Earth & Environment

POSTS FROM 2015

Postcards from Pluto: Blue skies, red water ice, and more If we ever travel to Pluto, we might be greeted by blue skies. (This is, of course, assuming we came... Thursday, 22 October 2015

Is our marine food chain collapsing? A first-time global analysis looking into the way ocean habitats respond to projected effects of climate change finds that marine... Friday, 16 October 2015

Earth organisms survive under low-pressure Martian conditions Methanogens are among the oldest and simplest organisms on earth having evolved approximately 3.5 billion years ago. They are highly resilient microbes... Monday, 15 June 2015

POSTS FROM 2014

Arts and Science: The Dolphin Whisperer Joanna-Marie Howes talks with director Christopher Riley about his latest documentary Monday, 13 October 2014

New metal-eating plant discovered in the Philippines Researchers from the University of the Philippines, Los Banos, have discovered a new plant species that accumulates enormous amounts of... Tuesday, 13 May 2014

Perspective: Cost and Conservation Martha Stokes discusses why it pays to conserve biodiversity Monday, 3 February 2014

Feature: Tapping into New Water Sources Digory Smith discusses the issue of water shortage and the technology employed to meet demand Monday, 3 February 2014

POSTS FROM 2013

Focus: Whatever the Weather BlueSci explores the origins of the ever- changing weather and how it affects us Monday, 25 November 2013

New theory to propagate seeds of life in asteroids A new look at the early Solar System has introduced an alternative to the long-taught and accepted theory that explains... Friday, 22 November 2013

Life on Earth has 1.75 billion years left on the clock. Our home planet will remain habitable for a further 1.75 billion years new research suggests. During this time, Earth will... Wednesday, 25 September 2013

Solar panels as affordable as paint? Solar panels have been hailed as one of the best ways of harnessing renewable energy in homes but purchasing, installing,... Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Extensive glacial retreat in the Mount Everest region Researchers from the University of Milan have found that glaciers in the Mount Everest region are shrinking. Glaciers are large... Friday, 24 May 2013

Science and Policy: Waste of Research Maja Choma discusses the environmental impact of biomedical research Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Feature: Have You Heard the Northern Lights? Shane McCorristine examines the eerie sounds made by the glowing sky Wednesday, 15 May 2013

BlueSci Film: How to Look Inside a Volcano Cambridge University volcanology PhD student Tehnuka Ilanko takes us to the top of Mount Erebus volcano in Antarctica where studies on plume gases are helping scientists understand what goes on beneath the crater's surface. Friday, 1 March 2013

A sea of possibilities for new antibiotics The collaborative project PharmaSea aims to combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance by looking for new drugs in our ocean trenches. Friday, 15 February 2013

History: HMS Challenger Amelia Penny explores the expedition of the HMS Challenger which marked the beginning of oceanography Friday, 25 January 2013

Feature: Digging for Dinosaurs Amelia Penny discusses the importance of the fossil record, and the impact of fossil-hunters on our historical knowledge Friday, 25 January 2013

The world beneath our feet Ecologists have used a state of the art technique known as ‘metagenomic sequencing’ to unlock the genetic secrets of the microbial underworld that lies within the world’s soils. Tuesday, 22 January 2013

POSTS FROM 2012

Discovery of a geological ‘sombrero’ on the Earth’s surface Magma is a mixture of molten rock, found beneath the Earth’s surface and which often collects in chambers to feed... Wednesday, 31 October 2012

‘Super- Earth’ likely to be made from diamonds A planet twice the size of Earth orbiting a sun-like star, 55 Cancri e has been described by researchers at... Thursday, 25 October 2012

Oxygen and Ice – how geochemistry revolutionised life on Earth The evolution of multicellular animals, or metazoans, was made possible by a huge increase in oxygen levels after a major global warming episode, a new study suggests. Tuesday, 16 October 2012

Do dry soils attract rain? New research indicates that rain storms are more likely to form over drier than wetter soils. Friday, 14 September 2012

X-Rays shed new light on mantle plumes New studies using highly focused X-Rays have moved one step closer to explaining hotspot volcanism by investigating how huge plumes of hot mantle rock could form deep inside the Earth. Tuesday, 4 September 2012

Reaffirming Rio Rio+20 marked 20 years since the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, which made early progress in recognising climate change and... Tuesday, 14 August 2012

Nuclear weapons give climate change research a helping hand Testing nuclear weapons and researching climate change seem to be at opposite sides of the scientific spectrum; the former seeks... Friday, 10 August 2012

Fool’s Gold- not such a fool after all? Researchers have found that Fool’s Gold plays an important role in governing atmospheric oxygen concentrations. Wednesday, 25 July 2012

Lichen can survive in space Lichens can survive journeys through space – even when exposed to potentially lethal radiation levels and temperature changes. Friday, 29 June 2012

Arctic warming linked to Antarctic ice New findings suggest that the Arctic may be subject to very warm ‘super-interglacials’ linked to the loss of the Antarctic ice sheet on the other side of the world. Monday, 25 June 2012

Plastic-eating fungus discovered in the Amazon Undergraduate students from Yale University have discovered a fungus capable of degrading the common plastic polyurethane. With low costs and high demand, the volume of plastics produced overwhelms waste management systems and threatens ecosystems and human welfare globally. Thursday, 21 June 2012

Away from the Bench: Science on Ice Hugo Schmidt talks to Pierre Dutrieux and Paul Holland about science at the South Pole. Friday, 27 April 2012

News: Issue 24 Promising Alzheimer’s Treatment Friday, 27 April 2012

Feature: Powering East Africa from below Tom Bishop explores the potential of geothermal energy in Africa. Sunday, 18 March 2012

A human wind turbine At 12 noon on Friday 10th February, Cambridge University students gathered on Parker’s Piece to rally for renewable energy. Thursday, 16 February 2012

Energising Cambridge A new student campaign, Energise Cambridge (http://www.energisecambridge.org/), has been launched to try and persuade the University of Cambridge to buy a larger proportion of its energy from renewable suppliers. Friday, 3 February 2012

Perspective: Capturing Change Tom Bishop discusses carbon dioxide capture as one solution to climate change Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Feature: Neglecting Vets Peter Moore explores the importance of Veterinary Medicine for mankind Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Reviews The God Species - Mark Lynas Wednesday, 18 January 2012

POSTS FROM 2011

Genetically engineered E. coli could be used to make biofuels In a discovery that pushes the dream of worldwide implementation of renewable energy towards reality, researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) in Berkeley, California have synthesised three advanced biofuels using genetically engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli). Friday, 23 December 2011

Interview: Dr Rupert Soar - Fungus Farming to Freeform Construction. Nick Crumpton talks to Rupert Soar about termite-inspired buildings, sustainable architecture and the future of construction. Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Interview: Filming Frozen Planet - Capturing the Public Imagination Frozen Planet director Adam Scott talks to Nick Crumpton about one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Review: Parasite Rex (Carl Zimmer) Sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis and hundreds of other parasitic diseases plague millions of people across the world. We have no clear... Monday, 14 November 2011

Review: Ten Top Tips for Televisual Triumph Why do journalists often get their facts wrong when they report on science stories? Thursday, 10 November 2011

Feature: Life on Air - Listening in on Natural Science Some sort of bubbled ‘moo’: that’s what I assumed manatees were going to sound like. A muffled Chewbacca would have... Wednesday, 9 November 2011

Review: Virtual Water (Tony Allan) How much water do you need to make a cup of coffee? According to Tony Allan, Professor of Geography at... Monday, 24 October 2011

Away from the Bench: Skeletons and Flame Tornadoes Aaron Barker explains how certain types of CHaOS can be fun and informative Monday, 3 October 2011

Science & Policy: Reactive Politics Rose Spear analyses the varying global stances on nuclear energy Monday, 3 October 2011

History: Science in Print Helen Gaffney explores the rise of popular science magazines Monday, 3 October 2011

Behind the Science: The Father of Forecasting Lindsey Nield reflects on the life and voyages of Admiral Robert Fitzroy Monday, 3 October 2011

Focus: Beneath the Surface BlueSci looks at an endlessly fascinating and increasingly useful world deep below Monday, 3 October 2011

Reviews Cool It - Bjorn Lomborg Monday, 3 October 2011

A man-made mountain in the Netherlands? A Dutch journalist has proposed the idea of creating a mountain in the Netherlands, believing it will benefit the nation’s athletes and become a top attraction. Thursday, 8 September 2011

Rivers of ice discovered in the Antarctic The ice flow of the Antarctic ice sheet has been mapped in high resolution for the first time. Thursday, 1 September 2011

Symptoms of climate change become apparent in European oceans A species of plankton, Neodenticula seminae, has returned to the North Atlantic for the first time since going extinct 8 million years ago. This is the latest example of how changing climate conditions cause species to move or change their behaviour. Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Fjords revealed under Antarctic ice sheet Recent surveying of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet reveals a landscape of mountains and fjords, with dynamic ice sheet configurations. Saturday, 4 June 2011

A new method to harness solar energy Scientists reporting in Nature Materials have built a prototype to show that the thermoelectric effect might provide an alternative way to generate electricity from sunlight. Saturday, 21 May 2011

Atlas of the stars An amateur astrophotographer has travelled over 60,000 miles to capture images of the stars and produce a stunning interactive atlas of the night sky. Thursday, 19 May 2011

BlueSciFilm: Understanding ocean currents BlueSciFilm interview Natalie Roberts, PhD student in the Department of Earth Sciences at Cambridge University, about her work as a paleoceanographer, studying circulation of water around the Atlantic and its association with climate change. Monday, 9 May 2011

Feature: Bird’s Eye View Ian Le Guillou finds out about the ‘biological compass’ of cows, crocodiles and migrating birds Saturday, 7 May 2011

Feature: Mountains - Go with the Flow Alex Copley explains how fluid dynamics can help us understand geology Saturday, 7 May 2011

News: Issue 21 The Sun as we’ve never seen it before Saturday, 7 May 2011

Feature: The ‘Map of Life’ Further to our recent news story, Tim Middleton interviews creators of the new ‘Map of Life’ website ((http://www.mapoflife.org/index/)) and looks into the apparent absurdities and controversies of convergent evolution. Monday, 18 April 2011

Puddingstone film In this short film, Dr Bryan Lovell, President of the Geological Society of London, tells us about his favourite rock:... Sunday, 17 April 2011

Earliest non-marine multicellular life seen in Scottish fossils Large populations of diverse microfossils from lochs in the northwest of Scotland indicate that the evolution of multi-cellular organisms may have commenced on land far earlier than previously thought. Saturday, 16 April 2011

New maps of Earth's gravity unveiled Models illustrating the most accurate measurements ever recorded of the variation in gravity across the Earth have been unveiled at an international conference at the Technische Universitat in Munich, Germany. Monday, 4 April 2011

Mass extinction imminent? A mass extinction on a scale only witnessed five times in the last 540 million years could be just around the corner, scientists warn. Tuesday, 15 March 2011

Eggs show arctic mercury cycling may be linked to ice cover A team of researchers has used seabird eggs to suggest that the level of mercury cycling in the flora and fauna of the Arctic is related to the amount of ice cover. Sunday, 13 February 2011

Away from the Bench: In the Driving Seat Rosie Robison recounts her experience working at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology Saturday, 29 January 2011

History: The Great Trigonometrical Survey Tim Middleton explores how India was mapped and the world’s tallest mountain named Saturday, 29 January 2011

Focus: Life Will Find a Way Worlds on worlds are rolling ever Saturday, 29 January 2011

Cover: Of Minerals and Meteorites Richard Thomson looks into the story behind this issue’s cover image Saturday, 29 January 2011

Small-scale earthquakes hit Britain Mention earthquakes and most people will think of places such as Japan and California, where major damaging earthquakes happen once... Wednesday, 26 January 2011

Tsunami warning systems Six years have passed since the Boxing Day tsunami disaster which claimed 5,400 victims and devastated coastlines of Thailand, Indian,... Sunday, 23 January 2011

Hope in the water 2010 was a year for extreme weather including some of the strongest illustrations of the global environmental crisis. As the country recovers from the “big freeze” it is reassuring that, at least in small ways, we are improving the world around us. Thursday, 6 January 2011

Scientific balloons launched from Antarctica NASA and the National Science Foundation of the United States are launching a series of large high-altitude scientific balloons on... Tuesday, 4 January 2011

POSTS FROM 2010

How many lightbulbs? Cambridge University physicist, David Mackay, offers a passionate yet simple, quantitative analysis of the energy crisis in the UK. The film is based on his book "Sustainable Energy without the hot air", which is available free on his website. Friday, 31 December 2010

A sustainable Christmas? Tucking into second helpings of turkey? Why not treat yourself to another glass of Chardonnay and turn the thermostat up... Sunday, 26 December 2010

Space observations show warming of Earth’s lakes Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have used satellite nighttime thermal infrared imagery to measure the surface temperature of inland lakes over the period 1985 to 2009. The data show an average rate of warming of 0.045oC per year. Monday, 6 December 2010

Oldest known salt mine found in Azerbaijan Rock salt deposits at Duzdagi, in the Araxes basin in Azerbaijan, have been found to have been exploited as early... Thursday, 2 December 2010

Perspective: Saving Species Imogen Ogilvie gives her perspective on conservation and asks whether it is worth trying to conserve species at all Sunday, 7 November 2010

Feature: The Transformation of Archaeology Maggie Jack digs into the techniques of archaeology, how they are evolving and how this may help us to answer questions like “who killed King Tut?” Sunday, 7 November 2010

Feature: Ocean Acidification Matthew Humphreys examines the impact of carbon dioxide on the oceans Sunday, 7 November 2010

Icy Mars mystery - solved? Scientists believe that they have finally found a theory to explain the phenomena of disappearing ice on Mars, also shedding light on the planet's water cycle. Monday, 11 October 2010

New mathematical model to aid biodiversity conservation A new theory of species diversity has been developed that predicts the number of species in an ecological community by mathematically accounting for the interdependent properties of individual species as well as those of the environment. Thursday, 30 September 2010

A break-down in communications Climate change. Nuclear power. GM crops. Vaccines. Why is it that the general public is so often divided on issues that scientific experts largely agree on? Tuesday, 28 September 2010

Song of a distant star could solve mysteries close to home By eavesdropping on far-away stars, scientists hope to better understand the Sun's magnetic properties and its influence on our lives. Monday, 13 September 2010

The Environmentalist's Paradox: Why are we still doing so well? Humankind is responsible for causing considerable damage to many of the planet's ecosystems. According to environmentalists, this degradation should also be having a negative effect on our own well-being. But it's not. What's going on? Thursday, 9 September 2010

Global CO₂ emissions on the decline Recent measures show the global financial crisis leading to this decade's first drop in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption. Tuesday, 7 September 2010

Sun + Plastic Sheet = Energy Researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed a major improvement for organic solar cells, reporting their results in the... Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Species in the Soil Research in the Panamanian rainforest shows that soil-dwelling organisms promote local species richness and keep the rare trees rare. Sunday, 15 August 2010

Carbonate rocks and life on Mars? Scientists writing in Earth and Planetary Science Letters ((Adrian J. Brown et al., “Hydrothermal formation of Clay-Carbonate alteration assemblages in... Tuesday, 10 August 2010

Pigeons carry harmful pathogens Feral pigeons could be asymptomatic or subclinical carriers of the pathogens Chlamydophila psittaci and Campylobacter jejuni, responsible for acute diarrhea in humans. Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Natural selection in favour of specialisation Despite outliving the Ice Age, the Hundsheim rhinoceros rapidly disappeared without any effective changes to its environment, becoming foe to... Monday, 21 June 2010

Life on Mars? New evidence reinvigorates old questions. High-levels of carbonate minerals suggest a more favourable environment for life in the Red Planet's past. Friday, 18 June 2010

Call for citizen scientists An international team with researchers fthe UK, Australia and China consider how our views of biodiversity can be distorted by the data we look at. Monday, 7 June 2010

Letters Your questions answered by Dr I.M. Derisive Monday, 3 May 2010

Book Reviews Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth Monday, 3 May 2010

History: Increasing the Yield Alex Jenkin looks at the past, present and future of agriculture Monday, 3 May 2010

Away from the Bench: Fluids and Foggaras Djuke Veldhuis descends into the watering holes of the ancient Garamantes Monday, 3 May 2010

Feature: The High Stakes of Earthquakes Owen Weller reports on the devastation of seismic activity and the work invested in preparing for the fallout Monday, 3 May 2010

Book Reviews Why We Disagree About Climate Change Monday, 4 January 2010

Away from the Bench: An Ancestor's Tools Kathelijne Koops roams the African rainforest to study chimpanzee culture Monday, 4 January 2010

News: Issue 17 The fall of the Nazcas Monday, 4 January 2010

POSTS FROM 2009

Focus: The Manhattan Project As the UK government continues discussion on the renewal of Trident, our missile-based nuclear weapons arsenal, Bluesci looks back on the only two bombs ever to be used in war and Britain’s role as a nuclear power. Thursday, 1 October 2009

News: Issue 16 Cambridge designed solar car unveiled Thursday, 1 October 2009