Am I crazy or is it physics?

by Katy Clough in Physics

How do physicists know what will happen in situations that haven't been tested? How sure can we be that physical laws are constant? Katy Clough explains how we are pushing the limits of what we know about the universe.

FEATURED EPISODE

The science of attraction

by Carlota Batres in Psychology

Our choice of romantic partners has a huge bearing on our future well-being. But what makes certain people more attractive than others? According to psychologist Carlota Batres, there are two fundamental concepts shaping our preferences: symmetry and masculinity/femininity.

The woman who unmasked the forger

by Mary Wellesley in Art History

In the 19th century, a forger of medieval art created works that today are more valuable unmasked than they would be if they were still thought to be originals. Medieval culture scholar Mary Wellesley takes us through the detective-like story of the woman who uncovered his deception.
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What are we about?

Know it Wall (KiW) is a place for inquisitive minds. From the sciences to the humanities, let world-class researchers excite your curiosity.


Based at UCL and Imperial College London, KiW works with academics to make audio and video documentaries, as well as short articles, that explain what is cool or interesting about the subjects they dedicate their lives to. From Stegosaurus to Shakespeare, protons to pandemics, there’s no limit to what you could encounter! Learn more

Your neurons move with you: the many reasons we have a brain

by Alejandro Galvez-Pol in Neuroscience

Movements and perceptions are often thought to stand independently from each other — on the contrary, the human brain is always performing a multitude of cognitive processes. Alejandro Galvez-Pol reveals the complexity of the human mind to answer the overwhelming question: why do we have a brain?

The stem cell hotel

by Davide Danovi in Medicine

We normally think cells in our body have their own specific functions, but stem cells are different — they have the potential to become any type of cell. Davide Danovi takes us through the science of stem cells, and introduces us to their new home: the stem cell hotel.

The invisible killer of World War I: Blast injury

by Emily Mayhew in Bioengineering and History of Science

Warfare has given rise to an invisible killer, one that was first discovered in World War I, attacking soldiers even after they had returned home to their families. Historian of science Emily Mayhew takes us to Paris in the early 20th century to tell the story of the woman who pioneered research on this invisible killer.

Can we cure neurological disorders by modifying the genome?

by Gabriele Lignani in Neuroscience

Imagine if we could correct genetic mutations as easily as correcting a typo in Microsoft Word, and thereby cure Alzheimer's, depression and other neurological disorders. Sounds like the plot of a sci-fi film, right? According to neuroscientist Gabriele Lignani, this is now a reality.

What can facial movement tell us about emotional expression?

by Eva Krumhuber in Psychology

One of the most complex and finely-tuned ways of communicating emotion in humans are facial expressions. Social psychologist Eva Krumhuber fills us in on the latest research and takes us from the Oscars to the quest to create ever more realistic robots.

Why Martin Luther King had the US Constitution on his side

by Adam Smith in History

Racism and discrimination are at the forefront of today's political controversies in America. Both have, at one point or another, been confirmed or dismissed upon the wording of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. UCL historian Adam Smith discusses the past and future of the Amendment that Donald Trump and others want to repeal.

The migrant crisis, Spanish America and the right to travel

by Alexander Samson in History

The general public has been debating immigration with seemingly modern notions of economics, identity and conflict, but is this debate really so modern? Surely our forbears have little to add to the discussion in our globalised world? Alexander Samson doesn't think so.

Why is the Earth habitable?

by Philip Pogge von Strandmann in Earth Science

The Earth is over 4 billion years old, but land animals have only existed on our planet for the past 500 million years. Why didn't animal life on land emerge sooner? And why did it emerge at all? The Earth scientist Philip Pogge von Strandmann has the answers.

Quantum computers: from zeroes and ones to atoms

by Olalla Castro Alvaredo in Computer Science and Physics

How do computers understand the information we give them in order to complete an action, such as typing a sentence on a keyboard? How will quantum mechanics be used to radically expand the possibilities in today's computers? Olalla Castro Alvaredo explains the exciting developments in a fast changing field.

Russia’s new rich and their attitudes to the West

by Elisabeth Schimpfossl in Sociology

In 2014, the head of Russia's biggest international news agency reminded the world that Russia is the only country capable of ‘turning the USA into radioactive dust’. Do Russian elites share similarly hostile attitudes towards Western countries? Sociologist Elisabeth Schimpfossl investigates.

Get Involved

If you are an academic — or know one — whose research is too interesting to be confined to academic circles, then just get in touch. Our community of academics spans PhDs in mathematics to lecturers in philosophy — there’s really no subject we’re not interested in. The process is simple: the academic sends us the text, and we do the rest. So drop us a line at team@knowitwall.com with your details, institution and area of research.

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