Forty Reasons to Act. Five Minutes to do it.

The Science Action Network, which includes Speaking of Research, have been working hard to help dispel some of the animal rights myths across the web. Thanks to your help we have rebalanced many of the online discussions about animal research, for example, in the Independent (UK national newspaper) there was a poorly constructed argument about … Continue reading Forty Reasons to Act. Five Minutes to do it.

BBC Science Club Puts Animal Research in the Spotlight

The BBC recently launched a new TV show called Dara O Briain's Science Club. Dara O Briain is a popular Irish comedian and has been pursuing his interest in science by hosting a show discussing science (on BBC2). UK viewers can watch the full episode on iPlayer for free. In episode 1 Dara O Briain … Continue reading BBC Science Club Puts Animal Research in the Spotlight

Lasker Awards 2012: How animal research empowered the pioneers of liver transplantation

As a medical student in 1950 one of my patients was a boy of my age dying of kidney failure and I was instructed to make him comfortable for he would be dead in two weeks. I asked if he could have a graft of a kidney and I was told "no" and then when … Continue reading Lasker Awards 2012: How animal research empowered the pioneers of liver transplantation

Statistically Speaking the UK Counts Too

As Speaking of Research becomes increasingly active both sides of the pond we have had an increase in visitors wishing to find UK based statistics. They can now rest assured that such information is available on the UK Statistics page (subsection of Facts). As a result we have renamed our US Statistics page (although the … Continue reading Statistically Speaking the UK Counts Too

Public Opinion and the Importance of Transparency in the UK

The UK has a long history of animal rights activism and many might expect the public to be a difficult crowd to win over. However over the years the British public have expressed overwhelming support for the use of animal experiments for medical purposes. In 2010 90% were conditional acceptors (that is agreeing with medical … Continue reading Public Opinion and the Importance of Transparency in the UK

ScienceWhiskers tells the story of the mighty mouse

ScienceWhiskers is a blog dedicated to the “scientific contributions of the mouse.” The blogger, highlights a wide range of topics. Recent examples include how the brain controls eating behavior to a study that may point the way to a male contraceptive pill. It’s a relatively new blog. An entry dated August 10, 2012 welcomes readers … Continue reading ScienceWhiskers tells the story of the mighty mouse

PeTA tries to save face… and fails.

During the past month the University of Wisconsin responded to an aggressive media campaign by PeTA suggesting photos of animal studies they obtained are “proof” of violations of the Animal Welfare Act. PeTA filed complaints with the USDA and the National Institutes of Health demanding an investigation.  The university responded point-by-point to PeTA complaint stating … Continue reading PeTA tries to save face… and fails.

What Happens When Things Go Wrong?

A front-page story in Sunday’s Sacramento Bee, “UC Davis researcher suspended over animal care allegations,” is depressing reading for those of us who care about the importance of animal research. When animals are used in research, it has to be done the right way: humanely, thoughtfully, and following all the appropriate regulations. The hopeful side … Continue reading What Happens When Things Go Wrong?