Science & Society

About ten years ago, what is now the Electron Microscopy Laboratory at the University of Reading, was set up, to take over from individual EM units in other departments by purchasing more modern equipment. On of the pleasures of working there was interacti ...

Blog Post - Robert H Olley - Dec 17 2013 - 1:25am

It's A Downer, But Discuss Medical Histories This Christmas

Individuals with a family history of premature heart disease, heart attacks or stroke in a first degree relative before the age of 60 years, continue to have a higher risk of dying despite earlier referral to general physicians, lifestyle changes and drug ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 17 2013 - 10:12am

Minorities And Poor Need A Soda Tax, Say Scholars

Low-income, Hispanic and African-American Californians need to have a tax on sodas and other sugary beverages if they are going to have reduced risk of diabetes- which could be a substantial cost for taxpayers in a world of government health care. Over th ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 16 2013 - 5:04pm

Globalization Upside: Dependence On Food Trade Leads To Increased Availability Of Food

Protests at economics meetings that lament globalization are done by the Agricultural 1 Percent- people fortunate enough to be born in countries where food is plentiful and cheap and they can protest rather than try to eke out a subsistence living in a di ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 19 2013 - 4:36pm

Labiaplasty: How Female Perceptions Of Desirable Female Genitalia Change

Women's perceptions of what is considered normal and desirable female genitalia may be influenced by exposure to modified images, according to psychologists writing in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Requests for labiapl ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 22 2013 - 7:33pm

Gene Therapy For Epidermolysis Bullosa Skin Disease Produces Long-term Benefits

Stem cell-based gene therapy holds promise for the treatment of devastating genetic skin diseases, but the long-term clinical outcomes of this approach have been unclear. In a recent study, researchers evaluated a patient with a genetic skin disorder know ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 28 2013 - 11:01am

Environmentalists Resist Plan To Delist Gray Wolf As Endangered

The federal government's proposal to discontinue protection for the gray wolf across the United States could have the unintended consequence of endangering other species, insist academics who don't actually live in places where wolves are runnin ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 30 2013 - 12:32pm

Predictions! The physics and astronomy stories to watch for in 2014.

Predictions for 2014: No firm direct detection of dark matter, a better understanding of the Higgs boson, an announcement that Fermilab will live with a muon and neutrino related program, and a surprising and troubling reception for Neil DeGrasse Tysons C ...

Blog Post - Hontas Farmer - Jan 1 2014 - 3:11pm

Lives Saved Or Gained: Tripling Cigarette Taxes Would Save 200 Million People

A few years ago, politicians introduced us to a new metric for performance; estimates about what might have happened became real numbers that were shown as proof of success. Instead of touting actual economic benefits from tax spending, we were treated to ...

Article - News Staff - Jan 1 2014 - 10:51pm

Well, Perlmutter’s Gluten Claims Are Better Than Wakefield's Vaccine Autism Research

Dr. James Hamblin at The Atlantic takes a skeptical look at the recent demonizing of gluten and grain and sugars and renewed calls for something resembling a paleo diet. I have been beating the gluten-free horse for a while, of course, to much derision and ...

Blog Post - Hank Campbell - Jan 2 2014 - 5:01pm