Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By David G.W Birch Filed Under: All posts, Science and Technology, Urban Posted:
David Birch talks about the ideas behind his new book, ‘Before Babylon, Beyond Bitcoin’, covering and questioning a multitude of concepts from trust to identity to nation states to currencies. Trade cannot exist without trust, and it is hard to trust strangers As society scales beyond the ability and trust of individuals, we have to […]
By Diane Coyle Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
The pace of change in technology shows no sign of slowing down, and as artificial intelligence develops, ever-more tasks that were previously carried out by humans could be done by machines. We have seen technological change before, and history tells us that there will be winners and losers. We must prepare economic and employment policies […]
By Vikas Shah Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Growth and Inclusion, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
Inequality in our world is a root cause of many problems, but the strength of technology means it is no longer inevitable, says Vikas Shah. Here he shares his Technifesto for the United Kingdom. Information is now who we are – technology is our primary economic, social and cultural tool It’s an absolute priority to […]
By Martin Yuille Filed Under: All posts, Brexit, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
With new trade deals being negotiated following the Brexit vote, there are other areas of policy which should not be overlooked. Martin Yuille, Reader in Biobanking/Co-Director of CIGMR at The University of Manchester, argues that science and technology is increasingly a pre-condition for world-class research and therefore, now, after the EU referendum, the UK cannot […]
By Iain Brassington Filed Under: Health and Social Care, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
Yesterday, the UK’s fertility regulator approved a new technique of mitochondrial transfer, which allows babies to be made from two women and one man in order to prevent children being born with serious genetic diseases. Dr Iain Brassington considers some of the potential legal, ethical and practical implications of the decision. There is a specific legal exemption […]
By Melissa Denecke Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
This month, the twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) took place in Marrakech, Morocco. Here, Prof Melissa Denecke reflects on the letter that Women in Nuclear Global wrote on the occasion of COP21 last year and argues that investing in Nuclear Energy is vital to tackling climate change. Decision-makers across the […]
By Francis Livens Filed Under: All posts, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
Today marks the 30-year anniversary of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl. There are important lessons for governments to learn from the nuclear incidents of the past. The implications of their actions have significant and far-reaching consequences, says Francis Livens, as he reflects on his own experiences of the events during spring 1986. I find it […]
By Barry Marsden Filed Under: Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
Demand for power continues to increase, and without enabling sufficient access to it, we run into serious economic, social and health problems, argues Prof Barry Marsden. EDF Energy has recently announced the plant life extension of four of their Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactors – in Hartlepool, Heysham and Torness. Extending the operating lifetime of these reactors […]
By Julia Mueller Filed Under: Featured, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
We won’t stop Googling our symptoms any time soon, so why aren’t online health information resources more effective? An interdisciplinary study between Computer Science and Health Sciences is trying to answer the question, explains Julia Mueller. The internet is increasingly becoming an important health information source and many people routinely turn to the internet to […]
By Steve Furber Filed Under: All posts, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:
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 […]