The Science Media Centre is not restricted to reacting to the headlines, and has helped scientists to more proactively set the agenda by bringing new science or evidence to journalists. This comes from our regular briefings, which take a variety of forms and cover a wide range of topics. Many are background briefings introducing journalists to the best experts and science on controversial issues like nuclear waste, nanotechnology, emerging diseases, or animal research, for example. They may also be news briefings where the SMC works with scientists to give the national media a new story on developments within science, whether it’s a report on climate change, a paper on stem cells being published in a leading journal, or science funding cuts in the latest budget. In addition, the SMC encourages leading experts to ‘speak out’ to the media about developments they believe may pose a threat to scientific research – not something science has been renowned for.
Since the successful development of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, this technology is now considered game changing for the future … read more
The Global Tipping Points Report is a peer-reviewed assessment of the threats and opportunities of negative and positive tipping points … read more
As world leaders meet at COP28 in Dubai, the Global Carbon Project reveals the latest trends in global carbon emissions … read more
Despite huge advances in human genetics and medical research, we still know very little about how the majority of the … read more
CCS and CDR have provoked controversy, with some claiming they are essential to climate change mitigation and others calling them … read more
A new study in Frontiers in Science examines what will happen to climate change after net zero. The UN Climate … read more
Government and the medical profession need to adapt to an ageing population – Chief Medical Officer. Professor Chris Whitty’s fourth … read more
The way dementia is diagnosed has barely changed for nearly two decades, and here’s the shocker: at least a third … read more
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is currently reviewing the law on fertility treatment regulation and embryo. At the same … read more
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) (HPAI) is now a global threat and the scale of bird flu outbreaks across … read more
On 2nd October, Professor Jim Skea came to the SMC to meet the science and environment journalists who will be … read more
The topic of ultra-processed foods has entered the public debate this year, after celebrities and others in the public eye … read more
The State of Nature report, led by the RSPB and with over 50 partners, uses nearly 50 years of data … read more
The C-MORE (Capturing the MultiORgan Effects of COVID-19) ) and PHOSP study (Post-hospitalisation COVID-19) groups will present their findings of … read more
Invasive alien species are one of the five major direct drivers of biodiversity loss globally, alongside land- and sea-use change, … read more
Researchers have studied the blood of patients who were hospitalised with COVID-19, reporting two biomarkers measured during admission which are … read more
Wildfire has been a big subject in 2023, particularly in Canada, Hawaii and Greece. Are we are seeing more wildfires … read more
A major Royal Society report COVID-19: examining the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions has reviewed the international scientific evidence gathered during … read more
Japan has announced the plan to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific on Thursday. … read more
The onset of El Niño conditions was officially confirmed by the WMO in July. As the weather phenomenon strengthens, it … read more
