Author Archives: Science Media Centre
experts comment on use of Thalidomide to treat multiple myeloma in older people as published in the Lancet
Multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow, has been successfully treated with thalidomide and could be used as a treatment option in the future, with particular benefits for the elderly. read more
scientists comment on the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Russian spacecraft Sputnik
Professor Martin Ward, head of astronomy at Durham University, said: “For an object just twice the diameter of a bowling … read more
major new study on effectiveness of herbal medicines
Researchers at the Peninsula Medical School at Exeter University presented a major new research paper on the effectiveness of invidiually tailored herbal medicines. read more
new era in kidney donation for transplantation
The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) announced a milestone for the UK in organ transplantation: the first paired kidney transplantation, in which donors and recipients who do not match are paired with others in the same situation, allowing more patients to benefit. read more
engineers comment on feasibility study into Severn Estuary tidal barrage
The barrage, which would be 10 miles long and consist of more than 200 turbines, could provide between 5 and 10% of Britain’s electricity. read more
experts respond to Lovelock and Rapley letter in Nature on using ocean pumps to slow global warming
James Lovelock and Chris Rapley (Director of the Science Museum) proposed using a series of giant pipes to circulate ocean waters and restore their ecological balance. read more
experts comment on House of Lords report on allergies
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee published its latest report on the prevalence of allergies in the UK. read more
scientists respond to news of bluetongue disease in Suffolk
The first case of bluetongue disease, a midge-borne viral infection of cattle, was reported at a farm in Suffolk, leading to restrictions on the movement of cattle in the area. read more
scientists respond to call for deep cleaning hospitals in order to control superbugs
Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced plans for ward-by-ward deep cleaning of hospitals to tackle superbugs such as MRSA. read more
US autism expert at the SMC
Professor Eric Hollander, an international expert on autism from Mount Sinai University in New York, came to the Science Media Centre to brief journalists on the biological causes of and possible treatments for autism and other developmental disorders. read more
report on the National DNA Database
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics gave a briefing on the conclusions of their report, ‘The forensic use of bioinformation: ethical issues’, which makes recommendations to policy makers in, amongst other areas, the establishment of a population-wide National DNA Database and the uses, regulation of and access to the database. read more
experts respond to the UK Space Exploration Working Group report
The report says that the uK should play a central role in future manned space missions to the moon and Mars. read more
Mobile Communications and Health Research Report
Following the publication of the Stewart report in 2000, a research programme, called the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme (MTHR), was set up to look into the possible health impact of mobile telecommunications. This £8.8 million programme of research includes 28 separate studies and has investigated whether health or other effects can result from mobile phones or base stations. Scientists from this comprehensive research programme reported on their findings at the Science Media Centre. read more
scientists react to new outbreak of foot and mouth in the UK
A fresh outbreak of the disease was discovered at a farm in Surrey, the same strain of the disease as that of the previous outbreak in the area in August. read more
experts respond to MHTR report published today
The report from the Mobile Health and Telecommunications Research group into the possible health risks of mobile phones found no link between short-term mobile phone use and cancer. read more
scientists react to study on hyperactivity and food additives as published in The Lancet
Dr Susan Jebb, Nutrition Scientist, MRC Human Nutrition Research, said: “While this study is showing an effect of certain additives … read more
experts respond to Foot and Mouth report
The report identified the causes of the outbreak at Pirbright, Surrey in August. read more
scientists respond to HFEA announcement of policy on Human Animal Hybrid Embryos
The HFEA have decided to permit research involving human-animal hybrid embryos. read more
plants’ contribution to climate change effects
The interaction between plants and flooding risk under future global warming scenarios was the basis of a report in Nature. In light of recent flooding events in the UK, the Science Media Centre invited the report’s lead author to discuss the impact of this research on instances of drought and flood in the UK. read more
the challenges for IT and computing over the next 50 years
What will the future be like in a society increasingly dependent on technology and computing? As part of the British Computer Society’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, experts came to the Science Media Centre to discuss the role that IT will play in shaping society in 2057.
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