news 2011
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History / Archeology - Life Sciences - 14.12.2011 
Sea anemones excel at fighting
Scientists studying the behavioural traits of the common sea anemone have discovered that 'fortune favours the brave' when it comes to fighting and setting territorial disputes. Proving the old adage about the 'size of the fight in the dog', marine biologists at Plymouth University have found that the personality of a sea anemone will play just as crucial a role as physical size and weapon strength when fighting.
Health - History / Archeology - 29.11.2011 
Do we need a ’science of evidence’?
Evidence is key to many topical debates such as global warming, evolution, the search for weapons of mass destruction, DNA profiling, and advances in science and medicine. A new book asks whether, considering the importance of evidence for so many disciplines, a general 'science of evidence' is possible - or even desirable.
History / Archeology - Health - 02.11.2011 
'Earliest modern humans' in Europe identified by Oxford researchers
Oxford University researchers have provided important new radiocarbon dates for two milk teeth and a jawbone, which shed new light on when the first modern humans arrived in Europe. In the first of the two separate research projects Katerina Douka was part of an international research team re-examining two infant teeth excavated from a prehistoric cave in Italy.
Earth Sciences - History / Archeology - 15.09.2011 
Minerals from ocean-floor rocks found in ultra-deep diamonds
Mineral inclusions discovered in diamonds prove that surface rocks can be subducted into the deep part of the Earth's mantle. The isotopic composition of the diamonds confirms that recycling of crustal materials, including carbon, extends into the lower mantle. The theory of plate tectonics is at the centre of our understanding of how the Earth works.
Environment - History / Archeology - 13.09.2011
History / Archeology - 31.08.2011
Health - History / Archeology - 30.08.2011
Environment - History / Archeology - 23.08.2011 
Ancient daddy long legs creep up in 3D: 300m year old harvestmen revealed in new virtual fossil
Two ancient types of harvestmen, or 'daddy long legs,' which skittered around forests more than 300 million years ago, are revealed in new three-dimensional virtual fossil models published today . An international team, led by researchers from Imperial College London, have created 3D models of two fossilised species of harvestmen, from the Dyspnoi and Eupnoi suborders.
Health - History / Archeology - 15.08.2011
Health - History / Archeology - 03.08.2011 
Eating disorders and fertility research
Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are associated with fertility problems and negative attitudes to pregnancy, according to a study from King's scientists. The research also revealed high rates of unplanned pregnancies in women with a history of anorexia, suggesting they may be underestimating their chances of conceiving.
History / Archeology - 29.07.2011 
Dead Sea Scroll tract was precursor to Jewish calendar
An obscure Babylonian document from the world famous Dead Sea Scroll collection was almost certainly a precursor to the Jewish calendar according to University of Manchester research.
Environment - History / Archeology - 07.07.2011 
Modern polar bears descended from extinct bears from Ireland
Scientists have discovered that modern polar bears are descended from now extinct brown bears that roamed the region we know today as Britain and Ireland. It is thought that polar bears moved into this area just before, or during the last Ice Age, where they mated with female brown bears. The maternal lineage of the extinct Irish brown bear can still be traced to all modern polar bears today, according to the research published in the latest issue of the journal Current Biology .
Physics - History / Archeology - 29.06.2011
History / Archeology - Health - 08.06.2011 
Archaeologists discover skeleton in doctor’s garden
A skeleton, possibly dating from Roman times, has been unearthed by archaeologists from the University of Bristol during a dig in the garden of vaccination pioneer Dr Edward Jenner in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. The archaeologists, led by Professor Mark Horton and Dr Stuart Prior , have been excavating part of the garden of The Chantry, the former country home of vaccination pioneer, Dr Edward Jenner (1749-1823), during a series of annual digs since 2007.
History / Archeology - 01.06.2011 
World Wars camouflage technique could have benefits in modern warfare
Painting army vehicles with high contrast geometric patterns - 'dazzle camouflage' - affects the perception of their speed and thus could make them less susceptible to rocket propelled grenade attacks, according to new research from the University of Bristol. Warships in both the First and Second World Wars were painted with dazzle camouflage: startling geometric patterns aimed at confusing the enemy rather than concealing the vessel.
History / Archeology - 18.05.2011 
Imaging technology reveals intricate details of 49 million-year-old spider
Scientists have used the latest computer-imaging technology to produce stunning three-dimensional pictures of a 49 million-year-old spider trapped inside an opaque piece of fossilized amber resin. University of Manchester researchers, working with colleagues in Germany, created the intricate images using X-ray computed tomography to study the remarkable spider, which can barely be seen under the microscope in the old and darkened amber.
History / Archeology - 13.05.2011 
Humans 'predisposed' to believe in gods and the afterlife
A three-year international research project, directed by two academics at the University of Oxford, finds that humans have natural tendencies to believe in gods and an afterlife. The £1.9 million project involved 57 researchers who conducted over 40 separate studies in 20 countries representing a diverse range of cultures.
Health - History / Archeology - 29.04.2011 
New antibiotic should be used to treat typhoid
A new and affordable antibiotic called gatifloxacin should be used to treat typhoid. That's the recommendation of Oxford University researchers who have carried out the largest clinical trial yet to compare treatments for the disease. The results of the trial in Kathmandu, Nepal, which was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Li Ka Shing Foundation, are published in the medical journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Physics - History / Archeology - 18.04.2011 
1861: James Clerk Maxwell’s greatest year
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-79) was one of the world's greatest physicists, and 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of two of his most important achievements, both accomplished while he was Professor of Natural Philosophy at King's from 1860 to 1865. 1861 saw not only the publication of his first paper on electromagnetic theory, but also the first photograph produced according to Maxwell's three-colour method, taken by photographic pioneer Thomas Sutton of King's.
History / Archeology - 29.03.2011
History/Archeology
Results 1 - 20 of 27.
Scientists studying the behavioural traits of the common sea anemone have discovered that 'fortune favours the brave' when it comes to fighting and setting territorial disputes. Proving the old adage about the 'size of the fight in the dog', marine biologists at Plymouth University have found that the personality of a sea anemone will play just as crucial a role as physical size and weapon strength when fighting.
Evidence is key to many topical debates such as global warming, evolution, the search for weapons of mass destruction, DNA profiling, and advances in science and medicine. A new book asks whether, considering the importance of evidence for so many disciplines, a general 'science of evidence' is possible - or even desirable.
Oxford University researchers have provided important new radiocarbon dates for two milk teeth and a jawbone, which shed new light on when the first modern humans arrived in Europe. In the first of the two separate research projects Katerina Douka was part of an international research team re-examining two infant teeth excavated from a prehistoric cave in Italy.
Mineral inclusions discovered in diamonds prove that surface rocks can be subducted into the deep part of the Earth's mantle. The isotopic composition of the diamonds confirms that recycling of crustal materials, including carbon, extends into the lower mantle. The theory of plate tectonics is at the centre of our understanding of how the Earth works.
Seeing beneath the soil to uncover the past
Archaeology is no longer just about digging holes. New research by a team led from the University of Leeds promises to improve the investigation of our heritage from the air. The work should revolutionise the use of 'state-of-the-art' remote sensing technology, improving the 'hit rate' of aerial archaeology without physically disturbing sites of cultural heritage.
Archaeology is no longer just about digging holes. New research by a team led from the University of Leeds promises to improve the investigation of our heritage from the air. The work should revolutionise the use of 'state-of-the-art' remote sensing technology, improving the 'hit rate' of aerial archaeology without physically disturbing sites of cultural heritage.
Discovery of Celtic chieftain’s fort set to rewrite Scottish history
A major discovery by archaeologists working in Perthshire will cast new light on understanding of the earliest history of Scotland. Broch Discovery [mp3] A team from the Strathearn Environs and Royal Forteviot (SERF) project have uncovered near the village of Dunning an exquisitely preserved Iron Age broch filled with evidence of early between the Picts and the Roman Empire.
A major discovery by archaeologists working in Perthshire will cast new light on understanding of the earliest history of Scotland. Broch Discovery [mp3] A team from the Strathearn Environs and Royal Forteviot (SERF) project have uncovered near the village of Dunning an exquisitely preserved Iron Age broch filled with evidence of early between the Picts and the Roman Empire.
Lack of comparative research into acne treatments could limit their effectiveness
Acne is a chronic disease which can be painful and disfiguring. Many treatments are publicised as cures for acne, often at considerable expense to the sufferer and the healthcare system. A new clinical review by experts at The University of Nottingham says there is very little research evidence to show which treatments work best and whether expensive treatments are any better than traditional ones.
Acne is a chronic disease which can be painful and disfiguring. Many treatments are publicised as cures for acne, often at considerable expense to the sufferer and the healthcare system. A new clinical review by experts at The University of Nottingham says there is very little research evidence to show which treatments work best and whether expensive treatments are any better than traditional ones.
Two ancient types of harvestmen, or 'daddy long legs,' which skittered around forests more than 300 million years ago, are revealed in new three-dimensional virtual fossil models published today . An international team, led by researchers from Imperial College London, have created 3D models of two fossilised species of harvestmen, from the Dyspnoi and Eupnoi suborders.
Childhood maltreatment & depression
People who have experienced maltreatment as children are twice as likely to develop both multiple and long-lasting depressive episodes as those without a history of childhood maltreatment, according to a new study. The research, led by a team at King's College London Institute of Psychiatry, also found that maltreated individuals are more likely to respond poorly to pharmacological and psychological treatment for depression.
People who have experienced maltreatment as children are twice as likely to develop both multiple and long-lasting depressive episodes as those without a history of childhood maltreatment, according to a new study. The research, led by a team at King's College London Institute of Psychiatry, also found that maltreated individuals are more likely to respond poorly to pharmacological and psychological treatment for depression.
Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are associated with fertility problems and negative attitudes to pregnancy, according to a study from King's scientists. The research also revealed high rates of unplanned pregnancies in women with a history of anorexia, suggesting they may be underestimating their chances of conceiving.
An obscure Babylonian document from the world famous Dead Sea Scroll collection was almost certainly a precursor to the Jewish calendar according to University of Manchester research.
Scientists have discovered that modern polar bears are descended from now extinct brown bears that roamed the region we know today as Britain and Ireland. It is thought that polar bears moved into this area just before, or during the last Ice Age, where they mated with female brown bears. The maternal lineage of the extinct Irish brown bear can still be traced to all modern polar bears today, according to the research published in the latest issue of the journal Current Biology .
Astronomers discover Universe’s most distant quasar
PA 201/11 A scientist at The University of Nottingham is part of a team of astronomers which has discovered the most distant quasar to date — a development that could help further our understanding of a universe still in its infancy following the Big Bang. This brilliant and rare beacon, powered by a black hole with a mass two billion times that of the Sun, is by far the brightest object yet found from a time when the Universe was less than 800 million years old — just a fraction of its current age.
PA 201/11 A scientist at The University of Nottingham is part of a team of astronomers which has discovered the most distant quasar to date — a development that could help further our understanding of a universe still in its infancy following the Big Bang. This brilliant and rare beacon, powered by a black hole with a mass two billion times that of the Sun, is by far the brightest object yet found from a time when the Universe was less than 800 million years old — just a fraction of its current age.
A skeleton, possibly dating from Roman times, has been unearthed by archaeologists from the University of Bristol during a dig in the garden of vaccination pioneer Dr Edward Jenner in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. The archaeologists, led by Professor Mark Horton and Dr Stuart Prior , have been excavating part of the garden of The Chantry, the former country home of vaccination pioneer, Dr Edward Jenner (1749-1823), during a series of annual digs since 2007.
Painting army vehicles with high contrast geometric patterns - 'dazzle camouflage' - affects the perception of their speed and thus could make them less susceptible to rocket propelled grenade attacks, according to new research from the University of Bristol. Warships in both the First and Second World Wars were painted with dazzle camouflage: startling geometric patterns aimed at confusing the enemy rather than concealing the vessel.
Scientists have used the latest computer-imaging technology to produce stunning three-dimensional pictures of a 49 million-year-old spider trapped inside an opaque piece of fossilized amber resin. University of Manchester researchers, working with colleagues in Germany, created the intricate images using X-ray computed tomography to study the remarkable spider, which can barely be seen under the microscope in the old and darkened amber.
A three-year international research project, directed by two academics at the University of Oxford, finds that humans have natural tendencies to believe in gods and an afterlife. The £1.9 million project involved 57 researchers who conducted over 40 separate studies in 20 countries representing a diverse range of cultures.
A new and affordable antibiotic called gatifloxacin should be used to treat typhoid. That's the recommendation of Oxford University researchers who have carried out the largest clinical trial yet to compare treatments for the disease. The results of the trial in Kathmandu, Nepal, which was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Li Ka Shing Foundation, are published in the medical journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-79) was one of the world's greatest physicists, and 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of two of his most important achievements, both accomplished while he was Professor of Natural Philosophy at King's from 1860 to 1865. 1861 saw not only the publication of his first paper on electromagnetic theory, but also the first photograph produced according to Maxwell's three-colour method, taken by photographic pioneer Thomas Sutton of King's.
Multiculturalism ‘not to blame’ for failed sense of community
Multiculturalism is associated with strengthening the ties between different ethnic groups, according to an extensive study of English data. A research team led by Dr Laia Bécares from The University of Manchester reveals that neighbourhoods with higher ethnic diversity are associated with higher rates of social cohesion, respect for ethnic differences, and neighbours of different backgrounds getting on well together.
Multiculturalism is associated with strengthening the ties between different ethnic groups, according to an extensive study of English data. A research team led by Dr Laia Bécares from The University of Manchester reveals that neighbourhoods with higher ethnic diversity are associated with higher rates of social cohesion, respect for ethnic differences, and neighbours of different backgrounds getting on well together.
