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Advanced radiotherapies: What are the challenges and opportunities?

By and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Science and Technology Posted:

Advanced radiotherapies are redefining the kinds of cancer treatment that are possible. These developments are exciting, but they also present new challenges. One challenge for researchers and clinicians is how to support policymakers, tasked with developing treatment and care standards across the NHS. So, what are these new treatments, what do they mean for patient […]

Antifungal resistance – a growing global problem

By Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Science and Technology Posted:

The spread of resistance to antifungal medications has led to many serious infections becoming untreatable, compromising patient safety and posing a global public health threat. The World Health Organisation (WHO) will soon publish its fungal pathogen priority list, highlighting fungi that are already untreatable, and those for which treatment outcomes are poor. In this blog, […]

The Energy Security Strategy: Going nuclear

Francis Livens By Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

The government has today announced plans to build eight new nuclear reactors in the UK, alongside strategies to boost wind, hydrogen, and solar production. These new reactors are intended to improve the UK’s energy self-sufficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as creating thousands of new jobs. In this blog, Professor Francis Livens of […]

Rapid diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections

By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Science and Technology Posted:

The rapid and accurate diagnosis of fungal infections is crucial to effective treatment and ultimately saves lives. Diagnostics are often not widely available in low income countries leading to inappropriate and delayed treatments. This is the case for a serious fungal infection called chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA), and often for other fungal infections associated with […]

Computer robot makes micro chip

Can we use autonomous robotic systems in hazardous environments?

Louise DennisMatt Luckcuck By , and Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

Autonomous systems are becoming increasingly commonplace across all facets of modern life, including hazardous environments, where the choices made by machines have the potential to cause harm or injury to humans. But how well do we understand the decision-making process of artificial intelligence, and how does this affect trust in autonomous systems? In this blog, Professor […]

Psychedelics for mental health: tripping over red tape

By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Science and Technology Posted:

The last decade has seen a new focus on psychedelics as powerful medicines for treating severe mental health issues, including the use of psilocybin for conditions such as PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. However, many of these potentially life-saving treatments, including psilocybin, remain difficult to research due to overly strict drug laws. In this blog, Professor […]

Sustainable engineering – not just engineering for sustainability

By Filed Under: Digital Futures, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

Net zero now forms the heart of policies and strategies across government, from “levelling up” to “build back better”. Combined with the UK’s National Infrastructure Strategy, it is clear that engineering – particularly new technologies such as robotics and AI – has a core role in our decarbonisation efforts. But how green are the technologies […]

Carbon capture and storage: A solution under our noses

By , and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to legally commit to achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. With new evidence of rapid, anthropogenic-induced climate change emerging, it is likely that many climate forecasts have underestimated the speed and extent of climate change. This means that drastic action is needed to both slow […]

Decarbonising heating: flying by the heat of our pants?

By Filed Under: Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference – COP26 – is on the horizon, due to kick off in Glasgow on 1 November. It seems that, despite the socio-economic worries brought on by a global pandemic, heightened societal attention to climate change is here to stay. Now, more than ever, climate change is at the forefront […]

One bin to rule them all: the future of plastic waste?

By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

Despite the success of environmental campaigners in raising awareness of plastic pollution, much of the plastic waste produced in the UK is not recycled. In part, this is due to the complexity of the multiple recycling schemes in place across the country, causing confusion for both the public and waste management companies in terms of […]

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