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Current Research News

Fuel made from just air, power and water is taking off – but several things are holding it back

The use of e-fuels could be the way forward but there are some barriers. Jon Gluyas, who is a Professor in Geoenergy, Carbon Capture and Storage, takes us through the challenges.
Front view of an aeroplane on the runway.

Medieval peasants enjoyed a surprising range of sick, annual and bereavement leave benefits

Dr Alex Brown and Dr Grace Owen from our Department of History explore the surprising range of workplace benefits that existed for peasant workers in medieval England.
Section of an image from 1863 depicting men and women cutting grass in Medieval time. Taken from  the vintage book Les Evangiles, edited by Curmet, 1863, Paris

Breaking the sound barriers: Understanding the academic risks of mild and unilateral hearing loss

Imagine a busy classroom with children hearing and interpreting lots of sounds around them. PhD student, Katherine Collier, from our School of Education has looked at the academic impact on children with mild and unilateral hearing loss.
Young children sitting at a classroom table with the teacher doing crafts

UK to overhaul asylum policy – will the new measures work?

Professor Jonathan Darling, from our Department of Geography, explores the UK Home Secretary's proposed reforms to the asylum system.
A group of women standing around with bags on the floor.

How ‘campus climate’ affects students’ attitudes to people of different religions

New research shows there are some key things universities can do to create climates where students are able to relate to others of different religious backgrounds. Professor Mathew Guest from our Department of Theology and Religion, with colleagues from Coventry University and Ohio State University, explains the findings.
Two female students looking at a laptop screen.

Chemists discover why sunscreen stains leave you seeing red

Have you ever tried bleaching sunscreen stains on clothing, only to be left with bright red results?
Sunscreen bottles arranged in a circle around a sun drawn in white cream on a bright blue background

How a medieval Oxford friar used light and colour to find out what stars and planets are made of

A medieval friar challenged the scientific orthodoxy of his day around the make-up of stars and planets. Dr William Crozier from our Department of Theology and Religion sheds a light on this 13th century “controversy”.
The moon

New exhibition celebrates women who live and breathe North East football

The stories of female fans of Newcastle and Sunderland men’s football teams are celebrated in a new online and pop-up exhibition at Durham University.
A crowd of football fans with the words: Away from home. The untold stories of women football fans

New telescope captures first light in Chile

A major milestone in a global telescope collaboration involving astronomers from our Department of Physics has been achieved.
Images showing 4MOST first light observations, showing typical sky area covered by one 4MOST pointing (image to the left), together with one example spectrum, out of the 2,400 simultaneously measured spectra acquired by 4MOST (image to the right).

What does the future hold for the North East region?

How did the North East region transform from one with innovative firms to one with assembly line factories to eventually become a destination for call centres and Amazon distribution centres?
The Angel of the North in Gateshead

UK must increase water availability to meet decarbonisation goals

The UK must significantly increase water availability to meet its decarbonisation goals, according to new research led by our Department of Engineering and involving our Department of Earth Sciences.
The Humber Suspension Bridge spans over the River Humber.

Durham University to help deliver AI Growth Zone

Durham University will take a key role in delivering a new AI Growth Zone in North East England – an initiative that promises to create thousands of jobs.
Two women and a man looking at designs on a board on a wall
4 students in lab coats in a laboratory

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