171 posts · 90,883 views
I am a freelance science writer based in Cambridge, England, I trained as a chemist and am a chartered member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Currently I write for several magazines and websites on science, technology and medicine, covering everything from astronomy to zoology, by way of biomedicine, nanotechnology and browser wars.
Sciencebase Science Blog
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Sciencetext
47 posts
SciScoop Science Forum
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SpectroscopyNOW ezine
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Reactive Reports Chemistry Blog
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- March 11, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 32 views
Are you scummy froth or riding the business waves?
by David Bradley in Sciencetext
It’s perhaps an obvious statement perhaps needing only one word to qualify it – successful business sells. As an allegedly going concern, if you’re not selling your products or services, then you’re not likely to remain viable for very long. It seems to be too easy for companies to be distracted from this mantra by [...]Post from: David Bradley's Sciencetext Tech TalkAre you scummy froth or riding the business waves?
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David Smallman. (2010) Without instructions or orders, there is no business. Int. J. Liability and Scientific Enquiry, 3(3), 179-182. info:/
- March 10, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 44 views
Whatever happened to the audiophile?
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
Back in the 1970s my parents had friends who had stacks of hi-fi separates with gold contact wiring and speaker stands on metal spikes. They were only playing Perry Como on vinyl, but that was their idea of fun, so good luck to them. When the CD emerged on to the market with its claims [...]Whatever happened to the audiophile? is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
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Jerald Hughes. (2009) Emergent quality standards for digital entertainment experience goods: the case of consumer audio. Int. J. Services and Standards, 5(4), 333-353. info:/
- March 9, 2010
- 05:30 AM
- 46 views
Baclofen against alcohol dependency
by David Bradley in SciScoop Science Forum
A marketing rep from GQ magazine emailed me today offering a story (an anecdotal tale) of an (ex)alcoholic who had tried the 12-step program and then discovered baclofen and is apparently cured. It’s certainly an intriguing thought: pop a pill, eradicate alcoholic cravings and dependency. The feature article, from a quick read through, is well [...]... Read more »
Leggio L, Garbutt JC, & Addolorato G. (2010) Effectiveness and safety of baclofen in the treatment of alcohol dependent patients. CNS , 9(1), 33-44. PMID: 20201813
- March 4, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 48 views
Forensic saliva test within spitting distance
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
The latest issue of SpectroscopyNOW is online. This week I cover everything from MRI for testicular cancer to egg-shaped carbon balls by way of energy molecules, copper proteins, secret writing, first up a forensic test for distinguishing saliva deposits from other substances at a crime scene:
Non-destructive spit test – Raman spectroscopy can identify samples of [...]Forensic saliva test within spitting distance is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
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Virkler, K., & Lednev, I. (2010) Forensic body fluid identification: The Raman spectroscopic signature of saliva. The Analyst, 135(3), 512. DOI: 10.1039/b919393f
- March 3, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 73 views
Hacking your online identity
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
Geo-location services are very useful, helping you find a post office, ATM, decent restaurant, or hooking up with friends. They are commonly used in conjunction with smart phones and other mobile devices that ping your location (based on network coordinates or the global positioning system, GPS) back to the owner of a given system.
Location-based services [...]Hacking your online identity is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
... Read more »
T. Martin, C. Durbin, M. Pawlewski, & D. Parish. (2010) Future vision of identity. Int. J. Liability and Scientific Enquiry, 3(1/2), 86-98. info:/
- February 24, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 88 views
How to fix Wikipedia
by David Bradley in Sciencetext
The introduction of so-called Flagged Revisions on the infamous online information repository, Wikipedia, do not go far enough to allow the site to mature into an accurate and wholly verifiable Internet resource. Instead, the adoption of more traditional values is the only way forward, argue Australian information experts.
Wikipedia is a user-produced online encyclopedia and, since [...]Post from: David Bradley's Sciencetext Tech TalkHow to fix Wikipedia
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Lichtenstein, S., & Parker, C. (2009) Wikipedia model for collective intelligence: a review of information quality. International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 5(3/4), 254. DOI: 10.1504/IJKL.2009.031199
- February 17, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 66 views
Interview with David J Newman (Pt. II)
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
This is Part II of the unabridged transcript of an interview with Dr David Newman, Chief at the Natural Products Branch of the NCI in Maryland. The interview was conducted for a new quarterly newsletter – Chemistry Matters. You can read Part I in which Dr Newman discussed how natural products can lead to novel [...]Interview with David J Newman (Pt. II) is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
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Newman, D. (2008) Natural Products as Leads to Potential Drugs: An Old Process or the New Hope for Drug Discovery?. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 51(9), 2589-2599. DOI: 10.1021/jm0704090
- February 15, 2010
- 10:00 AM
- 64 views
Prostate problem probed
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
Pinpointing prostate problems – The chemical cousin of magnetic resonance imaging, MR spectroscopy, could be used to pinpoint the exact location of prostate cancers and to determine the aggressiveness of a tumour without major surgical intervention, according to research published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
“Magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy which can analyse the biochemistry rather [...]Prostate problem probed is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
... Read more »
Wu, C., Jordan, K., Ratai, E., Sheng, J., Adkins, C., DeFeo, E., Jenkins, B., Ying, L., McDougal, W., & Cheng, L. (2010) Metabolomic Imaging for Human Prostate Cancer Detection. Science Translational Medicine, 2(16), 16-16. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3000513
- February 12, 2010
- 06:45 AM
- 84 views
Summer born lucky are born rich
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
If you want to feel lucky in life, make sure you are born to well-off parents and don’t worry about whether you’re birthday is in the summer or winter.
In 2005, well-known psychologist Richard Wiseman and his colleagues surveyed 30,000 people via the internet to see if there is a relationship between the season in which [...]Summer born lucky are born rich is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
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CHOTAI, J., & WISEMAN, R. (2005) Born lucky? The relationship between feeling lucky and month of birth. Personality and Individual Differences, 39(8), 1451-1460. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2005.06.012
Gerd Grözinger. (2010) Born lucky – or just lucky to be born rich? A note. Int. J. Public Policy, 5(4), 430-435. info:/
- February 11, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 80 views
There’s a tweeting emergency
by David Bradley in Sciencetext
If you join Twitter in response to a major emergency situation, you’re more likely to become a long-term adopter of the technology. Many early users shared nothing more than the minutiae of their everyday lives on the personal micro-blogging service. However, the Mumbai Taj Hotel terrorist attack, the Hudson River plane crash, California wildfires, Australian [...]Post from: David Bradley's Sciencetext Tech TalkThere’s a tweeting emergency
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Amanda Lee Hughes, & Leysia Palen. (2009) Twitter adoption and use in mass convergence and emergency events. Int. J. Emergency Management, 6(3/4), 248-260. info:/
- February 4, 2010
- 03:51 AM
- 134 views
Forty years of hackers at the movies
by David Bradley in Sciencetext
There are two definitions of “hacker” the first is the one we geeks mean when we call someone a hacker – a person skilled in using technology, particularly computers, who enjoys understanding the inner workings of that technology, perhaps for personal education. The second is the colloquial definition that refers to someone engaged in breaking [...]Post from: David Bradley's Sciencetext Tech TalkForty years of hackers at the movies
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Damian Gordon. (2010) Forty years of movie hacking: considering the potential implications of the popular media representation of computer hackers from 1968 to 2008. Int. J. Internet Technology and Secured Transactions, 2(1/2), 59-87. info:/
- February 3, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 107 views
Science based risk assessment
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
Ask people why the enter the lottery and they will usually tell you that “you’ve got to be in it to win it”. As far as it goes that’s true, but it still doesn’t get around the odds of you picking the right numbers being vanishingly (although not quite homeopathically) small at 14 million to [...]Science based risk assessment is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
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Terje Aven. (2009) A new scientific framework for quantitative risk assessments. Int. J. Business Continuity and Risk Management, 1(1), 67-77. info:/
- January 26, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 98 views
You and your ugly avatar
by David Bradley in Sciencetext
More and more people have an online presence in virtual worlds, such as Second Life, in which their persona is encapsulated in an “avatar”, an often three-dimensional model or character meant to represent you as an individual. Of course, on the internet no one knows you’re a dog, so you can make your avatar look [...]Post from: David Bradley's Sciencetext Tech TalkYou and your ugly avatar
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O'Brien, L., & Murnane, J. (2009) An investigation into how avatar appearance can affect interactions in a virtual world. International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing, 1(2), 192. DOI: 10.1504/IJSHC.2009.031007
- January 19, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 117 views
Mobile marketing versus spam
by David Bradley in Sciencetext
I just received an intriguing research paper entitled: “Spamming and mobile marketing: get it right”. Now to many users the notion that there is a nice balance to be made between spam and marketing is a nonsense. All marketing, they feel, is essentially spam, junk mail, unsolicited solicitations, if you will.
The author of the paper, [...]Post from: David Bradley's Sciencetext Tech TalkMobile marketing versus spam
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Ong, R. (2010) Spamming and mobile marketing: get it right. International Journal of Intercultural Information Management, 2(1), 55. DOI: 10.1504/IJIIM.2010.030710
- January 18, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 119 views
Indian urban wetland heavy metal
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
A study of heavy metal contaminants in the urban lakes of India, particularly around Bangalore have revealed that attempts at mitigation meant to remove these pollutants have not so far worked and may not be a long-term remedy for the problem. I’ve provided more detail on the analysis in the Atomic ezine on SpectroscopyNOW this [...]Indian urban wetland heavy metal is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
... Read more »
Aboud S. Jumbe, & N. Nandini. (2009) Heavy Metals Analysis and Sediment Quality Values in Urban Lakes. American Journal of Environmental Sciences, 5(6), 678-687. info:/
- January 15, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 147 views
Alcoholic drug discovery truths
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
As with much of medical science, the appearance of a fascinating research paper and an accompanying press release do not usually mean that a new pharmaceutical intervention, a medicine, is ready to be prescribed to patients on the very day that the paper appears. The drug discovery, research, and testing processes are much more long-winded [...]Alcoholic drug discovery truths is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
... Read more »
Perez-Miller, S., Younus, H., Vanam, R., Chen, C., Mochly-Rosen, D., & Hurley, T. (2010) Alda-1 is an agonist and chemical chaperone for the common human aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 variant. Nature Structural . DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1737
- January 14, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 172 views
How enzymes don’t work
by David Bradley in Reactive Reports Chemistry Blog
The late, great Linus Paul, twice Nobel laureate (chemistry and peace) and advocate of mega doses of vitamin C for beating disease and extending life (he died at the ripe old age of 93) was one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century.
He worked out how nature’s catalysts, proteins known as enzymes, speed [...]... Read more »
Simón, L., & Goodman, J. (2009) Enzyme Catalysis by Hydrogen Bonds: The Balance between Transition State Binding and Substrate Binding in Oxyanion Holes. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1021/jo901503d
- January 13, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 167 views
A chance for homeopathy
by David Bradley in SciScoop Science Forum
There is a chance that homeopathy might work. It’s a small chance. In fact, it’s so small that it’s at least as dilute as the remedies “practitioners” use.
The odds of finding a single particle of sulfur in homeopathic “sulfur” are a staggering 6 x 1023 to 1. That’s “6-with-23-zeroes-after-it” to 1 against:
600,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 to 1 against.
Even [...]... Read more »
Ernst, E. (2010) Homeopathy, a “helpful placebo” or an unethical intervention?. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 31(1), 1-1. DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2009.10.005
- January 12, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 143 views
Chemophobia and risk
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
As a chemist by training, I’ve always been loath to give credence to unfounded criticism of synthetic chemicals that might stoke up chemophobia. Indeed, on several occasions I have written about how our bodies have evolved to cope with all kinds of chemicals regardless of whether they are synthetic or “natural”. I’ve never been a [...]Chemophobia and risk is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
... Read more »
Sarigiannis, D., Gotti, A., Reale, G., & Marafante, E. (2009) Reflections on new directions for risk assessment of environmental chemical mixtures. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 13(3/4), 216. DOI: 10.1504/IJRAM.2009.030697
- January 7, 2010
- 08:00 AM
- 142 views
Scientists torn between cash and kudos
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
With ailing banks propped up by billions in taxpayers’ money and nations rolling through the mud of economic recession is it any surprise that we get mightily frustrated to hear of their enormous bonuses and golden pension pots? Of course not… But, here’s a thought…
As the lines drawn between commercial and academic research become increasingly [...]Scientists torn between cash and kudos is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog
... Read more »
Rose H.C. Wong, & Robert Westwood. (2010) The public good vs. commercial interest: research scientists in search of an accommodation. Int. J. Learning and Change , 4(1), 77-97. info:/
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