Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to research linking use of painkillers with male reproductive disorders
The research suggested that use of painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen during pregnancy may be linked to male reproductive disorders such as undescended testicles. read more
expert reaction to the eruption of Mount Merapi in Indonesia
Many people died when an Indonesian volcano, Mount Merapi, had a series of eruptions. read more
expert reaction to engine problems on two Qantas aircraft
An Airbus A380 was forced to land when its Rolls-Royce engine failed. This was closely followed by the precautionary grounding of a B747 after discovering problems with their engine. read more
expert reaction to research on boosting mathematical abilities with electrical stimulation, to be published in Current Biology
Experiments suggested that very low-level electrical stimulation to the back of the head could improve a person’s mathematical skills. read more
expert encounter: Dr Norbert Riedel
Dr Norbert Riedel is Corporate Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Baxter International Inc., a leading worldwide healthcare company. At this briefing he gave his take on ‘Medical innovation in a cost constrained environment’ and gave his answers to some of the big questions facing those in R&D in international science based companies. read more
geological climate clues and ocean acidification
Two speakers from the Geological Society conference ‘Past Carbon Isotopic Events and Future Ecologies’ came to the SMC to discuss climate clues from the geological record and what they can tell us about present and future changes to the climate. read more
expert reaction to research in The Lancet on genetics of heart disease
The research suggested the possibility of using genetic markers to identify individuals at increased risk of developing heart disease. read more
post-spending review briefing with the science minister
In response to the government’s announcement of the spending review, the Science Minister David Willetts came to the SMC to answer journalists’ questions on what it means for UK science. read more
expert reaction to spending review
The government today announced its strategy to make £83 billion in spending cuts over four years to bring down the national deficit, although the science budget was largely spared from drastic cuts. Leading figures in science give their reactions. read more
expert reaction to the confirmation of £1billion to be spent on carbon capture and storage
The government today announced that a competition to build a commercial-scale carbon capture and storage project will go ahead. read more
expert reaction to research linking time of pregnancy to childhood allergies (to be published in a BMJ Specialist Journal)
The study suggested that babies born at certain times of year could be at more risk of developing allergies. read more
expert reaction to news of the first babies born in the world’s first study to assess comprehensive genetic screening before IVF
The study reported the birth of several babies conceived through IVF and genetically screened using the established technique of comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) by microarray, which screens for chromosomal abnormalities in eggs. read more
expert reaction to BMJ paper on the effectiveness of Reboxetine for acute treatment of major depression
The British Medical Journal published research looking at published and unpublished data into the effectiveness of the anti-depressant Reboxetine. read more
expert encounter: Dr Lyn Evans
Former project leader of the Large Hadron Collider Dr Lyn Evans came to the SMC to reflect on the fundamental questions that the LHC is addressing and the novel design that makes it such an engineering marvel. read more
direct-to-consumer genetic profiling
The SMC hosted the Nuffield Council on Bioethics for this briefing to launch their report Medical profiling and online medicine: the ethics of ‘personalised healthcare’ in a consumer age. read more
expert reaction to first clinical trial of human embryonic stem cell-based therapy in patients with spinal cord injury
An American patient paralysed by a spinal cord injury has become the first person to be treated with embryonic stem cells, as part of a clinical trial run by the US biotechnology company Geron. read more
expert reaction to NICE draft guidance that extends recommendations on Alzheimer’s drugs
Drugs will now be made available to patients that were previously not available on grounds of cost. read more
solar activity and climate
The lead authors of a paper in Nature describing unexpected changes in the sun’s spectrum came into the SMC to discuss their findings and the implications for the effects of solar variability on climate. read more
expert reaction to the spillage of aluminium mining waste in Hungary
An accident at an aluminium plant in Hungary led to the spillage of thousands of cubic meters of toxic red sludge. read more
scientists comment on this year’s Nobel Prize for Chemistry
The prize was shared by Professors Richard Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki for their work on developing new ways of linking carbon atoms. read more