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Food bank donations surged during the pandemic – but look closely at the data and there’s trouble ahead
Food banks in the UK reported that demand had tripled in March this year as the coronavirus lockdown threw millions out of work. Many food banks faced an urgent need for money to buy extra food and launched appeals through crowdfunding websites. The public response was impressive, with a massiveContinue Reading
National anthems in sport: songs of praise or memorials that are past their use-by date?
International sport has resumed in the UK with the cricket Test match between England and the West Indies. Before play, in addition to a rendition of Jerusalem (the “official hymn” of England cricket), both teams and officals “took a knee” in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. NationalisticContinue Reading
Ten tips for looking after your back while you’re sitting down
Shutterstock/LightField Studios Working from home is challenging. Apart from reduced social interaction and the domestic juggling involved, homes are not usually designed to replicate a workplace environment when it comes to employees’ health. Instead, improvised work stations have become the norm for many people, whether it’s a dining table, aContinue Reading
My new life as a coronavirus tester – a scientist’s story
RossHelen/Shutterstock It was March 2020, and my plans to start a new cancer research project in Boston were called off for the same reason everything else was grinding to a halt: coronavirus. Facing indeterminate months confined to my sofa, I signed up to a call for scientist volunteers circulated byContinue Reading
Kanye for president: the dangerous allure of the celebrity politician
JOHN TAGGART / BLOOMBERG / POOL/EPA Rapper and sometime Trump supporter Kanye West has announced that he will be running for president of the United States. Without the tens of thousands of signatures needed to get on the ballot in all states or the backing of a small party, West’sContinue Reading
Type 2 diabetes: eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables daily lowers risk, study shows
The more fruit and vegetables consumed, the lower the risk. Anna Shkuratova/ Shutterstock Eating about five servings of fruit and vegetables a day is widely promoted as a key part of a healthy diet. This is because consuming fruit and vegetables is linked to lowering the risk of health problemsContinue Reading
Can big countries realistically eliminate COVID-19 without a vaccine? Four experts discuss
The UK should change its COVID-19 strategy to try to eliminate COVID-19 even without a vaccine rather than simply managing the disease, according to Independent SAGE, a group of scientists set up as an alternative to the government’s advisory body. New Zealand has effectively managed to eliminate the virus, butContinue Reading
Is stop and search contributing to the spread of COVID-19 in the UK?
As I was finishing my one-hour walk of the day on the afternoon of June 11 2020, two officers from the Merseyside Police Force stopped me near where I live and work in Liverpool. The men, who were in civilian clothing, identified themselves by showing me their IDs and handcuffs.Continue Reading
Why the press is right to be suspicious of the UK government’s new lobby arrangements
Boris Johnson’s government is committed to introducing “a culture of transparency and openness”. At least, that’s what a government spokesperson said on July 3 when announcing that the regular Downing Street press briefings will become a daily fixture. Who could be against “transparency and openness” – which must be doublyContinue Reading
CERN: physicists report the discovery of unique new particle
A tetraquark. CERN, CC BY-SA The LHCb collaboration at CERN has announced the discovery of a new exotic particle: a so-called “tetraquark”. The paper by more than 800 authors is yet to be evaluated by other scientists in a process called “peer review”, but has been presented at a seminar.Continue Reading