89 results found for environment

John Maier, Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Basel, describes the journey from the prediction of C60+ in 1987, through tentative assignment of its electronic spectrum by Radioastronomy, measurement in a neon-matrix and finally, in....

The complexity of modern biological life has long made it difficult to understand how life could emerge spontaneously from the chemistry of the early earth. We are attempting to synthesize simple artificial cells in order to discover plausible pathwa....

The diagnosis, classification, and treatment of human cancers are being transformed by scientific discoveries that were strongly influenced by the discovery of the c-src proto-oncogene, as described in the lecture by Michael Bishop. The path to this ....

For over 50 years scientists have been working to understand Antarctica’s contribution to sea level. For much of this time there has even been disagreement about if this massive ice sheet is growing or shrinking. In 2012, advances in data analysis....

Fundamental aspects and properties of fuel cells in the environment of renewables.

What role do literature, science and policy play in protecting the planet? Fifty years since the death of conservationist Rachel Carson, we look at her masterpiece Silent Spring, and ask: "What have we learnt? Listen to our panel of experts: author ....

The acquisition of scientific knowledge largely depends on the availability of appropriate research approaches and methodologies. Novel scientific knowledge represents cultural values. On the one hand, it enriches our world-view with impacts on our....

Ever since its first appearance, more than 3.5 billion years ago, life has evolved without guiding plan, propelled by: 1) its own intrinsic properties, which, with the help of outside energy, provided the necessary driving force; 2) accidental geneti....

Charles Darwin had based his theory of biological evolution on the observation that phenotypic variants of a given species can sometimes over-grow their parental population, and he attributed this to selective advantage, i.e., to the impact of natura....

The challenges associated with pursuing ribosomal crystallography can be described as a series of Everest climbing. At each step, when reaching the summit, a taller and more difficult one became exposed. Snapshots of this story will be described.__....

After reconsidering the very long time periods in cosmic evolution, we will focus our attention to the evolutionary development of living organisms on our planet Earth. The genetic variants (mutations), which are occasionally produced, are alteratio....

The epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori continues to be an area of discovery and controversy in the 21st century. The transmission of this bacterium from mother to child allows Helicobacter DNA to mimic the evolution of maternal mitochondria DNA. B....

Science is inevitably intertwined with society.  The state of the art of science, coupled with industrial endeavors, has determined our quality of life.  Chemists are proud of their ability to generate high value from almost nothing by using accumu....

As scientists, our livelihoods are supported by teaching and research, but we also have the opportunity to make observations beyond our usual confines and share these with non-scientific citizens. Growing up in my native state of Minnesota, I have al....

Chemistry is not merely a science of making observations in order to better understand Nature. Our science is creative and productive, generating substances of very high value from almost nothing. Chemists already have made enormous contribution to....

Climate change is the most serious environmental challenge facing society in the 21st century.  The basic science is clear: the International Panel on Climate Change concluded that there is more than 90% probability that human activities are causing....

Between the 50s and 80s, most studies in biomedicine focused on the central dogma - the translation of the information coded by DNA to RNA and proteins.  Protein degradation was a neglected area, considered to be a non-specific, dead-end process.  ....

Catalysis by solid surfaces is, among others, of importance for the chemical industry (e.g. the Haber-Bosch process) as well as for environmental chemistry (car exhaust catalyst).  Surface physical techniques enable investigation of the underlying e....

Much of the chemical industry is based on processes that were developed decades ago.  The change in the cost of petroleum carbon and energy sources and the need to control emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants will change the rules of the....

The acquisition of scientific knowledge largely depends on the availability of appropriate research approaches and methodologies.  Novel scientific knowledge represents cultural values.  On the one hand, it enriches our world-view with impacts on o....

The founders of quantum theory assumed in 'thought experiments' that they were manipulating isolated quantum systems, obeying the counterintuitive laws which they had just discovered.  Technological advances have recently turned these virtual experi....

All the organs of our body originate from small founder populations of cells which multiply into complex structures. ÊAdult stem cells are used to maintain organs throughout adult life and to repair or regenerate them after damage.Ê Focusing on the....

A laboratory demonstration of Carbon Dioxide's effect of global warming.

How genes can be switched on and off by environmental effects and how this affects the development of cancers.

Learning about new environments or locating ourselves in familiar environments are some of the most fundamental tasks that the brain performs. Information is not stored in response to biological needs such as hunger or thirst but on the basis of cogn....

Basic research in science has greatly increased our understanding of nature, expanded frontiers of inquiry, shown us how little we know, triggered creative waves of invention and innovation, and prompted technological breakthroughs that were inconcei....

The world faces the fundamental problems of increasing waste and decreasing resources as it tries to cope with the increasing consumption of a growing population.  It is clear that these challenges can only be met through a fundamentally different a....

What role does the skin play in the unconscious judgements we make of age, health and attractiveness of those we meet, every day of our lives? As Mankind faces its greatest and most complex environmental threat ever, how can a skin layer 1/50 of a mi....

In London major trunk mains, commissioned by Water Companies who ceased trading over 100 years ago, operate alongside modern assets such the Thames Water Ring Main commissioned in the 1990’s. Hence legacy plays an important part in way the current ....

New carbon targets requires reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by 50% for 2030. This house believes that it will be impossible to meet the emissions reductions required to fulfil these obligations without the use of nuclear power.  Taking the pr....

Sustainability is not just about carbon or carbon dioxide, it is also about the sustainable use of the planet's finite mineral and material resources. The availability, affordability and sustainable of supply of a number of important chemical element....

Phil Souter, scientist at Procter & Gamble, discusses the challenges faced in making potential water sources (such as lakes, ponds, wells, flood water) drinkable using chemical technology. During the lecture he will touch upon the impact of unsaf....

Start at 35 minutes.  Professor AbuBakr Bahaj, Professor of Sustainable Energy at the University of Southampton, talks about the importance of planning cities and the potential of reducing their impact on the environment and resources.

Dr Richard Miller, Head of Sustainability at the UK's Technology Strategy Board, speaks about the problems we are facing in our cities and current ways in which these are being addressed.  He gives examples of how chemists and small-medium sized ent....

Professor Monique Simmonds talks about the use of plants and fungi as sources of sustainably harvested medicines

Faeces contains a complex mixture of chemical compounds, including substances from the diet and digestive processes. By better understanding the biology of extinct animals we can gain insights into how they interacted with their environment and poten....

The team from the University of Sheffield´s Department of Architecture beat off stiff competition from 90 other teams to be shortlisted in the ISOVER Multi-Comfort Skyscraper Design Competition, thanks to their design of a 60-floor, environmentally-....

The environmental science of nanosilver

Professor Banwart talks about the crucial challenge for the SoilTrEC project is to understand the rates of processes that dictate soil mass stocks and their function within Earths Critical Zone (CZ)

Our research is focused the major challenges we face in the sustainable management of water, It draws together multidisciplinary teams - from scientists and engineers to town planners and architects - to work on all aspects of the water cycle, from c....

Can we achieve all of our  social, economic and environmental goals in urban river corridors?

What will happen in Africa as water demand increases? Robert Dewar is the recently retired UK High Commissioner to Nigeria and former Ambassador to Ethiopia. Robert drew on his considerable experience of working and living in ....

Science for the new water management: people, pollution and plumbing

Developing river environments for social use

Using microorganisms to clear pollution.

The science behind food and energy sustainability