Reading in the news - Tue 17 Sep

Future of Farming: Professor Donal O’Sullivan (Crop Science) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about how the changing climate is impacting farming of crops in the UK, and why diversification of crops will help protects farmers against climate events. The conversation is part of the station's "Future of Farming Week" coverage. 

Professor Simon Mortimer (Agriculture) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about research going on at the University to understand how meat and dairy farming can be made more sustainable.

BBC Radio Berkshire also mentioned that one of its reporters will be speaking to experts from the University of Reading about how llamas living in the area might revolutionise vaccine development.

Contrail avoidance is beneficial for climate: Phys.org reports on new research co-authored by Professor Nicolas Bellouin (Meteorology) which has found that that rerouting flights to avoid contrails does reduce aviation's climate impact. Republished by Archynewsy, World Today News, Manufacturing.net, MSN, Science Daily and Mirage News.  Read our news story.

Health and wellbeing:

• Professor Gunter Kuhnle (Food and Nutritional Sciences) talks to MailOnline, looking at the ingredients in new weight-loss pills being marketed by Kourtney Kardashian. Republished by Mahalsa UK.
• BBC Radio Berkshire and BBC Radio Oxford featured Dr Simon Clarke (Biomedical Sciences) discussing the expected surge in flu cases this winter, and flu vaccines for children.

Food and farming:

• MailOnline report on the dirt-eating trend going viral on TikTok, with Professor Gunter Kuhnle (Food and Nutritional Sciences) warning about the potential dangers. Republished by Mix931.iHeart, Kiss983.iHeart and Kisscleveland.iHeart.
• Seed World reports that Reading has won part of £3 million of Defra funding to develop climate-resilient legumes.

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• BBC Radio 4 interviewed Professor Richard Allan (Meteorology) about the weather systems causing flash floods in central Europe, and how climate change is making these events worse.
• Actual News Magazine quotes Professor Hannah Cloke (Geography/Meteorology) who describes the extreme rainfall from Storm Boris as so intense that rainfall maps exceeded their colour scales and switched to white.
• ScienceAlert, republished by Yahoo! News, quotes Dr Laura Wilcox (Meteorology) on new research which warns that nearly 75% of the world’s population could experience significant increases in extreme weather events within the next 20 years. Also featured on Futurezone and One Green Planet. Read our news story.
• A Reuters fact-check article quotes Dr Matt Patterson (Meteorology), who says that the cooler summer this year still fits with the ongoing trend of a warming climate.

Other Coverage:

• The Print and Archaeology Magazine report on a study led by Professor Mary Lewis (Archaeology) which finds that ice age adolescents reached puberty at a similar age to modern teens. Published in the Journal of Human Evolution, the study explores the social and health conditions of the ice age. The findings are also republished by MSN, Mirage News and Yahoo! News. Read our news story.
• Reading Today reports that plans to reduce speed limits to 20mph around the University of Reading area are moving closer to reality after two years of development.
• Fabula (French) highlights a presentation by Dr Jeremy Burchardt (History) at the upcoming event, Breaking New Grounds: Democratizing Gardens and Gardening in Great Britain, 19th-20th centuries.

Alumni:

• Suara Indonesian highlights Nadia Mulya's educational background, noting that she studied International Management at the University of Reading. She later returned to the University to pursue a Master of Science in International Management.
• Financial Trust reports that Mr Chris Ofikulu, newly appointed to the board of Polaris Bank, has received training from Henley Business School in Leadership and Corporate Governance.