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How to become a great impostor

Unlike other icons who have appeared on the front of Life magazine, Ferdinand Waldo Demara was not famed as an astronaut, actor, hero or politician. In fact, his 23-year career was rather varied. He was, among other things, a doctor, professor, prison governor and monk. Demara was not some kind of genius either – he actually left school without any qualifications. Rather, he was “The Great Impostor”, a charming rogue who tricked his way to notoriety.

This article by Tim Holmes, Lecturer in Criminology & Criminal Justice at the School of History, Philosophy and Social Sciencesis republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 22 August 2019

What happens to biopsy tissue after it's tested? Your donated cells could be helping important cancer research

If you’ve ever had a tumour removed or biopsy taken, you may have contributed to life-saving research. People are often asked to give consent for any tissue that is not needed for diagnosis to be used in other scientific work. Though you probably won’t be told exactly what research your cells will be used for, tissue samples like these are vital for helping us understand and improve diagnosis and treatment of a whole range of illnesses and diseases. But once they’re removed, how are these tissue samples used exactly? How do they go from patient to project?

This article by Helena Robinson, Postdoctoral Research Officer in Cancer Biology at the School of Medical Sciences is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 20 August 2019

Does social media influence your physical activity levels?

As concerns are being raised about how social media influences young people’s perceptions of their body image, sports scientists at Bangor University as asking whether and how social media affects our participation in physical exercise, and who and what are the motivators?

Surprisingly little research has been published on how social media affects participation in exercise, and yet there are numerous influencers, coaches and participants sharing their tips and triumphs to be found on various social media platforms. Could social media also be acting as a positive influencer, encouraging some to participate in physical exercise or to have a healthier body image?

Publication date: 20 August 2019

Bangor University secures £4.6m EU funds for research into low carbon energy efficiency

A new data science hub for green energy is to be created at Bangor University, backed by £4.6m EU funds.

The new Smart Efficient Energy Centre (SEEC) will develop joint research between Welsh and international organisations and businesses. It will investigate the options for using big data science to improve the efficiency of low carbon energy systems including nuclear, marine and offshore wind energy.

Publication date: 16 August 2019

New research collaboration for sustainable use of seas around Wales

The Welsh Government and Bangor University are joining forces to help ensure that the seas around Wales are clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse.

Bangor University’s research vessel, the Prince Madog will be used to gather data from the seas around Wales which will assist the Welsh Government to fulfil its marine and fisheries evidence requirements.

Gathering evidence from the seas around Wales is essential in order to maintain good standards in our marine environment. This involves developing appropriate targets, indicators, assessment criteria and monitoring programmes to acquire relevant data.

Publication date: 14 August 2019

Being left-handed doesn't mean you are right-brained — so what does it mean?

There have been plenty of claims about what being left-handed means, and whether it changes the type of person someone is – but the truth is something of an enigma. Myths about handedness appear year after year, but researchers have yet to uncover all of what it means to be left-handed.

This article by Emma Karlsson, Postdoctoral researcher in Cognitive Neuroscience, Bangor University is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 12 August 2019

An innovation to ease our way into the next digital revolution

A new algorithm which can be introduced into existing components could speed up the advent of the next digital revolution.

The ‘internet of things’ and 5G mobile communications are expected to revolutionise the way we conduct our lives and businesses.

However, there are some problems than need solving before the true ‘internet of things’ is able to makes the best use of our current data networks and before 5G networks become a reality.

Publication date: 12 August 2019

Lynx reintroduction research wins UK student award

A student whose research made national and international news has been awarded the first UK Masters Student of the Year Award by the FindAPhD website.

Thomas Ovenden, currently a PhD student at the University of Stirling, conducted his MSc in Environmental Forestry at Bangor University. His masters research project was on the potential to reintroduce the Eurasian lynx, a species extinct in Britain for over 1,000 years.

Publication date: 29 July 2019

How did the moon end up where it is?

Nearly 50 years since man first walked on the moon, the human race is once more pushing forward with attempts to land on the Earth’s satellite. This year alone, China has landed a robotic spacecraft on the far side of the moon, while India is close to landing a lunar vehicle, and Israel continues its mission to touch down on the surface, despite the crash of its recent venture. NASA meanwhile has announced it wants to send astronauts to the moon’s south pole by 2024.

This article by Mattias Green, Reader in Physical Oceanography, School of Ocean Sciences and David Waltham, Professor of Geophysics, Royal Holloway is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Publication date: 25 April 2019