Enda O'Connell 2014 Competition

Special Feature: 2014 Primary School Winners, Sooey NS

In 2014, students from Sooey National School, Co. Sligo, were awarded First prize at Primary school level, for their brilliant video ‘The Secret Life of Honey Bees’.

The video was produced by Fifth and Sixth class students, with the help of their teacher Thomas Egan. Special Guest Judge Professor Stephen Curry commented: “Sooey National School’s video had good science content, with a very, very funny script and the kids were clearly having a lot of fun which makes the film hugely appealing.”

Continue reading “Special Feature: 2014 Primary School Winners, Sooey NS” →

Enda O'Connell 2015 Research Article

What is a Medical Device?

In the third of our series of Research Articles for 2015,  Claire Riordan, Science Engagement Officer with the CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices in NUI Galway, writes about the history of medical devices and tells us about some of the exciting research being carried out at CÚRAM.

What is a Medical Device?

When you think of a medical device, what do you see? An inhaler? A stent? An artificial hip or a wound dressing?

 

Surgery
Reza Estakhrian/Getty Images

Actually, one of the very first medical device inventions was the magnifying glass! It was designed in 1250 by Roger Bacon. It was the first convex lens designed for scientific purposes. In 1280, these lenses were used to correct farsightedness. Now, they are crucial in any surgical procedure.

Continue reading “What is a Medical Device?” →

Enda O'Connell 2015 Research Article

Debunking Common Myths of Exercise – here comes the Science bit!

In the second of our series of Research Articles for 2015,  we learn about some of the common myths of exercise from Dr. Sarah Gundy. Sarah is Project Officer for the EU funded AngioMatTrain project at CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices and she has also worked as an aerobics instructor and personal trainer in the fitness industry since 1997. 

Debunking Common Myths of Exercise – here comes the Science bit!

(image source http://www.ivillage.ca/health/fitness/11-exercise-myths-busted)

At one point in your life I bet you have said to yourself, “I really need to start doing more exercise.” The hardest part is taking the first step and doing that first workout. With all of the false information that is out there, it might make it even scarier to take the plunge. Here are three popular myths of exercise that can be debunked once the science is laid out.

Continue reading “Debunking Common Myths of Exercise – here comes the Science bit!” →