Pharmablogology

Is Science Popular?

Scientists often despair at the general lack of scientific understanding by the general public. And to be fair, that understanding is not brilliant, evidenced by regular surveys. I have summarised a snapshot of a series of surveys from across the world below to illustrate the point. Percentage of people getting the right answer to aContinue reading “Is Science Popular?”

… damn lies and statistics

The saying, “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics” is attributed to Mark Twain but may have originated from Benjamin Disraeli. It’s one of those phrases that has been misquoted more times than I can remember because in truth statistics is a branch of mathematics essential to understanding the world. StatisticsContinue reading “… damn lies and statistics”

Old in a young age

The stereotype of people of my age is someone who, when asked to press “any key” on the computer, asks, “where’s the anykey”. I’m not like that. Although my children might smile when I claim to be technically savvy, I like technology and I’m generally the antithesis of a Luddite. Just recently, for example IContinue reading “Old in a young age”

A Plastic Revolution

Plastic and the pollution it causes is in the news. There’s the plastic free challenge and the UK government has set aside £60 million to fight plastic waste. I could not agree with all this more whole heartedly and have tried hard to reduce my personal use of plastic. It’s only when you take timeContinue reading “A Plastic Revolution”

You say 'aluminum,' I say 'aluminium' let's call the whole thing off

News headlines are buzzing over Donald Trump kicking off a trade war. In amongst the smoke and mirrors of politics one thing is very clear, the name of the 13th element is pronounced differently in North America and Europe. In Europe the discussion surrounds US tariffs on steel and ‘aluminium’, while in North America it’sContinue reading “You say 'aluminum,' I say 'aluminium' let's call the whole thing off”

A surprise from old lead piping

I’m having construction work done on my house. The chimney breast in the kitchen is being removed to open out the space, which has turned out to be an arduous and dirty job. There have however, been some interesting surprises. At the back of the chimney breast I found an old water boiler, probably closeContinue reading “A surprise from old lead piping”

New migraine drug hails the future of therapeutic development

If you follow the science sections of the general media, you may have seen reports of a new migraine drug called Erenumab. The drug is not yet on the market but shows promise having just come through the final phases of clinical testing. Erenumab, made by Novartis, is one of several similar drugs being developedContinue reading “New migraine drug hails the future of therapeutic development”

Now is not the time to be complacent about plastic pollution

Some of us are old enough to remember when a polyester suit was fashionable. Although still used in clothing today, polyester has diminished in appeal since the 1970s. There is however, plenty of polyester still around but in a different guise as PET or polyethylene terephthalate which is the major constituent of plastic drinks bottles.Continue reading “Now is not the time to be complacent about plastic pollution”

Hot stuff

A 34-year-old man has ended up in hospital after eating a Carolina Reaper chilli. I have some sympathy because during my first post-doc, I was working in a laboratory at the University of Glasgow where a researcher was extracting capsaicin and some related compounds from chilli peppers. Capsaicin is the chemical that gives chilli itsContinue reading “Hot stuff”

Brain cells and the atomic bomb

Reports appeared in the press recently proclaiming that humans produce new brain cells throughout their lives (for example, The Guardian ). This account appears to contradict previous reports such as in The Conversation and in Discover Magazine Don’t we all wish these scientists could make up their mind (pun intended)? The most recent accounts thatContinue reading “Brain cells and the atomic bomb”