news 2012

German Idealism changed the world and influenced politics. art and numerous other fields. The ways in which it shaped the modern world have been the subject of a three-year research project, which reaches its conclusion in Cambridge this week. —Nick Boyle The culmination of an international project which aims to trace the legacy of German Idealism - an explosion of philosophical ideas which emerged from Germany during the 19th century - begins in Cambridge today (Thursday, 6 September).

Deforestation can have a significant effect on tropical rainfall, new research confirms. The findings have potentially devastating impacts for people living in and near the Amazon and Congo forests. A team from the University of Leeds and the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology found that for the majority of the Earth’s tropical land surface, air passing over extensive forests produces at least twice as much rain as air passing over little vegetation.

The key challenges facing researchers investigating the debilitating hearing condition tinnitus have been identified. It is hoped that identifying the top 10 'unanswered questions' for tinnitus will prove a catalyst for further research and will focus future studies on the main priorities, leading to tangible benefits for patients.

Women having surgery for breast cancer are up to three times more likely to have severe pain in the first week after surgery if they suffer from other painful conditions, such as arthritis, low back pain and migraine, according to a Cancer Research UK study published today (Wednesday) in the British Journal of Cancer .

Adolescents with a body mass index (BMI) rating of obese experience knee pain more often and to a greater severity than adolescents with a healthy weight, a new study shows. The Arthritis Research UK funded study explored the relationship between obesity and pain around the body in young adults. Although previous epidemiological studies have identified obesity as a risk factor for general musculoskeletal pain in adults, this is the first study to investigate the link in adolescents.

What is a fair way to distribute goods? Should someone who worked more also receive more compensation? New research, published online PLoS One [29 Aug] and led by Patricia Kanngiesser from the University of Bristol's School of Experimental Psychology and Felix Warneken from Harvard University, suggests that young children already take merit into account when sharing things with others.

An ancient Italian town whose remains are buried beneath the earth has been mapped by a team of researchers, revealing evidence of a bustling social and economic settlement 1,500 years ago. Having the complete streetplan and being able to pick out individual details allows us to start zoning the settlement and examine how it worked and changed through time." —Martin Millett An ancient Italian town, which disappeared after its abandonment 1

An active lifestyle, which could involve brisk walking, gardening and doing housework, helps reduce the chance of getting breast cancer, research suggests. The study involving Oxford University researchers is thought to be the largest ever to look at physical activity and breast cancer, and included over 8,000 breast cancer cases in women.

New research indicates that a bird's ability to detect changes in air pressure is the evolutionary remnant of an ancient sense organ found in sharks and sturgeons. The PTO's function is likely to have been modified in birds for detecting air pressure during flight." —Clare Baker Latest research shows that the 'paratympanic organ' (PTO) - the innate barometer in the middle ear of birds - evolved from a fish sense organ that detects jaw movement.

Research by computer scientists at the University of Birmingham has found that the monitoring of online file sharing is more prevalent than previously thought. They also conclude that in many cases, the evidence gathered through monitoring is not admissible in court. This research will be presented tomorrow (Tuesday 4 th September 2012) at the SecureComm Conference in Padua.

A new study, by scientists from the Universities of York, Glasgow and Leeds, involving analysis of fossil and geological records going back 540 million years, suggests that biodiversity on Earth generally increases as the planet warms. But the research says that the increase in biodiversity depends on the evolution of new species over millions of years, and is normally accompanied by extinctions of existing species.

Organic farming is generally good for wildlife but does not necessarily have lower overall environmental impacts than conventional farming, a new analysis led by Oxford University scientists has shown. The researchers analysed data from 71 studies published in peer-reviewed journals that compared organic and conventional farms in Europe.

A new study involving analysis of fossil and geological records going back 540 million years, suggests that biodiversity on Earth generally increases as the planet warms. But the research by scientists from the Universities of York, Glasgow and Leeds says that the increase in biodiversity depends on the evolution of new species over millions of years, and is normally accompanied by extinctions of existing species.

An archaeologist from the University of Sheffield has revealed the origin and trading routes of razor-sharp stone tools 4,200 years ago in Syria. Ancient sites and cultural heritage are under threat in Syria due to the current conflict. An interdisciplinary research team hopes this new discovery, which has major implications for understanding the world's first empire, will help to highlight the importance of protecting Syria's heritage.

Research examines the link between a traumatic upbringing and personality traits which increase the risk of addiction. This relationship is interesting because impulsive personality traits are known to increase the risk of becoming addicted to drugs but it is not an excuse for drug-taking." —Dr Karen Ersche, of the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI) at the University of Cambridge Previous research has shown that personality traits such as impulsivity or compulsiveness are indicators of an increased risk of addiction.

Excavations at Britain's largest prehistoric hillfort have given archaeologists from Cardiff and Cambridge universities a glimpse of what life was like inside the fort more than 2000 years ago. Niall Sharples of Cardiff's School of History, Archaeology and Religion and Chris Evans of Cambridge's Archaeological Unit are jointly leading a team excavating Ham Hill in Somerset.

Early findings from a University of Bristol study that investigated school, college and club connections in the boardrooms of the UK's top companies has found that social connections - through membership of elite private members' clubs and golf clubs - may still play a role in boardroom appointments.

A second season of excavations at Britain's biggest Iron Age hill-fort has uncovered remains of Roman weaponry, and the site of the first "ham stone" house. The fort's construction marked a major transformation of the landscape as a considerable area of farmland had to be abandoned." —Chris Evans, Cambridge Archaeological Unit.

Mathematical models developed by scientists at the University of Bristol are providing new insights into why the placebo effect exists and when it should occur. Their research is published today in the journal of Evolution and Human Behaviour. A placebo - such as a sugar pill - is a treatment which is not effective through its direct action on the body but works because of its effect on the patient's beliefs.

Moths that spend their summers in the UK experience a population explosion with numbers increasing fourfold, a new study suggests, findings that are changing how we view insect migration. Previously it was thought that the 10-240 million moths that migrate to the UK in the spring every year from southern Europe and Africa see their numbers dwindle and few of their offspring prosper to make the return journey southward when the British autumn arrives.