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.
A drone closed Gatwick airport for several days before Christmas and halted flights for an hour at Heathrow a few … read more
One of the biggest science stories of 2018 was the news that a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, claimed to have … read more
Screen time is now an intrinsic part of most people’s lives in the UK, but campaigns have raised the question … read more
The Chief Medical Officer briefed journalists on her annual report at the SMC. The report is an aspirational and strategic … read more
Despite tentative evidence that the immune system might play a role in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) the underlying biology of … read more
The UK leads the world in harnessing the huge potential from understanding our DNA and genes. The 100,000 Genomes Project – launched in 2012 – is now poised to achieve its sequencing goal. read more
In the UK we have a strong track record in cancer research – but are NHS patients seeing the benefit? read more
Whilst debate rages about treatments for depression, there is a large proportion of people for whom no treatments work at all. read more
Little is known by the public about the placenta but in fact it’s absolutely essential for supporting the baby as it grows inside the mother. read more
The explosion of technology has the potential to transform healthcare, allowing patients to wear devices and use apps to monitor and improve their health, and for appointments and records to be used in a smarter, more joined-up way. read more
We’ve heard various strong and sometimes conflicting claims from celebrities and politicians about the merits and harms of dietary fats when it comes to our health and our waistlines. read more
The Lancet Countdown was established to provide an independent, global monitoring system dedicated to tracking the health dimensions of the impacts of, and the response to, climate change. read more
On Monday 26 November, the UK Climate Projections 2018 (UKCP18) was published. This is the first major update of climate projections in nearly 10 years, illustrating a range of future climate scenarios. read more
The Lancet Countdown was established to provide an independent, global monitoring system dedicated to tracking the health dimensions of the impacts of, and the response to, climate change. read more
An independent Review of England’s bovine TB strategy was commissioned by Defra in February 2018. The Review was published on Tuesday 13 November. read more
Energy used in our homes accounts for about 20% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, and most of that comes from heating and hot water. If we are to meet our climate goals we need to start decarbonising domestic energy. read more
A selection of authors were present at this briefing to discuss the conclusions of the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C. read more
Concerns about social media and internet use are igniting debate across society. It is never far from the news and there is growing interest in what we’re looking at. read more
Researchers working with the military have been monitoring the mental health of current and former personnel in a long-running cohort. read more
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in adolescents and young adults in the UK and there is currently alarm about suicides amongst university students. read more
