Author Archives: Science Media Centre
UK’s leading nuclear physicists ‘seriously concerned’ by crisis in university research funding
Nuclear physicists react to the ‘long-term impact’ on the lack of funding for nuclear research among UK universities. They say that research programmes are unable to continue by UK researchers due to the cuts in funding. read more
experts comment on the DEFRA announcement on Bovine TB
The Government has decided not to press ahead with plans for a cull of badgers to control bovine tuberculosis, following advice from the Independent Scientific Group, which was set up to examine evidence on the issue. read more
experts comment on the Nature paper forecasting aftershocks in the Sichuan basin
Following on from the devastating earthquake in the Chinese province of Sichuan, scientists writing in Nature have predicted the possibility of significant aftershocks, following on from the initial impact. read more
‘Who Owns Science?’ Launch of the new Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation
Sir John Sulston, the Nobel prize-winning geneticist who lead the UK project to decode the human genome, has, together with bioethicist John Harris, established a new Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation. The new Institute will address issues surrounding the ethics and commercial treatment of science, and the role of science and innovation in society. John Sulston and John Harris came to the Science Media Centre to explain their current concerns about the commercialisation of science with a particular focus on issues like the use of patents in genetics and other areas of science. read more
proposed new pesticide laws: impact on food and farming
New legislation proposed by the European Commission, if enacted in September, could drastically cut the number of compounds permitted for use in agriculture across the EU. Agricultural scientists have expressed concern over the scientific rationale behind the legislation, and the impacts that it could have on food production if compounds that were previously considered safe are banned. In this background briefing, several leading experts discussed the latest science on pesticides and the potential effects of the legislation on food production and pesticide safety. read more
experts comment on research in PLoS One on the benefits of broccoli for prostate cancer
The study suggests that men who are at risk of developing prostate cancer had their chances of doing so reduced by eating 400g of broccoli per week. read more
reaction to the news that the HFEA has granted the third licence to create human-animal hybrid embryos for research
The one-year licence was granted to a team at the University of Warwick led by Prof Justin St. John. They are attempting to create cloned embryos by combining human skin cells with pig eggs, which will be used in research into possible treatments for heart disease. This follows the granting of licenses to teams at Newcastle University and King’s College London. read more
launch of national strategy for multiple births
Multiple pregnancy has long been acknowledged to be the single biggest risk of IVF treatment for babies and mothers. A national strategy, led by doctors, professional bodies and patient organisations, is aiming to reduce the number of multiple pregnancies following IVF, and so reduce the risk to mothers and babies. Experts involved in the programme came to the SMC to talk about multiple births and how the new strategy will help reduce the risks. read more
experts comment on the Government’s Renewable Energy Strategy
The Government’s proposals include increasing the contribution of renewable energy to the UK’s energy supply to 15% by 2020, including building up to 7000 new wind turbines, as part of long-term plans to cut Britain’s carbon emissions by 60% by 2050. read more
WHO briefing on scientists’ recommendations for health policy
The Science Media Centre hosted experts from the World Health Organisation for this briefing on the future of health policy in Europe, timed to coincide with a major conference in Tallinn of 52 member states of the EU. read more
better births for the modern mother
Although most pregnancies and labours proceed without problems, things can sometimes go wrong.
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Trick or Treatment: The Ernst-Singh Challenge
Professor Edzard Ernst and Simon Singh, have recently published a new book on alternative medicine entitled Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicines on Trial. Based on the results from thousands of scientific trials, they presented the latest evidence concerning a whole range of alternative therapies and asked whether each treatment is effective and safe. read more
experts comment on Nuclear Waste Disposal in anticipation of the imminent White Paper
The Government’s White Paper on Nuclear Waste Disposal set out plans to invite UK communities to volunteer to store radioactive waste from the country’s nuclear power programme in geological repositories. read more
migraines: a new approach
Millions of people in the UK suffer from migraines each year. It particularly affects women and is severely disabling, yet relatively little is known about the causes or what can be done to treat the condition. Professor Peter Goadsby, widely acknowledged as being at the very forefront of migraine research, spoke at this background briefing on questions including the causes of migraine, potential new drugs which may be used to treat it, and what other potential treatments may exist. read more
scientists comment on research into alcohol consumption and arthritis risk, as published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
The new research, published by Swedish scientists, reveals an association suggesting that alcohol may reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. read more
RNAi: The next scientific breakthrough?
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process by which genes are prevented from performing their functions at certain times, and has been hailed as a potential breakthrough in areas including medicine and agriculture. This background briefing brought together some of the leading experts in the field to discuss the science of RNAi and its potential applications in these areas. read more
expert comments on sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI) paper in the Lancet
Many sudden and unexpected deaths of infants go unexplained, but this study provided new evidence that some may be due to infections caused by common strains of bacteria. read more
experts react to the latest research on brain-computer interfaces, as published in Nature
The new research, carried out by scientists in the United States, shows that monkeys can use their brain activity transmitted through electrode implants to control a prosthetic arm and feed themselves. read more
experts react to research on global temperature records as published in Nature
Researchers analysed data sets of Earth surface temperature from throughput the twentieth century, and concluded that the cooling period observed in the middle of the century may have been largely a result of the methods of measurement used, rather than natural climate cooling processes. read more
can we ever cure Type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes affects about 350,000 people in the UK, 20,000 of them children. The latest research shows that there are many different genes associated with Type 1 diabetes, making this condition even harder to understand. Experts are going to collaborate in a huge multi-million pound project called the Centre for Diabetes Genes, Autoimmunity and Prevention (D-GAP), and some of the leading experts involved with the project came to the SMC to talk about key issues including the need for screening and the possibility of a cure. read more