Latest St Andrews University Stories

Researchers from Bonn and St. Andrews provide an explanation for the discrepancyNew stars are born in the Universe around the clock "“ in the Milky Way, currently about ten per year. From the birth rate in the past, we can generally calculate how populated space should actually be. But the problem is that the results of such calculations do not match our actual observations. "There should actually be a lot more stars that we can see," says Dr. Jan Pflamm-Altenburg, astrophysicist...

Scientists have discovered that sticklebacks exhibit an advanced, sophisticated learning technique never before seen in the animal world.  The research reveals that the learning methods of fish may resemble that of humans more than previously believed.The study, conducted by researchers at St. Andrews University and Durham University in Britain, found that nine-spined sticklebacks can observe others to make better decisions. This ability to select the best food patch by comparing how...

'Sigmoids' are S-shaped structures found in the outer atmosphere of the Sun (the corona), seen with X-ray telescopes and thought to be a crucial part of explosive events like solar flares. Now a group of astronomers have developed the first model to reproduce and explain the nature of the different stages of a sigmoid's life. Professor Alan Hood and Dr. Vasilis Archontis, both from the Mathematical Institute at St. Andrews University, Scotland, will present the team's results at the European...

Scientists are stimulating the brain to find new ways of treating Parkinson's disease; a disease who symptoms include tremors, difficulty moving, and poor balance.Researchers are investigating if deep brain stimulation eases symptoms by allowing sufferers to deliver electrical pulses to electrodes implanted in their brains.The St Andrews University team will study what happens in the head when the electrodes are switched on, and determine if targeting different parts of the brain lessens some...

Biblical texts and archaeological evidence reveal that ancient Israel was far from "the land of milk and honey," and instead people suffered from the lack of a balanced diet, according to a theologian.Dr Nathan MacDonald, an Old Testament lecturer at St Andrews University, found there were frequent famines and often people's meals lacked vitamins and minerals.He feels his study disputes the idea that the bible provides not just religious instruction and moral guidance, but the recipe for...

Scientists say harbor seals (common seals) are vanishing along coastlines across the northern hemisphere at an alarming rate.Researchers from St Andrews University say numbers have halved in the hardest hit area, the Orkney Islands, since 2001 - falling almost 10% each year.Professor Ian Boyd of the Sea Mammal Research Unit said there would soon be no harbor seals left in some areas if the mysterious decline continues.Marine biologists currently have no explanation for the disappearances and...

By Emily Pykett SCOTTISH scientists have discovered a chink in the armour of bacteria, which could help win the battle against hospital superbugs and other debilitating conditions. The breakthrough comes after years of research by teams of "structural studies" academics at St Andrews University and molecular experts at Aberdeen University. It is believed the discovery could pave the way for new chemicals able to combat potentially deadly bugs such as E coli, MRSA and C difficile....

British astronomers have discovered a solar system similar to ours, with two planets that closely match Saturn and Jupiter orbiting a star about half the size of the Sun.The finding suggests that systems like ours could be more common that previously thought, according to Martin Dominik of St Andrews University, who added that astronomers were on the brink of discovering many more such systems.  Dr Dominik presented his work at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting in...

Research being published today by Nature (21 August) suggests that humans are not alone in wanting to conform and be like their neighbours but that chimpanzees also have an innate desire to be like everyone else. Researchers at St Andrews University, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), with international collaborators at Emory University in Atlanta, have demonstrated that chimpanzee communities have developed their own particular traditions by copying...