EUSci – The Edinburgh University Science Magazine

EUSciFi Competition Runner-Up: Connect

One of the three runners-up in our EUSciFi competition.

Connect by Ever Dundas

Rease couldn’t bring herself to move, although it was unbearably hot. She sat where she had collapsed after getting out of bed, staring at the mess from the night before; empty wine glasses giving off a stale stench, half-eaten food nestled in scattered bowls, clothes discarded in a pile on the floor. She squinted, straining her neck to see through the window, contemplating the pinks and purples of the sky, the long shadows that crept across the hotel opposite.
“What time is it?”
“Eighteen fifty two and three seconds,” said Inex in a soft monotone.
“Can’t believe I’ve been asleep for that long. Inex, stop tidying and open the window.”
Inex nodded. Rease watched it put down the dishes it had been gathering. She had never liked Inex. She had hoped she would get used to it, but she never did. Everyone else she knew had given their Inex a name, but Rease couldn’t find the familiarity and affection that she felt was required when naming something. It unnerved her. The plastic sheen of its face was too perfect, cold and smooth like porcelain. The glassy eyes were an odd fusion of doll-like passivity and the alert glimmer you catch in the eye of a predator.

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EUSciFi Competition Runner-Up: Yesterday Spex

One of the three runners-up in our EUSciFi competition.

Yesterday Spex by David Baillie

‘You have ViFi here?’ The big buzz of ’09 was fast becoming frowned-upon in Edinburgh.

Last year the ViFi™ logo in your window was the quickest and easiest way to guarantee a busy, and therefore profitable, stimShop or beerBar, regardless of location. A few high profile problems, though, had damaged its ascendant popularity among the town’s proprietors. Better a quiet establishment than a smouldering one, after all.

‘Aye kiddo,’ he says, trying not to be too obvious about looking me up and down and making a quick judgement call, ‘come on in.’

I can almost make out the gummy mark on the door from when the sticker had been recently clawed off.

The goggles are slimline and very this year, even though the tech is almost six months old. After purchasing a twenty pound coffee (cheaper than the chains, I must remember this place) I sit in a comfortable armchair at the back of the joint and slip them on. The slick, copper-carboned C22 décor melts as my brain chemistry adjusts to the sudden electromagnetic interference and, without blinking, I find myself sitting in the same shop. But now (I trust) as it was in 2010.

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Listen to the Third EUSci Seminar!

Thanks to the efforts of our resident audio engineer Alan Boyd, we have a recording of the third EUSci seminar for your listening pleasure. If you were unable to attend in person and wonder what you were missing, then hurry up and download it already!

Download Link

Note: This file is in AAC format to allow for chapter navigation between the talks (from the Controls menu if you’re using iTunes). If your MP3 player won’t play AAC, try it in iTunes!

Apologies for the noise at the beginning, we did get the noisy people to leave eventually!

Speakers:

Szu-Han Wang – Can we tune-down fearful memories?

Memories play a crucial role in our daily function. While memories are generally beneficial, they can be maladaptive if we are haunted by aversive memories (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder). Can we find solutions to bring fearful memories in control?  Recent research advances suggest so. It has been shown that the brain engaged a plastic change not only during establishment of new memory but also during the reactivation of the memory, which implies a memory ‘reconsolidation’ process. This provides a time window for certain behaviour or pharmacological treatments to be effective. Recent exciting findings from Nature and Science will be discussed.

Jonathan Manning – Sequencing beyond genomes

The world of DNA sequencing has moved on significantly since the widely trumpeted completion of the the human genome in 2003, following the first draft in 2001. Thanks to a new set of ‘next generation’ sequencing technologies, a human genome can now be sequenced in a matter of weeks at a fraction of the cost of more traditional sequencing methods. Aiming at a general science audience, this short talk will briefly cover how these phenomenal improvements have been achieved, some new problems that have been created along the way, and the real-world ramifications. Since a genome is really only a set of blueprints, we’ll also be exploring ‘transcriptomics’, by which we determine which of those blueprints are actually used in particular tissue, as well as some other fascinating applications.

New developments in the causes of autism

Abnormalities in brain development may lead to autism and other behavioural disorders, researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Northwestern University, US, have shown. The work has implications in the future treatment of autism as has identified key windows when therapeutic intervention would be most effective.

Fragile X syndrome is a genetic condition that is currently the main known cause of autism. It affects approximately one in 4000 males and one in 8000 females worldwide, and causes social, language and behavioural problems. Research has found that a mistiming of brain development in Fragile X syndrome may lead to miscommunication between brain cells.

Published in the journal Neuron, this study used a mouse model of Fragile X to examine the development of the regions of the brain responsible for processing sensory information. “We’ve learned that changes in the brains of Fragile X mice happen much earlier than previously thought” says Professor Peter Kind who led the study. He believes that the changes found in this region of the brain may also occur in other regions, thus explaining the wide range of symptoms in Fragile X syndrome.

- Katherine Staines

A new technique in cheap genome-based disease prediction

A cheap and rapid technique to scan a person’s genome for disease risks may become available within months, following new research at the University of Edinburgh. Knowledge of the genetic mutations that are associated with heritable diseases is rapidly accumulating, but employing this information to assess a person’s risk has remained prohibitively expensive, until now.

The new method works by identifying sites in the genome that are potentially informative in predicting risk and it could be applied for a wide range of diseases. Traditionally, enzyme-based processes have dominated the DNA analysis industry; however the proposed method depends upon a faster and cheaper chemical analysis that could lead the way to wider use, and even public access.

Dr Juan Diaz-Mochon of the University’s School of Chemistry led the research, and he has targeted the long standing goal of analysing a complete genome from a drop of saliva in just a few hours and for under $1000.

This could be an important step in the much anticipated arrival of personalised genomic medicine. Professor Mark Bradley, another scientist involved in the study, said: “We plan to test the technology further, extend our collaborations with leading researchers and companies in the DNA sequencing field and establish our first commercial operations within the next six months.”

- Gib Hemani

EUSci Podcast #24

Water-based Spiderman Technology?

The old EUSci podcast crew is back together for a reunion gig. This week, our host and co-producah Alan Boyd regales you with stories about gene function in plants, water-based Spiderman technology, language complexity, and much more. So sit back and enjoy our take on the complex web of science stories that made the headlines (or at least the science pages) of newspapers over the past couple of weeks.

Download Link

What’s in today’s show:

News:

• Dinosaurs’ True Colours are Revealed
• Smoke from Forest Fires can Regulate Seed Germination
• Is the Moon the Result of a Nuclear Explosion?
• The Paradoxical Effect of Being Jilted
• Crows can Remember a Face

• Guess what, people are more likely to friend attractive members of the opposite sex on Facebook.
  

You can subscribe to the feed for the podcast here, or by using the podcast button on the sidebar. If you have iTunes, click the iTunes button to subscribe automatically.

Don’t know how to subscribe to podcasts? There’s a tutorial here. And don’t forget that you can also join our Facebook group, or send comments and feedback to podcast@eusci.org.

EUSci Podcast #23

Do we know how galaxies form?

We bring you another EUSci podcast, full of science facts, and a bit of Big Bang Theory. This week, our host Bethan Lowder takes you through stories about hands and feet, galaxy formation, oil drops navigating a maze, and much more. So sit back and enjoy our take on the oily beaker of science stories that made the headlines (or at least the science pages) of newspapers over the past couple of weeks.

Download Link

What’s in today’s show:

News:

• Alcohol During Pregnancy Chemically Alters Fetal DNA
• Online Community Disprove Claims in Paper, Leading to its Eventual Retraction
• Breaking the Strongest Bonds
• An Elaboration on the Traditional T-shirt Sniffing Pheromone Research
• Pheromone that Makes Fruitflies Beat up their Ladyfriends

• An economist works out why he doesn’t have a girlfriend, using the Drake equation.
  

You can subscribe to the feed for the podcast here, or by using the podcast button on the sidebar. If you have iTunes, click the iTunes button to subscribe automatically.

Don’t know how to subscribe to podcasts? There’s a tutorial here. And don’t forget that you can also join our Facebook group, or send comments and feedback to podcast@eusci.org.

Global warming is sped up by rising temperatures

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh and The Netherlands Institute for Space Research have discovered that rising temperatures due to climate change are resulting in greater global warming. This effect is caused by an increased production of methane from wetland areas, which are the world’s largest source of the greenhouse gas.

The researchers used satellite measurements of the atmospheric concentration of methane and changes in surface water, as well as data on surface temperature.  They found that methane output from wetland areas increased by 7 per cent from 2003-2007 in line with rising temperatures. The research also highlighted the emissions from wetland areas that are most sensitive to flooding or temperature fluctuations.

These findings, published in Science, may help scientists to predict future climate change.

For more information:

University News

Full Paper

- Laura Bailey

EUSci Podcast #22

Authentic or imitation? Your computer may be able to tell.

What better way to start a brand new year than with a brand new episode of the EUSci podcast! This week, our host Alex Sinclair takes you through stories about bees, prehistoric DNA, computers identifying false paintings, and much more. So sit back and enjoy our take on the freshly-minted bounty of science stories that made the headlines (or at least the science pages) of newspapers over the past couple of weeks.

Download Link

What’s in today’s show:

News:

• Partners ’sculpt’ Each Other’s Personalities Toward their Ideal
• Different Groups of Chimpanzees have Unique Cultures
• Two Types of Killer Whales in UK Waters
• Does the G-spot actually exist?
• Open Access Papers Cited More Often
• Smart Wind Turbines (with Lasers!)

• Despite what certain people may say: Children who don’t have the chickenpox vaccine are more likely to get chickenpox.

You can subscribe to the feed for the podcast here, or by using the podcast button on the sidebar. If you have iTunes, click the iTunes button to subscribe automatically.

Don’t know how to subscribe to podcasts? There’s a tutorial here. And don’t forget that you can also join our Facebook group, or send comments and feedback to podcast@eusci.org.

Issue 5 is out!

The latest issue of the EUSci magazine is out, with a brand new logo and design. The printed version is available in science departments on all campuses, so keep an eye out.

This issue features a Focus article on Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well articles on genetics, bionic limbs, science rap, Scottish sea power, the British Science Festival and much more.

If you can’t wait to read it, download the PDF here.