Phage therapy – a case of science fiction preceding fact
Phages were trialled as antimicrobial treatments in the 1920s against plague and cholera
Lydia Shackleton botanical paintings illustrate blossoming for women
Collection commissioned in 19th century a notable moment for women’s opportunities
How the Suez Canal facilitated an unexpected revolution
The man-made channel has enabled marine life to migrate from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean
The needle . . . and the good work done
Before the arrival of the hypodermic syringe nearly all medicine had to arrive by mouth
The science of the calorie
The measure of heat energy was not translated to food until the end of the 19th century
Should Ireland consider compulsory vaccination against Covid-19?
At least half the population will need vaccination to stop coronavirus spread
Ireland’s first dog show: A £5,000 dog and a ‘perpetual growl’
The 19th century saw new breeding methods and growing enthusiasm for pets
Lessons of history: What diet says about who we are
The Great Famine led to much soul searching about ‘good’ food versus ‘bad’
Facial expressions and what they really mean
Converting emotions into quantifiable physical signs fascinated Darwin and it’s still a fascination for scientists
What do our yellow Covid-19 signs say about us?
Ireland’s approach to posters has changed a lot since 19th-century cholera outbreak
Look to lichens for dating with a difference
The growth rate of this useful organism helps determine the age of the surface it grows on
Practices of livestock farming are a global health issue
If we crowd animals together in large numbers to feed ourselves we maintain a high risk from emergent zoonotic disease
Four traits you need to ride out the pandemic, Shackleton style
In order of importance: optimism, then patience, next idealism and lastly courage
Coronavirus: The misguided search for ‘patient zero’
The danger is that, like in the past, the person will become a scapegoat for all our fears
Germs, germs everywhere
What will happen where trust in science is not a central part of wider culture?