New face of science
Jonathan Wood is this year’s winner of Famelab, a national competition to find the UK’s best new talent in science competition. According to the Famelab website Jonathan ‘wowed the judging panel with a tale that began with Spiderman and ended with genetically modifying goats to produce a substance in their milk with the tensile strength of steel’.

In the meantime other scientists have been busy making new discoveries…

Sweet Energy
Office workers wondering what happens to the uneaten nougat bars in sweet machines need worry no longer. Scientists at the University of Birmingham have shown that harmless bacteria that feeds on sugar produces hydrogen gas. Using diluted nougat and caramel waste, their findings reveal an environmentally-friendly method of producing what is believed to be the clean energy source of the future.

Destination Mars!
From the mythology of the Red Planet to the recent remake of HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, Mars continues to fascinate us. A prototype robot vehicle created by UK Scientists will act as a surrogate scientist exploring the Martian surface as part of the European ExoMars project.  The experiments on ExoMars include the Life Marker Chip (LMC), developed by Mark Sims of Leicester University, designed to test for traces of life.  

Making Waves
Research led by Professor John Gruzelier found that teaching Royal College of Music conservatoire students to regulate their brain rhythms enhanced their creative and technical skills. This new project will develop this system of regulating brain rhythms to help a variety of novice musicians, from local choirs and school children to adults, to improve their performance skills.

John
September 2006