1, 2, 3… Explore! is the blog of the Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom (SRUK/CERU).
The SRUK blog started in 2016 with the aim to disseminate the research of our members to the public, which allows our readers to learn more about different interests and opinions in diverse scientific fields. Since we started the SRUK blog in 2016, our posts have covered diverse topics: from the Zika virus to the evolution of galaxies or the application of nanoparticles in cancer diagnosis.
This blog is an initiative of SRUK Press Office, born under Ruth Garcia de la Calle supervision in 2016. Maria Barreira was the editor in chief in the first season (September 2016 to September 2017). Laura Martinez and Margarita Segovia were co-editors in chief the second season (October 2017-June 2018) and Margarita Segovia and Susana de Lucas in the third season (October 2018-June 2019). Sandra Álvarez and Margarita Segovia are the current co-editors in chief. The content of each post in the SRUK Blog is responsibility of the corresponding author(s). Therefore, the viewpoints expressed on the blog are those of the author(s) of each post, which do not necessarily reflect the thoughts of SRUK/CERU.
Would you like to spread the word about your research to the general public? Do you have a science-related story to tell? Would you like to communicate your life experience as a researcher? Then the SRUK Blog is your chance to write about it! We are always looking for new contributions so, if this sounds like something you would be keen on doing, please contact our co-editors in chief at [email protected]
Blog team
- Director of SRUK Press Office: Dr. Laura Martínez Maestro.
- Blog Chief Editors: Sandra Álvarez Carretero and Dr. Margarita Segovia Roldán
- Blog Editors: Dr. Laura Martínez Maestro, Sandra Álvarez Carretero, Dr. Margarita Segovia Roldán, Dr. Olaya Muñoz Azcárate, Dr. Alba Abad Fernández, Miguel Jodra, Ana Rodríguez, Dr. Helena Rodríguez Caro, Dr. Beatriz Castejón, Dr. Clara García, and Lourdes Riquelme.
17 September, 2020
The current pandemic has reminded us of the importance of science and research, but also its struggles in places like…
11 September, 2020
As researchers, we are in constant evolution and learning process. We invest our lives in becoming experts on the field…
23 July, 2020
Have you ever heard of Rare Diseases? You may have but, as its name suggests, these diseases are very rare…
9 July, 2020
In the last 40 years, cancer survival has doubled thanks to improvements in cancer detection, therapy and supportive care [1,2]….
25 June, 2020
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on the 11th of March 2020….
11 June, 2020
A pile of dry leaves, the rain, a puddle, touching clay with your bare hands, seeing the rainbow, or feeling…
28 May, 2020
Neurons are my favorite cells – I’m a neuroscientist for this reason! – and although it is true that our…
14 May, 2020
Technology 4.0 is an essential part of our lives that makes our day-to-day tasks much easier without us even realizing…
30 April, 2020
The Nobel Prize in Physics in the year 2000 went to engineers Jack Kilby and Robert Norton Noyce for their…
16 April, 2020
Microorganisms are tiny living organisms, invisible to the naked eye, that are essential for life on Earth to happen. They…
2 April, 2020
In these days, the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak has forced most Europeans into a stay at home…
19 March, 2020
When we look at the world that surrounds us, we do not probably think about mathematics, do we? Well, this…
5 March, 2020
In modern Western societies it is often emphasized that the individual is solely responsible for their successes as well as…
20 February, 2020
Have you ever thought that your next piece of jewelry could be made by tiny animals instead of by humans?…
6 February, 2020
Cardiovascular diseases are one of the main causes of death in industrialized societies. In addition, a large number of these…
23 January, 2020
Yes, the period. Or the menstruation, or “that time of the month”. Personally, I like to say “the period”, despite…
19 December, 2019
I am a pharmacist with a PhD in Medicine and Human Physiology, but I also hold another degree that sometimes…
5 December, 2019
The last report of the Royal Academy of Doctors in Spain (last update: July 2016) elaborated on the need to…
21 November, 2019
The world of quantum physics is fascinating. It presents a description of nature that challenges our most rooted concepts about…
15 November, 2019
CONTENT ONLY AVAILABLE IN SPANISH Más de 5.000 investigadores españoles desarrollan su carrera en universidades y empresas de Reino…
7 November, 2019
During the past few decades, the development of speech technologies has been exponentially increasing, which has been mainly triggered because…
24 October, 2019
The world report of the World Health Organization about tuberculosis, which is known since the 17th century as The White…
10 October, 2019
The intestine is one of the most important organs of the defense system in our body. Are you surprised? Well,…
26 September, 2019
In 2019 the word “plastic” is almost as ubiquitous as the material itself is in our lives and environment. In…
12 September, 2019
Cannabis has been smoked for millennia by people across the globe. Nowadays, this substance is consumed in many different ways…
4 July, 2019
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots, which grew into the first Pride march [1]. Although…
20 June, 2019
The most exciting scientific discoveries are often the result of international collaborations when institutes across the world combine their skills,…
6 June, 2019
In 2015, 5% of the total deaths registered worldwide were due to a single disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD),…
23 May, 2019
We are functioning beings thanks to a collection of mechanisms that keep our body breathing, moving and thinking. It is…
9 May, 2019
Since childhood, we have heard about the five senses in many scenarios: at school, on the TV, at home, etc….
24 April, 2019
Climate change – due to the global warming of the planet – is a reality confirmed by hundreds of scientists….
4 April, 2019
There is no such thing as a perfect relationship. Regardless how much you like the other person, it is always…
21 March, 2019
Why do plants and animals live where they do? For example, how is it that marsupials only live in Australia…
7 March, 2019
Many times I have been asked if parasites are viruses or bacteria, and the fact is that they are neither…
21 February, 2019
If my friend Laura had been born in Ancient Greece, she would have been an alchemist. I picture her wrapped…
7 February, 2019
As part of the activities commemorating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the SRUK London constituency hosted…
25 January, 2019
Even the Rain (Icíar Bollaín, 2010), the film screened at our last CineScience in Leeds, (besides dealing with a very…
10 January, 2019
Central nervous system is composed by a huge number of highly connected cells known as neurons. Their contact points are…
13 December, 2018
In the time it takes you to read this post, 3,500 selfies will be taken around the world. Each of…
29 November, 2018
There is no doubt computer science advances at high speed. Each year we can find new, more compact, and powerful…
15 November, 2018
In recent years there have been major changes in the aspirations and activities of women. More and more women are…
1 November, 2018
In the past half century, the human being has experienced many changes due to its intelligence. Inconceivable milestones have been…
18 October, 2018
The release of ‘The Origin of Species’ by the famous naturalist Charles Darwin in 1859 caused a paradigmatic change in…
6 October, 2018
The contest, organised by the Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK (SRUK/CERU), has awarded six short scientific stories in…
4 October, 2018
We have all heard about DNA. It is passed from parents to their children and determines whether you get blue…
3 October, 2018
The Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK (SRUK) is pleased to invite you to the Award Ceremony of “Science…
20 September, 2018
We often hear news about the discovery of a very promising treatment against cancer, diabetes or Alzheimer. But then, for…
6 September, 2018
Does Occupational Therapy seem familiar to you? It is one of the youngest and most unknown medical sciences. Occupational Therapy…
19 July, 2018
Looking back, I still remember a famous series of cartoons called “Once upon a time: Life “. There, they tried…
5 July, 2018
It is Life´s law. But, why do we age? What is ageing? Aging is a heterogeneous, complex and multifactorial process,…
21 June, 2018
This is the answer I got in a science festival after asking an 8-year-old kid if he knew where his…
31 May, 2018
What is a market? What feelings does it stimulate? What is your definition about it? The Oxford dictionary defines it…
17 May, 2018
“Everyone is a genious, but if you judge a fish on its capacity to climb a tree it will live…
10 May, 2018
Let me guide you through the inside of the brain. The best-known brain cells are the neurones. A typical neurone…
26 April, 2018
Earth Day, a day dedicated to protecting the planet we live in, is celebrated every 22nd of April since 1970….
12 April, 2018
Cave art is one of the first expressions of human symbolic behaviour. It has been described as one of our…
29 March, 2018
Despite President Trump’s denial, climate change is real and we need to act. Decarbonizing our productive model (i.e., minimizing our…
15 March, 2018
For the last six decades, humans and human activities have been moving from rural settlements to cities in a process…
1 March, 2018
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease considered the most common adult onset motor neuronal disorder. Sadly, this disease…
15 February, 2018
The 11th of February is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. As many other institutions, the Society…
8 February, 2018
Microorganisms are barely seen by the naked eye. Under this name we found different types such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa…
25 January, 2018
It has been around one year since I wrote the post about how the fourth industrial revolution (aka digital revolution)…
11 January, 2018
«After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of […] life; nay, more,…
7 December, 2017
You have probably heard about Artificial Intelligence (AI). It seems to be everywhere nowadays. Most technological companies seem to use…
23 November, 2017
In Chemistry, as in other scientific areas, discoveries are usually named after the researcher who found them. For example, in…
9 November, 2017
Unfortunately, waiting lists for organ transplant are increasing every year and not all patients are able to receive one of…
26 October, 2017
While we gaze at the higher peaks of a mountain range rising above the horizon, a feeling of been contemplating…
12 October, 2017
DNA failures can cause malfunction of the cell and emergence of diseases. The development of tools in biomedicine, such as…
28 September, 2017
Making use of the energy of the Sun is not easy… well, that is not completely true. Human beings use…
14 September, 2017
How can bacteria protect our crops? 7.400 million, this is the estimated number of people inhabiting the earth today. Different…
27 July, 2017
I am confident to say that most of you have heard before that true beauty lies in laughter lines and…
13 July, 2017
That is the way we could define what happened on the 7th of July at the Spanish Researchers in the…
29 June, 2017
What can your microbiota say about you? Microorganisms are everywhere. They inhabit water and also soil, they are in the…
15 June, 2017
In Greek times the olive tree was considered a symbol of serenity, fertility and peace, and it was the root…
1 June, 2017
The invention of the modern refrigerator by Charles Tellier in the 1850s, which was originally based on the compression and…
18 May, 2017
I grew up in a city in the middle of Spain very far away from any coast, whatsoever marine environment….
4 May, 2017
If something characterizes us as humans is our communication capabilities, much more advanced than in the rest of species. Language…
20 April, 2017
There is no doubt this thought from Don Rodrigo, the character played by the actor Fernando Fernan Gomezint the Spanish…
6 April, 2017
Archaeology often conjures up images of exciting discoveries at a site in an exotic country. Possibly the first picture that…
23 March, 2017
We are the memory of our past. The memory, our memories, shape our identity as individuals. But memory is so…
9 March, 2017
The latest decades have witnessed the incorporation of women into areas of our society that weren’t accessible for them before…
23 February, 2017
I am sure that you have heard about chromosomes, but do you know what are they? Most of the time,…
9 February, 2017
Have you ever considered why does someone have a head scanner? The usual procedure starts with your doctor recommending it…
26 January, 2017
How Big data is changing our lives in the digital revolution One of the most fascinating aspects of Yorkshire…
12 January, 2017
The evolution of humans is written on our skin. Beyond an identity signature, human skin color represents an example on…
8 December, 2016
It is posible that with Christmas aproaching you will have the chance to go to a toy store. It is…
24 November, 2016
Do you like the sea? I think so! And if I ask you to tell me about marine animals or…
10 November, 2016
I am passionate about protein traffic, so much so that I invested four years of my life to research about…
27 October, 2016
In recent years we have been witnessing how summer and winter are gradually lengthening while autumn and spring are becoming…
13 October, 2016
OCTOBER…it is the tenth month of the year whose name comes from the Roman calendar. It is when leaves start…
29 September, 2016
Last week I was on a terrace having a coffee with some friends enjoying the sun in Alicante when my…
15 September, 2016
The same forces that separate oil and water in the remaining liquid of a bowl of salad, shape and hold…
1 September, 2016
Escribir un post sobre ciencia puede ser algo muy gratificante pero muchos científicos no creen tener las herramientas necesarias para…
29 July, 2016
When did you eat pulses last time? How often do you include them in your weekly meal planner? Probably less…
14 July, 2016
As you browse this webpage to read this blog, how many of you are wearing a watch, or periodically finding…
30 June, 2016
When fighting diseases medicine science faces a key challenge; early detection what is crucial in their treatment. Nowadays, in cancer…
16 June, 2016
If you ever wondered what astrophysicists do, the general answer would be “they try to understand how the Universe formed…
1 June, 2016
#ZIKA TRENDING TOPIC The Zika virus is a “trendy” one since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global public…
1 June, 2016
Dear friends and readers, Today we welcome our blog “1, 2, 3 … Explore!”. Having an own blog has…