University of Portsmouth

The railways are part of our country’s heritage – and for many of us, a regular part of our lives. What can we learn from the past to ensure train travel is safer than ever in the 21st century? In the last in the current series of Life Solved, Dr Mike Esbester explains how a growing historical database of railway accidents, going back over 150 years, could create safer journeys and be a useful resource for those exploring their family’s past. With 21,000 cases documented so far, the Railway...

University of Portsmouth researchers are using techniques, normally reserved for athletes, to help aid weight loss and address the challenges of diabetes. In the latest episode of Life Solved, Dr Ant Shepherd takes us through a unique project to investigate how altitude and temperature could be of benefit to millions of people in the UK. The project is currently taking place in the 'Extreme Environments Laboratory' at the University Of Portsmouth, using both state-of-the-art techniques but...

University of Portsmouth researchers are using the latest digital technology to help more of us uncover the secrets of our seas. In the latest episode of Life Solved, Dr Ann Coats takes us through a cutting-edge project to investigate shipwrecks around the UK coastline and reveal more about our maritime past. By drawing together research from across different disciplines, the Unpath’d Waters Project (UNPATH for short) has been working with museums and exhibitions such as Portsmouth’s Mary...

It’s possible there’s a fifth form of matter out there, and you might be using it right now. University of Portsmouth research stretches across the disciplines to help us understand our world better. And in today’s episode of Life Solved we hear from one academic who might be about to transform our concept of reality! Dr Melvin Vopson thinks he might have found the missing piece to understanding matter in our universe, and he’s planning an experiment to find out if “information” is the fifth...

You might not give a second thought to a well-fitting piece of sports clothing, but when your kit isn’t up to scratch, it can be a real disadvantage to your game. That’s what Dr Jenny Burbage and her team have been addressing through their innovative research in breast health and biomechanics here at the University of Portsmouth. In this episode of Life Solved Jenny shares how inconsistent products, sizing systems and a lack of historic research has left many women wearing the wrong bra for...

How can a background in mapping cause you to end up tracking illegal gold miners, and using drones to assist in humanitarian crises? Professor Richard Teeuw is a geomorphologist and remote sensing scientist at the University of Portsmouth. In this episode of Life Solved he explains how his work in geoinformatics and disaster risk reduction has led him to work on tackling challenges here on earth. Thanks to revolutionary modern technology, Richard’s helping more and more organisations embrace...

Tropical marine ecologist Dr Ian Hendy discusses how he’s working with Spaceport Cornwall to combat climate change.

In a special edition of Life Solved, we’re celebrating the work of researchers across the University of Portsmouth, by chatting to some of the brilliant minds featured in the new edition of SOLVE magazine. Our magazine shares in-depth articles and research highlights from across campus and in this episode Dr Nils Niederstrasser explains the link between chronic pain and physical activity and how we can use these insights for health and wellbeing later in life. We also catch up with Professor...

Every year in the UK alone, 155,000 people go missing. Why do they go missing and how can we protect our vulnerable loved ones better? There are many misconceptions about what it means when a person goes missing, and how you should respond and report this. But one research group from the University of Portsmouth is working to reshape public knowledge and support the services that all play a part in looking after missing persons and their families. Professor Karen Shalev-Greene works in the...

If you thought VR was just for computer games, then think again! A groundbreaking new centre here at the University of Portsmouth is helping businesses and organisations from every sector transform the way they work. From defence training to medicine, construction and even curing spider phobias, the University’s Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality (CCIXR) is enabling more people to embrace exciting technology and inspiring the next generation of talent. Pippa Bostock is the...

Life Solved is back this Autumn with a brand new series, and to kick us off, we unpick the complex world of nuclear power plants. As we look to a future of renewable energy options, nuclear energy is back on the table for discussion. Its low carbon footprint presents a greener alternative to fossil fuels, but how does it measure up to wind and solar power when you’re looking at costs, waste and environmental impact? Professor Victor Becerra worked for a power generation company earlier in...

The mystery of how the first quasars in the universe formed – something that has baffled scientists for nearly 20 years – has now been solved by a team of astrophysicists whose findings are published in Nature today. Listen to Dr Daniel Whalen, who led the team of experts, talk about the exciting discovery.

Earlier this month, the UK’s Ivory Act came into force to ensure protection for world’s elephants. The near total ban on elephant ivory sales is one of the toughest of its kind. In a new podcast, Dr Caroline Cox, Senior Lecturer in the School of Law and lead of The Ivory Project, says despite the ban, which came into force on 6 June, online trade is continuing, especially on auction sites such as eBay. In a fascinating discussion, Dr Cox talks about how sellers are flouting eBay's...

Have you heard of the Blue Economy? What has the sea got to do with national economies? What does the ocean mean to different nations? And how does the deep, blue sea hold the key to solving some of the most important issues facing our planet today? In the final episode of the series we meet up with Professor Steve Fletcher to explore a step-change in the way we’re thinking about the oceans as a natural resource. Steve explains how human activity has accelerated changes in these epic...

This time, hear how one researcher here at Portsmouth is taking a closer look at a pathogen that might be doing some mysterious good in our ecosystems. Christina Scott had a career in water testing before returning to Portsmouth to study bacteria. Her background in marine biology and interest in the environment has caused her to ask the question: why is Legionella in our environment? We may all be familiar with the bad it can do, via Legionnaires’ disease, but Christina has been collecting...

The world’s most iconic space telescope has orbited Earth for 31 years peering back into the Universe’s distant past and producing over 1.5 million scientific observations. In this short podcast, astrophysicist Dr Or Graur talks about how he uses the Hubble Space Telescope to inform his research on supernovae - the explosions of stars. He also talks about the Hubble’s successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, and what will happen to the Hubble once it’s eventually discontinued.

A number of UK sporting National Governing Bodies (NGB) are coming together to help tackle the issue of abuse towards officials and how to support them and protect their mental health. In a new podcast, Dr Tom Webb explains how he is trying to increase and develop the conversations between sports and so to be able to get these different sports to discuss the abuse, support and mental health of officials and to look at what can be done across sports to combat these issues. In a fascinating...

Dr Keiron Roberts discusses new findings in a study being published today in the Nature Journal.

In this short podcast, Dr Ann Coats talks about a new project with a huge ambition: to bring the UK's marine history to life. The University of Portsmouth is one of several partners to receive a share of £14.5 million funding to transform online exploration of the UK’s culture and heritage collections through harnessing innovative AI. Listen to Dr Coats, Senior Lecturer from the School of Civil Engineering and Surveying and project lead for Portsmouth, discuss exploring underwater shipwrecks...

The team from Revolution Plastics talk about bringing creative solutions to plastic pollution at COP26.