Reading in the news - Thu 13 Mar

Loddon Garden Village: BBC, BBC Radio Berkshire and Greatest Hits Radio reported that Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor, discussed the development of a new garden village with 4,000 homes to address the housing crisis. Also reported by Yahoo News, Translogistics, BBC Radio Berkshire and UK Property Forums. From our news story: Consultation begins on new garden village for Wokingham.

Lessons from the PG chimpanzee: A new study reported by Mail Online explores the life of celebrity chimp Choppers, who appeared in adverts for PG Tips tea, offering insights into zoo evolution and animal welfare. Also reported by multiple other sources, including Irish News, Bury Times, Malvern Gazette, Dorset Echo, Cambridge Independent, Worcester News, AOL, Daily Mail, The Independent, Warrington Guardian, Lancashire Telegraph, Evening News 24, Oxford Mail, News and Star, Yahoo News, The Standard, inkl, MSN, The Herald, Glasgow Times, The Press, and  Bucks Free Press. From our news story: PG Tips chimp had troubled childhood bones study shows.

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• NewScientist and AZoCleantech reports on Professor Richard Allan's (Meteorology) study, which found that cloudy areas over oceans reflect less sunlight back to space than before. From our story: Earth's 'dirty mirror' effect is accelerating climate change.
• PC för Alla highlights research from the University where scientists successfully trained an ionic electroactive polymer hydrogel—a jelly-like substance—to play Pong. From our story: Hydrogel brain learns to play pong.
• The Guardian, Daily Record, Grimsby Telegraph, BreakingNews.ie, Echo Live, LBC, Herald Scotland, and other sources feature Dr Alex Lukyanov (University of Reading), who warns that oil  breaks down slowly in water, potentially leading to a severe environmental toll from a recent collision and subsequent spill. See our expert comment: North Sea oil spill environmental impact could be severe

Health and wellbeing

• Popular Science highlights research from the University, which found that jaw movement can disrupt nerve signals responsible for mentally replaying a song. Republished by Yahoo Lifestyle
• The Microbiologist features an international research collaboration, including the University, that has made a breakthrough in developing next-generation polio vaccines. Also reported by Health Medicine.
• Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce reports on the Thames Valley Health and Life Sciences Working Group event, featuring Dr Simon Clarke (Biomedical Sciences) as a guest speaker.
• LADbible reported on a recent study by researchers at the University, which found that periods of silence with a partner can indicate emotional intimacy and a healthy relationship.
• Natural News reported that research from the University found that unhealthy diets can decrease grey matter volume and disrupt neurotransmitter levels in the brain. From our news story: Poor quality diet makes our brains sad.
• Heart Radio Berkshire and Greatest Hits Radio report that data from the University indicated temperatures reached 18.4°C on Sunday, approximately 7°C above the early March average. See our expert comment: Sunny Sunday was among warmest early Spring days.

Food and farming:

• Tyrone Constitution (in print) highlights a new dairy farming project involving the University, which is recruiting farmers to investigate emissions from the sector.
• AgriMidia features research led by Dr Elizabeth Rowe (Agri-Food Economics and Marketing) funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme in partnership with Innovate UK.

Heritage and culture:

• RDG Today highlights that extensive research led by the University has revealed the diverse population of Roman Britain.
• Bundle App reported that researcher Juliette Waterman (formerly Geography and Environmental Science) led a study revealing that medieval red kites scavenged food from human sources. From our news story: Ancient birds of prey lived off menu of medieval waste.

Business and society:

• The Telegraph features Dr Reuven Ziegler (Law), who argues for formal routes for seeking asylum in the UK, citing the Ukrainian refugee application process as a potential model.
• The Conversation carries an article from Professor Holly Joseph and Dr Daisy Powell about social inclusion in libraries.
• STT Info features a study calling for reforms in Tanzania’s social security system, and the research team includes Winnie C. Muangi (Economics).

Other coverage:

• The Tab highlights that the University is among the top 100 universities worldwide for arts and humanities, ranking 92nd—the only non-Russell Group UK university to make the list.
• BBC Radio 4 interviews Dr Stephen Burt (Meteorology), who discusses how amateurs have done great science in the past.

Alumni:

• Independent Nigeria highlights Idris Olorunnimbe’s leadership journey, noting his completion of the Leadership Training program at Henley Business School.
• Romania TV reported that Anamaria Gavrilă, the presidential candidate, holds an MSc in Real Estate Finance and Investment from the University of Reading (2008–2009).
• Mintel highlights Emma Schofield, Associate Director at Mintel, who holds an MSc in Food Science from the University of Reading.