All posts – Page 59

Why medicine needs computer modelling in the fight against brain disease

By Steve Furber Filed Under: All posts, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: February 18, 2016

Research into new drugs for brain disease is being held back because of a lack of fundamental understanding and models of brain function argues Steve Furber, who explains why policy makers and researchers worldwide should make computer modelling part of the solution. Brain diseases cost the developed economies more than heart diseases, cancer and diabetes […]

What are digital dividends and are they just for the wealthy?

By Richard Heeks Filed Under: All posts, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: February 9, 2016

Digital technologies have seen rapid uptake, across most of our world. So are developing countries seeing the benefits? If not, why not? The World Bank recently published its World Development Report 2016 Digital Dividends. Richard Heeks considers whether this major report accurately reflects the digital revolution and its impact on global development. Some years back, when […]

At what point will we do something about inequality?

By David Hulme Filed Under: All posts Posted: February 4, 2016

Oxfam’s annual inequality report reveals that the richest 1% now have as much wealth as the rest of the world combined. And the wealthiest 62 people on the planet have as much wealth as the poorest half of the global population. Professor David Hulme examines this extreme fiscal inequality and asks what can we do […]

Safer prescribing of medicines – is it easier than we think?

By Jill Stocks Filed Under: All posts Posted: January 28, 2016

There is a high prevalence of potentially hazardous prescribing among some GP practices, a new research study published in the British Medical Journal has found. One of the authors, Dr Jill Stocks, explains the findings. Safe prescribing of medication is one of the most essential roles of GPs, yet our team’s research has found both […]

Behind the red front doors – is asylum housing policy showing enough concern for the needs of the vulnerable?

By Jonathan Darling Filed Under: All posts, Urban Posted: January 26, 2016

No-one would say it was easy to agree public policy for the thorny issue of housing asylum seekers. But, argues Jonathan Darling, a recent news story shows just how urgent it is that a change of emphasis takes place. Last week, officials from the Home Office visited Middlesbrough to inspect properties used to house asylum […]

Radioactive waste: legacy versus new build

By Hollie Ashworth Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: January 20, 2016

Radioactive waste is a controversial topic. But understanding the difference between historic and new wastes would produce a more informed debate, explains Hollie Ashworth. Whenever there is talk about new-build nuclear power stations, there is also talk about the cost of cleaning-up radioactive waste. People often correctly quote figures for the cost of cleaning-up radioactive […]

Were the Paris climate talks a success or a COP-out?

By Jonas Amtoft Bruun Filed Under: All posts, Featured, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: January 11, 2016

COP 21 is good news – but only to a point, argues Jonas Amtoft Bruun. “We have an agreement.” Those redeeming words from French foreign minister Laurent Fabius in the evening of Saturday 12 December unleashed a wave of standing ovations from high level UN staff, delegates and observers from business and civil society. Preceding […]

What can be gained from focusing on positives which emerge from the current GP gloom?

By Sharon Spooner Filed Under: All posts Posted: January 7, 2016

Morale in UK general practice has dropped to a low ebb and a shortage of doctors is blamed for an increasing proportion of practices seeking to avoid accepting new patients. Yet week after week around 40,000 NHS GPs continue to work. Researcher and part-time GP Sharon Spooner explores the nature and significance of what motivates […]

Does religion have any impact on morality in modern Europe?

By Ingrid Storm Filed Under: All posts Posted: January 7, 2016

New research drawing on European survey data finds that religious decline does not equal moral decline. Dr Ingrid Storm explains why involvement in religion makes most difference to morality in the most religious countries, and matters less for moral values now than it did in the 1980s. A recent report by the Commission on Religion […]

Early life experience affects adult cognitive and sensory health

By Piers Dawes Filed Under: All posts Posted: December 16, 2015

The key to reducing dementia and sensory loss in later years may lie in improving experiences in the earliest years, explains Piers Dawes. Dementia, hearing impairment and vision loss are amongst the most feared, most costly and difficult to treat problems in elderly people. One way of avoiding cognitive and sensory impairment in old age […]