The University of Edinburgh's Science Magazine

🎙️✨ A brand new season of #NotAnotherSciencePodcast is here!

This season, we're kicking off with an inspiring episode: A New Beginning: "From General Practitioner to CEO" 💼🩺

🎧 Listen 👉 open.spotify.com/episode/6LlS...

Art by Elizabeth Carmichael

Colourful modern graphic announcing “Calling all EuSci writers! The SPA 2026 Science & Tech Writing Award is open for nominations. Deadline: February 15, 2026. Interested? DM for details.” Illustration shows hands typing on a laptop, with the EuSci logo in the top-right corner.

🚨 Calling all EUSci writers!

Got a science piece you’re proud of? This one’s for you.

If you’ve written for EUSci and your piece was published between 17 Feb 2025 – 15 Feb 2026, you’re eligible for the SPA 2026 National Awards!

Interested? DM us with questions!

An announcement flyer featuring a collaboration between King’s College London and The University of Edinburgh. The top of the image displays the logos of both universities side-by-side. Centered text reveals a partnership between two student science media platforms: ScienceMind (from King’s) and EUSci (from Edinburgh). The announcement explains that one article from each partner university will be selected for cross-publication and featured in their upcoming magazine issues. The background is a dark, busy collage of scientific imagery, including digital patterns, neural networks, and magazine covers. A small yellow pill icon labeled "ScienceMind" and the "eu:sci" logo are also visible. At the bottom, white text reads: "STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT WHO THE WINNER IS ON FRIDAY, 6th MARCH!"

✨ COLLAB ALERT! ✨
ScienceMind (King’s College London) 🤝 EUSci (University of Edinburgh)
🧪📚We’re teaming up to spotlight brilliant science writing, with one standout article selected for cross-publication and featured in our upcoming issues.🔥Stay tuned for more!
#ScienceMindxEUSci

A vibrant promotional poster for the Edinburgh University Science Media (EuSci) cover competition. The background is a bright lime green. In the center is a whimsical, retro-style cartoon character with a large orange circular head, a smiling face, and gloved hands. The character is walking while carrying a large paintbrush over its shoulder, which has a drop of red paint falling from the bristles. Large, bold black text in the center reads "COVER COMPETITION." At the top, text invites students to "Submit your art for our cover." The bottom of the poster lists the submission deadline as 31.01.2026 and provides the contact email eusci.art@gmail.com. The EuSci logo is positioned in the bottom right corner.

🎨 Calling all art enthusiasts! We are extending the deadline for participating in our cover competition for Issue 34! Whether you’re into digital illustration or traditional media, we want to see how you bring science to life!
🔗 More details: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
#SciComm #UofE #EuSci

Modern graphic illustration of a brain with cartoon hands and feet. A speech bubble reads “Euscireka! Sign ups open for Issue 34,” with the deadline “January 25, 2026” displayed below. The design features a black-and-white checkered border along the top and bottom, and the Eusci logo appears in the top-right corner.

🚨 EUScireka sign-ups are OPEN for Issue 34! 🚨

Got a cool science story to tell? 🧪✨ We’re on the hunt for fun, exciting science news snippets from the past year to feature in the upcoming Issue 34 of EUScireka!

Sign up 👉http://volunteersignup.org/WPB3Y

Image titled The Hallucinating Machine: Why AI Needs to Dream by Elisa Castagnari. Blue-green science-fiction style background. A floating brain is centred, with light beams around it.

Image with a blue-green science-fiction style background and a floating brain at the centre, surrounded by beams of light. Overlaid text is a quote, "Dreams act as a kind of biological regularisation by introducing noise and randomness, generating unusual, surreal scenarios unlike anything we normally encounter. This nightly injection of surprise keeps the brain’s generative models–its systems for imagining, predicting, and interpreting the world–flexible and able to handle novelty. In short, dreams prevent the brain from becoming too narrow or specialised, helping us remain adaptable in a constantly changing environment."

What if AI hallucinations aren’t bugs— but dreams? ⚡️

LLMs may hallucinate for the same reason humans dream: to escape overfitting and spark creativity.

Curious? Read our latest blog post 👉 eusci.org.uk/2026/01/12/t...

#AI #EuSci #BlogPost #ScienceCommunication

Close-up of a tattoo being applied on skin. Text below reads: “Under the Ink: The Silent Effects of Tattoo Pigments. Written by Niyayesh Tajoddini, edited by Priscilla Wong.” EuSci logo appears in the bottom left corner.

Text reads: “As tattoos continue to gain popularity, understanding the long-term health implications is essential. Ongoing research into safer ink formulations, removal methods, and biological pathways may help ensure safer tattoo practices and better public health guidance in the future.” Below the text is a photo of heavily tattooed hands.

☠️ Thinking of getting a tattoo? Think before you ink⚡️

That design may be permanent but the science behind it is still unfolding.

Curious what really happens beneath the surface? Read our latest blog post 👉 eusci.org.uk/2026/01/05/u...

#ScienceOfTattoos #BodyArtScience #EuSci #BlogPost

What a year it has been for discovery! 🚀

We’ve rounded up a calendar of the biggest breakthroughs and scientific milestones of the year. Which discovery surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments! 👇

#ScienceNews #STEM #EdinburghUniversity #EuSci #Discovery2025

Graphic titled “Ever See TV Static in Your Vision? Here’s Why.” The image shows a close-up of a blue eye iris alongside foxglove flowers and a TV static pattern. Beneath the image is the text “Written by Shaun Henderson, edited by Priscilla Wong,” with the EuSci logo in the bottom right corner.

Alt text: Background of TV static with text overlay: "While treatment options remain elusive, research progress is steady, offering hope for sufferers. Broadly, the work of vision scientists is a cause for optimism. Though science's objective lens can sometimes strip away beauty, the efforts of researchers are working to restore it for those with visual snow."

Ever see TV static in your vision? 📺✨ You might have visual snow, a neurological condition affecting 2% of people in the UK 🧠

👉 Read our latest blog post: eusci.org.uk/2025/12/29/e...

#VisualSnow #Neuroscience #ScienceBlog #BrainScience #DidYouKnow #EuSci

🌟🎄 Ever seen a galaxy dressed for Christmas? In 2024, @NASAScience_ James Webb Space Telescope captured the Christmas Tree Galaxy Cluster! 🌌🔭

Wishing you wonder and light this holiday season! ✨

#JWST #GalaxyFormation #HappyHolidays

Credit: NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory

Blue marble background with text that reads: “Curiosity Rebranded written by Clare McDonald.” Below, a group of smiling women pose for a selfie with an EACR photo-frame prop featuring the hashtag #KeepResearchCurious at the EACR 2024 Congress in Rotterdam. with EUSci logo in the bottom right corner.

Blue marble background with text that reads: “The #KeepResearchCurious campaign spotlights the importance of maintaining curiosity-driven exploration, even when it shows no immediate link to new treatment discoveries. It’s important to play the long game, because these fundamental findings become the foundation for future lifesaving research and treatments.” with the EUSci logo in the bottom right corner.

In Curiosity Rebranded, featured writer Clare McDonald spotlights how @helloeacr.bsky.social is championing curiosity-driven research through #KeepResearchCurious.

Read the feature in #Issue33 👉 www.yumpu.com/en/document/... 🔍📖

#ScienceCommunication #EuSci #Curiosity

A vibrant, hand-painted poster featuring swirling orange, green, and red brushstrokes resembling stylised DNA helices wrapping around the page. At the centre, dynamic white radial streaks burst outward like an energetic spotlight. Over this background, large lettering reads “ISSUE 34 COVER ART COMPETITION!” in bright orange, red, and green. EuSci logo sits in the top right corner.

A complementary hand-painted design showing the competition rules, framed by looping DNA-like shapes in green and orange. On the left, the word “RULES” appears in large red lettering, followed by bullet-point instructions about artwork specifications, colour profile, and submission email. On the right, an orange paint-stroke shape highlights the deadline, “2025.12.31.” A small palette of the required colour scheme—shades of orange and green, plus white—is shown at the bottom of the page. EuSci logo sits in the top right corner.

ILLUSTRATORS WANTED 🖌️

✨ We’re looking for illustrators, designers and artists to submit entries to have your work featured on the cover of issue 34 of our magazine! 🎨

Sign up here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

#SciComm #EuSci #Issue34 #EdinburghScience ##ArtOpportunity

Title graphic reading ‘Huntington’s Disease May No Longer Be a Life Sentence.’ Below the title is a simplified illustration representing the Huntington gene and scientific research. Additional text at the bottom credits the article to Claudia Logan, edited by Priscilla Wong. The EuSci logo is in the top right corner.”

Text reads: “This result changes everything. On the basis of these results it seems likely AMT-130 will be the first licensed treatment to slow Huntington’s Disease, which is truly world-changing stuff, while working no less diligently to add more effective treatments to the list.” [Interview statement from UCL News, 2025] background is an image of DNA with EuSci logo in bottom right corner

8,000 people in the UK live with Huntington’s, but a genetic breakthrough is reshaping what their future could look like. 🧬

Curious how close we are to a true treatment?

🔗 Read our latest blog post: eusci.org.uk/2025/11/24/h...

#ScienceCommunication #HuntingtonDisease ##MedicalBreakthrough

A colorful illustrated poster advertising a bake sale by Edinburgh University Science Media. The poster has a blue scalloped border and features drawings of baked goods like a pie lattice, swirled pastries, and a cupcake. Large text reads ‘BAKE SALE.’ Below it, the date ‘27.11.’ and the time ‘10 am–4 pm’ are shown, along with the location ‘Main Library.’ Smaller text invites people to grab a treat and support accessible, student-led science. The EUSci logo appears in the bottom left corner.

EUSCI BAKE SALE🧁🍪
Grab a sweet treat outside the Main Library from 10am to 4pm on Thursday, to support our Issue 34 prints, and chat to us if you're interested in writing, editing, or illustrating for us! 🧪 🧬 Come along and fuel your study session with some baked goods! 🍩🍰
#SciComm #BakeSale #EuSci

🎥 COP Café Recap!

Last Wednesday’s event was the perfect mix of chill vibes, friendly faces, great coffee and thoughtful conversations. ☕🌍💬

Thanks to #EdinburghEarthInitiative and speakers Sian Henley, Iain McNicol, and Anne Marte Bergseng.

#ScienceCommunication #COP30 #COPCafe

Text reads: Can low blood oxygen silently weaken your immune system by tweaking the genetics? Written by Dasha Sokol Edited by Priscilla Wong. Background image is a hand holding a vial of blood with a light pink background and the EuSci logo in the top right corner

Text reads: “ The scientists believe their research could show “new ways to think about treating long-term immune dysfunction and improve infection defences” in the long run. Treatments such as histone-marker-regenerating therapy could one day help restore neutrophil function in people suffering from long-COVID, rebuilding their immunity. “ with image of hand holding a vial of blood as background

🧬✨ Can low oxygen reprogram your immune system?
Whether you're climbing high altitudes 🏔️ or recovering from severe lung illness 🫁, low blood oxygen may quietly weaken your immune cells—even after levels return to normal.

Read it 👉 eusci.org.uk/2025/11/17/c...

#EuSci #ScienceCommunication #BlogPost

Bold green text reads ‘Pints with Scientists.’ Below, logos for the ‘University of Edinburgh Biological Society’ and ‘EuSci’ are displayed. Below the logos is a group photo from the event, with decorative animal illustrations around it

Polaroid-style collage of photos from the event, with decorative animal illustrations and a green background

✨ A huge thank you to everyone who joined us! 🍻
Special shout-out to our featured scientists:

🪲 @persmiseth.bsky.social , Lecturer in Animal Behaviour

🪰 @darrenobbard.bsky.social, Professor of Evoluntionary Genetics

🦋 Simon Martin, Royal Society University Research Fellow

#ScienceCommunication

Bom dia! #COP30 might be happening in Brazil 🇧🇷… but @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social is bringing the climate convo to you!

Join Edinburgh Earth Initiative's COP Café event on Wednesday, 19 Nov (2–5pm) in the Old Café at ECCI

Register for FREE: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cop-cafe-c...

#ScienceCommunication

🎨 ILLUSTRATORS WANTED! 🖌️

Help us create our next issue and have your artwork featured in a scientific student publication! ✨

🔗 Link in bio: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

#EuSci #ScienceCommunication #CallForArtists #IllustratorsWanted #ArtOpportunity

The image is a promotional poster for an event titled “Pints with Scientists”, organized by the BioSoc in collaboration with Edinburgh University Science Media (EUSci). The background is dark green, decorated with white illustrations of various wildlife, representing zoology and evolutionary biology themes. The University of Edinburgh logo and the EUSci logo appear in the centre under the title. The description invites viewers to “Join us for an evening with Evolutionary Biology/Zoology researchers to share their scientific discoveries with you – no prior knowledge required, just show up with a thirst for knowledge (and a pint)!” The text on the poster reads: Date: Thursday 13th November, 2025 Time: 6pm onwards Place: Maggie’s Chamber, The Three Sisters

Social alert!🍻🧬Pints with Scientists, with the theme being ZOOLOGY and EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY! In collaboration with BioSoc, join us for an evening with professors from University of Edinburgh, who would love to share their research with you, along with a pint or two🦜
#ScienceComm #EuSci

The image is a commemorative poster for Remembrance Sunday. The main visual shows two bronze statue hands gently reaching toward each other, with one hand holding a red poppy flower — a symbol of remembrance. The background features soft greenery and blurred stone architecture, framed by a red border shaped like a postage stamp. Below the image, text reads: “Remembrance Sunday — 09.11.2025. A moment to commemorate those who have fallen, and the moment guns fell silent in the First World War, and all wars since.” The bottom of the poster displays the words “LEST WE FORGET” in large, bold type, accompanied by the EUSci logo.

On Remembrance Sunday, we commemorate those who lost their lives during WWI and all wars since, and honour members of the University of Edinburgh community who served and contributed to wartime research— from medical treatments to engineering and radar🕯️
#ScienceComm #EuSci #RemembranceSunday

A medieval-style library desk with leather-bound books and glass flasks. Gold text reads: *The Traitors: Science Edition* with the categories: Faithful, Traitor, Banished, Murdered. At the bottom, it asks, “Who can you trust in the name of science?” EUSci logo is in the bottom right corner

Background image of a mother in childbirth with a brown transparent overlay. Bold red text reads: Faithful. Below, it says Ignaz Semmelweis 1818–1866. A black-and-white photo of Semmelweis appears beneath. Text reads: “In 1847, Ignaz Semmelweis showed that simple handwashing could prevent childbed fever. His peers denied it, but he remained faithful to science, aiming to reform obstetric care and save mothers’ lives.”

Background image of dried crops. Bold red text reads: Traitor – Trofim Lysenko 1898–1976. Below is a black-and-white photo of Lysenko. Text explains: “Soviet scientist Trofim Lysenko caused widespread harm through unscientific plant theories, aligning biology with ideology, silencing truth, and setting science back decades. A traitor to science and humanity.”

Background photo of crops with a brown transparent overlay. Bold text reads: Murdered – Nikolai Vavilov 1887–1942. Below is a photo of Vavilov. Text reads: “Russian geneticist Nikolai Vavilov worked to end famine by conserving crop diversity. Faithful to science, he was branded a traitor under Stalin, imprisoned, and died of starvation, despite laying the foundation for modern genebanks and global food security.”

📜 EuSci Presents: The Traitors — Science Edition

Swipe to uncover who’s who — and how their choices changed the course of science 👉

#EUSci ##ScienceCommunication #TheTraitors #ScienceEdition #HistoryOfScience #AcademicDrama #ScientificLegacy

A digital event poster with a black space-themed background with bold text reading 'Issue 34 Writers and Editors Social.' Below the text is a photo of Potterow Dome Bar, the event location, labeled 'Potterow Dome Bar.' At the bottom, text reads '7 Nov, 6:30 PM' and 'See you this Friday at 6:30 PM.' The EUSci logo appears in the bottom right cornerBlack space-themed background with bold text reading 'Issue 34 Writers and Editors Social.' Below the text is a photo of Potterow Dome Bar, the event location, labeled 'Potterow Dome Bar.' At the bottom, text reads '7 Nov, 6:30 PM' and 'See you this Friday at 6:30 PM.' The EUSci logo appears in the bottom right corner

✍️ Calling all writers and editors signed up for Issue 34!

🗞️ Issue 34 is in the works and we’re cooking up ideas.

Join us this Friday at 6:30 pm in Potterrow for a chill evening of drinks, snacks, and creative plotting 🍷💬

#Eusci #Issue34 #EusciSocial #Writers #Editors

This poster titled “Burke and Hare: Edinburgh Crime” features two white plaster masks positioned prominently in the center, representing the infamous 19th-century murderers William Burke and William Hare. The background has an illustration of Burke and Hare’s murder case. Bold dark red and white text highlights key phrases such as “MURDER” and “19th Century in Edinburgh.” The accompanying text explains that Burke and Hare were anatomy murderers from Northern Ireland who killed victims to sell their bodies to Professor Robert Knox’s anatomy school at Surgeon’s Square in Edinburgh. At the bottom left corner, the logo of eu:sci, Edinburgh University’s science media magazine, appears.

Have you heard of Burke and Hare in 19th century Edinburgh? This criminal case led to the Anatomy Act of 1832 for greater legal access to corpses for teaching purposes. Until today, Burke’s skeleton is still displayed at the Anatomical Museum at UoE. 🍂Read more below!
#ScienceComm #Halloween #EuSci

Dark, haunting red-and-black image featuring the ghostly silhouette of a figure, evoking an eerie, Halloween atmosphere. Gothic-style text reads: “Invisible Invaders: The Rise of Microplastics in Human Organs.” Below, it states “Written by Fizzy Hunter, edited by Eleanor Stamp,” with the EuSci logo positioned in the top right corner.

Dark, haunting red-and-black image featuring the ghostly silhouette of a figure, evoking an eerie, Halloween atmosphere. Gothic-style text reads : “New research adds to the growing evidence that an increasing amount of plastic is not only polluting the environment, but also human organs, in particular the brain. In a world where plastic exposure is impossible to avoid, research like this brings us one step closer to understanding the true impact of plastic on human health.” with the EuSci logo positioned in the top right corner.

👻🧠 Plastic isn’t just haunting the environment—it’s creeping into our bodies, even our brains. New research reveals microplastics are an invisible threat to our health. 🎃💥

Read it: eusci.org.uk/2025/10/27/i...

#EuSci #ScienceCommunication #BlogArticle #Microplastics #PlasticPollution

🧠 Become an Editor with EuSci!

Interested in science communication or looking to gain experience? ✍️

Join the Eusci editing team!

🔗 Sign up: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

#EuSci #ScienceCommunication #StudentMagazine #ScienceWriting #EditorsWanted #EdinburghUniversity #VolunteerOpportunity

Holographic background with a digital circuit pattern. Central text reads, "AI Spots Heart Attack Risks Before They Strike," with an illustrated heart above and EuSci logo in the bottom right corner

Holographic background with a digital circuit pattern. Central text reads, . The developers hope that AI technology will soon be applied to detect not only heart disease, but also stroke and diabetes, giving patients a head start on prevention. This early diagnosis will not just save lives, but will also reduce the strain on health services by reducing costly emergency admissions and long-term treatments for heart failure.," Includes an illustrated heart above and EuSci logo in the top right corner

🧬 Could AI spot heart disease before symptoms appear? Caristo Diagnostics uses AI to identify high-risk individuals early, combining data with traditional risk factors like obesity, smoking, and diabetes.

🔗 Read it: eusci.org.uk/2025/10/20/a...

#EuSci #ScienceCommunication

Gray gradient background with elegant font. Text reads: 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Mary E. Brunkow (Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, USA), Fred Ramsdell (Sonoma Biotherapeutics, San Francisco, USA), and Shimon Sakaguchi (Osaka University, Osaka, Japan) “for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.” Illustration shows how regulatory T cells monitor other immune cells to prevent attacks on the body’s own tissues. Their work led to the field of peripheral tolerance and new treatments for autoimmune diseases, cancer, and organ transplant success. Artwork by © The Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine. Ill. Mattias Karlén.

Gray gradient background with elegant font. Bold text reads: Why this matters: The discovery of regulatory t cells, the immune system's own peacekeepers, opened a new field of research and is now paving the way for treatments for autoimmune diseases, more effective cancer therapies, and safer stem cell transplants. Includes an illustration depicting the discovery of regulatory T cells. Artwork by © The Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine. Ill. Mattias Karlén.

Gray gradient background with elegant font. Bold text reads: Why this matters. Below is a quote from Olle Kämpe, chair of the Nobel Committee: “Their discoveries have been decisive for our understanding of how the immune system functions and why we do not all develop serious autoimmune diseases.” Includes an illustration depicting the discovery of regulatory T cells. Artwork by © The Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine. Ill. Mattias Karlén.

🎉 Congrats to the 2025 #NobelPrize winners in Medicine!

🏅 Mary E. Brunkow
🏅 Fred Ramsdell
🏅 Shimon Sakaguchi

Honored for discoveries in peripheral immune tolerance — how regulatory T cells prevent the immune system from attacking the body.

🧬👏 #Immunology #ScienceCommunication #NobelPrize2025

Blue background with a black gradient. Overlaid gold text reads: "The Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 — John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis, 'for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electric circuit.'" Below the text, centered in the image, is a modern art illustration of the concept, rendered in shades of blue, white, and black.

Blue background with a black gradient. Bold gold text at the top reads: Why this matters. Below it, in smaller gold text: Quantum properties on a human scale. This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics has provided opportunities for developing the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors. Under the text is a modern art illustration representing the concept. Credit: ©Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Blue background with a black gradient. Gold text reads: "Physicists have known for almost a century that tunnelling is necessary for a particular type of nuclear decay (alpha decay). A tiny piece of the atom’s nucleus breaks free and appears outside it." Below the text are two illustrations depicting the experiments, credited to ©Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Blue background with a black gradient. Gold text reads: "It is wonderful to be able to celebrate the way that century-old quantum mechanics continually offers new surprises. It is also enormously useful, as quantum mechanics is the foundation of all digital technology." — Olle Eriksson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics. Below the text are two illustrations depicting the experiments, credited to ©Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

🌌 Quantum physics you can hold in your hand! Congratulations on winning the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics!

Their work bridges the invisible quantum world with the macroscopic, paving the way for next-gen quantum tech. 💻🔬

#EuSci #ScienceCommunication #Physics #NobelPrize

Black background with elegant gold lines and faint chemistry molecule graphics. Text in the center reads: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 — Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Congratulations.

Black background with elegant gold lines and faint chemistry molecule graphics. Illustration of a metal–organic framework depicted like a spacious apartment, symbolizing how it could house a water molecule. Text reads: “An attractive and very spacious studio apartment, specifically designed for your life as a water molecule — this is how an estate agent might describe one of all the metal–organic frameworks that laboratories around the world have developed in recent decades.” Credit: © Johan Jarnestad / The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Black background with elegant gold lines and faint desert imagery in the background. Text reads: “Why this matters — Following the laureates’ groundbreaking discoveries, chemists have created tens of thousands of MOFs. Some could help solve major global challenges — from removing PFAS from water and breaking down pharmaceutical pollution to capturing CO₂ and harvesting water from desert air.”

Black background with infographic of the metal-organic frameworks with text: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Congrats to the 2025 #NobelPrize in Chemistry winners:
🏅 Susumu Kitagawa
🏅 Richard Robson
🏅 Omar M. Yaghi

For pioneering metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) — a powerful tool with potential to tackle water, pollution & climate challenges.

#ScienceCommunication #EuSci #Chemistry