Anyone who believes that peer-reviewed journals only ever publish rigorously-analysed research with sound, objective results would surely have been disabused of that notion by now following a recent sting exposing the flaws in the academic publishing system. Harvard biologist Dr John Bohannon and Science carried out…
Photo: Comet Panstarrs by Ingolfur Bjargmundsson A crop of stunning stellar images vying for the 2013 Astronomy Photographer of Year title have been unveiled today – and I’d have a hard time picking the winner. The Royal Observatory Greenwich announced the shortlist of 15 images,…
Any journalist covering court who’s ever experienced the frustration of proceedings being held up simply because a crucial document was missing will be relieved to hear that this scenario may, by 2016, become a thing of the past. Courtrooms in England and Wales are set to…
Google’s autocomplete function, which has yielded some eye-opening insights into the most commonly searched word combinations (the first suggestion that pops up when you type ‘Vladimir Putin r’ is ‘Vladimir Putin riding a bear’, ahead of ‘Vladimir Putin Russia’ – which the strongman president might…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 –…
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…
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…