UCL in the media
A week in US Politics
Reverend Professor Keith Magee (UCL Political Science) discusses the unification of the Republican Party behind Donald Trump and concerns about Joe Biden in the Democrat camp.
Increasing number of underweight bats
Professor Kate Jones (UCL Biosciences) said: “British bats all rely on insects to eats, so they may not be finding enough to eat in the last few months and over the wet winter”.
Biden exits US presidential election race
Professor Iwan Morgan (UCL Institute of the Americas) comments on Biden’s unprecedented decision to exit the presidential race. He said: “No Presidential candidate since 1972 has achieved a majority of delegates going into the convention”.
Listen: BBC 5 Live ‘Stephen Nolan’ (from 2 hr, 54 min, 11 sec)
What the facts
Professor Jacqueline McGlade (UCL Institute for Global Prosperity) explains why penguins have black and white feathers to camouflage when they’re swimming.
Listen: BBC Hereford & Worcester (from 2 hr, 10 min, 24 sec)
Starmer is too soft on business, says top economist
Labour has adopted Professor Mariana Mazzucato's (UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose) idea of state-led ‘missions’ for the economy but she believes bosses should not get taxpayer support without something in return.
Is Biden’s re-election bid rapidly approaching its end?
Senior Democrat leaders are accustomed to strong-arming their subordinates into compliance, but Joe Biden is not someone who can be easily bossed around and clearly feels he's earned the right to the nomination, says Dr Thomas Gift (UCL Political Science).
Outcry over severity of Just Stop Oil sentences
“The judge’s characterisation of climate breakdown as a matter of opinion and belief is completely nonsensical and demonstrates extraordinary ignorance," says Professor Bill McGuire (UCL Earth Sciences) on the sentencing of five Just Stop Oil activists this week.
How CrowdStrike caused massive Microsoft outage
"What's happened here, almost certainly, is not malicious, it's a series of unfortunate accidents," says Professor Steven Murdoch (UCL Computer Science) on the major global IT outage today.
Rugby player concussions increase blood changes linked to motor neurone disease
On a study that suggests rugby players who suffer multiple concussions have biological differences to make them more prone to developing MND, Dr Amanda Heslegrave (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) says she would want to see a much bigger study before drawing conclusions.
JD Vance VP pick represents confidence in the Trump camp
"Vance may help secure the swing state of Ohio, but Trump already won there in both 2016 and 2020. This is largely Trump doubling down on his MAGA, populist nationalism," says Dr Thomas Gift (UCL Political Science).