Author Archives: Natasha Little
What role will science play in the new Parliament?
By James Borrell, NERC funded PhD student and science policy intern at the Society of Biology What role will science play in the new parliament? How will new research influence policy? Will science funding increase or continue to decline? The answers to these questions are elusive, but perhaps the clearest bellwether of the prevailing scientific … Continue reading
Why do students still need textbooks?
By Dan Rowson, education policy officer at the Society of Biology At the May Policy Lunchbox, we welcomed Tim Oates, Group Director of Assessment Research and Development at Cambridge Assessment. Previously Tim was Head of Research at the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency and in 2010 he led the Government review on the National Curriculum. On … Continue reading
Genetically engineered mosquitoes – the invention of the year?
By Professor Luke Alphey FSB, The Pirbright Institute. Professor Alphey is a finalist for the European Inventor of the Year Award 2015. Each year hundreds of millions of people are stricken by dengue. Though there are thousands of species of mosquito, just one is to blame for major outbreaks of dengue – the Aedes aegypti … Continue reading
Budding Biologists Inspired by the Science of Survival
By David Snowdon, biology student at Imperial College London and science communicator. Articulated hands, bizarre heart facts and a Velcro organ assembly competition; these were some of the interactive activities on offer at the Society of Biology stand at the Science4u Schools Science Conference at the University of Westminster last month. The theme for the … Continue reading
Science must be a key priority for the next Government
By Dr Laura Bellingan FSB, director of science policy at the Society of Biology Election Day 2015 is almost upon us. While it is interesting to contemplate the tangled bank of possible outcomes beginning with the simple casting of a single vote (many times over) even Darwin might not bet on the endless forms of … Continue reading
Book review: Can Science Fix Climate Change?
Grace Paget, science writer, reviews ‘Can Science Fix Climate Change?’ by Mike Hulme (Polity Press). Nominations for our Book Awards 2015 are now open. Hulme effectively establishes the debate surrounding the issue of tackling climate change in his book Can Science Fix Climate Change? and explores the emerging technology that is set to resolve it. … Continue reading
Code of a Killer: deciphering the science
By Professor David Hornby FRSB, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield and Director of Research and Innovation, Liverpool Life Sciences UTC Listen to Sir Alec Jeffreys being interviewed by Professor Alison Woollard FRSB at the RSB’s fundraising event in May 2016. Last night I watched the concluding part of the ITV drama … Continue reading
The reality of illusion
By Veronica Wignall, Society of Biology volunteer The Society of Biology is supporting a talk on That Dress and the Illusion of Reality by Professor Bruce Hood FSB at Questioning Reality, an Ri Lates event, on Friday 17th April. Recently a picture of a dress divided the world in an unprecedented debate about its colour: … Continue reading
Eat, Sleep, Wake, Repeat: A day in the life of your hormones at the Big Bang Fair
By David Snowdon, biology student at Imperial College London and science communicator. While wading through packs of schoolchildren on my way to the Society of Biology and Society for Endocrinology stand at the Big Bang Fair I really didn’t know what to expect. These excitable kids had just got off a hot, stuffy coach and were … Continue reading
Listen to the debate: Eradicating Malaria: Can we do it? Should we do it?
In 2007, Bill and Melinda Gates committed themselves to eliminating malaria worldwide. Today, it has been eliminated in 111 countries but can it be eradicated worldwide? If it can, would the resources be better spent on other developing world health initiatives? Would controlling the disease be more beneficial than elimination? During Biology Week 2014 we … Continue reading