Policy
How the health service is failing Deaf people
By Jon Kudlick, director of membership, marketing and communications at the Society of Biology and trustee of SignHealth Imagine you are in hospital about to have an operation. For most of us, that’s a stressful enough situation in itself. Now imagine that because all the GPs, consultants and nurses do not speak your language, you … Continue reading
A precautionary tale
Ahead of the Society of Biology’s next Policy Lates event on the precautionary principle, Tracey Brown of Sense About Science gives her view on some of the issues surrounding the principle and its application. What would you say if I suggested farmers start using a compound that could mess with your hormones in order to … Continue reading
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here
Michael Walsh, policy intern at the Society of Biology, gives a student’s perspective on the largest piece of text that a researcher will write The British Library curates the Electronic Thesis Online Service (EThOS), which is an open access database for UK theses. They are currently running a survey to see how you use theses; … Continue reading
How do we value our natural capital?
Daija Angeli, project officer for the Society of Biology’s special interest group the Natural Capital Initiative, attended a meeting of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee on the valuation of natural capital on 25th February 2014. Here is what she learned: How do we value our nature? The concept of natural capital is often used to … Continue reading
The academic gender gap isn’t going away
Ahead of International Women’s Day, Jess Devonport, marketing and communications officer, and Barbara Knowles, senior science policy advisor at the Society of Biology, discuss the recent report, Women in Scientific Careers. There has been continued conversation over recent years about the gender gap in STEM careers, particularly in academia and senior roles, and if the … Continue reading
Biofuels: a darker shade of green
Following on from The Biologist’s write up of the Society of Biology’s recent Policy Lates event on algal biofuels, Michael Walsh looks at how biofuels are moving beyond their first generation. We all know that we face increasing challenges in order to meet our energy needs. With the climate changing, global population increasing, and fossil … Continue reading
Is it time for a sugar tax?
In advance of Voice of the Future 2014, Rebecca Nesbit considers a question she would like to ask MPs The health effects of too much added sugar have been in the news recently, raising questions about whether we should introduce a sugar tax. Recently, Mexico started to tax sugar-sweetened beverages. Recent research suggests that people … Continue reading
Can shark culls reduce the number of attacks?
Following the commencement of the Western Australian shark cull, Chloe Warren, PhD student at the University of Newcastle, Australia, ponders the benefits of a more scientific approach to policy making. Last weekend saw the gathering of over 4000 people on Perth’s Cottsloe Beach, brought together to protest the commencement of the Western Australian (WA) government’s … Continue reading
Creative Commons Licences: Copyright or Copywrong?
By Michael Walsh, BBSRC Policy Fellow at the Society of Biology, discusses the new Creative Commons licences and the Society’s advice to members. Copyright exists as a form of protection around something which you have created. Most people might immediately think of its relevance in the arts with examples such as literature or film, but … Continue reading
Our NHS data: is sharing caring?
By Michael Walsh, BBSRC Policy Fellow at the Society of Biology In the digital age, so many of us feel that it is our right to have access to as much information as possible. However, certain exceptions apply: information relating to ourselves shouldn’t be freely available, and huge storms gather whenever leaks of personal data … Continue reading