US shutdown; Nobels; New climate science; Airport heart attack headlines
Oct 10, 2013
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Experts discuss the US government shutdown's impact on science projects and the significance of Nobel Prizes. Butterfly collections reveal climate change insights, while studies debunk misleading headlines on health risks near airports.
US government shutdown hinders scientific research and impacts federal scientists, intramural researchers, and contractors.
Butterfly collections from 19th century Natural History Museum show climate change impact on species emergence patterns.
Deep dives
Impact of U.S. Government Shutdown on Scientific Research
The U.S. government shutdown significantly affected scientific research, particularly for federal scientists, intramural researchers, and contractors. Federal scientists faced restrictions on their work, while researchers in universities could continue their projects if funding was secured. Contractors at major federal research labs faced uncertainty, relying on alternative funding sources which could impact research timelines.
Implications of Delayed Funding and Halting of Research Projects
The delay in funding due to the shutdown had varying impacts on different areas of science. Clinical research at the National Institutes of Health faced setbacks, with new patients being turned away from cutting-edge treatments. Disruptions were seen in radio telescopes, NASA projects, and CDC monitoring activities, potentially leading to data waste and disruptions in scientific progress.
Butterfly Collections and Climate Tracking
Butterfly collections from the 19th century at the Natural History Museum were digitized to track phenology and study butterfly emergence. The old collections revealed changes in emergence dates due to warming temperatures. Research showed that historical emergence dates advanced with warmer temperatures, suggesting an impact of climate change on butterfly schedules. Digitization efforts aim to provide a baseline for future climate research by analyzing long-term data of species emergence patterns.
The US has shut down government science with potentially devastating results for American and international science projects. Many individual scientists are banned from talking but Matt Hourihan from the American Association for the Advancement of Science tells Dr Adam Rutherford about the serious consequences of the political squabble.
Roland Pease gives the low down on this week's Nobel Prizes including the much anticipated Physics gong for Peter Higgs' for his eponymous boson.
Marnie Chesterton reports on the new iCollections at the Natural History Museum where butterflies collected 150 years ago are shedding new light on the changing British climate.
And after studies this week linked cardiovascular disease to aircraft noise, Kevin McConway, Professor of Applied Statistics at the Open University quantifies the risks of complex science being distorted by simple headlines.
Producer: Fiona Hill.
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