Today’s physics news: Computer science teachers offered cash incentives; Leukaemia could be treated with blasts of plasma

Here’s the physics news for Monday 22 October 2012.
Computer science teachers offered cash incentive

High-flying graduates are to be given a £20,000 golden handshake to train as computer science teachers. Ministers have asked Facebook, Microsoft and IBM to help design the training for the new teachers. Education Secretary Michael Gove said current information and communications technology (ICT) teacher training courses would be axed from next year.

BBC

Leukaemia could be treated with blasts of plasma

Scientists have found that cancer cells from leukaemia sufferers are killed when they are exposed to a type of matter known as cold plasma. These streams of ionised gas, similar to the material found inside decorative plasma balls and plasma televisions, are thought to trigger the in built self destruct mechanism in the cancerous cells while healthy cells remain unscathed. The researchers now believe it will be possible to develop a dialysis style treatment where the blood of leukaemia is patients is passed through plasma streams to destroy the cancer cells. The results have been published in IOP Publishing’s Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics.

Sunday Telegraph

Our universities need the Californian dream

In this comment piece, Martin Rees says that the UK’s most selective universities could broaden access and probably raise standards by reserving a proportion of places for students who do not come straight from school, but have gained “credit” by further study.

The Times (Subscription only)

Britain’s industrial problems: now in 3D

In this comment piece, David Wighton says that three-dimensional printing is about to revolutionise manufacturing, but with no real strategy it could pass us by.

The Times (Subscription only)

Biology takes a quantum leap

Evidence is beginning to emerge that quantum effects do play a role in biological processes, including photosynthesis, bird navigation, the mammalian sense of smell and genetic mutation. There are also some untested claims that quantum mechanics could even solve the mystery of consciousness. Much research will be required to give us an idea of how important quantum effects are in the living world and already scientists have founded a new interdisciplinary field, quantum biology, as a focus for the work.

Financial Times (Subscription only)