Thursday 31 January 2013

10 Great Sciency Stories from the Univesity of Derby in 2012

How many amoebas are there in the sea?
Marine biologist and specialist in planktonic microorganisms Dr Phil Carey is conducting research to estimate how many amoebae live in the world's oceans. The only other study to date, which has tried to estimate the numbers of these organisms in oceanic waters, took place in the 1970s when an American team of scientists estimated that there was just one amoeba in a litre of water. But using new microscopic equipment to analyse samples, Dr Carey discovered between 1,600 and 10,000 amoebae in a litre sample of water taken during research activity in the Maldives, and is now planning further studies.(read more)

Changes in the number of heavy snowfalls
Richard Wild’s part time Doctorate involved painstaking searches of all known records and journals so that he could analyse changes in heavy snowfall trends since meteorological records began in 1861.

Richard, a meteorologist at Bournemouth-based Weathernet Ltd and Director of TORRO (Tornado and Storm Research Organisation), is regarded as one of the country’s leading snow experts and has been undertaking a part-time PhD at the University of Derby.

Heavy snowfall is defined as 13cm or more in 24hrs and Richard has found that Between 1890 and 1899 there were 27 heavy snowfalls. This has steadily risen until it had reached just under 60 between 1990 and 1999. (read more)

Other items
Two news items is, of course, a long way from the ten promised in the title.

I tried to find more, but I couldn't.

Sorry

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