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Dr Dami Collier (UCL Infection & Immunity) co-writes an op-ed questioning the decision of the UK Government to purchase the new 90 minute rapid diagnostic tests when there is no present evidence to show they work. Many of us working in NHS hospitals welcomed the news earlier this week that the government had purchased 90-minute Covid-19 tests.

Professor David Price Vice-Provost (Research) and Pro-Vice-Provost Dr Paul Ayris (UCL Library Services) discuss Open Science and how Covid-19 is driving openness at every stage of research. The Covid-19 pandemic has thrust open science into the spotlight like nothing before. Much of the emphasis has been on access to research papers: preprint servers have received unprecedented attention and publishers have lowered paywalls.

A second COVID-19 peak can be prevented if enough people are tested and traced with schools opening and more people returning to workplaces, finds research co-led by UCL and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). In the study, published today in The  Lancet Child and Adolescent Health the authors used mathematical modelling calibrated to the UK epidemic to explore the impact of combining test-trace-isolate (TTI) strategies with reopening schools and society from September 2020.

Scientists at UCL have discovered new biomarkers, which may identify those people with Type 1 diabetes who would benefit from the immunotherapy drug Abatacept, a finding which could eventually help thousands manage the disease more effectively. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which means it is caused by the body's own immune system attacking healthy body tissues.

National governments have a much greater responsibility for shipping emissions than previously estimated, finds new UCL-led research. Published today, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)'s fourth Green House Gas (GHG) study found that, on average, GHG emissions of global shipping are increasing and are expected to continue to increase under current policy, with emissions hitting an all-time high in 2017.

Our brains have an upper limit on how much they can process at once due to a constant but limited energy supply, according to a new UCL study using a brain imaging method that measures cellular metabolism. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience , found that paying attention can change how the brain allocates its limited energy; as the brain uses more energy in processing what we attend to, less energy is supplied to processing outside our attention focus.

Honorary Research Associate Sir Roland Jackson (UCL Science & Technology Studies) calls for more public recognition of Irish scientist John Tyndall, who worked alongside Louis Pasteur, made discoveries in physics and was an early thinker in the field of climate science. It is surprising that the Irish scientist John Tyndall, born 200 years ago on August 2 1820, is not better known.

Under half (45%) of people in England report having a 'broad understanding' of the current lockdown rules, compared to 90% across the UK during the strict lockdown period, finds UCL's Covid-19 Social Study. Levels in Scotland and Wales have also fallen but are higher than those in England, with reported levels of understanding at 75% and 61% respectively.

The Universe is nearly 10 percent more uniform than predicted, according to new results from the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) co-led by UCL astronomers. The findings, submitted as part of a series of five papers to Astronomy & Astrophysics , suggest that dark matter - which makes up one quarter of the Universe - is more evenly spread than previously thought.

The giant sarsen stones that form the primary architecture of Stonehenge originate from West Woods on the edge of Wiltshire's Marlborough Downs, according to new research involving UCL. While the smaller 'bluestones' near the centre of the monument have been traced to Wales, the origin of the sarsen stones used to construct Stonehenge around 2,500 BC have remained a mystery for over four centuries.

Cannabidiol (CBD) could be a safe and effective treatment for problematic cannabis use, according to new findings from a benchmark clinical trial involving UCL. The study, published today in The Lancet Psychiatry , was the first-ever randomised clinical trial of CBD, a non-intoxicating constituent part of the cannabis plant, for cannabis use disorder.

Published today in the Journal of Medical Internet Research , it is the first study of its kind to examine the links between different internet usage and the associated impacts on mental health, and reveals that those from higher socioeconomic groups are reaping benefits to mental wellbeing not experienced by others.

PhD student Ellen Coombs (UCL Biosciences and Natural History Museum) discusses a new study on 'wonky' whale skulls, explaining that whales have evolved increasingly asymmetrical skulls and discusses the likely reasons for this. Some whales are wonky. You might not know it to look at them, but their skulls are actually incredibly asymmetrical.

An independent review into the deaths of London bus drivers from COVID-19, led by the UCL Institute of Health Equity suggests an earlier lockdown would have saved lives. The review also shows that many of the drivers who died had underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk during the pandemic.

An independent review into the deaths of London bus drivers from COVID-19, led by the UCL Institute of Health Equity suggests an earlier lockdown would have saved lives The review also shows that many of the drivers who died had underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk  greater risk during the pandemic.

A new trial offering digital support to help people reduce their alcohol consumption has been launched by UCL researchers. With the apparent rise in drinking during the UK lockdown, investigators say the iDEAS study is timely. Since January 2016, UK Government guidelines have recommended that both men and women should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week.

A new trial offering online digital support to help people reduce their alcohol consumption has been launched by UCL researchers. With the apparent rise in drinking during the UK lockdown, investigators say the iDEAS study is timely. Since January 2016, UK Government guidelines have recommended that both men and women should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week.

A CT scan technique that splits a full X-ray beam into thin beamlets can deliver the same quality of image at a much reduced radiation dose, according to a new UCL study. The technique, demonstrated on a small sample in a micro CT scanner, could potentially be adapted for medical scanners and used to reduce the amount of radiation millions of people are exposed to each year.

People over 55 who live alone are 30% more likely to develop dementia than those who live with others, according to a new UCL-led study. The systematic review and meta-analysis, published in Ageing Research Reviews , suggests that social isolation could be a greater risk factor for dementia than previously believed.

The first images from Solar Orbiter, a Sun-observing mission by ESA and NASA carrying instruments proposed, designed and built at UCL, reveal omnipresent miniature solar flares near the surface of our closest star. One unique aspect of the Solar Orbiter mission is that no other spacecraft has been able to take images of the Sun's surface from a closer distance.