Media law for Twitter users – will they heed it?
The BBC published a feature today on the categories of law that Twitter users not versed in that journalism staple McNae’s are coming unstuck on, covering the rules on matters like libel, not naming sexual offence victims and contempt of court. Knowing about media law, previously the preserve mainly…
Quantum biology – the ‘weird physics’ within?
Could quantum mechanics, the branch of physics which covers phenomenon like being in two places at once, be more commonplace than we think – even playing a pivotal role in nature? That’s the thinking behind quantum biology, which is being described as a “tentative, even…
FOI requests reveal hospital blunders
Surgeons operating on the wrong side of the body, swabs left inside patients after surgery and the wrong implant being used were among the blunders happening at NHS health services across England last year, freedom of information requests have revealed. Following FOI requests I made…
Could an ‘exercise Oyster card’ boost fitness?
Exercise points meant prizes for half the workers taking part in the study If your employer offered you financial rewards for hitting the gym or walking to work, would you do more exercise? This is the question researchers were trying to answer when they carried…
How many science stories should local newspapers have?
Scientific Surrey: the county is home to pioneering science firms like SSTL When, or rather if (given declining circulation), you pick up a copy of your local newspaper, how many articles would you expect to see about science?To a large extent, that depends on the…
Tired to death: the science of sleep deprivation
Many people don’t get enough shut-eye each night – there’s just not enough hours in the day to get everything done sometimes, and sleep ends up suffering. But when it comes to sleep deprivation – we’re talking several days without a wink of sleep –…
Bubble science: from treating cancer to making champagne taste better
The first thing that often springs to mind when you mention bubbles are those pots of soapy liquid with a bubble-blower toy you had as a kid (or as an adult – you’re never too old for these things). But bubbles also play a key…
The science of laughing – and why social media decays relationships
For the LOLs: texts aren’t enough to keep a relationship going, say scientists Using Twitter or Facebook to keep in touch is fine – just don’t expect those relationships to last if that is the only contact you have. So said scientists at the Royal…
A day without journalists: could citizen journalism fill the void?
Starting young: A citizen journalist What would happen if you sucked all the journalists out of the UK for 24 hours? Would citizen reporters and social media be able to step into the breach, or would confusion reign? This was the question posed by the…
Science at the movies: Prometheus and artificial intelligence
The search for the origins of humanity, meeting one’s maker, and discovering why we are here: Ridley Scott’s latest film Prometheus tackles some big themes. But arguably the most interesting one surrounds the issue of what it is to be human, raised in the form…