Sponsor a medical rat for Christmas

As a non-scientist, yet working with science, I still find astonishing some of the developments I have promoted, or come across in daily life. Today, on the Tube in London I saw a charity advertisement suggesting a Christmas gift with a difference - it seems that in Tanzania tuberculosis is a problem and conventional tests are both expensive and time-consuming. The solution appears to be specially trained rats that can be used to sniff out the presence of TB in patients. The cost of providing such a rat to an African hospital is only £15, and provides greater benefits than the usual socks or gloves. Go to www.goodgifts.org if you do not believe me. Science can be jaw-dropping!

Years ago, I wrote an article about a television development that contained the the sentence - 'the first time a rat has come to the aid of a sinking ship'. I am pleased that I am now able to give the phrase another outing!

Sponsor a medical rat for Christmas

As a non-scientist, yet working with science, I still find astonishing some of the developments I have promoted, or come across in daily life. Today, on the Tube in London I saw a charity advertisement suggesting a Christmas gift with a difference - it seems that in Tanzania tuberculosis is a problem and conventional tests are both expensive and time-consuming. The solution appears to be specially trained rats that can be used to sniff out the presence of TB in patients. The cost of providing such a rat to an African hospital is only £15, and provides greater benefits than the usual socks or gloves. Go to www.goodgifts.org if you do not believe me. Science can be jaw-dropping!

Years ago, I wrote an article about a television development that contained the the sentence - 'the first time a rat has come to the aid of a sinking ship'. I am pleased that I am now able to give the phrase another outing!

Pobl y Cwm and Eorpa reach London

One of the issues I have been writing about recently is the effect that devolution has brought to the UK in terms of public policy creation. There are now a number of examples of policies put forward in the devolved areas and then copied by politicians elsewhere. It is a wonderful process for governments because they get the benefit of monitoring implementation of new laws in defined areas, learning lessons and then putting forward their own version of legislation. Until now, keeping fully abreast of the political scene in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales has been a task for public affairs people based in London. This week I had Freesat installed and am now able to know what is being said and done in devolved countries through my ability to watch channels such as BBC Alba in Scotland and S4C in Wales.

Eorpa, a Gaelic current affairs programme from Scotland was this week looking at issues created by S4C's funding in Wales being allocated to the BBC. It was a new experience to see Aled Eirug, a friend and former BBC executive talking in Welsh, with someone providing a voice-over in Gaelic and with an English subtitle. Lets hope that greater access to TV programming from all parts of the UK might serve to benefit the public affairs community in creating greater awareness of what policy areas are up for discussion.

Now an EU within the EU?

Students of modern European history will know that in 1940 - just before the Battle of Britain - there was a proposal that the UK and France should merge into one state. So, today's reports in the media that 'France is drawing up plans to create a breakaway organisation of eurozone countries with its own treaty, parliament and headquarters - a move that could significantly undermine the existing European Union' causes some wry smiles. The 'union within a union' is foreseen as an effective merger between France and Germany. The current financial turmoil is having a real effect on companies' plans for the future and that includes plans for their marketing and PR efforts. Barroso warns that a eurozone crash would wipe off £10 trillion from the European economy. Yet, should the 'union within a union' take place, will Brussels return to the quiet backwater that it used to be? Will lobbyists now be brushing up on their French and German? Certainly, no-one would deny that these are interesting, challenging and deeply worrying times. PS.Interesting to read that the European Court of Auditors has now refused to sign off EU spending for the 17th year.