new breakthroughs in revolutionising ageing
As botox becomes more of a staple than a pop-star luxury, longevity research is becoming a much invested research area. Here’s how the UK is joining the science of ‘eternal youth’
From fusion to seclusion: the increasing isolation of scientists in Iran and Russia
Increasing international tensions and sanctions have left researchers isolated from the global scientific community
Science in the news 3: Brain implants, rediscovered mammals and mentally time-travelling rats
From long-lost animals to rodent imagination, here’s a collection of the most exciting stories of science in the news
New blood test measures biomarkers for detection of early Alzheimer’s disease
PharmaKure’s innovative blood test can identify those at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Should all animals be treated equally in research?
The question of animal ethics in research has always been tricky to answer. New guidelines for cephalopods complicate things further as we consider what level of intelligence in animals should prevent their use in research
“The climate change hoax” – and other X threads
When 97% of scientists agree that climate change is caused by humans, what could sway people to go against them and call it a hoax? We took to X to find out
Science in the news: AI biodiversity, bed bug chaos, and puffy planets
Here’s a rundown of the science stories you need to know about from the last few weeks
Is the UK falling behind in the semiconductor arms race?
With growing geopolitical tensions and an underwhelming level of investment, the UK may not be doing enough to revive the domestic semiconductor industry