The Science Media Centre is not restricted to reacting to the headlines, and has helped scientists to more proactively set the agenda by bringing new science or evidence to journalists. This comes from our regular briefings, which take a variety of forms and cover a wide range of topics. Many are background briefings introducing journalists to the best experts and science on controversial issues like nuclear waste, nanotechnology, emerging diseases, or animal research, for example. They may also be news briefings where the SMC works with scientists to give the national media a new story on developments within science, whether it’s a report on climate change, a paper on stem cells being published in a leading journal, or science funding cuts in the latest budget. In addition, the SMC encourages leading experts to ‘speak out’ to the media about developments they believe may pose a threat to scientific research – not something science has been renowned for.
It was announced today that Waymo plan to launch a pilot driverless taxi service in London in April this year, … read more
Cardiovascular disease results in around 20 million deaths worldwide and causes around a quarter of all deaths in the UK. Statins are highly effective drugs … read more
UKRI is the UK’s largest investor of taxpayers’ money into research and innovation (R&I), with an annual budget of more than … read more
There are many strong opinions on whether the UK should implement a ban on social media for young people. The … read more
Over the last 25 years, the Public Attitudes to Science (PAS) studies have provided data on what people in the … read more
Last year, Trump caused a stir by suggesting that taking paracetamol during pregnancy might increase the risk of autism among … read more
What happens to body weight and measures of cardiometabolic health after people stop taking obesity drugs? A new systematic review … read more
The SMC ran a press briefing with some of the UK’s leading flu experts tomorrow. To allow journalists to ask … read more
Antidepressants are an effective treatment for moderate to severe depression and anxiety. Once patients are better, they may choose to … read more
Climate change and extreme weather are stressing our bridges and flood defences. Our aging roads and water systems are strained from rising demand. Many … read more
The Chief Medical Officer’s reports have been released annually for over 150 years, providing an independent assessment of the state … read more
Over the past year, there has been significant debate regarding whether the UK should introduce a national screening programme for … read more
STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) Fusion is the UK’s flagship programme to deliver a prototype fusion energy plant by … read more
Cochrane are publishing two new reviews looking at the HPV vaccine. Together, they provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date … read more
A new clinical trial assessing the use of puberty suppression in young people with gender incongruence is being set up … read more
As world leaders meet at COP30 in Belem, the Global Carbon Project will reveal the latest trends in global carbon … read more
The continued development of NAMs (New Approach Methodologies) – including models such as cell cultures and organoids that attempt to … read more
Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) has been proposed as a way of ‘masking’ the temperature rise caused by greenhouse gases by … read more
We know from previous research that both Covid infection and Covid mRNA vaccination are associated with the rare complication of … read more
Researchers have created pigs that are resistant to classical swine fever (CSF), a highly infectious and often fatal disease that … read more
