Research Horizons

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Michelangelo bronzes discovered Feb 18, 2015

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It was thought that no bronzes by Michelangelo had survived - now experts believe they have found not one, but two - with a tiny detail in a 500-year-old drawing providing vital evidence. They are naked, beautiful, muscular and ride triumphantly on two ferocious panthers. And now the secret of who created these magnificent metre-high bronze male nudes could well be solved. A team of international experts led by the University of Cambridge and Fitzwilliam Museum has gathered compelling evidence that argues that these masterpieces, which have spent over a century in relative obscurity, are early works by Michelangelo, made just after he completed the marble David and as he was about to embark on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. If the attribution is correct, they are the only surviving Michelangelo bronzes in the world.

Graphene-based ink Jul 30, 2014

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Graphene-based electronic ink paves the way for wearable, printed electronics and sensors, such as heart monitors. The prototype in this film was developed with support from the Cambridge Innovation and Knowledge Centre. http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/anti-fraud-lasers-and-inks-for-transparent-electronics

Gaia's mission: solving the celestial puzzle Dec 19, 2013

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A space mission to create the largest, most-accurate, map of the Milky Way in three dimensions will revolutionise our understanding of the galaxy and the universe beyond. On 19th December 2013, a rocket blasted into the sky from a launch site in French Guiana and travelled 1.5 million km to reach its destination in orbit around the Sun. The spacecraft is called Gaia. Its mission, funded by the European Space Agency and involving scientists from across Europe, is to make the largest, most precise, three-dimensional map of the Milky Way ever attempted. It will be a census of a billion stars spread across our galaxy. The results, says Professor Gerry Gilmore from Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy and the Principal Investigator for UK involvement in the mission, "will revolutionise our understanding of the cosmos as never before." http://www.gaia.ac.uk http://sci.esa.int/gaia/

KSR2 mutations are associated with obesity, insulin resistance and impaired cellular fuel oxidation Oct 29, 2013

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Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered a novel genetic cause of severe obesity which, although relatively rare, demonstrates for the first time that genes can reduce basal metabolic rate -- how the body burns calories. http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/novel-genetic-mutations-cause-low-metabolic-rate-and-obesity

Setting a speed trap for an avalanche Oct 04, 2013

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Researchers can measure an avalanche from start to finish for the first time. This process means that more accurate field data can be gathered from avalanches, enabling communities around the world which are vulnerable to avalanches to make better preparataions for their impact.

Magma Arta: rocks under the microscope Oct 04, 2013

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Study of a unique rock collection -- and its astonishingly beautiful microscopic crystal structures -- could change our understanding of how the Earth works. The collection of igneous rocks, housed at the University of Cambridge's Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, dates back to at least the early 1800s and contains around 160,000 rocks and about 250,000 slide-mounted rock slices that are thin enough to let light through. A research team in Cambridge is using the collection to provide new information of the composition of the rocks. Because the rocks were made deep within the Earth, and then spewed out of volcanoes, they can be used to further understanding of the Earth's mantle structure. Studying these deep layers is crucial to understanding the inner workings of our planet and the driving forces behind the movement of tectonic plates. www.sedgwickmuseum.org

Mechanical gears in jumping insects Oct 04, 2013

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Previously believed to be only man-made, a natural example of a functioning gear mechanism has been discovered in a common insect - the plant-hopper Issus - showing that evolution developed interlocking cogs long before we did. Professor Malcolm Burrows talks about finding the bugs that led to the science, and working with artists Elizabeth Hobbs and Emily Tracy and members of the community in the London borough of Hackney to produce the film 'Waterfolk'. For more information about the natural gear system, visit http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/functioning-mechanical-gears-seen-in-nature-for-the-first-time For more information about the Waterfolk project, visit http://www.floatingcinema.info/events/water-folk.1

Living with the Inugguit Apr 17, 2013

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In 2010, Dr Stephen Leonard embarked on a year-long trip to live with the Inugguit of north-west Greenland, the northernmost settled people on Earth. His aim was to record the language, stories and songs of these communities. The traditional life of the community and its future is potentially threatened by a number of factors, one of which is climate change. Dr Leonard lived as a member of those communities, travelled on hunts, and recorded and filmed as he went. Here he talks about some of his experiences and reflects on a year spent in the midst of a fading culture.

Secret histories of illuminated manuscripts: the MINIARE project Mar 15, 2013

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An innovative project at the University of Cambridge will uncover some of the hidden histories of illuminated manuscripts, thanks to the application of techniques more commonly found in scientific laboratories. The MINIARE project will help conservators repair priceless works of art and provide new insights into the cultural, social and economic circumstances of their production. And, crucially for objects of such rarity and fragility, none of the techniques involves touching the manuscripts or removing samples. www.miniare.org

Meet the algae Mar 12, 2013

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Scientists at Cambridge University take a closer look at algae and examine its potential as a renewable source of energy. In the near future algae could be used as a sustainable, carbon neutral biofuel.

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