UCL in the media
Canary Island volcano could cause tsunami
Dr Simon Day (UCL Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction) comments on the possibility of a devastating tsunami caused by an eruption of the 'Cumbre Vieja' volcano on Las Palmas.
Yellow Vest protest spreads to Portugal
Professor Philippe Marlière (UCL School of European Languages, Culture and Society) commented that issues which fuelled the recent 'Gilets jaunes' uprising in France are faced by people "across Europe...poverty, questions of minimum wages, the state of public services."
Professors sound alarm over rise of acupuncture for children
Emeritus Professor David Colquhoun, (UCL Biosciences) casts doubt on the value of acupuncture treatments for babies and young children, saying, "There isn't the slightest bit of evidence to suggest that acupuncture helps anything in children."
Vocabulary test could spot signs of dementia
A computer test devised by Professor Rosemary Varley and Dr Vitor Zimmerer (both UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) could potentially diagnose dementia symptoms with up to 90% accuracy, by analysing how often someone uses common word combinations.
Myths from CSI is ‘causing unfair convictions’
A 2017 study led by Professor Ruth Morgan (UCL Security & Crime Science) found that juries are often unduly influenced by forensic evidence, suggesting that barristers need to be more clear about the limits of forensic science.
Why your friends want you to fail at Dry January
Dr Stephanie Stanton-Fay (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) tells the Mail that people might feel judged if their friends are abstaining from alcohol for Dry January, and may be resistant to provoking longer-lasting changes around drinking habits.
Facebook censorship of Tamil minority
Dr Kate Cronin-Furman (UCL Political Science) criticises Facebook's banning of tributes to members of the Tamil minority who died in Sri Lanka’s civil war and any positive mention of the Tamil rebels, saying this allows the government to impose its own version of events.
How Much Energy Can I Burn by Thinking?
Dr Helen Czerski (UCL Mechanical Engineering), Dr Andrew Pontzen (UCL Physics & Astronomy) and Professor Andrea Sella (UCL Chemistry) talk about the different energy sources used in everyday life.
Listen: BBC World Service 'CrowdScience' (from 1 minute 21 secs)
The Dry January effect
Professor Rajiv Jalan and Dr Gautam Mehta (UCL Institute for Liver & Digestive Health) discuss their research into the health benefits of giving up alcohol for one month.
Read: Wall Street Journal (£), More: Metro, BBC Radio 4 'Inside Science' (from 9 mins 33 secs)
New video urges smokers to switch to vaping
Dr Lion Shahab (UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health) appears in a new Public Health England video demonstrating the disproportionate damage caused by smoking as compared to vaping, in order to encourage tobacco smokers to switch or quit.
Watch: BBC News. Read: Guardian. More: Times, Daily Mail, Mirror, Sun, Independent, Metro