Topics

New studies using mice microbiota could open the door to understanding age-related changes in humans. Image Credit - Flickr/Pedro Simoes CC BY 2.0

18 February 2019

Bacteria keep us healthy – but could they keep us young?

A study in mice has indicated that the make-up of bacteria in the gut is linked with learning abilities and memory, providing a potential avenue of research into how to maintain cognitive functioning as we age.

health | frontier research

14 February 2019

Elephant genes suppress tumours. Could studying this help us prevent cancer?

The genetics and ageing rate of elephants could hold clues to helping us find better ways to fight cancer and lead healthier, longer lives.

Fear due to a traumatic situation usually becomes generalised. For example, being mugged in a dark alley could cause a person to start fearing dark, narrow passages. Image Credit - Flickr/Franck Michel

health | frontier research

13 February 2019

Heartbeats and memory suppression – the new tools for controlling fear

Most of us feel afraid when faced with a threat or danger, but people with phobias and anxiety feel overwhelming levels of fear in situations that are relatively harmless. Scientists want to moderate this response by using drugs to wipe out scary memories or by harnessing the power of heartbeats to improve therapy.

The LUVMI rover will be sent to the moon to inspect its water ice, and chemicals in its crust and atmosphere. Image credit - LUVMI consortium

space

12 February 2019

How to keep lunar samples safe

A lunar rover that can analyse samples in situ and a Europe-wide facility to store extraterrestrial samples will help to protect moon samples from contamination and increase their usability in scientific experiments.

Infrared glasses would give firefighters heightened visual perception to locate people trapped in a blaze. Image Credit - Amplify project

frontier research

11 February 2019

Pushing the bounds of vision could reveal hidden worlds

Nature is complex – often too complex for humans to see. But squint-controlled glasses that let people see 3D thermal images and a camera that can capture the inner workings of high-speed chemical reactions are helping to push the limits of human perception.

This superhydrophobic surface repels drops of water which forms small balls. Image credit - ALPhANOV

industry

07 February 2019

A dishwasher that keeps itself clean: how lasers are changing everyday items

At the smallest of scales, science can become rather weird. So weird in fact that metals and other materials can be altered to completely change their properties, such as making them resilient to water or bacteria.

Increasing digitisation will get rid of boring tasks and free people up for creativity and empathy, according to one young leader's vision of industry in 2050. Image credit - ICAPlants, licensed under CC BY-SA3.0

industry | opinion

06 February 2019

Creative, egalitarian, carbon-neutral – the future of industry?

In 30 years’ time, industrial companies will have a social purpose: be completely carbon neutral and give everyone the opportunity to fill their unique potential. At least, that’s what five young industrial leaders hope. We caught up with them as they attended the EU’s Industry Days in Brussels, Belgium, on 5-6 February to find out what needs to happen to fulfil this vision.

Astronauts on the International Space Station are treated to stunning views, including a crescent moon hanging above the gaseous layers of Earth’s atmosphere. Image credit - NASA's Earth Observatory, licensed under CC BY 2.0

monthly focus

05 February 2019

The moon

Fifty years after humans first set foot on the moon, Earth’s only permanent natural satellite is back in the news with China’s successful landing on the moon’s as-yet-unexplored far side. This month, Horizon looks at how Europe is contributing to moon research. We hear from the European Space Agency’s director of human and robotic exploration about their plans to send a robot and then humans to the lunar surface in the 2020s, and speak to the scientists trying to fill the holes in our understanding of how the moon was formed. We also hear how we could solve the puzzle of where water on Earth originated by analysing volatile substances from the moon, and take a look at the methods and facilities being developed to protect precious extra-terrestrial samples from human contamination.

Dr David Parker, the director of human and robotic exploration at ESA, says that the lunar campaign’s ultimate mission would be to see if a permanent human moon base can be established. Image credit - ESA

interview | space

05 February 2019

‘The moon is a history museum and we’ve only visited the gift shop’

Humans have not set foot on the moon since 1972, when the last Apollo mission came back to Earth. That could all change in the coming years, however, as entities like the European Space Agency (ESA) are preparing not just to return, but to build a permanent base on the surface.