Reading in the news - Wed 21 Feb

International Mother Language Day: BBC Radio Berkshire and Greatest Hits Radio feature an event taking place today (21 Feb) celebrating UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day. The event has been organised by the University’s Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism and is hosted at the Lifespring Church on the Oxford Road, where more than 70 languages are spoken by local residents. Professor Holly Joseph (CeLM) and Eva Karanja (Institute of Education) were both interviewed. Read our news story.

Comet calling: BBC Sky and Night, ITV, GB News, BBC Radio Berkshire and ITV 1 Meridian South Coast provide continued coverage on researchers from the University calling for citizens to photograph the C/2021 S3 PanSTARRS comet. PhD researcher Sarah Watson (Meteorology) is quoted. Further coverage includes: IFL Science, Pedfire, NewsBeezer, phys.org and Wion. Read our news story.

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• Daily Mail mentions a study by the University which found that commercial transatlantic flights could reduce fuel usage if they made better use of fast-moving winds. PhD student Isabel Smith (Meteorology) is also quoted, talking about how climate change is making air turbulence worse. Republished by WhatsNew2Day, World Time Todays, Mahalsa.co.uk and Express Digest.
• The Week provides continued coverage on the University’s involvement in a research programme looking at the accuracy of weather predictions. Professor Rowan Sutton (Meteorology) is quoted.

Food and farming:

• Professor Gunter Kuhnle (Food and Nutritional Sciences) provides comment for an article in Nutrition Insight about the labelling of processed foods. Republished by Food Ingredients.
• The Daily Mail quotes Professor Gunter Kuhnle (Food and Nutritional Sciences) about the levels of nitrates and nitrites in tap water. The article is republished by Web Times, Mahalsa.co.uk and Today Headline.

COVID-19: expert comment on the pandemic

• Inverse republishes an article from The Conversation, co-written by Professor Jane Parker (Food and Nutritional Sciences), about why people lose their sense of smell after having Covid-19.

Other Coverage:

• Sky News spoke to Professor Emeritus Lawrence Harwood (Chemistry) on how long the body would have traces of Novichok in it for.
• Museums Association spoke to Tim Littlewood from the Natural History Museum about the NHM Unlocked project, which will see the creation of a new science and research facility at the University-owned Thames Valley Science Park, subject to planning permission.
• Professor Rosa Freedman (Law) joined BBC Radio 5 Live, discussing the ongoing conflict between Gaza and Israel.
• Café Théologique, hosted by the University Chaplaincy, will be exploring liberation and black theology at its next event in March, Reading Today and Wokingham Today report.
• Inverse quotes Emeritus Professor Paul Luna (Typography and Graphic Communication) on what printing used to look like before the personal computer.  

Alumni:

• Botanist, Mark Spencer, studied at the University of Reading, Garden Illustrated reports.