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Monthly Archives: November 2012

Why the badger cull became a ‘Marmite debate’

by Rebecca Nesbit, press officer at the Society of Biology ‘Marmite debates’ were a common theme at the food security meeting hosted by the BBSRC last week. Just like reactions to Marmite, opinions in debates about GM crops and the badger cull tend to be polar opposites. This is in sharp contrast to the science … Continue reading »

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Species of the week: Tenrecs

Guest blog by Sive Finlay, a PhD student from Trinity College Dublin Tenrecs are one of the most interesting and fascinating mammal groups yet many people have never heard of them. They are one of only four mammalian groups to have colonised Madagascar, a land filled with evolutionary curiosities. Tenrecs are a striking example of … Continue reading »

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Podcast: #policylates debates – do we need more scientists in Parliament?

Next Thursday we will be holding the first ever Society of Biology #policylates debate, ‘Do we need more scientists in Parliament?’ If the results from our website poll are anything to go by then the answer would be a resounding yes.  To find out if the answer is really this clear cut, Press Officer Rebecca … Continue reading »

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Ecological adventures during Biology Week

As we start to plan Biology Week 2013 here at the Society of Biology we take inspiration from some of the successes of 2012. Here Nick O’Connor, a teacher at Highcliffe School, describes his A level field course in Dorset The Year 13 A level Biologists spent a superb 3 days along the Jurassic Coast … Continue reading »

Categories: Biology Week, Conservation, Education | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

Fires threaten Indonesian Borneo

Susan Cheyne is Director of Gibbon and Field Research and Conservation Orang-utan Tropical Peatland Project (OuTrop) This is my first blog for the Society of Biology and I write it with a heavy heart. Indonesian Borneo, where I have spent the last 10 years working, was on fire again this year. While the rains have … Continue reading »

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Varroa – the trigger to the viral downfall of the honeybee?

Richard Wooding, a recent biological sciences graduate, studied Varroa for his dissertation What do many consider to be one of the key drivers of the planet’s concerning honeybee losses? Perhaps Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite that feeds on the haemolymph (basically the blood) of the honeybee. It is now found across honeybee populations globally, with … Continue reading »

Categories: Conservation, Latest research, Nature | Tags: | 2 Comments

Do we need more scientists in Parliament?

Haralambos Dayantis blogs about the Society of Biology’s upcoming debate on ‘do we need more scientists in Parliament?’ The first #policylates event at Charles Darwin House is only a few weeks away, where panellists will be discussing whether we need more people with STEM backgrounds in Parliament. The issue has already generated some discussion on … Continue reading »

Categories: Events, Policy, Royal Society of Biology | Tags: , , | 7 Comments

An assessor’s view on accreditation of ecology degrees

Rachel Stubbington, Lecturer in Ecology and Environmental Sciences at Nottingham Trent University, writes about her experience as an assessor for the Society of Biology Degree Accreditation Programme As a lecturer in biosciences, I see my undergraduate students getting more and more career-savvy by the year. I want as many of them as possible to achieve … Continue reading »

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Even chance favours the panda

Zara’s last blog introduced the “Save a Species” election that was held at our Parliamentary launch during Biology Week. I now share the highs and lows of my experience representing the spoon-billed sandpiper in an attempt to save this critically endangered bird from extinction. As a quick reminder: Six candidates were chosen, each to represent … Continue reading »

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Don’t forget fresh water

by Zara Gladman, Society of Biology Mid-way through Biology Week we held a launch night in Parliament, to highlight the importance of biology to decision-makers.  The climax of the evening was our very own ‘Save a Species’ election.  Six candidates – each representing a different endangered species – did their best to persuade the guests that … Continue reading »

Categories: Biology Week, Nature, Royal Society of Biology | Tags: , | 1 Comment