Author Archives: Rebecca Nesbit
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
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
Your plant science questions answered
So many issues in plant science (and indeed in science in general) don’t have the simple answers we expected. Organic farming can cause environmental damage, GM crops have potential to increase food security, and some biofuels can increase rather than decrease carbon emissions. I can be hard to keep up with these debates, and reliable … Continue reading
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
Is panda PR a good idea?
by Rebecca Nesbit, Press Officer, Society of Biology Panda conservation is not ‘greenwash’ read the headline of BBC Nature’s thought-provoking write-up of the Biology Week debate ‘should we save the panda’. This referred to the evening’s extensive discussion about the use (and misuse) of pandas in conservation PR. Whether or not you think it is … Continue reading
I promise you really said that!
By Rebecca Nesbit, Society of Biology As this blog goes live, a record attempt is taking place for the world’s largest memory game. This is the climax of Biology Week and involves hundreds of children and adults. It is designed to be fun, but also has a serious side, collecting data for Professor Bruce Hood … Continue reading
ScienceGrrl calendar launched
by Rebecca Nesbit, Press Officer at the Society of Biology Not only is this week a very successful first Biology Week, it is also a good week for gender equality in science. In 2010 UKRC/WISE reported that only 12.3% of the skilled workforce in science, engineering and technology are women, a disturbing figure. The problem … Continue reading
Farming and the environment: Biology Week Q&A
Dr Frances Downey, Public Liaison at Sense About Science, writes about the Biology Week event: Environmental scientists answer your questions: How does farming affect the environment? This summer, when plant scientists from Rothamsted Research appealed for discussion not destruction when their GM wheat crop was under threat, the public came out in support. More than … Continue reading
Podcast: should we save the panda?
by Rebecca Nesbit With just five days to go until the Biology Week debate, ‘Do we need pandas? Choosing which species to save’, the votes on the Society of Biology website poll are swinging in favour of the panda. To help me decide which way to vote, I produced this podcast in which I interview … Continue reading