• Murder Your Darlings

     It makes me laugh when I hear people say that they don’t like fantasy or science fiction novels because ‘it’s not real’. All fiction, by definition, is made up. Yet, when it comes to imaginary monsters or aliens or magicians with pointy hats and white beards, many people don’t want to read...

  • Wasted Time Isn’t Always Wasted Time

     The other day I commented to the father of my child that having a baby is a little bit like going to prison. Not the ‘nice’ sort of prison where they let you do Open University courses and try to make you a better person. A Victorian-style prison where the inmates are forced to turn a crank...

  • Getting our heads around African sleeping sickness

    African sleeping sickness is one of those scary diseases that seems kind of alien to anyone living in the Western world but which is a real threat to those living in sub-Sahara Africa, causing around 50,000 cases each year. The disease gets its name from the most recognisable symptom—a disruption...

  • Dark Matter: What’s Science Got to Hide?

     Scientific data is more freely available than ever. But does the push for openness help or hinder science? A panel debate at Imperial College London on 6th December sought to answer this question, launching the latest edition of Index on Censorship magazine—a special issue focussing on...

  • When Bad Bugs Go Badder

    The Beijing lineage of M. tuberculosis is the villain in a movie sequel. Nastier, scarier, harder to kill. You thought tuberculosis (TB) was bad? Think again. The Beijing lineage is that little bit worse, associated with a speedier disease progression and increased antibiotic resistance. I’ve...

  • Lag phase adapts bacteria to new environments

     Forgotten to defrost the chicken overnight in the fridge? That’s fine—you can leave it to thaw at room temperature, right? It will be quicker, after all… But, within just a few hours, the tiny bacteria hiding in frozen food such as chicken, beef or that left over Chinese takeaway can start to...

Saturday, 26 January 2013

Do you want to put science in the headlines?

Posted by Kathryn at 11:46 • 0 comments
If you do then the British Science Association Media Fellowships are for you. Experience first-hand how science is reported by spending 3-6 weeks on a summer placement with a press, broadcast or online journalist such as the Guardian, The Times or BBC. You will work with them to produce well informed, newsworthy pieces...

Saturday, 19 January 2013

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Faecal Transplants Through the Medium of Cartoons

Posted by Kathryn at 13:37 • 0 comments
Faecal transplants are highly effective in treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infections compared to conventional antibiotics. The transplants proved so successful that the trial was stopped early to give other patients the chance to benefit from this slightly icky-sounding treatment, which is proposed to repopulate the...
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