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Surface science can make a big difference to our health, well-being and environment. Our surface scientists at Durham have been working on a whole range of applications that have already changed our lives in some way (think mobile phones and puddles) and could make a real difference to people around the world, particularly in developing countries.

Einstein's theory of General Relativity is world famous - but it might not be the only way to explain how gravity works and how galaxies form. Physicists at Durham University created huge supercomputer simulations of the universe to test an alternative theory. Our researchers found that f(R)-gravity - a so-called Chameleon Theory - could also explain the formation of structures in the cosmos.

Think you should slow down as you get older? Think again! Weight-bearing and muscle strengthening exercises are important for building bone strength and preventing osteoporosis, however, new research shows that even just getting your 10,000 steps a day can be important for keeping your bones strong.

It is well known that the bones of astronauts can become weak from being in space. But did you know that elite cyclists can lose a similar amount of bone density during a racing season? A new study by our sports science experts has found that something called Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S) is the main culprit.

Scientists are using supermassive black holes to measure the expansion of the early Universe. The researchers, including our astronomers here at Durham University, think that their measurements show the Universe might be growing more rapidly than previously thought. Supermassive black holes give off radiation as they feed and are some of the brightest points of light in space.

Freya, a Springer Spaniel, is one of the dogs who has been trained to sniff out the scent of malaria. Freya's highly sensitive nose could help provide the first non-invasive test for the disease. Sniffer dogs could potentially be deployed at ports of entry to identify passengers carrying malaria to prevent the spread of the disease across borders and to ensure people receive timely antimalarial treatment.

Astronomers have captured a spectacular image of a massive galaxy cluster embedded among nearly thousands of previously unseen galaxies scattered across space and time. The image of the Abell 370 galaxy cluster and its surroundings was made as part of the Durham University-led Beyond Ultra-deep Frontier Fields And Legacy Observations (BUFFALO) survey.

England has a North-South 'pain divide', with a clear geographical split in the prevalence and intensity of chronic pain and the use of potentially addictive opioid pain killers, shows new research. The study involving researchers from Durham University is published in the online journal BMJ Open. Opioid epidemic The team behind the research warns that better guidance for clinicians to manage chronic pain is essential if an 'opioid epidemic' similar to the one in the US is to be avoided.

A first of its kind study, led by Dr Claire Horwell of the Department of Earth Sciences and Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience , has found that industry-certified particle masks are most effective at protecting people from volcanic ash, whilst commonly used surgical masks offer less protection.

Dramatic changes in the Earth's vegetation at the end of the last ice age could be a sign of future climate driven changes if greenhouse gas emissions are not cut. New research by an international team of scientists, including researchers at Durham University's Department of Biosciences , found that the Earth's vegetation underwent major changes as the last ice age came to an end 14,000 years ago and the planet warmed.

The timing and size of three deadly earthquakes that struck Italy in 2016 may have been pre-determined, according to new research that could improve future earthquake forecasts. A joint British-Italian team of geologists and seismologists have shown that the clustering of the three quakes might have been caused by the arrangement of a cross-cutting network of underground faults.

Some of the faintest satellite galaxies orbiting our own Milky Way galaxy are amongst the very first that formed in our Universe, physicists have found. Findings by a team of academics, including physicists Professor Carlos Frenk and Dr Alis Deason from the Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC) at Durham University and Dr Sownak Bose from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in America, suggest that galaxies including Segue-1, Bootes I, Tucana II and Ursa Major I are over 13 billion years old.

Workers' rights should be at the heart of global sustainable development, says new report (17 July 2018) Workers' rights should be placed at the heart of global efforts to improve sustainable development, according to a new international study. The Unacceptable Forms of Work: Global Dialogue/Location Innovation report , led by Durham University, UK, came as the world's politicians met to review progress towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) .

Marshlands in the south east of England could start to disappear from the year 2040 due to rapid sea level rise, according to new research involving Durham University scientists. Using data from more than 800 sediment cores which record how salt marshes responded to variable rates of sea-level rise over the past 10,000 years, the researchers estimate that marshes in the south east of England could start to disappear from the year 2040, and across all of Great Britain by 2100.

An international team of astronomers, including scientists at Durham University, has discovered an ancient and dramatic head-on collision between the Milky Way and a smaller object, dubbed the "Sausage" galaxy. The cosmic crash was a defining event in the early history of the Milky Way and reshaped the structure of our galaxy, fashioning both its inner bulge and its outer halo, the astronomers report in a series of new papers.

Durham University's research is tackling global issues thanks to its success in securing over £13m funding across 11 projects since 2016. The University has an excellent track record of being awarded funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). The GCRF supports cutting edge research to address challenges faced by developing countries.

Volunteers, students and staff at the Auckland Castle excavation site. Credit: Jamie Sproates, courtesy of The Auckland Project. Medieval mysteries, hidden beneath the grounds of a 900-year-old British castle, have been uncovered during a major archaeological excavation. More than 90 archaeologists, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and volunteers from Durham University and The Auckland Project spent a month peeling back the centuries at Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, as part of the latest excavation at the former home of the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham.

Uranus was hit by a massive object roughly twice the size of Earth that caused the planet to tilt and could explain its freezing temperatures, according to new research. Astronomers at Durham University led an international team of experts to investigate how Uranus came to be tilted on its side and what consequences a giant impact would have had on the planet's evolution.

Men's testosterone levels are largely determined by their environment during childhood, according to new research. The Durham University-led study suggests that men who grow up in more challenging conditions where there are lots of infectious diseases, for example, are likely to have lower testosterone levels in later life than those who spend their childhood in healthier environments.

Professor Clare McGlynn of Durham Law School tells how her research has helped to shape a law on upskirting and why more comprehensive legislation is needed to protect victims from all image-based sexual abuse. Moves to legislate against upskirting - the act of secretly taking a photograph under a victim's skirt - hit the headlines when a planned law to criminalise the act stalled in Parliament.