Research Horizons Pioneering research from the University of Cambridge Issue 22 Spotlight Sustainability & the environment Feature The machine that rubs out noise Feature ‘Big data’ and education www.cam.ac.uk/research Issue 22 October 2013 2 Contents 3 Research Horizons Contents A News C Things D Welcome 4 – 5 Research news 18 – 19 Microscopic crystals 30 Mountain snows Sustainability can be a slippery concept to grasp. Reducing carbon emissions, conserving biodiversity, using the planet’s limited resources 31 On yer bike more efficiently – all of these issues, and more, are important pieces of the puzzle. But understanding how the pieces fit together, and how they B D Spotlight: Sustainability 32 – 33 Solar power can be achieved without detrimental impacts on society, the environment Features and the economy, is complex. Unfortunately there is no silver bullet: the & the environment solutions will need to be ‘multi-pronged’ and multidisciplinary, requiring 6 – 7 Rubbing out noise the connection of knowledge from many different sources. E Connectivity is the heart of an innovative new Forum within the 8 – 9 Earlier information ages in Russia 20 – 21 Venice’s Lagoon Inside out University made up of 20 of the University’s leading experts in areas ranging from energy, biodiversity and food security to anthropology, 10 – 11 ‘Big data’ and education 22 – 23 Retrofitting hospitals 34 – 35 Sarah Franklin architecture, history and economics, who this year have formed the Cambridge Forum for Sustainability and the Environment. A series of 12 – 13 Silent killer virus 24 – 25 Future factories articles in this issue gives a snapshot of the breadth of research into different aspects of sustainability and the environment across the 14 Camel farming in Africa 26 Saving bees University: from the development of new sources of energy and the design of sustainable houses and factories of the future, to the human 15 Intonation in speech 27 Sustaining Amazonia story of climate change as perceived by those living in the shadow of the Himalayas. 16 – 17 Parliament’s architecture 28– 29 Modelling consumption Societal and cultural change are a key part of sustaining the environment. Two other articles in this issue describe how researchers are also investigating how societies have perceived and adapted to change, but in response to two very different drivers: the economically driven shift from cow to camel farming in Kenya, and the impact of printing over a 400-year period in Russia from the mid-15th century. ON Elsewhere, we examine the importance of ‘big data’ and the linking of F OF T RA datasets containing vast amounts of information on education in the UK, IN plus research on deafness, volcanic rocks, intonation, how viruses hide, and designs for a very different Houses of Parliament. We hope that you Research Horizons enjoy this issue of . C A R R O O D T U O P A R T Y T N A R U A T S E R Professor Lynn Gladden Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research Editor Dr Louise Walsh Design The District Printers Micropress Contributors Alex Buxton, Jacqueline Garget, Tom Kirk, Sally Lewis, Fred Lewsey, Louise Walsh T +44 (0)1223 765 443 E [email protected] W www.cam.ac.uk/research Copyright ©2013 University of Cambridge and Contributors as identified. The content ofResearch Horizons, with the exception of images and illustrations, is made available for non-commercial re-use in another work under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike Licence (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/), subject to acknowledgement of the original author/s, the title of the individual work and the University of Cambridge. This Licence requires any new work with an adaptation of content to be distributed and re-licensed under the same licence terms. Research Horizons is produced by the University of Cambridge’s Office of External Affairs and Communications. A 4 News 5 Research Horizons News Dear digital diary… A newly developed life-logging tool captures and stores memorable moments in people’s lives. O’Neill Credit: Bill Credit: Sophy Rickett Sophy Credit: ‘Storica’, created by Dr Dirk Trossen, at Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory, and Dana Pavel, at the University of Essex, tracks users’ behaviour through their smartphones and computers, then combines the information to form an intricate, digital depiction of their day-to-day lives. Funding for mental health The researchers behind the software say that their creation will enable people to capture moments they might otherwise forget, Research into the care of people with and at the same time monitor the influences mental health conditions has been boosted that are having the greatest impact on their by £10 million NIHR funding. lives. They are now planning to commercialise Storica with the help of the crowd-funding The NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in website Kickstarter. Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) ‘Life-logging’ is an increasingly popular East of England is being set up to conduct concept that capitalises on the fact that pioneering research on the needs of patients Credit: Cambridge University Library Cambridge Credit: many smartphones have sensors which can and service users, focusing on dementia, record facets of people’s behaviour. But, until patient safety, health economics, and how now, most life-logging apps have monitored best to involve patients and the public in specific aspects of people’s lives, such as health care and research. Image their fitness, food intake, or mood. Storica will CLAHRC East of England is a Board of Longitude Proposal for finding longitude attempt to create a more complete picture, Image collaborative effort between mental health by determining the ship’s rate then play that back to users in fine detail via Bit by Bit Supersonic laser deposition service providers and researchers, and is archive digitised of sailing a mind-boggling array of visual depictions. hosted by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough “At a more profound level, however, the NHS Foundation Trust with the involvement of software can also record information about Digital fabrication and 3D printing: a that it is becoming overhyped,” said Dr Tim the Universities of Cambridge and East Anglia. The full story of attempts to solve the the naming of Australia; and even a letter from what prompts certain behaviours, or when we manufacturing revolution or an overhyped Minshall from the Department of Engineering’s Professor Peter Jones, Director of ‘longitude problem’ is now freely available Captain Bligh of HMS Bounty, who writes are at our most stressed out, or relaxed,” said technology? New research will examine its Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) and the CLAHRC East of England and Head of via Cambridge University Library’s that his ship was “pirated from my command”. Trossen. “Over time, it should enable users true value. project’s Principal Investigator. “The aim is Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry said: Digital Library. Comprising more than 65,000 images, it to improve their awareness of the factors to help the academic, industrial and policy “I am delighted that NIHR has awarded this is the largest project undertaken to date by which are shaping their lives, enabling them With their promise of on-demand, mass making communities target the most pressing funding. The aim of the CLAHRC is to ensure In July 1714, when the Board of Longitude was the University Library’s Digital Library project, to analyse their lifestyles and hopefully personalisation and sustainable production, questions and challenges.” the findings of academic studies can be suggested, an act of parliament established which was launched following a £1.5 million improve them for the better.” digital fabrication processes like 3D printing With funding from the ESRC and used to make a real difference to front-line a £20,000 prize, worth about £1.5 million gift from the Polonsky Foundation. Digitisation and supersonic laser deposition are moving EPSRC, Minshall will be working with a cross- patient care as soon as possible. The work today, for the discovery of longitude at of the archive was funded by JISC and is part from the domain of prototype manufacturing disciplinary team from the IfM, the Department around dementia and how we care for older sea – determining a ship’s position east of a wider research project by the Department to product manufacturing – anything from of Politics and International Studies, and the people is especially important because they and west from a fixed meridian line. Now, of History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) spare parts for the washing machine to spare Centre for Science and Policy. are such major challenges facing health-care the fascinating story of how the ‘longitude and Greenwich’s National Maritime Museum. parts for the body. Over three years, the researchers and social-care providers.” problem’ was solved, as told through the “The longitude story is a spectacular But what is the reality and potential of will investigate how digital fabrication The new funding is part of a £124 Board’s detailed meeting minutes, held by example of expert disagreement and public digital fabrication for the UK economy? A new emerged, identify the trends, barriers million boost from the government to help Cambridge University Library and associated participation,” said Professor Simon Schaffer, research project, ‘Bit by Bit’, aims to examine and enablers, examine how companies ensure that patients benefit from innovative National Maritime Museum collections, is from HPS. “As well as attracting the greatest the technology’s real impact. are making money from the technology, new treatments and techniques that could freely available to view in high resolution. scientific minds of the day, the Board enticed “Digital fabrication has the potential to and identify key policy support actions to revolutionise future health care.