Insights

To shave, or not to shave

July 25, 2012
“Since this is a bumper year for sport, I want you lazy lot to do something on the science and myths in sports” came the terrifying words from the Editor....

UK Biobank open for business

July 18, 2012
UK Biobank is now open for business, with researchers able to access biological samples from over 500,000 Britons. It is undeniably an amazing resource but there are still issues that...

The colour of the lab

July 17, 2012
When the world is such a colourful place, Russ Swan asks why is the lab so grey?When you think about it, a lot of traditional lab work involves one tiny...

There’s no story quite like our own – Jon Agar

July 12, 2012
There’s no story quite like our own – we catch up with an author who has tackled the history of science in the twentieth centuryScience since the beginning of the...

Diversity in science

July 2, 2012
Can good news also be disappointing? I think it can. Let me explain – The Royal Society has teamed up with the government to explore and promote diversity in the...

What’s in a name?

June 20, 2012
What’s in a name? Well - when it comes to scientific equipment- too many capitals and a penchant for the pretentious says Russ SwanI WONDER if there is any field...

Debate not destroy

June 15, 2012
Genetic modification has always been a contentious issue and it hit the headlines again last month after protest group Take the Flour Back threatened to destroy research into GM wheat...

We feel like Chicken to-flight

June 8, 2012
Blessed as we are on the Science lite desk with memories that would frankly embarrass a cerebrally challenged goldfish* – anniversaries are not something which we ordinarily observe. As such...

Harnessing the power of plants with Professor George Lomonossoff

June 1, 2012
Nature can provide the starting point for many drugs, pharmaceuticals and vaccines – and plants are no exception. Professor George Lomonossoff has recently been named Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research...

Making public research accessible for all

June 1, 2012
Rarely do I find myself harbouring admiration for a politician. Yet as David Willetts, minister for science and universities, walked into the UK Publishers’ Association annual meeting a few weeks...

Vaccination without comparison

May 31, 2012
As methods of disease prevention go – vaccination is without comparison. If successful heard immunity can be developed it is a knock-out blow for the pathogen. A biological uppercut from...

Science trade shows cause mayhem

May 23, 2012
Conferences and shows cause mayhem every six years: why – when the world is now such as small place – does this still happen and what is the way forward?What...

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