UCL in the media
Discovery of 3m-year-old stone tools sparks prehistoric whodunnit
Professor Fred Spoor (UCL Cell and Developmental Biology) commented that recently discovered tools might encourage researchers to rethink the capabilities of the extinct hominin primate Paranthropus, who were previously considered "stupid grazers".
Want to delete your Twitter DMs? Good luck with that
“On Twitter, the delete button does not do what users think it does... If you delete your direct messages within the app or on the website, it does not remove them from Twitter’s server,” explained Dr Michael Veale (UCL Laws).
Turkey earthquake: Why did so many buildings collapse?
Professor David Alexander (UCL Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction) said that thousands of buildings in Turkey and Syria were likely not built to proper construction standards as many collapsed farther away from the epicentre than would be expected.
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Raising student test scores may be as simple as opening a window
Recent research from Nicolas Duran (UCL Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction), working with MIT’s Center for Real Estate Research and Maastricht University, revealed poor air quality in schools has a direct effect on pupil performance.
UCL researchers translate endangered languages into 3D-printed objects
Dr Alex Pillen (UCL Anthropology) and Emma-Kate Matthews (UCL Bartlett School of Architecture) collaborated to capture the character of endangered languages in the form of 3D-printed objects using parametric design software.
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Is cheap abundant energy too good to be true?
Professor Jim Watson (UCL Bartlett School Environment, Energy & Resources) comments on where boundless energy may come from in the future and explains how thetechnology that facilitates solar and wind energy is getting cheaper every year to produce.
New Covid variant becoming more prevalent
The new “Kraken” Covid variant “is widely anticipated to go up in frequency globally, and may cause a sizeable fraction of cases globally in the near future… It could push up case numbers over the coming weeks in the UK,” said Professor Francois Balloux (UCL Genetics Institute).
Turkey’s lax policing of building codes flagged before quake
"This is a disaster caused by shoddy construction, not by an earthquake," said Professor David Alexander (UCL Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction), criticising poor enforcement of building codes in earthquake-prone areas.
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Survival window for those trapped after Turkey-Syria earthquake closes rapidly
Professor Ilan Kelman and Professor David Alexander (both UCL Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction) warn how it is critical to reach survivors within 72 hours and describe how the rescue teams use microphones, trained dogs and fiber-optic cameras to recover survivors.
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Has Joe Biden silenced his critics?
"Positive reviews may be enough for Biden to gain momentum as he heads into what's likely the most politically uncertain period of his time in office," said Dr Thomas Gift (UCL Political Science) who reflected on the US president's second State of the Union address.