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…
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 ‘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…
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…