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NASA Picture of the Day: The Bubble and the Star Cluster
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To the eye, this cosmic composition nicely balances the Bubble Nebula at the right with open star cluster M52. The pair would be lopsided on other scales, though. Embedded in a complex of interstellar dust and gas and blown by the winds from a single, massive O-type star, the Bubble Nebula, also known as NGC 7635, is a mere 10 light-years wide. On the other hand, M52 is a rich open cluster of around a thousand stars.
Six Simple Ways To Protect Your Personal Data When Using Public Wi-Fi
As the world has started opening back up, more people are heading out and about to their favourite coffee shops and restaurants – meeting friends and family, and enjoying a change of scene when working from the ‘remote office’.
Asteroid Flybys Over the next 7 Days
NameDateMin Dia. (m)Max Dia. (m)Rel. Velocity (mph)Miss Distance (miles)
12923 Zephyr (1999 GK4)25th Sep1916428532,84720,207,015
445305 (2010 DM56)27th Sep30367931,71022,067,362
235756 (2004 VC)28th Sep483108144,08133,481,934
(2016 JC6)28th Sep14031427,11936,021,596
533372 (2014 GG17)2nd Oct24254254,61615,370,611
First UK Manufactured Rapid Tests Deployed Across England
The first UK-manufactured lateral flow devices or LFDs are being rolled out to universities across England.
11:27 AM 24th September 2021
JCVI Issues Updated Advice On COVID-19 Booster Vaccination
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has updated its advice on the COVID-19 vaccine booster programme. The vast majority of the UK population has received a COVID-19 vaccine since the vaccine programme was launched in December 2020 – including 89.1% of the population who have received a first dose and 81% who have received both doses.
12:45 PM 14th September 2021
Thousands Of Patients To Benefit From Life-Saving COVID-19 Treatment
Thousands of vulnerable NHS patients in hospital due to COVID-19 are set to benefit from a ground-breaking new antibody treatment, the government has announced (17 September 2021). Ronapreve, a combination of two monoclonal antibodies, will be targeted initially at those in hospital who have not mounted an antibody response against COVID-19.
4:01 PM 18th September 2021
Antioxidant Drug Reverses Process Responsible For Heart Attacks And Strokes
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
An antioxidant drug reverses atherosclerosis and could be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes due to clots, according to research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and published today in JAHA: Journal of the American Heart Association. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries.
2:14 PM 8th September 2021
How To Supercharge Your Password Security – Part Two
Following on from his first instalment, Jamie Durham, founder of IT support firm Systemwork, continues sharing his top tips on how you can supercharge your password security. Previously, he explained about the benefits of ‘the sentence method’, removing personalisation, and increasing the number of characters, but this month, he focuses on additional security measures and tools, alongsid…
7:17 PM 19th August 2021
CFC Ban And The Nightmare Of A "World Avoided"
Without the global CFC ban we would already be facing the reality of a ‘scorched earth’, according to researchers measuring the impact of the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer bans chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons.
9:42 AM 19th August 2021
UK Space Industry To Benefit From New £1.5 Million Fund For Pioneering Space Tech
UK Space Agency has announced new funding to support ambitious plans for the exploration of space. Proposals could include ideas such as the utilisation of resources beyond Earth’s atmosphere, the use of nuclear power in space or the exploration the Moon, and Mars.
10:52 AM 30th July 2021
New Research Into Treatment And Diagnosis Of Long COVID
15 new studies across UK to expand research that will support thousands of vulnerable people Nearly £20 million for research projects will help improve understanding of long COVID and identify effective treatments Projects include the largest long COVID trial to date which will involve over 4,500 people Thousands of people suffering with long COVID will benefit from new research pro…
11:10 AM 18th July 2021
Almost 100% Of People Have Antibodies After Second Vaccine
Over 207,337 participants took part in a home surveillance study for COVID-19 antibodies between 12 and 25 May 2021 Almost 100% of people tested positive for antibodies 14 or more days after their second vaccine dose, highlighting the importance of getting both doses for the best possible protection as restrictions are eased Findings show vaccine uptake remained high in May Imperial…
9:59 AM 16th July 2021
How To Supercharge Your Password Security – Part One
Jamie Durham
IT Correspondent
Whether online shopping or paying household bills, these days many people have online accounts to make their day-to-day transactions simpler and quicker.
12:27 PM 14th July 2021
UK Exceeds 600,000 COVID-19 Tests Genomically Sequenced
More than 600,000 positive COVID-19 samples have now been genomically sequenced Sequencing provides invaluable data that will support decisions to relax social distancing in the future and help monitor for future variants and infectious disease threats Nationwide GenOMICC COVID-19 study has already identified genes that make people susceptible to severe COVID-19 symptoms, but volun…
9:12 PM 3rd July 2021
New Funding From UK Space Agency Will Kickstart Space Technology Projects
Government grants worth up to £15,000 each will help UK companies get their ideas for space-based technologies or research off the ground The call for Grants for Exploratory Ideas, part of the National Space Technology Programme aims to fund short, three-month long projects that support innovative space technology activities, encourage collaboration between industry and academia, and encourage…
7:30 PM 30th June 2021
Life Could Exist In The Clouds Of Jupiter But Not Venus
Jupiter’s clouds have water conditions that would allow Earth-like life to exist, but this isn’t possible in Venus’ clouds, according to the groundbreaking finding of new research led by a Queen’s University Belfast scientist.
5:00 AM 29th June 2021
UK Surpasses 500,000 Coronavirus (Covid-19) Tests Genomically Sequenced
The UK has today (Sunday 27 June) surpassed over half a million genomically sequenced positive coronavirus (COVID-19) tests, as the UK’s testing programme continues to ramp up.
11:10 AM 27th June 2021
G7 Nations Commit To The Safe And Sustainable Use Of Space
Today at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, delegates from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the USA, the UK and the EU pledged to take action to tackle the growing hazard of space debris as our planet’s orbit becomes increasingly crowded. One of the biggest global challenges facing the space sector is orbital congestion and space debris.
7:41 PM 13th June 2021
How To Help Stop Your Computer Running Slowly
One of the biggest pain-points for technology users is slow running speed. We’ve all been there – staring at a spinning loading icon and wishing for the programme or email to load quicker – and it can be painful. But, while some tech problems need the experts on hand to help resolve them, there are others which you can remedy – and prevent – yourself.
6:00 AM 11th June 2021
Solar Eclipse In The UK
Jan Harris
Assistant Editor
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
Today on Thursday morning 10 June some parts of the world will witness a partial solar eclipse when the moon will block out the sun in an eclipse. A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth and the moon fully or partially obscures the sun. If you happen to be in Northern Scotland today then you might be lucky enough to witness a partial solar eclipse.
9:03 AM 10th June 2021
Worms On A Mission To Research Muscle Loss In Space
Today (Thursday 3rd June), hundreds of tiny worms are being flown to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of an experiment to understand more about human muscle loss and how to prevent it.
2:59 PM 3rd June 2021
Life-saving Vaccination Programme To Hit More Major Milestones
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock to acknowledge success of UK’s biggest vaccine drive in history at G7 meeting of Health Ministers this week. New approved Janssen jab boosts armoury in helping to defeat global pandemic Three quarters of UK adults expected to have had first dose of a vaccine this week as UK set to hit another vital milestone The outstanding success o…
9:33 AM 31st May 2021
New DNA Research Could Help Combat Cancers
In a groundbreaking first, research led by Queen’s University Belfast has found thousands of ‘Achilles Heels’ or ‘cancer vulnerabilities’ in an analysis of more than 700 different cancer cell types. In future, this could lead to new ways to stop cancer cells in their tracks by using existing drugs, as well as proposing new targets for drug development.
9:42 PM 20th May 2021
New Research Shows How The Zebrafish Could Help Humans Reach Mars
New research led by Queen’s University Belfast has shown the zebrafish could help humans reach Mars by understanding how a form of hibernation, known as induced torpor (a state of reduced metabolic activity) may provide radio-protective effects.
1:20 PM 20th May 2021
COVID-19 Vaccines: Further Evidence Of Success
New evidence continues to show vaccination is highly effective in protecting against death and hospitalisation from coronavirus (COVID-19). New Public Health England (PHE) analysis shows for the first time that individuals who receive a single dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine have approximately 80% lower risk of death with COVID-19 compared with unvaccinated individuals.
8:06 PM 10th May 2021
Top Tips On How To Keep Your Identity Safe Online
In an age in which almost everything we do is online – from shopping, to banking, to conference calling – it’s no surprise that digital scams and cyberthreats are on the rise.
9:14 AM 7th May 2021
Project Investigating Long-term Effects Of COVID-19 On The Heart Is Awarded Grant
A project at Newcastle University investigating long-term inflammation of the heart following COVID-19 infection has been awarded a grant of almost £150,000 by national charity Heart Research UK. Around 10% of COVID-19 patients in the UK will suffer from so-called ‘long-COVID’, where symptoms continue for more than three months.
2:54 PM 5th May 2021
Astronomers Detect New Chemical Signature In An Exoplanet’s Atmosphere
Image by JCK5D from Pixabay
An international collaboration of astronomers led by Queen’s University Belfast has discovered a new chemical signature in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet, a planet that orbits a star other than the sun. Such advances are important if, in the future, we ever want to probe atmospheres of smaller rocky planets that resemble the Earth.
10:48 AM 27th April 2021
Online Privacy – What Role Could Blockchain Play In Reducing Identity Theft?
Jamie Durham
IT Correspondent
A Hacker at work. Image by Robinraj Premchand from Pixabay
Data protection and identity theft are hot topics in the IT industry at the moment, with an increasing number of individuals and businesses reporting incidents. In a broad look at the current cyber-threat landscape we can explore what bitcoin is and how the technology could help with cases of commercial and individual fraud and identity theft.
7:14 PM 23rd April 2021
First Flight On Mars
Richard Trinder
Editor
Ingenuity just before takeoff
The first flight of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was captured in this image taken by a pair of zoomable cameras aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars earlier today. Ingenuity took off to a height of 3 metres, hovered for 20 seconds, rotated 90 degrees, hovered for a further 20 seconds, then descended safely to the Martian surface.
7:16 PM 19th April 2021
Space Launch From British Soil One Step Closer
In a giant leap in British spaceflight history, government publishes response to commercial spaceflight consultation.
11:35 AM 5th March 2021
Modified Covid-19 Vaccines For Variants To Be Fast-tracked, Says MHRA And Other Regulators
Future vaccine modifications that respond to new variants of coronavirus to be made available quickly to UK recipients, without compromising on safety, quality or effectiveness.
9:14 AM 4th March 2021
Opinion
Misinformation In A Digital World – Who Decides What’s Right?
There’s no escaping the fact that coronavirus has completely dominated all conversation for the past 11 months. From newspaper headlines to social media updates, we’re constantly consuming a barrage of pandemic-related posts, unsure of what’s real and what isn’t. Less reported though, are the regulations placed on platforms around what can and can’t be said in relation to the virus.
3:14 PM 10th February 2021
Keeping Your Staff Safe During Sales Season
With Black Friday – and its online cousin, Cyber Monday – having delivered the usual frenzy of Christmas orders, commentators expect December to signal the start of two months’ worth of online sales. And, as the lines between work and home life become increasingly blurred, chances are, employees will be using their company devices to browse for bargains.
9:03 AM 10th December 2020
Five IT Things To Know Before Committing To A ‘New Normal’
A recent survey by YouGov found that ‘fewer than four in ten want to leave their house to go to work’. This was compounded by research from NetMotion, which uncovered statistics showing that 57.5% – of the 66% of staff that had encountered a technical issue during lockdown – didn't share their problem with the IT department.
3:22 AM 31st October 2020
Staying Cyber Secure In Lockdown 2.0
Jamie Durham
IT Correspondent
Earlier this month, British universities and colleges faced grim warnings from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – part of GCHQ – around a steep increase in the number of ransomware attacks on the UK’s education sector. As organisations prepared for students to return to the classroom, cyber criminals used the flurry of activity to target the sector while it was at its most hectic.
8:07 AM 5th October 2020
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