Author Archives: Science Media Centre
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
drug-resistant TB – the quest for vaccines
To coincide with the World Health Organization releasing its annual figures on the state of global tuberculosis at a major event in the US, vaccine scientists from the UK and the US came to London – dubbed the TB capital of Western Europe –to brief journalists at the Science Media Centre on the global effort to develop effective and affordable TB vaccines. read more
expert encounter: ADHD VOICES report
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common developmental psychiatric disorder in the world, affecting 3-5% of children. Yet ADHD is also one of the most controversial disorders in terms of how it is diagnosed, what causes it, and in particular, how it is treated. read more
expert reaction to gender differences in stress response to reading news
Research published in PLoS ONE suggested women who read negative news remember it better than men do, and have stronger stress responses in subsequent stress tests. read more
expert reaction to Nobel prize for chemistry awarded to Lefkowitz and Kobilka
Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka were awarded the prize for groundbreaking discoveries that reveal the inner workings of an important family of cell receptors, G-protein–coupled receptors, that enable cells to sense their environment. read more
expert reaction to announcement of Nobel prize in physics being awarded to Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland
Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland were awarded the Nobel prize in physics for independently developing methods for measuring and manipulating individual particles while preserving their quantum-mechanical nature. read more
if GMOs are toxic, this study didn’t show it
Guest post from Tom Sheldon. On 18th September we were tipped off by several respected journalists about a peer-reviewed paper … read more
expert reaction to meta-analysis of studies into acupuncture and chronic pain
Archives of Internal Medicine published a meta-review of 29 randomized controlled trials, suggesting that acupuncture may be better than no acupuncture or sham acupuncture for the treatment of some chronic pain. A Before the Headlines analysis was also sent out. read more
expert reaction to article on screen time and health and developmental problems in children
Aric Sigman wrote in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, calling for curbs on children’s daily screen time and delaying the age at which they start “the world’s favourite pastime” to stave off the risk of serious health and developmental problems. read more
expert reaction to fish, mercury and risk of ADHD symptoms
A study of children in the USA suggested that exposure to mercury for babies in the womb may be associated with a greater risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but that fish consumption during pregnancy may be associated with a lower risk of ADHD. read more
expert reaction to Nobel prize for physiology or medicine awarded to John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka
The 2012 prize went in part to Sir John Gurdon of Cambridge University for the part he played in the development of induced pluripotent stem cells, which provide an alternative to embryonic stem cells. read more