New starfish-like fossil reveals evolution in action
20 Jan 2021Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered a fossil of the earliest starfish-like animal, which helps us understand the origins of...
Male butterflies mark their mates with a repulsive smell during sex to ‘turn off’ other suitors
19 Jan 2021Butterflies have evolved to produce a strongly scented chemical in their genitals, which they leave behind after sex to deter other males from...
Mathematics explains how giant ‘whirlpools’ form in developing egg cells
13 Jan 2021The swirling currents occur when the rodlike structures that extend inward from the cells’ membranes bend in tandem, like stalks of wheat caught in a...
Quantum projects launched to solve universe’s mysteries
13 Jan 2021Researchers will use cutting-edge quantum technologies to transform our understanding of the universe and answer key questions such as the nature of...
Study identifies genetic changes likely to have enabled SARS-CoV-2 to jump from bats to humans
08 Jan 2021A new study, involving the University of Cambridge and led by the Pirbright Institute, has identified key genetic changes in SARS-CoV-2 - the virus...
Cooperation is key to success in microbial communities
04 Jan 2021New research from the University of Cambridge and European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) shows how cooperation among bacterial species allows...
Hidden symmetry could be key to more robust quantum systems, researchers find
09 Dec 2020Researchers have found a way to protect highly fragile quantum systems from noise, which could aid in the design and development of new quantum...
New research will use space telescopes to monitor energy efficiency of buildings
07 Dec 2020The University of Cambridge is one of 21 organisations awarded a share of over £7 million in funding meant to put the UK at the forefront of the...
Gaia: scientists take a step closer to revealing origins of our galaxy
03 Dec 2020An international team of astronomers, led by the University of Cambridge, announced the most detailed ever catalogue of the stars in a huge swathe of...
Magnetic vortices come full circle
30 Nov 2020The first experimental observation of three-dimensional magnetic ‘vortex rings’ provides fundamental insight into intricate nanoscale structures...
Fast-moving gas flowing away from young star’s asteroid belt may be caused by icy comet vaporisation
30 Nov 2020A unique stage of planetary system evolution has been imaged by astronomers, showing fast-moving carbon monoxide gas flowing away from a star system...
Journeys of discovery: Jocelyn Bell Burnell and pulsars
29 Nov 2020"On 28 November 1967, it came again, a string of pulses one-and-a third seconds apart." This was not the work of Little Green Men. Jocelyn Bell had...