Frontier research

Chicks' in-built preference for face-like shapes has led to a simple test to detect autistic spectrum disorder in babies. Image Credit - Flickr/Alex Starr,CC BY-SA 2.0

28 January 2019

Chick-inspired autism test for newborn babies to help early intervention

Giorgio Vallortigara didn’t set out to develop software that could detect whether babies have autism. A neuroscience professor at the University of Trento in Italy, his areas of expertise include animal cognition – he’s into the brains of honeybees, zebrafish and newly-hatched chicks.

Pinpointing how accents change and influence each other can tell us how languages form. Image Credit - Eric Bridiers, for U.S. Mission. CC BY-ND 2.0

science in society | frontier research

21 January 2019

Why do people discriminate against speakers with foreign accents?

Listening to someone speaking with a foreign accent makes human brains work harder which can lead to unintentional discrimination against people communicating in languages other than their own, new research suggests. But exposure to foreign accents can also change the way people speak, and over time, the ensuing accents can become new languages.

Prof. Luke O’Neill says that it could offer new treatments for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Image credit - Professor Luke O’Neill

interview | health | frontier research

09 January 2019

Understanding immune system switches will spark new drugs

Identifying the chemical switches that turn different parts of our immune system on and off is opening up new avenues for treating diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis – and potential new uses for discarded drugs, according to Professor Luke O’Neill, an immunologist at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Diagnosing dyslexia before children start to read would be the 'holy grail' for researchers. Image credit - Jay Inslee, CC BY-ND 2.0

health | frontier research

08 January 2019

Noise and motion links to dyslexia pave way for early diagnosis

Most children are able to learn language almost effortlessly. But for those with communication disorders such as dyslexia, mastering their native tongue can be a challenge. Researchers are exploring how links with noise, language and motion could help diagnose problems earlier and pave the way for better treatment.

We asked a selection of European scientists which scientific breakthroughs they'd like to see in 2019. Image credits from left to right: NASA, CERN, NASA

frontier research

02 January 2019

Intelligent prostheses and electric aircraft - what to look out for in 2019

A €30 carbon price in 100 countries, proof that gene editing can correct epilepsy, and the ability to pinpoint the location of fast radio bursts from space thanks to new telescopes are just some of the breakthroughs that European scientists told Horizon would make the biggest difference to their field in 2019.

science in society | frontier research

20 December 2018

Our top 10 science facts from 2018

From arsenic candies to underground winter forest fires, Horizon uncovered some fascinating facts while researching our articles. Here are our ten favourites from 2018.

In trials, the ResiBot robot learned to walk again in less than two minutes after one of its legs was removed. Image credit - Antoine Cully / Sorbonne University

frontier research

19 December 2018

Robots are being programmed to adapt in real time

A robust, adaptable robot that responds to its environment on the fly and overcomes obstacles such as a broken leg without human intervention could be used to rescue people from an earthquake zone or clean up sites that are too hazardous for humans.

Cozmo robots and their corresponding tablets are being distributed to participants to take home so that they can interact with them for a week for an experiment being carried out by social robotics professor Emily Cross. Image credit - Ruud Hortensius and Emily Cross

frontier research | ict

18 December 2018

From robotic companions to third thumbs, machines can change the human brain

People’s interactions with machines, from robots that throw tantrums when they lose a colour-matching game against a human opponent to the bionic limbs that could give us extra abilities, are not just revealing more about how our brains are wired – they are also altering them.

The magnetic field protecting our planet originates deep in the Earth's core but fluctuates in strength over time. Image credit - ESA/ATG medialab

frontier research | space

07 December 2018

Earth’s magnetic poles could start to flip. What happens then?

As Earth's magnetic shield fails, so do its satellites. First, our communications satellites in the highest orbits go down. Next, astronauts in low-Earth orbit can no longer phone home. And finally, cosmic rays start to bombard every human on Earth.

Prof. Eva Hevia says that bi-metallics make it possible to use water in chemical reactions - the holy grail for chemists. Image credit - Prof. Hevia

interview | frontier research

04 October 2018

Sustainability is a 'top priority' for chemists

A group of chemicals known as bi-metallics could help the pharmaceutical industry become more environmentally friendly by cutting the amount of energy used to produce drugs, according to Professor Eva Hevia from the University of Strathclyde, UK, who says that sustainability is a top priority for chemists.