Chris Baraniuk

The war in Ukraine has spurred people to consider putting vital infrastructure underground.

Improved air quality in London in recent years has been associated with a measurable improvement in lung function among primary school children who live there, a new study concludes.1 Researchers tracked the lung function of thousands of children over a four year period after the introduction of London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) in April 2019. At the start of the study, breathing tests showed that primary school children in London had smaller lungs and worse lung function than counterparts in nearby Luton, which is located outside ULEZ. But by the end of the study period the London group had, on average, largely “caught up” with the Luton group, said the researchers. “The fact that we have seen this recovery, it’s remarkable,” said Ian Mudway, senior lecturer in the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, referring, in contrast, to studies that show how smokers typically fail to regain some of their lung function even years after quitting. …

An unprecedented summer surge in cases of cyclosporiasis, a foodborne, diarrhoea causing disease, has now affected almost every US state, according to health authorities in the country. More than 15 700 laboratory confirmed cases have been counted to date, said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), far higher than the annual average of roughly 3000.12 A further 11 841 cases of cyclosporiasis may require further investigation, the CDC said. Only Delaware, New Mexico, and Hawaii are yet to report any cases of the illness, which has emerged across the US and Puerto Rico. There have been 828 people admitted to hospitals and two deaths. The latest states to have been affected are Maine and Massachusetts in the northeastern US. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has blasted the current US administration’s “calamitous” …

The fear of hacking has made some people turn to other forms of technology ignored by new generations of cyber criminals.

NHS England has said it is not unlawful to access patients’ data for “legitimate and appropriate work purposes” in updated guidance to staff, a move welcomed by the BMA. Last month NHS England chief executive Jim Mackey warned staff that they could be sacked or even sent to prison for improper access to such records. Mackey said looking at patient data for personal reasons or out of curiosity was “wholly unacceptable, a disgraceful breach of patient trust and against the law.”1 However, after the initial publication of guidance in this vein, …

An NHS trust in northern England has become embroiled in controversy and confusion over how it has staffed doctor shifts at Arrowe Park Hospital in Birkenhead. In a response to a freedom of information (FOI) request published earlier this month Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said that nurse consultants had covered dozens of emergency medicine registrar shifts in both 2024-25 and 2025-26.1 The cited shifts covered by nurse consultants added up to more than 100 in total. Cardiology and respiratory nurse consultants also conducted post-take ward rounds allocated by the acute physician of the day, the trust said. These details appeared to contradict another FOI response from July, in which the trust had denied that nurse consultants covered medical registrar shifts in 2024-25 and …

The passing of the celebrated singer is a reminder of not just a legendary artist but a stalwart supporter of medicine and science, writes Chris Baraniuk Just before noon local time on 21 October 2013,1 a car entering an intersection in Nashville, Tennessee, crashed into an SUV. Sitting in the passenger seat of that SUV was Dolly Parton.2 Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt, and the legendary country singer experienced only minor injuries. What happened next arguably changed the course of her life and, quite likely, helped to save the lives of many others. Because it was later that day, during treatment for her injuries at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre (VUMC), that Parton met the surgeon Naji Abumrad. They became friends, and when the covid-19 pandemic erupted roughly seven years later, Parton donated $1m towards the development of Moderna’s mRNA based vaccine, in honour of her medical pal.3 VUMC researchers were involved in the jab’s development.4 Parton died this week at the age of 80, after a cancer …

A string of failures has sapped confidence that robots will take over production at pizza restaurants.

A child has been confirmed to have died of measles by the coroner of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania—the first such death in Pennsylvania for 35 years.1 It follows intense scrutiny over the case, in which US health officials sought to downplay reports that two recent infant deaths in the county were caused by the disease. Stephen Diamantoni, Lancaster County coroner, told The BMJ that the death of a six week old girl on 18 August was “caused by measles.” The girl also had Amish lethal microcephaly. “The average life expectancy with this condition is 4 to 6 months of age. Because of the compromised state of these children many die of respiratory infections,” Diamantoni said. He first confirmed to US media at the weekend that measles had caused the girl’s death.2 US health secretary Robert F Kennedy …

Long-standing Irish place names hark back to a world alive with cranes, wolves and eagles. Now these old names are piquing the interest of nature-lovers and ecologists.