Category Archives: Articles

International Women in Engineering Day | #INWED18

Articles, Interviews, Meet the Scientists, , , , , ,

Over the past few years there has been a global push to engage more women and girls in science and engineering in order to reduce the gender imbalance within the STEM industries. However, more still needs to be done to encourage and support women as they enter a STEM career and to highlight the valuable contributions women make to the field.

To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day, we spoke to some of the wonderful engineers at Newcastle University to find out why they decided to pursue a career in engineering…

Inspired to pursue a career in Engineering? Find out more about our undergraduate Engineering degrees here.

The Importance of Combating Desertification and Drought

Articles, , , , , , ,

The 17th June marks the United Nation’s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. The day serves as a reminder of the international efforts taking place to combat land degradation – these efforts are incredibly important to the livelihood of not only a huge number of ecosystems, but to millions of humans worldwide.

Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. Degradation processes can be fueled by a number of factors, including temperature and rainfall changes resulting from climate change and human-induced drivers of change such as soil erosion.

As the land begins to degrade, the benefits it once provided begin to diminish and the climate can be affected due to “many forms of land degradation releasing carbon into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change.”

Research conducted by Professor Mark Reed, Newcastle University, and Professor Lindsay Stringer of University of Leeds highlights how the effects of climate change may be far greater for the world’s poorest people than previously feared due to the devastating consequences desertification can have on food production.

“It’s easy to think of land degradation as a problem of the developing world that doesn’t affect us here in the UK,” explains Professor Reed, Professor of Socio-Technical Innovation at Newcastle University.

“But if we continue to lose productive forests and rangelands around the world, then the carbon that they once locked up will be released into the atmosphere where it’ll drive further loss of productive ecosystems and more climate change.

“This will leave even more people vulnerable to the combined effects of climate change and land degradation.

“It’s a vicious cycle and one that will affect everyone living on the planet if we don’t start doing more to avoid runaway climate change by properly looking after our land.”

In order to tackle this problem, Professors Reed and Stringer explain that we need a more collaborative approach between researchers, local communities and international policy-makers to create timely and cost effective solutions.

Find out more about Newcastle University’s agricultural research here.

Pacific discoveries show wealth of life still present in our oceans

Articles, , , , ,

To celebrate #WorldOceansDay we hear from Dr Alan Jamieson and Dr Thom Linley about their most recent exciting discoveries in the deepest parts of the Pacific.

We live in a time where the marine environment is rarely reported in the media without mention of the negative impacts of human activity.  As important as this awareness is, we must be conscience that it does not overshadow the beauty and splendour of the oceans and the fascinating research being done in science and exploration.

One of the last great frontiers in marine science are the deepest places on Earth, the Hadal Trenches, mostly located around the Pacific rim in areas where tectonic plates collide and plunge the seafloor to depths close to 11,000 metres (~7 miles).

Groundbreaking technology

At Newcastle University, we have been pioneering technology for the exploration of these ultra-deep environments and have to date completed nearly 250 deployments of their ‘lander’ systems. Recently we embarked on an expedition on board the German Research vessel Sonne to the Atacama Trench in the SE Pacific off the coast of Peru and Chile where we deployed our baited camera system 27 times across the depths of the trench including the deepest point, Richards Deep, at just over 8000 metres.

On our previous missions the group have amassed multiple successes such as obtaining the first ever video footage of fish in the hadal zone (greater than 6000m deep), and video the deepest living fishes in many Pacific trenches and more recently, described the deepest fish in the world.

Life in the deep

These record breaking fishes are of the Liparidae family, commonly known as snailfishes.  They are small, semi-transparent, pink in colour with small black eyes and do not conform to the preconceived stereotypical image of what a deep-sea fish should look like.  In fact they look and behave a lot like their shallow water counterparts, some of which can be found in estuarine systems, even the River Tyne.

The Atacama Trench expedition produced a wealth of new information about the species inhabiting these extreme depths which is also interesting in that the trench is very isolated from the other Pacific deeps, by ~12,000 kilometres of deep sea floor.

Discovery of new species

Perhaps the most fascinating result of the latest expedition was the discovery of three new species of snailfish living between 6500 and 7500 metres. These species are so new they haven’t been officially classified yet and are currently affectionately known as the pink, blue and purple Atacama snailfishes. We obtained hours of footage of these new snailfish swimming, foraging, preying upon small crustaceans, and on one dive filmed all three in a single video.

We also filmed some astonishingly rare footage of long-legged isopods, known as Munnopsids, which are about the size of a hand. These crustaceans have small bodies, extraordinary long legs and swim backwards and upsides down, propelling themselves with paddles on their ventral sides before righting themselves on the seafloor and spreading their long walking legs out like a spider. What species these are is unknown.

The discovery of so many new species of fish and these large isopods, and capturing it all on high definition video from one expedition, is testament to the progress that is being made at the extreme marine frontiers. Discoveries like these are a reminder that the ocean is a big place and there is still a lot to learn, to find and to celebrate.

Links for more information

For more information about the marine research that we carry out at Newcastle University, visit our webpages.

Information about Dr Alan Jamieson’s work

Information about Dr Thom Linley’s work

Eight Days at Seathwaite Valley

Articles, , , , ,
A vital part of many of our courses at Newcastle University is practical work; giving student’s the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge is essential in helping them to progress. Today, Geomatics student, Sheoma Richards, tells us about her experience of a field trip to Seathwaite Valley.

Every year first year students on the Geomatics courses embark on an eight-day field course to Seathwaite Valley in the Lake District. The purpose of this trip is to allow students to practice the stills learnt in a lecture room to accomplish real world tasks. The overall aim was to produce a detailed topographic and contour map of a given area by triangulation, levelling, traversing and detailing.

Day 1

We arrived to Glaramara House which was our base where we would process our data, have meals and spend the night. GIS (Geographical Information Systems) students set out to create a sampling regime to capture soil moisture values and analyze these values based on a quantitative and qualitative hypothesis against soil moisture. SMS (Surveying and Mapping Science) students practiced setting up a total station, taking angle measurements and completed a two-peg test. We all had an evening lecture and then savored one of the many astounding three-course dinners provided by the hotel.

Day 2

GIS students collected their points and returned to the hotel to upload and process them for analysis. SMS students occupied a specific control station and sited to other visible stations within the triangulation network. They also drew a witness diagram for the station that they occupied and created abstract sheets for horizontal and vertical angles.

Dr. David Fairbairn using a Leica Zenos.

Day 3

GIS students presented their findings and proceeded to Seathwaite Valley to measure 12 rounds of observations for horizontal angles. SMS students did levelling at the valley to confirm that the values from OSBM remained unchanged over the years. In the evening, all Geomatics students were now joined and divided into four groups to establish a control network scheme. The Lake District showed us its true potential as we were showered with rain for that entire day.

Day 4

To my surprise, we were greeted by a bright yellow object in the sky that we definitely did not expect to see. A set-up challenge was performed to determine the location that each group would have to survey. Group two celebrated as they proved to be victorious on this challenge and were able to get the first choice. After the challenge was over, each group went to their respective sites with ranging rods to complete reconnaissance. We headed back to the center for lunch and later returned to the valley to start traversing. We placed pegs into the ground to create the control stations and drew witness diagrams to be able to locate them for future reference.

Nominated member of each group performing the set-up challenge.

Day 5

At first, we were very worried that we would not be able to do any traversing as there was thick fog everywhere! However, a few minutes after arriving to the valley, the fog suddenly vanished, making way for the sun. We continued our traverse observations and computed our traverse for horizontal and vertical misclosures. Levelling was also completed to known benchmarks to make sure that our vertical values of two stations matched those of the OSBM.

Day 6

Despite the soggy weather, more levelling was done, and groups began to detail points of their site to be able to map the area. These detail points were entered into a spreadsheet to generate the coordinates of each point for plotting. We also created 2D and 3D excel spreadsheets of our traverse observations.

Levelling through the rainy weather.

Day 7

Groups continued to detail while some members remained at the hotel to start the process of plotting. Later that evening, we were visited by two representatives from Leica Geosystems who demonstrated some of their software and equipment to us. One of the representatives was a past student of Newcastle University and also educated us on life beyond Geomatics.

Day 8

There was a set-up competition between the representatives from Leica Geosystems and two staff members. The winner was Dr. Mills who currently holds the record for the fastest set-up time! We proceeded with our plotting while some members got additional information for detailing. Once the plotting was completed, it was impressive to see the finished product of a topographic and contour map of Seathwaite Valley for each site. As a feeling of contentment came over us, reality struck when we realized that this meant we would be leaving tomorrow morning.

Representatives from Leica Geosystems competing against two staff members for set-up competition.

Although it was eight days filled with work, it was one of the most enjoyable things that I have done on the course thus far. I would advise prospective students to make the most of this field course and appreciate the method of processing by hand. Only when you understand what is done by the instrument and software, would you truly understand what you are doing. If you are looking for a degree course that not only teaches you what you need to know but also challenges you to think outside the box, Newcastle University’s Geomatics courses are for you!

Find out more about Newcastle University’s Geomatics courses here.

International Day for Biological Diversity

Articles, Research, , , , ,

With threats to wildlife constantly increasing, conservation policies are being put in place in order to protect biodiversity. However, with limited resources available, these policies have to attempt to prioritise certain species according to their “value”. New research, led by Newcastle University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the British Trust for Ornithology, has shown that prioritising based only on one key species “value” could put some of our best loved wildlife at risk.

The research, which focuses on UK farmland birds, categorises according to three core values – conservation priority value, economic value (consumers of weed-seeds) and cultural value, measured through poetry.

Mark Whittingham, Professor of Applied Ecology at Newcastle University, explains:

“Considering one value in isolation gives you a very skewed picture of what’s important and what isn’t.

“Birds such as the chaffinch might consume large numbers of weed seeds which helps farmers, but they aren’t rare and compared to other species they barely feature in poetry.

“Conversely, the crow isn’t rare and isn’t particularly useful for eating weed seeds but we found it features frequently in poems down the ages which suggests it is intrinsically linked with society and culture. The question is how you put a ‘value’ on this.”

Professor Whittingham says that although this study only looks at a small selection of the potential ways individual species can be valued for different purposes, based on the evidence the more values that are considered the more species are likely to be important.

“Prioritisation makes sense when you have scarce resources but there is an inherent danger that by going down that route we take our eye off those species that are just as valuable to us but in less tangible ways.

“What we have demonstrated is that the more ‘values’ you take into account the more you realise that every species is important and has a part to play and so we need to be considering this in our policies and strategies for natural resource management and future planning.”

Protecting biodiversity is a pressing issue with habitats and species being lost at a devastating rate. Ensuring that the most valuable species are prioritised is vital to the success of certain conservation policies,  however, as Newcastle University research proves, placing “value” on a species can be a tricky process and a whole range of things need to be considered in order to best grasp the impact an animal has both culturally and environmentally.

Find out more about Newcastle University’s ecology and conservation research here.

Meet the Expert | Dr Richard Bevan, From Penguins to Puffins

Articles, Interviews, Meet the Scientists, , , , , ,

Today, we talk to Newcastle University’s Dr Richard Bevan about where his research has taken him throughout his career. In order to better understand the overall ecology of animals, Richard Bevan’s research focuses on the way that animals interact with their environment both physiologically and behaviourally. Richard’s specific areas of study include: the physiology, ecology and behaviour of aquatic animals; foraging behaviour of seabirds; animal conservation.

   

Describing how his career began, Dr Bevan says: “Born and bred in the valleys of South Wales, I ventured to the north of the country to take Zoology at Bangor University. After completing my BSc, I spent a couple of years in Denmark working on an animation film, “Valhalla”, before returning to the UK to start my PhD on the physiology of swimming and diving in aquatic vertebrates (Tufted Ducks, Barnacle Geese and Green Turtles) at Birmingham University.”

Luckily, Richard finished his PhD at the right time to take up a post-doctoral position studying the energetics  of the higher Antarctic predators. This involved him spending three summer seasons on Bird Island, South Georgia on a joint project between Birmingham University and the British Antarctic Survey. This small island, just 4.9km long and 800m wide, is home to hundreds of thousands of birds – making it one of the world’s richest wildlife sites. Among it’s diverse population of wildlife, it is home to some 50,000 breeding pairs of penguins and 65,000 pairs of fur seals. Richard spent his time on the island studying Gentoo Penguins, Black-browed Albatrosses and Antarctic Fur Seals.

Richard continued to study penguins and other seabirds, but moved on from Bird Island: “This was followed by a project studying King Penguins on Possession Island, Crozet Archipelago; a joint project between Birmingham University and CNRS. I then spent a couple of years as a Principal Scientific Officer with the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge where I was in charge of the their fish-eating birds research (mainly inland Cormorants and Goosanders).”

“In 1998, I moved to Newcastle to take up my position as lecturer in what was the School of Biology, Newcastle University. It was early in the new millennium that I first became involved with the Farne Islands and I have been conducting research on the birds (Puffins, Shags, Arctic Terns, Kittiwakes etc.) and grey seals since then.”

Much closer to home than the likes of Bird Island or Possession Island, the Farne Islands are just a few miles from the coast of Northumberland. Touted by David Attenborough as one of his favourite places in the UK to see “magificent nature”, the Farne Islands are rich in wildlife. The Farne Islands are one of the best places to see and study puffins, now a red listed bird, meaning that there has been a severe decline in the population of puffins over the last 25 years. Some of Richard’s research on the Farne Islands has involved attaching hi-tech tags, which include GPS, geo-locators and time/depth recorders, to puffins. These tags provided a detailed record of the bird’s locations and habits to help understand why the puffin population is in decline.

A lecturer for many modules within Newcastle’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Dr Richard Bevan includes a trip to the Farne Islands in his “Introduction to Marine Vertebrates” module, which provides students with a first hand encounter of a range of seabirds and seals, allowing them to make observations of marine vertebrates in their natural environment. If you’re interested in finding out more about the biology and zoology courses that Newcastle University offer, you can do so here.

Earth Day | Plastic Pollution

Articles, , , , , , ,

On the 22nd April 1970, millions of US citizens united to celebrate the first ever “Earth Day“. This brought together people from all walks of life and political backgrounds who each had one thing in common – they cared about the environment. The fight to keep environmental protection on the global agenda and to push for change becomes ever more urgent as we face imminent threats from pollution and climate change. Today, billions of people from around the world are using Earth Day to try and galvanize a global movement towards ending environmental destruction and tackling crises such as climate change and plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution, the focus of 2018’s Earth Day, is an issue that has exploded into prominence over the past couple of years. Relative to human history, plastic has been around for an incredibly short amount of time – around 60 years – and yet, in that time, we have produced over 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic, nearly all of which still exists on earth in one form or another – predominantly as waste, either in landfill or the natural environment.

Only a small percentage of plastic, under 9%, ever gets recycled, meaning that tonnes of virgin plastic continues to be produced all of the time. An estimated 300 million tonnes of plastic now litters the oceans, posing a threat to marine ecosystems and wildlife. At the rate plastic is making it’s way into the sea, it will outweigh fish by 2050.

A study, led by Newcastle University’s Dr Alan Jamieson in 2017 uncovered evidence that not only have plastics now reached the deepest chasms of our oceans but they are being ingested by the animals that live there. Using deep sea landers to bring samples to the surface, the research team examined 90 individual animals and found ingestion of plastic ranged from 50% in the New Hebrides Trench to 100% at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

This type of work requires a great deal of contamination control, but that the results were undeniable, with instances where synthetic fibres could actually be seen in the stomach contents of the specimen as they were being removed. Dr Jamieson explains that this finding likely means that there is not a single marine ecosystem left that is not impacted by anthropogenic debris.

“The fact that we found such extraordinary levels of these pollutants in one of the most remote and inaccessible habitats on earth really brings home the long term, devastating impact that mankind is having on the planet,” says Dr Jamieson.

“It’s not a great legacy that we’re leaving behind.”

Litter is not the only plastic problem; plastic is a petroleum product and it is estimated that plastic products account for around 8% of global oil production.

“The drilling of oil and processing into plastic releases harmful gas emissions into the environment including carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, ozone, benzene, and methane (a greenhouse gas that causes a greater warming effect than carbon dioxide) according to the Plastic Pollution Coalition. The EPA estimated that five ounces of carbon dioxide are emitted for every ounce of Polyethylene Terephthalate produced.” (Earth Day Network)

Plastic is undoubtedly having a hugely negative impact on our planet and it’s inhabitants, but it is a problem that can be solved. As research, such as that from Newcastle University, brings the extent of the problem to the forefront, more and more people begin to take notice. As individuals begin to realise that everyday actions have wider consequences for the environment, we can start to implement change.

We can each take responsibility for our choices and choose to make simple changes in our lives that will cut the demand for single use plastic, such as swapping out plastic drinks bottles for reusable ones and remembering to take reusable shopping bags with us to the supermarket. Changes are also starting to come around on a larger scale, as governments become more informed on the plastic problem, they can create more widespread change; for example, the UK government have proposed a ban on plastic straws and cotton buds and are discussing plastic bottle return schemes.

The scale of the issue can make it seem as though any small changes we make will not be enough, but just as scientific research continues to uncover the dangers of plastic pollution, it can also work towards solutions.

Find out more about the impact of Newcastle University’s research here.

National Tea Day | The Science of a Perfect Cuppa

Articles, Listicles, , , ,

This National Tea Day, Hattie explores the science behind a top notch cuppa…

76% of people in Britain drink at least one cup of tea a day, but when it comes to making the perfect brew opinions are divided, arguments ensue, disagreements are rife. How long do you brew? Do you add milk? If so, when? And let’s not even begin to talk about the different shapes of tea bag. Everyone has their perfect method, but we decided the best way to settle the debate was, of course, to use science!

The Water
Firstly, aim to use soft water, that is, water with low concentrations of ions of calcium and magnesium, to avoid that unwanted scum on the top of your tea. Also, try and use water that hasn’t been previously boiled. This is because pre-boiled water has lost some of the oxygen that tea needs to release all those lovely flavours. For black tea in particular, the highest possible temperature is desirable to ensure a lot of oxygen is involved in the brewing process.

                                                                             The mug
In terms of mugs, historically tea should be drunk from a fine porcelain cup, as it can withstand the high temperatures of the boiling water, when in bone china cups this may cause cracks. According to the Institute of Physics however, the temperature problem can be avoided by (controversially) adding the milk to your mug first to cool the tea and prevent the mug cracking. Also, if you have more of a sweet tooth, opt for a red or pink mug as this can bring out the tea’s natural sweetness.

The milk
According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, when milk is poured into hot tea, the overall taste of the drink can be significantly affected. This is because proteins in the milk begin to degrade when heated above 75°, changing their taste. On the other hand, however, University College London claim that adding milk last allows the compounds within a teabag that make your cuppa delicious to be released more effectively as the temperature isn’t reduced by the milk.

The time
Researchers claim that 3 to 4 minutes brew time is optimum to ensure maximum flavour is released and the levels of tannins and antioxidants are just right. Tannins have been proven to hold some health benefits including reducing blood pressure, however they can leave a nasty aftertaste in your tea.

 

There you go, the science behind a good old cup of tea! How will you be drinking yours this National Tea Day?

Smell and Memories

Articles, , , ,

In this week’s blog post, psychology graduate, Maria, explains the science behind smells that help us recall vivid memories.

We probably don’t analyse why we see the world around us, feel, touch or smell a wide range of scents…but all of these senses require a complex system of brain areas. Our sense of smell in particular has an amazing ability to ‘mentally transport’ us back to previous emotions or memories –  but why does this happen? How does this happen?

Psychological and neurobiological research has shown that when we sense an incoming smell, it is processed through many brain areas that are directly connected to emotion and memory brain centres. The olfactory bulb, which starts in the nose and runs alongside the bottom of the brain, has strong connections with our amygdala (an emotion centre of the brain) and hippocampus (helps in memory). Interestingly, our visual, sound and touch information don’t pass through these areas, explaining why olfaction (smell) can so successfully trigger emotions and memories. Although we tend to rely heavily on vision, our sense of smell can be a very powerful tool in day-to-day life!

This association between smells and remembering can also have valuable implications for revision and learning information.  Psychology researchers have found that smells can be associated with facts or information, to allow for better recall in the future. In principle, we may be able to train our brain to remember information using scent, maybe by using different scents for different concepts. Give it a go and put those candles to good use!

World Water Day | Water for Nature

Articles, Research, , , , , ,

From droughts to flooding, all around the world water related crises are getting increasingly worse. The combination of climate change and environmental damage mean we will be facing more severe weather than previously predicted.

Research conducted by Newcastle University has analysed changes in flooding, droughts and heatwaves for all European cities. The study shows that there will be worsening heatwaves for all 571 cities, with increased drought conditions in southern Europe and an increase to river flooding in north-western Europe. Britain is predicted to be hit by some of the worst flood conditions; we are facing a future in which “half of UK cities could see at least a 50% increase on peak river flows“.

Lead investigator of the study, Professor Richard Dawson, explains:

“The research highlights the urgent need to design and adapt our cities to cope with these future conditions.

“We are already seeing first hand the implications of extreme weather events in our capital cities. In Paris the Seine rose more than 4 metres above its normal water level.  And as Cape Town prepares for its taps to run dry, this analysis highlights that such climate events are feasible in European cities too.”

Today, around 1.9 billion people live in potentially severely water-scarce areas, this could increase to around 3 billion by 2050. Of the water that is available, the quality is an issue across the globe with 80% of wastewater flowing back into the environment without being treated or reused and an estimated 1.8 billion people using an unimproved source of drinking water. Due to a growing population, by 2050, global water demand could be up to 30% higher than it is today (United Nations).

In line with Newcastle University’s research, the United Nation‘s also state that flooding will increase globally, with the number of people at risk rising from 1.2 billion today to 1.6 billion in 2050 – nearly 20% of the population.

The United Nation’s World Water Day highlights that the solutions to many of these issues already exist within nature: “planting new forests, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and restoring wetlands will rebalance the water cycle and improve human health and livelihoods.”

Research led by Paul Quinn & Jennine Jonczyk at Newcastle University is looking at ways in which we can work with nature, in both rural and urban settings, to help ease floods and droughts. Natural engineering aims to compliment traditional engineering approaches, by finding ways that features in the landscape can be used to hold water and benefit the ecosystem.

Examples of natural engineering include placing ‘leaky ponds’ to manage run-off, which fill up during a storm and gradually drain out over time, or planting trees in locations where they will soak up the most water.

For cities it means dealing with water above ground instead of forcing it into drainage systems below which may easily reach capacity during heavy rainfall. This includes installing swales on the sides of roads to prevent surface flooding or making surfaces permeable for the water to seep through.

Using nature-based solutions will help us to meet the water needs of an ever expanding population, whilst simultaneously helping us protect the natural environment. Research from Newcastle University is helping countries all around the globe work towards meeting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 which commits the world to ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.