The class of materials known as soft matter – which includes everything from mayonnaise to molten plastic – is the subject of the inaugural lecture by Michael Cates, Cambridge’s Lucasian Professor of Mathematics.

A newly-designed material, which mimics the wing structure of owls, could help make wind turbines, computer fans and even planes much quieter. Early wind tunnel tests of the coating have shown a substantial reduction in noise without any noticeable effect on aerodynamics.

Researchers have captured the first 3D video of a living algal embryo turning itself inside out, from a sphere to a mushroom shape and back again. The results could help unravel the mechanical processes at work during a similar process in animals, which has been called the “most important time in your life.”

New analysis of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic in the US shows that the pandemic wave was surprisingly slow, and that its spread was likely accelerated by school-age children.

Has mathematics become too complex and too dominant a force in modern economics? Yes, says Cambridge Judge Business School’s Michael Kitson; no, says economist Dr William H. Janeway. Here both experts set out their views on what’s needed to help avoid a repeat of the recent financial crisis.

In August 1984 two physicists arrived at a formula that transformed our understanding of string theory, an achievement now recognised by a major award. Professor Michael Green of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics explains how string theory has taken unexpected directions. 

The screeching produced by children starting out on the violin has curdled the blood of many a parent over the centuries. A pre-concert talk at the Science Festival asks what science can tell us about why the violin is so hard to play.

Symposium marks the UK launch of the worldwide initiative Mathematics for Planet Earth 2013.

Saturday 23 June marks the centenary of the birth of Alan Turing - mathematical genius, hero of the WWII code breakers of Bletchley Park, and father of modern computing. To celebrate, a short film has been produced by the University. A blue plaque has been unveiled on the front of King’s College - where Turing was both a student and then a fellow.