Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to news that NERC will not merge BAS and NOC
NERC council announced that the proposed merger of the British Antarctic Survey and National Oceanography Centre will not go ahead and BAS and NOC will remain as NERC’s centres. read more
expert reaction to contrasting government statements about onshore wind
The energy minister, John Hayes, and the secretary of state for energy and climate change, Ed Davey, commented on wind farms in the UK. read more
what should be in the Energy Bill?
The UK government is about to publish its Energy Bill which will map out the country’s future strategy on producing and distributing energy. read more
experts anticipate Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the east coast of America, affecting New York City. read more
expert reaction to conference presentation on the use of antidepressants in pregnancy
At the 2012 meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), a review of literature on the use of SSRI antidepressants in pregnancy was presented. read more
pregnancy and mental health
Despite the enduring portrait of a ‘happy, glowing’ expectant mother, mental illness can affect up to 10% of pregnant women. Pregnant women are faced with multitudes of conflicting advice: what to eat, what to drink, whether to work. But for some women, one of the most difficult and important choices to make is whether to take psychotropic medication or risk living with a mental illness while pregnant. read more
expert reaction to new findings on the safety and feasibility of mitochondrial DNA replacement
A study published in Nature reported that mitochondrial DNA had been successfully replaced in human oocytes by the maternal spindle transfer process, and that a significant proportion of those oocytes developed into blastocysts. read more
expert reaction to a diabetes drug lessening cocaine reward
In a Letter to the Editor published in Molecular Psychiatry, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes was found to reduce the rewarding effects of cocaine in mice. read more
expert reaction to announcement that the badger cull is due to be delayed
The government announced that the planned badger cull in Gloucestershire and Somerset, due to begin this year in attempt to reduce prevalence of bovine TB, has been postponed until summer 2013 because badger numbers are higher than was previously thought. read more
expert reaction to the manslaughter verdict for the seismology trial in Italy
Following the 2009 earthquake in l’Aquila, six scientists and a government official were sentenced to six years in jail for manslaughter for failing to warn the population of the risks in advance. read more
expert reaction to Spanish earthquake linked to groundwater extraction
A study published in Nature Geoscience suggests the earthquake in Lorca, southern Spain, in May 2011 was triggered by groundwater extraction. read more
expert reaction to impact of pesticides on bumblebees
A study published in Nature reported that chronic exposure of bumblebees to agricultural pesticides can impair their foraging behaviour. read more
openness on animal research
The violent animal rights extremism of the past decade has often had a chilling effect on the scientific community with many scientists and institutions afraid to speak out about animal research for fear of becoming the next target. read more
expert reaction to announcement of plans for a Concordat on openness around animal research
The violent animal rights extremism of the past decade has often had a chilling effect on the scientific community with many scientists and institutions afraid to speak out about animal research for fear of becoming the next target.
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expert reaction to Italian ruling on brain tumours and mobile phone use
A court in Italy ruled that the development of a brain tumour in a man was caused by his mobile phone use. read more
from drought to flood in 2012
This March was one of the driest on record, but April was the wettest; the summer that followed was the wettest in 100 years, while September saw more flooding as a result of heavy rainfall. As a result, the UK moved from drought to flood conditions within a matter of months. What are the reasons behind this rapid change and how should the UK prepare to respond to these two extremes? read more
depression: discrimination and stigma across Europe
Depression is the most common mental illness in the UK and one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease. Yet, one of the biggest barriers to treating depression is not that therapies aren’t effective or available – many are. It is the barrier of stigma and discrimination faced by those with depression that often stalls treatment and recovery. read more
expert reaction to research into mental health trends through the 2008 recession
Men have borne the brunt of worsening mental health across the population of England since the start of the economic downturn in 2008, according to research published in BMJ Open based on the national representative annual Health Survey for England for adults aged 25 to 64, between 1991 and 2010. read more
the science behind badger culls
The culling of badgers has become a polarised and political debate. We brought together a number of experts who, whilst not necessarily agreeing on the interpretation of the data, came to the SMC to discuss the evidence behind these important issues. read more
expert reaction to genetic markers of response to anti-depressants
A large study in PLOS Medicine suggested genetic markers cannot predict which patients with major depression will respond to anti-depressant drugs. read more