Science

Keir's Summer Science

Keir Little, Science Editor brings you up to date with discoveries happens over the summer

Corkscrew molecules emit circularly polarized light

Molecules than can emit and detect circularly-polarised light may be the next step forward in technologies such as computer displays, which currently waste over three quarters of light energy by passing it through filters for colour and polarisation. Dr Matthew Fuchter from the Department of Chemistry and Dr Alisdair Campbell from the Department of Physics have recently published papers in Nature Photonics and Advanced Materials, which show how conventional light-emitting polymers can be doped with a helical chiral molecule, whose handedness determines the direction of the emitted light. Similar molecules can be used as transistors to detect circularly-polarised light. Circular polarisation is the basis of 3D cinema and television, and this discovery could lead to the development of lightweight, efficient 3D displays, such as for mobile devices. The use of circularly-polarised light in fibre optic cables could double their capacity for carrying data and such light could be used for transferring data in next-generation quantum computers.

Bird brains similar to mammal brains

Computational neuroscientist Professor Murray Shanahan has developed the first ever map of a bird’s brain, and compared it to those of humans and other mammals. Several bird species (surprisingly, including pigeons) show high intelligence and ability for reasoning, problem solving and use of tools. From anatomical studies of the pigeon brain, Professor Shanahan’s team build a map of the key processing areas, and found that the bird hippocampus is very similar to the mammalian one and that the nidopallium caudolaterale plays a similar role to the hippocampus in decision-making, despite having evolved differently. Professor Shanahan says, “Birds have been evolving separately from mammals for around 300 million years, so it is hardly surprising that under a microscope the brain of a bird looks quite different from a mammal. Yet, birds have been shown to be remarkably intelligent in a similar way to mammals such as humans and monkeys. Our study demonstrates that by looking at brains that are least like our own, yet still capable of generating intelligent behaviour, we can determine the basic principles governing the way brains work.”

From Issue 1553

28th Sep 2013

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Peter Haynes to take over Provost role in October

News

Peter Haynes to take over Provost role in October

Professor Peter Haynes has been appointed as the new Provost and Deputy President of Imperial College. The current  Vice-Provost for Education and Student Experience, Haynes will succeed the outgoing Provost, Professor Ian Walmsley, who has served in the role since 2018. Imperial President Hugh Brady said Professors Haynes and Walmsley

By Guillaume Felix
Why RAG’s bungee jump event never took place

News

Why RAG’s bungee jump event never took place

Earlier this academic year, Imperial Raising and Giving (RAG), had announced the return of their charity bungee jump after a hiatus of 10 years. The event, however, was postponed several times, and Felix can now reveal why it was cancelled. The event, initially scheduled for November 13th, was postponed several

By Mohammad Majlisi and Nadeen Daka
Palestine protests ramp up as year ends and tensions rise

News

Palestine protests ramp up as year ends and tensions rise

Saturday 7th June: Pro-Palestinian protestors hold banners as they stand on ALERT at the Great Exhibition Road Festival. Tuesday 10th June: A student announces a hunger strike asking for Imperial to investigate Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism, form a student-staff working group on ethical investment, and divest from arms companies accused

By Mohammad Majlisi