A book that criticizes alternative medicine to treat conditions that have names but no criteria is controversial - because it runs up against a supplement and alternative medicine enabled by governments that believe science can't be trusted
Scientists can be victims of sexual abuse from their peers just as in any institution. Credit: Minerva StudioBy Margaret C. Hardy, The University of QueenslandThe life sciences have come under fire recently with a study published in PLOS ONE that investigated the level of sexual harassment and sexual assault of trainees in academic fieldwork environments.
Different kind of chocolate factory. Credit: Cklaighe/Conversation compositeBy Jordan Gaines Lewis, Penn State College of Medicine
The critical links between water, sanitation, and our global consumption of energy – the “energy-water nexus” are more obvious than ever before. But how many of us will take direct action at the most basic level of all?It turns out that the way we use the toilet has a profound impact not only on our water resources, but is implicated in global energy security and perhaps the future of industrial agriculture as we know it. Flushing a standard WC accounts for around 30% of daily domestic water consumption in developed countries. This water must then be decontaminated before it is released back to the environment – an increasingly vital process of recycling as water stress grows globally.
A gene patent means only the patent-holder has the right to undertake research and development involving that gene.Credit: ShutterstockBy Rodney Scott, University of NewcastleThe Federal Court’s decision that gene patenting is permitted in Australia will have ramifications for all gene patents, even though the case involved only one gene associated with breast cancer.A gene patent means only the patent-holder has the right to undertake research and development involving that gene. These patents generally last for 20 years.
Finland is the country to beat. Kimmo Brandt/EPABy Daniel Muijs, University of SouthamptonThere has been a recent explosion of interest in the effectiveness of education systems around the world, largely driven by international studies that compare the performance of large samples of students from a wide range of countries.
Personality tests will not judge you on how you look, the clothes you wear or where you went to school, so why are people so wary of them? Credit: ShutterstockBy Nick Haslam, University of Melbourne
By Jon Tennant, Imperial College LondonAccess to research is limited worldwide by the high cost of subscription journals, which force readers to pay for their content. The use of scientific research in new studies, educational material and news is often restricted by these publishers, who require authors to sign over their rights and then control what is done with the published work. In response, a movement that would allow free access to information and no restrictions on reuse – termed open access – is growing.
By Helen King, The Open UniversityIt wasn’t that long ago that it was believed that regular periods were essential for women's health and in their absence, a loss of blood through another orifice was a fair substitute.In a classical Greek text linked to Hippocrates, the Aphorisms, it was written that “a nosebleed is a good thing if the menstrual period is suppressed”. So too was vomiting blood. And these beliefs lasted in western Europe until the middle of the 19th century.But what was the theory behind what now seems a pretty alarming set of beliefs?1. A build up of blood caused illness
By Neil Morris, University of LeedsOver the past couple of years, massive open online courses (MOOCs) have taken the academic world by storm. Despite much debate about whether the idea of running free online courses for everyone is both a good and cost-effective idea in the long-run, MOOCs are teaching universities valuable lessons about how students want to learn.
By Tanya Hill, University of Melbourne Have you ever considered our cosmic address? It’s a fun device I’ve often used to help students get a grasp on our place in the universe.For example, I work at the Melbourne Planetarium, 2 Booker St, Spotswood, Victoria, Australia, Earth, Solar System, Orion Arm, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo Cluster, Local Supercluster, the Universe.
