Author Archives: Science Media Centre
HS2- what engineers think
The Secretary of State for Transport has now announced that a national high speed rail network – High Speed 2 – will go ahead, providing vital infrastructure links which will boost the economy for generations to come. Three expert independent engineers came to the SMC to discuss their thought on the pros and cons of this enormous and controversial rail project. read more
GP Prescribing Errors – The PRACTICE study
The General Medical Council came to the SMC to announce the results of the PRACTICE study, which investigated the rate of GP prescribing errors, the nature of the errors detected and the implications, and the recommendations they are making as a result. read more
expert reaction to study of berry consumption and cognitive decline
A study of female nurses in the US, published in Annals of Neurology, suggested that eating greater amounts of blueberries and strawberries is associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline. read more
expert reaction to the Royal Society’s new report, People and the Planet
A report on the world’s population by the Royal Society recommended that consumption levels between developed and developing nations must be rebalanced alongside a stabilisation of the world’s population. read more
expert reaction to a new review of mobile phone radiation and health effects by AGNIR
The Health Protection Authority’s (HPA) independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR) conducted the largest review yet of published research on the health risks of radiation from radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation, finding that there is no indication of risk. read more
the problem with blood pressure – Europe’s biggest blood pressure conference
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most important preventable risk factor for premature death worldwide. To coincide with Europe’s largest hypertension conference taking place in London from April 26 to 29, 2012, experts came to the SMC to discuss their latest research. read more
expert reaction to new study of watercress and response to physical exercise
A study in the British Journal of Nutrition suggested that nutrients found in watercress could be beneficial to the body when recovering from exercise. read more
expert reaction to new anatomical study of the G-Spot
A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine purported to document that the G-Spot does anatomically exist, despite the fact the structure of this elusive structure has never previously been determined.
expert reaction to study of glutamate inhibitors and autism-like behaviours in mice
A drug targeting the actions of glutamate, a chemical substance in the brain was found to reduce repetitive behavior and partially reversed lack of sociability in mice, symptoms regarded as key indicators of autism, said a study in Science Translational Medicine. read more
expert reaction to reports of cancer risk from artificial sweeteners
At a cancer conference, an unpublished study was announced which found that mice were at increased risk of developing cancer after consuming the artificial sweetener sucralose. read more
synthetic biology – why all the hype?
Synthetic biology is being touted as the new revolution that will enable biology to do for us what harnessing physics and chemistry have done in the past. But given the history of new technologies stumbling at the starting block, why should synthetic biology be any different?
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expert reaction to Novartis suing NHS for using Avastin
The drug company Novartis decided to pursue legal action against the NHS for use of Avastin, a cheaper alternative to its drug Lucentis, to treat a common cause of vision loss. read more
carbon capture and storage: realising the potential?
The SMC was the venue for the launch of the final report of a two year UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) project on the key challenges facing carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the UK, technologies seen by some as a crucial component of future low carbon energy systems. The project used historical precedents to examine alternative pathways for CCS to 2030, ranging from success to failure. read more
expert reaction to transplantation of photoreceptors in mice
Research demonstrating the feasibility of restoring vision after retinal degeneration by transplanting photoreceptor cells was published in Nature, by demonstrating functional vision in visually impaired adult mice having undergone transplantation.
expert reaction to genetically modified zebrafish that glow in response to environmental pollutants
A study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives described how zebrafish had been genetically modified to glow when exposed to particular pollutants. read more
expert reaction to new research into speed and ecstasy and teen depression
Teenagers using speed and ecstasy were found to be prone to subsequent depression, indicated research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, independently of previous bouts of depressive symptoms or other drug use. read more
expert reaction to new research into opium use and mortality
A study in the British Medical Journal suggested that long term opium use was associated with almost double the risk of death from causes including circulatory diseases, respiratory conditions and cancer. read more
expert reaction to independent report into fracking
independent scientific report to DECC on fracking and earthquakes near Blackpool
The Department of Energy and Climate Change commissioned an independent report into how hydraulic fracturing in Lancashire was linked to 2 minor earthquakes. Following on from a report by Cuadrilla, the company responsible, the scientists who authored the DECC report came to the SMC to present their conclusions and recommendations. A roundup of quotes from other leading experts was also sent out. read more
expert reaction to Himalayan glacier measurements
Glaciers in the Karakoram mountain range, located at the intersection of China, India and Pakistan, have been stable despite global mass loss of mountain glaciers, according to a paper published in Nature Geoscience. read more