Monthly Archives: January 2013
In praise of apprenticeships
by Rebecca Nesbit I was interested to hear an interviewee on the Today programme worried about the reluctance amongst many parents and schools to recognise the true value of apprenticeships. As someone who graduated prior to top-up fees, I often ask myself ‘if I was 18 now, would university still be the right thing?’, so … Continue reading
Student BioSocs: working together is success
Guest bloggers Ioanna Sigalou and Rowan Watson, President and Secretary of the Staffordshire University Biology Society, describe how the society was set up. It’s no lie that every beginning is hard, especially when it comes to things that require people with different opinions coming together to share ideas! Things get hectic very quickly, which can … Continue reading
Species of the week: The Scottish wildcat
By Amy Whetstone, Qualifications and Skills Officer at the Society of Biology. The Scottish wildcat, Felis silvestris grampia, is an iconic species with a long history of roaming the British landscape. The Highland tiger, as the wildcat is otherwise affectionately known, previously ranged across the whole of mainland Britain but is now restricted to the … Continue reading
Four-stranded DNA seen in human cells
By Jess Devonport, Marketing and Communications Officer at the Society of Biology 2013 is the 60th anniversary of Watson and Crick’s famous paper describing the helical structure of DNA. The Society of Biology plans to celebrate this landmark discovery with a series of genetics themed events and activities, called Genetics: where have we come from … Continue reading
Why we blog, and why you should too
by Natasha Neill, Executive Officer at the Society of Biology Last night I attended an interesting Soho Skeptics event, debating the Leveson inquiry and subsequent report and recommendations. As is often the case, some of the most interesting things the panel said were off topic. One comment in particular caught my attention: the idea that … Continue reading
Species of the week: the swallowtail
The swallowtail (Papilio machaon), a beautiful species confined in the UK to a small area of East Anglia, is perhaps Britain’s most cherished butterfly. The subspecies Papilio machaon britannicus is unique to the UK, found only in the fens and marshes of the Norfolk Broads. Although its range is restricted, populations of the swallowtail remain stable. … Continue reading
GM: is opinion more important than science?
by Rebecca Nesbit, Society of Biology Today’s announcement by Environment Secretary Owen Paterson that the British public should be persuaded of the benefits of genetically modified crops has predictably caused controversy. The top message from anti-GM campaigners seems to be ‘you’re wrong about GM – the public don’t want it’. GM Freeze, quoted in the … Continue reading