Science Spin January 2008

In this first issue of '08, we have an extensive report from Marie-Catherine Mousseau on some interesting people that have chosen to make science their career, and some of the options available to students looking to study science at third-level. Anthony King takes a look at the ten species of bat native to Ireland and reports on a survey that is underway to find out more about how they live their lives. Climate change is something that we might think of as happening in the long-term, but a feature by Tom Kennedy highlights evidence that indicates that such changes can occur more quickly than we might think. The Universe is a very strange place, and, writes Marie-Catherine Mousseau, to understand it requires a suspension of the normal human sense of reality. Patrick O'Connell describes the achievements of un-heralded Irish engineer, CY O'Connor, who emigrated to Australia in the post-Famine years, and is regarded as one of the greatest engineers to have ever worked on that continent. Finally, there is a report by Seán Duke, which takes a look at recent scientific findings that increase the likelihood that oil and gas reserves are waiting to be tapped in the Irish offshore.

Features in this issue

• The Irish Offshore: An Oil & Gas Treasure Trove? [Geology ]
• Chilling lessons to be learned from the past [Earth Science ]
• Away from the bench [Science Careers ]
• Survey Sheds Light on Lives of Irish Bats [Zoology ]