Author: Nina Wycech // Editor: Nithya Eswaran I take my coffee black, my whisky neat – Hozier and I have that in common. Not everyone would agree with us, for some, this is madness. Why can’t some people handle the bitter taste of coffee, whisky or tonic water? The sensitivity to bitter flavour is genetically … Continue reading Why So Bitter? The Science of Why People Love or Hate Coffee
Author: Cherene de Bruyn // Editor: Sophie Alshukri & Oliver Hartley Forging metal. Photo from Pexels In his book, The Art of Peace (1991) Morihei Ueshiba, founder of the martial art of Aikido, wrote: “Iron is full of impurities that weaken it; through forging, it becomes steel and is transformed into a razor-sharp sword. Human … Continue reading The PhD Confirmation process is not a hurdle – It’s a crucible
Author: Nina Wycech // Editors: Neve Diggle and Emily Barrett Even if you are not studying science, you have likely heard about genetic predispositions. We intuitively assume that we’re more likely to experience a disease that our ancestors had. Although not always true, many conditions run through generations, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention … Continue reading Polygenic risk scores: calculating the likelihood of complex diseases
Author: Emily Barrett // Editors: Federica Spaggiari and Sophie Alshukri What does the word ‘radiation’ make you think of? In physics, the definition is broad: Any kind of emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or moving particles, including the light we use to see. But for many people, ‘radiation’ is synonymous with ionising radiation, with … Continue reading Proton Therapy: Precise Cancer Treatment at What Cost?
Author: Dalia Aziz // Editor: Nithya Eswaran You have likely come across the term “endocrine disruptor”, particularly on social media, which got me wondering - what is an endocrine disruptor? How do they work, and are they truly as harmful as people say? According to the Endocrine Society, there are nearly 85,000 synthetic chemicals in the … Continue reading What’s Hiding in Your Cosmetics Bag? A Closer Look at Parabens as Endocrine Disruptors
Author: Osman Khaleel // Editor: Cherene de Bruyn Cover image from Pexels *Archaeology: The study of past human cultures through the material culture (artefacts) left behind. *Lithics: Archaeological artefacts made from stone, including hand axes, scrapers, projectile points and knives. *Cataracts: Areas on the Nile between Aswan and Khartoum where the water is shallow. BACKGROUND Growing … Continue reading Navigating the PhD journey amid prolonged conflict: Challenges, growth, and resilience
Author: Nina Wycech // Editor: Erin Pallott The time has come for me to start my Master’s project in Bioinformatics, and to do so, I need a big dataset ready to analyse. But how do I get it in time, and most importantly, without collecting it myself in the clinic? Thankfully, there is a shared … Continue reading Have you heard about UK Biobank?
Author: Zoe Chernova // Editor: Erin Pallott “People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it’s the other way around.” Terry Pratchett Our whole lives are stories. We tell them to our children, read them in books, and can't tear ourselves away from TV series precisely because we love stories. Our minds are … Continue reading Storytelling for Scientists: When You Need it and What to Do
Author: Precious Chiwara // Editors: Cherene de Bruyn & Sarah Charlin Klingberg My journey to pursue a PhD in palaeosciences, specifically archaeology, started in 2021 when I received the Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) #Advancing Woman Award for black female students at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. This #Advancing Woman program was … Continue reading Thriving against all odds: Navigating a PhD as a black woman in palaeosciences
Author: Jenny Doak // Editors: Elan Shellard & Rashmi Danwaththa Liyanage What is Homelessness? For most people, the term ‘homeless’ conjures up images of a person sleeping on the streets. However, rough sleeping is only one form of homelessness. Crisis explains that other forms of homelessness include living in temporary accommodation, ‘hidden homelessness’ and statutory … Continue reading Why Does a Person’s Life Expectancy Drop by 30 Years if they don’t Have a Home?
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