Reading in the news - Mon 1 Mar

COVID-19: expert comment on the pandemic 

• Dr Simon Clarke (Biological Sciences) spoke to ITV News, BBC Radio 5 Live, LBC Radio and XFM about the Brazilian variant of concern; the Daily Mail, FR24 and Yahoo News about evidence vaccines do prevent the spread of the coronavirus; France 24 about the vaccine rollout in Europe; CTV News in Canada about vaccine passports; the Express about vaccines being potentially less effective against new variants; and BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester and BBC Radio West Midlands about the UK vaccine rollout.
• Professor Ian Jones (Biological Sciences) is quoted by the Daily Mail, Channel News Asia and US News on the future of Covid-19 vaccines.
• BBC Politics on BBC One interviewed Professor Helen Dodd (Psychology) about the open letter written to the Education Secretary on behalf of a group of researchers, urging him to let children enjoy the summer holidays.
• Professor Avril Maddrell (GES) is quoted by the International New York Times about memorials to the victims of the pandemic.
• This is Local London quotes Professor Adrian Palmer (Henley Business School) on the economic impact of Reading Festival not going ahead last year due to the pandemic.

#WeAreTogether: Reading’s work to tackle the coronavirus crisis

• The Independent runs a feature describing a person’s experience of lockdown, including them discovering the University’s Harris Gardens, which have remained open to members of the public for their daily exercise.

Historic weather records:

• The Guardian’s Weather Watch feature reports on research by Professor Anne Lawrence-Mathers (History), showing weather observations were being made as early as the 9^th century.
• The Times’ Weather Eye column describes a fierce 1903 storm using volunteer records digitised by the Rainfall Rescue project led by Professor Ed Hawkins (Meteorology). Read our news story.

Other coverage

• Professor Hannah Cloke (GES) is quoted by the Financial Times on reducing the threat of flooding in waterside properties.
• Insider Media reports the involvement of the University in a new flooding research group awarded NERC funding. Read our news story.
• Wokingham Today reports on the talks between the University and Wokingham Borough Council over using University-owned land to deliver new homes. Read our news story.
• The Telegraph reports on academics that have faced complaints over their research, and mentions criticism faced by a Reading academic as well as quoting the University on its defence of academic freedom.
• BBC Radio Cambridgeshire interviewed Professor Andrew Glennerster (Psychology) about how 3D glasses fool the brain.
• BBC Radio Berkshire interviewed Dr Anna Macready (Agriculture) on new research showing consumers want a new traffic lights system on food packaging to show how sustainable they are. Read our news story.
• BBC Radio Berkshire interviewed local author Clare Rees on a project encouraging schoolchildren to write about the history of objects, in the latest in a series of interviews on the Museum of English Rural Life’s 51 Voices project to celebrate its 70^th anniversary. Read our news story.
• Tech Xplore quotes Professor David Oderberg (Philosophy) in a story about someone seemingly receiving an email off a friend who had died.
• Komentare uses the climate stripes for Slovakia to show how the country will change due to climate change.
• Today Headline quotes Dr David Ferreira (Meteorology) on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation weakening.
• IQ Stock Market reports on the side hustle craze, referencing Henley Business School research on their benefits.
• An English seminar series for high school students in Croydon co-run by the University is reported by the Surrey Comet.