On March 23rd, the Cell published a paper bearing the news that scientists seem to have found a new drug capable of halting the ageing process. How much truth lies behind this claim?
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A Little History of the Microbiome
Continuing with my (apparent) theme of dissecting popular science, I’ve decided to talk about a rapidly growing field of study – that of the microbiome. For those of you who don’t know, the ‘microbiome’ refers to the diverse ecology of bacteria residing within our intestines. To put into context just how vast this range of microorganisms is: we have over 100…
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The Growroom: IKEA’s answer to sustainable farming?
Back in October 2016, The Growroom was launched by Swedish architects Mads-Ulrik Husum and Sine Lindholm. This was done in collaboration with Space10, IKEA’s Copenhagen-based innovation lab (a community united by the joint purpose of designing an eco-friendly way of living). The structure was later exhibited at the Chart Art Fair in Copenhagen. Since then designers have updated it, with…
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Salmonella – enemy, or ally?
Research performed by a South Korean team at Chonnam National University was recently published, to much excitement. These scientists claim to have discovered a way to flag up cancerous cells, using Salmonella as a “Trojan Horse” of sorts (sneaking into mutated cells via the body’s immune system, and attacking them).
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Trump and Climate Change
On 9th November 2016, the inevitable happened – Donald Trump was elected as the 45th president of the United States, despite the sexism, the outrageous display of racism, and the lack of any political experience whatsoever. Even though Hillary Clinton had a higher popular vote than Trump (48.2% compared to 46.5%), he still managed to…
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Are organic foods all that they claim to be?
Organic foods have been around forever (literally, forever), but they’ve recently become the centre of a massive health craze. In fact, sales of organic produce in the UK have increased by 5% from last year, whilst sales of non-organic have dropped by 1% – demonstrating that the increase in organic can’t be put down simply to…
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Natural Movement – Fitness Fad or Revelation?
Natural Movement really is as simple as it sounds; it’s a form of exercise that could, theoretically, be performed outside in the natural world. The proposed exercise regimes need no equipment, and are designed to mirror the (hypothesised) movements of our ancestors. Put simply – if a caveman could have done it, it’s natural movement.…
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Post-menopausal birth: innovative concept, or huge risk?
By Sidrah Zubair A phenomenal event happened a few months ago in the world of science, catching the attention of international newspapers and media outlets – Daljinder Kaur, a 72-year-old woman from India, gave birth to a healthy baby boy following two years of IVF treatment at a fertility clinic. However, this is not the…
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The Science of Friendship
In fact, studies have shown that a number of different species also exhibit behaviours similar to that which we would classify as friendly. Whilst the precise reasons for this are still under speculation, there is likely to be a cross-species evolutionary drive towards forming buddies. Investigations into chimpanzee behaviour in Uganda and the Ivory Coast led…
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