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Mark Lorch

Professor of Science Communication and Chemistry, University of Hull

Mark Lorch is Professor of Science Communication at the University of Hull. He trained as a protein chemist, studying protein folding and function. His research now focuses on the chemistry of a broad range of biological systems including lipids, proteins and even plant spores.

You can find more of his writing at www.chemistry-blog.com, the Guardian and in his The New Humanist and BBC Focus columns. You might also like to check out his book 'The Secret Science of Superheroes'.

As well as his written out puts he gives regular talks to schools, the public and conferences (sometimes all at once, at science festivals or TEDx) and he occasionally pops up on the radio and TV explaining science and technology to a public audience.

Denmark bans noodles for being too hot – what you need to know about chilli heat

Jun 20, 2024 05:33 am UTC| Law

Chilli peppers love them or hate them, theyve got a heat thats hard to ignore. Recently, their fiery nature has even caused a bit of a stir in Denmark, where Buldak Ramen noodles have been banned for being dangerously...

How amateur scientists are still helping make important discoveries

Mar 04, 2023 12:22 pm UTC| Science

What images does science conjure up in your mind? You may well be visualising a laboratory, equations scrawled on a blackboard. Figures are surrounded by glassware filled with coloured liquids. Maybe someone, with...

How science fiction predicted recent high-tech developments in chemistry

Dec 30, 2022 10:20 am UTC| Technology

Real-world technology is often foretold by science fiction. In 1927, characters in the film Metropolis made video calls to each other. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry hung flat-screen colour monitors on the walls of the...

The chemistry behind your LCD flat-screen devices: how a scientist changed the world

Feb 24, 2022 20:49 pm UTC| Science

In a laboratory at the University of Hull 50 years ago, a new chemical compound was created that would impact the world as much as any drug, fuel or material. The man responsible for this society-changing invention was...

Economy

Oil Prices Soar Over 8% After Israel Launches Preemptive Strike on Iran

Oil prices surged sharply in Asian markets on Friday after Israel launched a large-scale preemptive airstrike on Iran, raising fears of a wider Middle East conflict and potential disruptions to global oil supply. As of...

Gold Soars as Israel-Iran Conflict Triggers Safe-Haven Rush

Gold prices surged in Asian trading on Friday as geopolitical tensions escalated following Israels preemptive airstrikes on Iran, targeting numerous military and nuclear facilities. The strikes triggered a wave of...

Dollar Gains with Yen and Franc as Israel Strikes Iran, Oil and Gold Prices Surge

The U.S. dollar rose sharply alongside safe-haven currencies like the Japanese yen and Swiss franc following reports that Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. Two U.S. officials confirmed the strikes to Reuters, clarifying...

Japan Denies Discussing U.S. Treasury Holdings in Tariff Talks

Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato clarified on Friday that Japans $1 trillion-plus U.S. Treasury holdings were not specifically discussed in meetings with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Speaking at a regular...

US Stock Futures Drop as Israel Launches Strikes on Iran

U.S. stock futures plunged late Thursday following reports that Israel launched military strikes on Iran. The SP 500 Futures dropped 1.5% to 5,961.75, Nasdaq 100 Futures fell 1.7% to 21,567.55, and Dow Jones Futures...

Politics

Trump to Hold Security Meeting After Israeli Strikes on Iran Raise Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump will convene a National Security Council meeting at 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) on Friday, following Israeli airstrikes on Iran that heightened fears of wider conflict in the Middle East. The White House...

Iran Vows Harsh Retaliation After Israeli Strike on Nuclear Sites

Iran has warned of a harsh and decisive retaliation following an Israeli airstrike on its nuclear facilities early Friday, escalating fears of a broader Middle East conflict. According to a high-ranking Iranian security...

Israel Coordinated Iran Strike with U.S., Denies Rift Claims

Israel fully coordinated its recent military strike on Iranian targets with the United States and informed Washington ahead of the operation, according to an Israeli official quoted by state broadcaster Kan on Friday. The...

South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung Vows Business-Friendly Trade Talks with U.S.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung reaffirmed his commitment to pro-business policies and trade reform on Friday, pledging to ease regulations and accelerate tariff negotiations with the United States. Speaking at a...

Senator Padilla Handcuffed During DHS Press Conference, Sparks Outrage

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed, handcuffed, and briefly detained during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference in Los Angeles on June 12. Padilla, a Democrat from California, attempted to...

Science

NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Recover After Boeing Starliner Delay

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are steadily recovering after spending nine unexpected months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with Boeings Starliner capsule. Initially intended...

SpaceX Starship Test Flight Reaches New Heights but Ends in Setback

SpaceXs massive Starship rocket, central to Elon Musks vision for interplanetary travel, launched its ninth uncrewed test flight from Starbase, Texas, on May 27, 2025. The two-stage vehiclecomprising the upper-stage...

Trump’s nomination for NASA leader boasts business and commercial spaceflight experience during a period of uncertainty for the agency

Jared Isaacman, billionaire, CEO and nominee to become the next NASA administrator, faced questions on April 9, 2025, from members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation during his confirmation...

Lab-grown meat: you may find it icky, but it could drive forward medical research

Lab-grown meat causes heated debates. Proponents see benefits for the climate and animal welfare. Opponents worry about a Frankenstein food they regard as risky and unnatural. Whatever your opinion, the technology...

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

Technology

Apple Shifts iPhone Exports from India to U.S. to Bypass China Tariffs

Apple is ramping up iPhone exports from India to the U.S. to sidestep rising tariffs on Chinese-made devices. From March to May 2025, Foxconn exported $3.2 billion worth of iPhones from India, with a striking 97% headed to...

FAA Closes Investigation Into SpaceX Starship Flight 8 Engine Failure

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Thursday that it has officially concluded its investigation into the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 mishap, attributing the incident to a hardware failure in one of the...

Meta Invests $14.3B in Scale AI to Boost AGI Ambitions

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has made a strategic $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, valuing the AI data infrastructure startup at over $29 billion. The move marks Metas second-largest deal after its $19 billion...

Reddit User Growth Slows for Third Straight Month as Digital Ad Market Rebounds

Reddits user base declined for the third consecutive month in May, according to Piper Sandler. The platform lost 6 million users month-over-month, driven mainly by a 7 million drop in feed ad units. Conversation units,...

OpenAI Eyes $40B Fundraise with Backing from Saudi PIF, Reliance, and SoftBank

OpenAI is reportedly in discussions with major global investors, including Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Indias Reliance Industries (NSE:RELI), as it seeks to raise up to $40 billion in fresh funding,...