news

Campus - 26.01.2022

Blockchain as proof of identity
Community Land Trust Brussels wins World Habitat Award VUB experts study and guide global development of community land trusts for affordable housing Wednesday, January 26, 2022 VUB in the media A se

Campus - 19.01.2022

More time for research - teachers say it’s about time
The Monash Q Project surveyed 1725 Australian educators, who confirmed that although our teachers highly value research, they don't have adequate time available to engage with research that could lead to better classroom outcomes. The findings have been released in a new report, 'What, why, when and how - Australian educators' use of research in schools'.

Campus - 17.01.2022

University of Glasgow research brings us closer to Robert Burns the man than ever before
His words and poetry are known around the world. Yet more than 250 years after his death, Robert Burns, the man, continues to remain a bit of an enigma to the public. Now academics at the University of Glasgow's Centre for Robert Burns Studies are revealing new insights into the man behind some of the world's greatest known poems and songs.

Life Sciences - Campus - 11.01.2022

Scientists Expand CRISPR-Cas9 Genetic Inheritance Control in Mammals
Biologists achieve gene conversion in male mice, broadening potential for human disease research and environmental applications Nearly three years ago University of California San Diego researchers announced the world's first CRISPR-Cas9 genetic editing-based approach to controlling inheritance in mammals.

Astronomy / Space Science - Campus - 11.01.2022

Researchers study Milky Way’s ’feeding habits’ in search of clues about its origins
Astronomers are one step closer to revealing the properties of dark matter enveloping our Milky Way galaxy thanks to a new map of 12 streams of stars orbiting within our galactic halo. Understanding these star streams is very important for astronomers. As well as revealing the dark matter that holds the stars in their orbits, they also tell us about the formation history of the Milky Way, revealing that the galaxy has steadily grown over billions of years by shredding and consuming smaller stellar systems.

Astronomy / Space Science - Campus - 10.01.2022

Black Hole Devours a Star Decades Ago, Goes Unnoticed Until Now
Every galaxy, including our own Milky Way, has at its center a massive black hole whose gravity influences the stars around it. Generally, the stars orbit around the black hole without incident, but sometimes a star will wander a little too close, and the black hole will "make a meal" of the star in a process astrophysicists have termed spaghettification.

Computer Science - Campus - 05.01.2022

System recognizes hand gestures to expand computer input on a keyboard
Preparing for an online start to the winter term: for more information. New program recognizes users' hands beside or near the keyboard and prompts operations based on different hand positions Researchers are developing a new technology that uses hand gestures to carry out commands on computers. The prototype, called "Typealike," works through a regular laptop webcam with a simple affixed mirror.

Life Sciences - Campus - 22.12.2021

Academic Education Can Positively Affect Aging of the Brain
The benefits of good education and lifelong learning extend into old age. The initial findings of a long-term study show that certain degenerative processes are reduced in the brains of academics. Their brains are better able to compensate age-related cognitive and neural limitations. A good education is an excellent way to embark on a successful career and develop your personality.

Life Sciences - Campus - 17.12.2021

Our brains update memories when recollections are proven wrong
Researchers from the University of Toronto have confirmed the critical role played by the brain's hippocampus in updating our memories when those recollections are shown to be inaccurate. The hippocampus is part of the brain's limbic system - the amalgam of neurological components that, among other functions, creates and retrieves our memories.

Campus - 16.12.2021

The real struggles for ’first-in-family’ university students
Female students who are the first in the family to attend university are much more likely to suffer mental health issues compared to their male counterparts, research has revealed. A study from The University of Queensland and University of South Australia that worked with "first-in-family" students has shown 40.9 per cent of females experienced mental health impacts, compared to only 3.8 per cent of men.

Campus - Computer Science - 14.12.2021

How Do You Study Facial Bias Without Bias?
When we encounter an unfamiliar face, we tend to make snap judgments. Does the person look smart, attractive, or young? Are they trustworthy or corrupt? Neuroscientists and psychologists study how our brains form these facial biases, and how the judgments ultimately influence the way people behave. "We tend to be quite confident in the judgments we make based on people's faces, but we're often wrong," says Ralph Adolphs (PhD '93), Bren Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biology and an affiliated faculty member of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience.

Environment - Campus - 02.12.2021

First report published on UCL and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
UCL has published its first report setting out how the university is addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Developed by the UCL Sustainable Development Goals Initiative (SDGI), the report showcases a selection of the hundreds of ways UCL's staff and student communities are supporting the SDGs across their research, teaching and extra-curricular activities, as well as how the university operates.

Health - Campus - 15.11.2021

Studies on risks versus benefits of antidepressant use during pregnancy should be clearer, University of Toronto researchers say
Those planning pregnancy are struggling to weigh the risks and benefits of antidepressant medication based on how research is currently presented, say researchers at the University of Toronto and Women's College Hospital.

Campus - 11.11.2021

Students who self-identify as multilingual perform better at GCSE | University of Cambridge
Young people who consider themselves 'multilingual' tend to perform better across a wide range of subjects at school, regardless of whether they are actually fluent in another language, new research shows. If pupils were encouraged to see themselves as active and capable language learners, it could have a really positive impact on their wider progress at school.

Health - Campus - 10.11.2021

COVID-19 lockdowns deepened struggle for work-family balance
Around the world increasing mental health inequalities between women and men following the COVID-19 pandemic represent a major public health concern. According to a new study, the lockdown measures due to the pandemic profoundly and unequally disrupted the work-family balance for many graduate students, exacerbating mental health problems.

Campus - Pedagogy - 03.11.2021

Coping with COVID: Understanding the impacts on year 12 students
Cancelled milestones and missed rites of passage are just some of many impacts COVID-19 has had on final year students, with a Monash University study finding social events play a big role in motivating students to cope with the stresses of year 12. The study into the experiences of year 12 students in 2020 found that social activities and celebrations that symbolise the completion of school, like valedictory dinners, school formals and 18th birthdays, were not just a question of enjoyment, but also helped students stay motivated and manage their stress during a high-stakes year.

Environment - Campus - 28.10.2021

Reducing vessel activity key to southern resident killer whale survival
Reducing ship speed and noise levels would increase the probability that endangered West Coast southern resident killer whales will spend more time hunting for Chinook salmon, a new Simon Fraser University study has found. The research, published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin , provides insights to guide conservation efforts and protect the estimated 73 remaining whales in the population.

Innovation - Campus - 27.10.2021

A small house raises big questions
Buildings that own and run themselves: this idea, from the think-tank Dezentrum, was put into action for the first time at ETH Zurich in the form of a prototype. The result is a meditation cabin that shakes up the usual economic and social expectations. The outward appearance of the small, prism-shaped hut in the recently opened Student Project House on ETH's Zentrum campus is enough to arouse the curiosity of anyone looking at it.

Materials Science - Campus - 25.10.2021

Nature-inspired coatings could power lab-on-a-chip devices for rapid, inexpensive medical tests
A coating developed by researchers at the University of Toronto allows for certain liquids to move across surfaces without fluid loss - and could usher in new advances in a range of fields, including medical testing. The new coating - created in the  DREAM (Durable Repellent Engineered Advanced Materials) laboratory, led by  Kevin Golovin , an assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering - was inspired by the natural world.

Environment - Campus - 22.10.2021

How can lizards adapt to a changing climate?
Researchers at the University of Toronto and Ohio Wesleyan University are collaborating in a quest to find out how lizards can adapt to the world's changing climate. Sophie Berkowitz and Simone Collier , undergraduate students at Trinity College and Victoria College in the Faculty of Arts & Science, are using computational tools to analyze lizard movement and body temperature under the supervision of Vianey Leos Barajas , an assistant professor in the department of statistical sciences and the School of the Environment.