What the sudden demise of the UK’s department of science means for the future of research
The obituaries were being written before the body was cold. Within hours of Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirming that Whitehall’s responsibilities for science and technology would be absorbed into a new Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST), Sir Paul Nurse, president of the Royal Society, was on Radio 4 warning that “science isn’t […]
Storms that built a graveyard: ancient monsoons created a spectacular dinosaur fossil site
Around 80 million years ago, a stretch of tropical coastline in what is now north-eastern Italy was lashed by monsoon rains and tropical cyclones. Those storms swept dinosaur carcasses, crocodiles, plants and river mud onto a tidal flat, where the tides and a film of microbes sealed everything away with extraordinary preservation. My colleagues and […]
One in ten medicines worldwide could be fake or substandard – here’s how to protect yourself
Shidlovski/Shutterstock.com Anyone who has bought medicine online may have wondered whether what arrived in the post was really what they’d paid for. They are not alone. A recent global survey found that around 60% of people fear their medicines could be fake – and the unsettling truth is that they have good reason to. About […]
Do infrared saunas improve workout recovery? The evidence is still lukewarm
Dmitri T/Shutterstock Infrared saunas are increasingly marketed as a post-exercise recovery tool that can reduce pain and fatigue, but the scientific evidence supporting these claims remains limited and conflicting. So do infrared saunas cause physiological changes that accelerate recovery, or do they simply reduce the feeling of aching muscles? Traditional Finnish saunas heat the surrounding […]
COVID PPE failures left healthcare workers and patients at risk – what lessons the government needs to learn for the future
Only around a third of the masks England held in its emergency stockpile were immediately usable during the pandemic. banjongseal324SS/ Shutterstock The latest report published as part of the COVID-19 inquiry has found the UK was not adequately prepared for a pandemic. The report, which looked at the procurement and distribution of personal protective equipment […]
People in the UK favour harsher punishment than Norwegians – belief in free will may help explain why
Ongoing problems in the criminal justice system in England and Wales, from overcrowding in prisons to court backlogs, have raised fundamental questions about how and why we punish people. Advocates for a more rehabilitative, less punitive system often point to Scandinavian prisons as a model for how things could be done better. My colleagues and […]
Andy Burnham says he’ll end rough sleeping – here’s what’s needed to make it happen
On his first day as prime minister, Andy Burnham promised to end rough sleeping, and pledged an additional £340 million to the cause. A positive aim for society, to be sure, but what he didn’t mention is that we’ve nearly solved this before. The question isn’t whether ending rough sleeping is desirable or achievable, it’s […]
How ‘super’ enzymes can transform recycling
Josep Curto/Shutterstock From microplastics clogging up our oceans to landfills leaching out dangerous chemicals, plastic waste is a serious and growing problem for human health and the environment. We need to recycle more, and crucially, recycle better. Most plastic that is recycled is melted and remoulded into lower-quality products such as carpet fibres and garden […]
Reassuring touch kept the peace six million years before humans evolved – new research
Physical touch may be an important evolutionary tool to help manage social tension and keep the peace. Left: Jake Brooker/Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust; Right: Zanna Clay/Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary, CC BY-NC-ND During an eight-month-long research trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, we studied consolation: the way bonobos and chimpanzees comfort each […]
Chancellor John Healey faces serious challenges in funding Burnham’s grand aspirations
The UK’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, laid out a radical agenda in his short speech upon taking office. He called for a long-term strategy to reverse 40 years of Thatcherism, and the privatisation and centralisation that resulted. Wisely, he put a ten-year horizon on these objectives and it is now up to his new […]