Sea change heralds big freeze
A giant belt of moving water that dictates the climate of Britain and northern Europe has slowed down by 20 per cent since 1950, confirming fears that the UK could be in for a big freeze. The findings were presented today at the British Association science festival at Glasgow University by oceanographer Sarah Hughes, from the FRS Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen.
Mad cow disease threatens the North
People living in the north of England and Scotland are more than twice as likely to get the human form of mad cow disease, the BA festival heard. James Ironside of the vCJD Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh said that new research suggested the disease, which has killed more than 100 people in the UK, is no longer in a steady state.
Launch of chatroom for visually impaired
The Scottish sensory centre at Edinburgh University has launched Britain’s first secure online chatroom for visually impaired children. It is text-only but the centre hopes to upgrade to a voice system.
Chopsticks in running for green prize
A new design of chopstick which could avoid the destruction of trees, and proposals to generate electricity from road traffic noise, are among the ideas vying for the annual environmental prize sponsored by St Andrews University and Conoco.