Wolfowitz is the wrong choice for the World Bank
The nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank is the wrong choice and should be rejected, says an editorial in this week's BMJ. view more (2005-03-30)
Solving the drug price crisis
The mounting U.S. drug price crisis can be contained and eventually reversed by separating drug discovery from drug marketing and by establishing a non-profit company to oversee funding for new medicines, according to two MIT experts on the pharmaceutical industry. view more (2008-03-18)
Psychological Debriefing
The British Psychological Society today published a document, looking at the issues surrounding psychological debriefing following a crisis or disaster. The document, Psychological Debriefing, has been produced by a Working Party of the Society's Professional Practice Board. It is aimed at psychologists, involved in counselling and debriefing... view more... (2002-06-05)
Saying sorry can win support
Everyone can think of individuals or corporations that have something to feel sorry for. But when powerful public figures actually show remorse it may help win back public approval. This is the finding of Dr Roger Giner-Sorolla and Dr Pablo Espinosa of the University of Kent, and Professor Rupert Brown of the University of Sussex, who have been... view more... (2004-04-14)
Bad mitochondria may actually be good for you
Mice with a defective mitochondrial protein called MCLK1 produce elevated amounts of reactive oxygen when young; that should spell disaster, yet according to a study in this week's JBC these mice actually age at a slower rate and live longer than normal mice. view more (2009-07-23)
The South East Asian snail disaster
A promising enterprise became an economical and ecological disaster. The golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) that was brought to Asia in 1980 to be cultured in ponds for human consumption instead spread through rice fields, irrigation channels and wetlands. It had a voracious appetite for rice seedlings and soon became a dreaded pest in the... view more... (2004-03-31)
Experts examine risk-pooling through insurance to help poor countries cope with climate change
Insurance solutions are pushed forward at the climate negotiations this week in Poznan. This is a critical juncture to build insurance mechanisms solidly into the architecture of the agreement that will emerge in Copenhagen next year. view more (2008-12-08)
New technology for navigating without GPS
A new method for navigation at sea, independent of GPS, is being put forward in a dissertation from Linköping University. view more (2005-03-12)
Circulation of 'disaster myths' in Haiti could hinder appropriate disposal of bodies
Myths about the infectious disease threat posed by dead bodies could lead to insensitive and inappropriate treatment of victims' bodies following the floods in Haiti, and need to be checked, according to a public health researcher who has studied the potential risks at length. view more (2004-09-30)
Mice offer clues to the roots of human resilience
When faced with adversity, some people succumb to debilitating psychological diseases including posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, while others are able to remain remarkably optimistic. view more (2007-10-19)
In the Eye of the Storm: Why some people stayed behind
Hurricane Katrina was the largest natural disaster in U.S. history, claiming the lives of more than 1,800 victims and causing well over $100 billion in damage along the Gulf Coast. view more (2009-07-06)
Global warming doubles rate of ocean rise
Global ocean levels are rising twice as fast today as they were 150 years ago, and human-induced warming appears to be the culprit. view more (2005-11-28)
Fuel-eating bacteria
The sinking of the Prestige and the resulting leakage of petroleum oil, just over a year ago, provoked a real catastrophe. A significant number of research groups were prompted to set to work to clean up the remains of this oil slick. One year after, the first results of those researches are being known. They want to use bacteria that eat... view more... (2004-02-11)
Media Invitation - The 3Rs: A wake-up call for engineers - lessons learned from September 11th
September 11th highlights a challenge and an opportunity for the engineering community to develop infrastructure for an age in which security concerns are paramount. In his public lecture on Monday night, Robert Prieto, Chairman of Parsons Brinckerhoff, will outline a method to identify and prioritise development within the urban infrastructure... view more... (2002-10-24)
Pan-European Flood Alert System (EFAS)
The Directors of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC)signed a Cooperation Agreement providing the JRC with real-time access to ECMWF weather forecast products for use in the European Flood Alert System (EFAS). Both organisations will work together to develop a... view more... (2004-08-31)
GMES comes under Earth and Space Week spotlight
Keeping watch on the world from orbit is helping to make it a safer place to live, heard European journalists visiting the Earth and Space Week in Brussels. Experts recounted how Europe's Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative is already delivering operational information services and it is set for further expansion. view more (2005-02-16)
Baby satellites
ESA's second microsatellite, Proba-2, is under development for a launch early in 2006. Like Proba-1, in orbit since October 2001, Proba-2 will be no larger than a domestic washing machine and will weigh only 100 kilograms. The name Proba comes from the Project for On-board Autonomy. It blazes a trail for space engineering in the future, when... view more... (2003-09-24)
How green is your house?
Preliminary results from 1500 respondents show that those who own their own home are more likely to separate their rubbish (83 per cent) than those in rented accommodation (59 per cent), whilst less than one in a hundred households have solar water heating (0.5 per cent) or solar energy panels (0.5 per cent). Initial findings also show that... view more... (2009-11-23)
World Trade Center dust cuts lung function capability in rescue workers
New York City firemen and emergency personnel exposed to dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings experienced a decrease in lung function capability equal to 12 years of age-related decline during the year following the 9/11 disaster. view more (2006-08-01)
SSTL win place in fastest growing technology company awards
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has been ranked 27 in Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 awards for London and the South East. The Technology Fast 50 programme seeks out those companies that have shown impressive growth rates in the telecommunications, hardware, software and biotechnology markets over the last three financial years. Created by... view more... (2003-11-10)
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