Author Archives: Science Media Centre
sports engineering: an unfair advantage?
Behind the scenes of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games are teams of British engineers working on cutting edge equipment design and performance analysis to bring success to the next generation of athletes.
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expert reaction to study of links between schizophrenic/bipolar parents and autism in children
Schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in parents or siblings may be associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorder, suggested a study in Archives of General Psychiatry. read more
expert reaction to GSK admitting to corporate misconduct
GlaxoSmithKline Plc agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanour criminal charges in the US and pay $3 billion to settle. read more
expert reaction to genetically modified cotton can benefit smallholder farmers
A study in PNAS found that at least one genetically modified crop—cotton engineered to resist a common insect pest—has significantly raised the standards of living of smallholder farm households in India. read more
expert reaction to new Higgs clues from Fermilab
The final data produced by the Tevatron particle collider at Fermilab in the US found the strongest evidence yet of the Higgs boson, but not enough to claim a discovery. read more
is it safe to proceed with fracking in the UK?
While hydraulic fracturing is an established technology that has been used in the oil and gas industries for many decades, its use for primary extraction of shale gas is relatively new and exploration licences are still pending in the UK. read more
expert reaction to appointment of Sir Mark Walport as UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor in April 2013
After the current Chief Scientific Adviser to the government Sir John Beddington announced he would be stepping down in April 2013, the cabinet office announced his successor would be Sir Mark Walport, currently Director of the Wellcome Trust. read more
expert reaction to DH consultation on future of HFEA
The Department of Health launched a consultation to assess the pros and cons of scrapping the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and Human Tissue Authority (HTA). read more
UKCSJ: Leveson Inquiry, and what it means for science journalism.
On Monday 25th June 2012 I gave a talk at the UK Conference of Science Journalists. Along with David Derbyshire (freelance environment and … read more
fetal growth and physical work while pregnant
Occupational and Environmental Medicine published a study which was purported to suggest that standing for long periods during pregnancy may curb the growth of the developing fetus, based on the fetal growth rates of 4680 mums. read more
expert reaction to study of gene therapy for nicotine addiction
A mouse study raised the potential of a gene therapy treatment for nicotine addiction via an anti-nicotine antibody which prevents nicotine from entering the brain, according to a study in Science Translational Medicine. read more
expert reaction to research on fetal growth and physical work while pregnant
Occupational and Environmental Medicine published a study which was purported to suggest that standing for long periods during pregnancy may curb the growth of the developing fetus, based on the fetal growth rates of 4680 mums. A Before the Headlines analysis was sent out in addition. read more
expert reaction to pandemic flu research
The Lancet Infectious Diseases published a study showing the number of deaths from the 2009 H1N1 (“swine flu”) pandemic may be fifteen times higher than the number of laboratory-confirmed deaths previously reported by countries to the World Health Organization (WHO). read more
expert reaction to study of suicide in young men
The second of two papers in the Lancet examined another under-investigated area of suicide research. After reviewing research published over the last decade, they found strikingly few studies distinguishing the factors which identify those young men (aged 19 – 30) at greatest risk of suicide, and very few studies determining which suicide prevention interventions are effective in young men. read more
expert reaction to study of self-harm and suicide in adolescents
Globally, suicide is the most common cause of death in female adolescents, and the third most common cause of death in male adolescents. A paper in the Lancet examined existing research to look at the connections between self-harm and suicide in young people. read more
expert reaction to trial of Anders Breivik
Prosecutors in the trial of Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway on the 22 July 2011, decided to ask that he to be sent to a mental institution not prison. read more
Prof Sir David King on resource scarcity and subsidies
Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government is co-directing ReSource 2012, a new forum taking place in Oxford this July to tackle global resource scarcity.
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reaction to the death of Lesley Brown, mother of the first IVF baby
The mother of the first baby born via IVF died after a short illness. read more
expert reaction to publication of H5N1 papers
The publication of two papers on the mutation of the H5N1 flu virus in ferrets, one in Science and one in Nature, have been the cause of some controversy after a US government advisory board asked the two journals to delay publication. On the eventual publication of the Science paper, the SMC sent out quotes, having previously held a briefing and reacted to various developments in the story (here, here and here). read more
Prof Sir David King on resource scarcity and subsidies
Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government is co-directing ReSource 2012, a new forum taking place in Oxford this July to tackle global resource scarcity.
read more