science wire

Professor Mark Maslin (UCL Geography) lays out two possible futures for the future, one in which the effects of climate change ravage the planet, and one in which we do everything possible to prevent this being the case.

The current Covid-19 crisis in India is the result of an underfunded healthcare system, lack of safety net for those who need to isolate, an unhealthy population, and overconfidence on the part of the political elite, says Dr Vageesh Jain (UCL Institute for Global Health).

Wasps deserve to be just as highly valued as other insects, like bees, due to their roles as predators, pollinators, and more, according to a new review paper led by UCL and University of East Anglia researchers.

Professor Seirian Sumner (UCL Biosciences) explains why wasps deserve to be just as highly valued as other insects, like bees, due to their roles as predators, pollinators, and even an efficient source of protein.

The announcement of taxpayer funding for genomic research signals the UK's intentions in the field of genomic technology, but the path forward will have lasting consequences on how we perceive genome tech in the public space, says PhD candidate Yusef Paolo Rabiah (UCL STEaPP).

We may be seeing the rise of a new authoritarian capitalism shielded from democratic scrutiny, warns Research Associate Laurie Macfarlane (UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose).

Temporary measures introduced in a pandemic panic should have been phased out a long time ago, says Professor Meg Russell (UCL Constitution Unit).

PhD candidate Osnat Katz (UCL Science & Technology Studies) explains what a supermoon is, as well as discussing the mystery of why we sometimes perceive the Moon to be bigger than it actually is.

Over a third of people (34.4%) reported a change in their drinking habits over the last year, and of those nearly half (49.1%) say they are currently drinking more alcohol compared to March/April 2020, find UCL researchers as part of the Covid-19 Social Study.

A new study co-led by UCL is being launched today to follow the outcomes - educational, career and wellbeing - for 12,000 Year 11 students across England to find out how the pandemic has affected them.

With political pressure and smart policy goals, a new sense of the common good could be within reach, says Professor Simon Lewis (UCL Geography).

It is hard to know what is most surprising about the revelation that Russia was behind a Czech depot explosion: the timing, the scale of the Czech response, or the operation itself, says Honorary Professor Mark Galeotti (UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies).

Computers can drive our cars and beat us at chess. What they lack is our ability to know when we don't know, says Dr Steve Fleming (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences).

Emotional recognition technology (ERT) is a growing industry which aims to use AI to detect emotions from facial expressions, but it's controversial and biases can be built into the system, says an article co-authored by Dr Alexandra Albert (UCL Geography). Imagine you are in a job interview. As you answer the recruiter's questions, an artificial intelligence (AI) system scans your face, scoring you for nervousness, empathy and dependability.

Professor Marie Scully (UCL Cardiovascular Science) is interviewed about her about her work identifying a new rare blood clotting syndrome linked to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine & established the correct test & treatments for patients, helping save lives.

UCL researchers will be at the heart of an initiative to bring the best possible expertise to the ethical challenges policy makers face tackling COVID-19.

Paramilitary groups continue to have an influence in Northern Ireland, and questions should focus on why this is the case, instead of denying that they do, say Professor Kristin Bakke and PhD Candidate Kit Rickard (both UCL Political Science).

A build-up of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border could signal an escalation in the conflict between the two nations, and analysing the escalation in 2014 gives clues as to how it might unfold, says PhD Candidate Jakob Hauter (UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies).

There has been a great deal of interest in the report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (Cred), which reviewed pertinent evidence on discrimination in education, the labour market and elsewhere. My focus, unapologetically, is on the health chapter, which prominently cites my own work.

Research into the potential link between the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and blood clots is urgently needed, but the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks even if a causal link is established, says Professor David Werring (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology).