New centre enables small space companies to mean bigger business in the UK
A round of applause rippled across the room at the Surrey Research Park last Friday (May 6) when ISIC-Surrey was officially launched, heralding a boost for the UK space industry. Together with its sister centre, ISIC-Harwell in Oxfordshire, which was opened by Prince Andrew and…
The ‘sunshine vitamin’ – uncovering the connections between vitamin D and illness
Why eating a mackerel a day means you don’t have to parade down Euston Road in your underpants during winter in a bid to generate some vitamin D was just one of the pieces of information to come out of a talk on the ‘sunshine…
Breaking things: the search for sustainable materials
For Dr David “don’t call me a lecturer” Jesson, who describes himself as a ‘breaker of things’, creating a truly sustainable material is the ultimate goal. In a feature I wrote for this week’s Surrey Advertiser (published on Friday March 18), Dr Jesson chatted to…
Losing body parts: could continuing human evolution spell the end for some “unnecessary” biological bits and pieces?
Are humans still evolving, or are we already the finished product, was the topic of this week’s Horizon – and feeling the back of my mouth where my absent wisdom teeth would normally go, I wondered whether these, and other body parts, are testament to…
Professor Nutt: Why the government won’t ok harm-free alcohol
The Keystone Pub in Guildford was already heaving with people by the time I arrived for Professor David Nutt’s talk at Cafe Scientifique last Monday. Getting there 15 minutes early clearly wasn’t enough time to guarantee a seat to listen to the controversial scientist, who…
Humanising science
Whenever someone flicks through a newspaper, notices a headline along the theme of “Scientists now say X or Y is safe”, and exclaims, “Looks like the scientists have done another U-turn again”, it’s a bang-head-against-wall moment right there: another one’s fallen into that blackhole of…
Last swing for Rosetta
As the Rosetta comet-chaser swung by Earth one last time yesterday morning before heading out for its date with the comet, scientists are hoping the mission will help unravel the mysteries of how the solar system evolved. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) mission controllers confirmed…
“Changing the law” is the only answer to libel in science journalism
How should journalists deal with libel law? “Change the laws”, was the resounding answer from most of the panellists at last night’s Science Fact: Science Journalism and Libel Law public debate hosted by City University. The debate, held to celebrate the launch of the university’s…
Futurity: add a dash of salt
As science journalists become fewer and further between, it’s only inevitable, it seems, that PR steps into the breach. Futurity is the latest venture to fill the gaping void formerly populated by reporters, comprising of press releases straight from the research centres themselves. The site…
New Darwin Centre unveiled to the public
Planning a scientific expedition, identifying a mystery species and watching spiders getting it on were among the many interactive experiences on offer at the Natural History Museum’s new Darwin Centre, which opened to the public today. The new £78 million centre is home to the…