Raspberry Pi events in Cambridge

More than 10 million Raspberry Pi's have been sold worldwide and have even been used by astronauts in space. The Raspberry Pi Foundation continues to operate from the city of it's creation much to the delight of the Cambridge community:

Dozens of roboteering teams turn out for Pi Wars in Cambridge, where contestants turn out for a series of challenges:

Others make music not war with the Raspberry Pi, such as Cambridge University's Dr Sam Aaron with his Sonic Pi:



The Sonic Pi was soon at the fingertips of the rest of the community at the Raspberry Pi Birthday party being held in the William Gates Building in Cambridge on 29th February. (The following video was filmed by Adam Page, Annie Edwards, Cleve Roberts and edited by Tom Lonsdale)



But before Raspberry Pis make it to Mars they'll be returning to the William Gates Building next year for Pi Wars 3.0 on 1st and 2nd April 2017:

Ultra-thin LED could lead to new quantum networks

Cambridge Physicists led by Professor Mete Atature may have found a way to create more secure communication networks by using graphene. Researchers for the Cavendish Lab and the Graphene Flagship have made ultra-thin Light Emitting Diodes, just a few atoms thick. It could improve everyday technologies from MRI scanners to clocks.


Team Dr Matteo Barbone, Dr Dhiren Kara and Carmen Palacious Berraquero

Warriors on 1066 March pass through Cambridgeshire

Re-enactors, who are travelling 300 miles on foot and horseback in tribute to King Harold in 1066, made a visit to Audley End House in Saffron Walden today to meet schoolchildren from R A Butler Academy. The trip, to commemorate 950 years after the Norman Conquest, is taking the army from York to Hastings where over 1000 warriors will be lining up for battle:



 

Visually impaired artists display their work in new Cambridge exhibition

Visually impaired and blind artists are displaying their works as part of a new exhibition in Cambridge. ‘From the Studio Floor’ was set up by blindness charity Cam Sight, who hope they can sell some of the pieces to raise money for their work in the local community. The curator has deliberately mixed the art all together so that visitors won't be able to tell which works are by full-sighted or partially sighted artists. (Also it features a fellow Derby artist!)

 

Best of my animal stories at Cambridge TV

From the tiny ant to the Iguanodon there's plenty of incredible creatures roaming or being studied (in a nice way) in Cambridge. I've had the privilege of meeting some beautiful creatures and their kindly keepers during my time at Cambridge TV. Here are some of my highlights:

K9 Aqau Sport

One of the first stories I did here involved a dog long-jump which involve, well, this...



Ants show Nano-scientists how it's done!

In the more serious surroundings of Cambridge University, scientists were looking towards a cleaning mechanism ants used which they thought could help them build new nano-machine!

   

Dog Expert awarded for 40 years of service

One of the nicest academics I met was Professor Mike Herrtage who got £10,000 from the International Canine Health Awards for the four decades working with the animals.



Do Zoos help animal conservation?

The Director at Shepreth Wildlife Park has became the first female Chairman of a national organisation representing Britain and Ireland's leading zoos.  It came at a time when zoos are under increasing scrutiny after a keeper's death in South Lakes and the shooting of a gorilla in the states. 



Dinosaurs Saw Red

Anyone who knows me knows I'm dinosaur mad, so any chance to play around in the Sedgwick Museum is never getting turned down!




Dinosaur Song

And I'm not the only one crazy enough about them, even the stuffy-Victorians wrote silly ditties about 'Jolly Old Beasts'



Wanna Help Animals?

While there's now an even gender split between males and females in Veterinary positions there very few men taking up roles as veterinary nurses. The College of West Anglia hope this doesn't stay the case:

Scientists find quicker way of testing cancer cures

Cambridge Scientists have discovered a new way to test hundreds of cancer drugs quickly, cutting the time it could take to find breast cancer treatments. The new technique uses human tumour cells, grown in mice, which give an accurate representation of how cancer spreads. Cancer Research UK hope it could replace the current method of growing cells in the lab.

Memorial to Fenland Spitfire crash pilot unveiled

A memorial has been unveiled to a pilot, who's remains were recovered 75 years after his Spitfire crashed into the fens. Last year, archaeologists recovered the remains of Flight Officer Harold Penketh still in his plane, which crashed in 1940. The land is now being restored as part of the Great Fen Project. At a memorial service his cousins – who were traced after a television appeal, paid tribute to the families of other servicemen who didn't return home.