Archive by category | Education

Time to act on vaccination

Vaccination is one of the greatest achievments of modern science. Yet despite accumulating evidence that vaccines are safe, uptake is falling. This month’s (December) superb Editorial in Nature Immunology (9, 1317; 2008) asks why more outbreaks of mumps and measles have occurred this year (2008) in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other Western countries, when both diseases had been almost completely eradicated in the Western hemisphere before the 1990s because of the introduction of the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in 1979.  Read more

Science students need artistic skills

This is the text of a Correspondence from Nature 455, 1175 (2008) by Kenneth R. Jolls of Iowa State University: In your ‘Big data’ issue, Felice Frankel and Rosalind Reid call for an “investment in visual communication training for young scientists” to prepare them for modern methods of data representation (‘Distilling meaning from data’ Nature 455, 30; 2008). But the problem goes deeper than that. Graphic artists who collaborate with scientists have often been shaped by the other of C. P. Snow’s ‘two cultures’. Although well-intentioned, many artists’ understanding of basic science is inadequate for meaningful participation in high-level technical  … Read more

Historical microbiology archive made free to all

In its November Editorial, Nature Reviews Microbiology (6, 794; 2008) reports that the archive of the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM) has been made available free online: a boon for scientists, historians and the public. The Society for General Microbiology publishes IJSEM on behalf of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes of the International Union of Microbiological Societies. The society has now provided funding for the entire back archive of the journal to be made freely available worldwide without a journal subscription. (The current content, or past two years, remains subject to access controls.)  … Read more

Metabolic syndrome: free web focus

Nature Publishing Group has created a web focus ‘Metabolic Syndrome 2008’ — showcasing a collection of original research articles from our academic and clinical practice journals that provide further insight into this global disease. Metabolic syndrome affects nearly 50 million Americans — almost one in four American adults. Approximately seven per cent of adults in their 20s and about 40 per cent of adults over the age of 40 meet the criteria for the syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together and increase the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Having just one of these conditions — increased blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels — contributes to the risk of serious disease and in combination, the risk is even greater.  Read more

Applying systems biology to benefit human health

The hype that greeted the development of systems biology was followed by inevitable disappointment. But in reality, much groundwork has been done and tangible progress is expected. In a Nature Commentary (Nature 455, 730-731; 9 October 2008), Adriano Henney and Giulio Superti-Furga broaden a debate that began at a recent workshop in Portofino, Italy, on the application of systems biology to drug discovery by inviting readers to contribute their ideas. Delegates at Portofino drew up ‘roadmaps’ for three areas: metabolic disorders; cancer; and inflammation and infectious diseases — and are developing them as live documents to monitor progress. To comment on the article and related documents, visit the Nature Network forum ‘Applying systems biology to benefit human health’.  Read more

Nature Geoscience calls for outreach

Life in the twenty-first century requires an understanding of science and technology (see Nature Geoscience 1, 635; 2008) Students, educators and scientists will be celebrating the eleventh annual Earth Science Week from 12 to 18 October, with the theme ‘No child left inside’. The event, organized by the American Geological Institute, aims to bring to life the relevance and importance of the science of the Earth and engender a lifelong interest in the topic.  Read more