Author Tom Ireland

Tom Ireland

Tom Ireland is a freelance science journalist, and editor of The Biologist, the bi-monthly magazine of the Royal Society of Biology.

Recent articles by Tom Ireland
CG illustration of an ear with sound waves heading in from the right of the screen

What we're getting wrong about dementia

There’s a lot of noise being made about a possible link between hearing loss and dementia. But what does the science have to say?
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Illustration of a person stretching, with another lounging on their back.

Here's the only science-backed lesson on exercise you need to lose fat

Think the gym is your only bet for burning belly fat? Emerging research suggests otherwise. So what actually works best... and can you just skip exercise entirely?
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‘Woolly mammoth mice’ are now real (and posing a major ethical dilemma)

Are scientists so preoccupied with whether or not they could bring back mammoths, that they’re not concerned with whether they should?
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Plants growing in rain © Getty Images

Does all life need water?

When we look for extra-terrestrial life, we look for planets with liquid water. But are we overlooking places where life could thrive?
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Artificial hearts made from magnets and titanium could save many lives © BiVACOR

Artificial hearts made from magnets and titanium could save many lives

The revolutionary design, which was first patched together using plumbing supplies, could begin human trials soon.
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The best way to kill a superbug? Use a virus © Getty Images

The best way to kill a superbug? Weaponise a virus

With the medical world struggling to treat antibiotic-resistant infections, could scientists turn to a group of viruses that explode bacterial cells from within?
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Forensic science in real life is a more laborious process than is shown on television © Getty Images

What we still don't know

Forensic science is a mainstay in investigating crimes, but there's still a lot we don't know.
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Forensic scientist at crime scene

What is forensic science?

Crime scene investigators in plastic overalls are a common sight on TV dramas, but what's the science behind what they do?
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COVID-19 immunity: Your questions answered © Magic Torch

Everything you need to know about COVID-19 immunity

Why does it affect people so differently? Does having antibodies mean you’re immune? How can you keep your immune system in good shape?
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The aluminum cryo-capsule containing mylar-wrapped body, designed by wigmaker Edward Hope to store frozen body of James Bedford © Getty Images

A timeline of cryonics

The important steps humanity has taken towards extending life span and cheating death.
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Cryonics: Could you live forever? © Getty Images

Could you live forever?

A new facility will store tens of thousands of cryogenically-frozen people. The hope is to one day bring them back to life, but just how realistic are its aims?
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Biofilm of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Rod-shaped and spherical bacteria. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA. 3D illustration

Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to human life, but what can we do about it?
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What is DNA? © iStock

What is DNA?

We established DNA’s structure in the 1950s. Since then, we’ve cloned animals and mapped the human genome. We decipher the code that is key to understanding life.
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Wild ideas in science: Mushrooms could save the world © Scott Balmer

Mushrooms could save the world

Mushrooms are pretty darn good sprinkled over a pizza or served alongside bacon, but they’re even better when used to soak up toxic waste, create clothes, or revolutionise construction.
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Wild ideas in science: There's an off-switch for ageing © Scott Balmer

There's an off-switch for ageing

Long and healthy lives are on the horizon.
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Forbidden medicine: what do we do when medical breakthrough are unethical? © Getty Images

What do we do when medical breakthroughs are unethical?

From Nazi medicine to GM babies, unethical research has a deeply problematic history. But what should we do when the results of these studies could offer useful scientific insight?
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7 types of bacteria fuelling our future

Microbes and disease go hand in hand, but bacteria sometimes get a bad rep - check out the fascinating ways we're using microorganisms to solve big problems.
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In cold blood - how therapeutic hypothermia can save lives

In cold blood: how therapeutic hypothermia can save lives

We all know that hypothermia can kill – but increasingly, it’s also being used to save lives.
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Currently, animals are farmed for their meat (L) but a bioreactor (R) provides ideal conditions in which to grow muscle cells to create cultured meat © Getty Images

What you need to know about your synthetic supper

In 2013 the first lab-grown burger was served up, so where are our synthetic steaks now? We look at the cultured meat market and the race to mass-produce in-vitro meat.
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Bacteria controls the weather © Scott Balmer

Bacteria controls the weather

Could we end the threats of droughts and famine, by forcing rain to fall on demand?
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Legal highs: could a psychedelic trip soon be available on prescription? © Getty Images

Could legal highs soon be available on prescription?

In November, cannabis-based products were legalised for medicinal use.
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Cancer cell and T cell © Getty Images

Is a cancer vaccine on the horizon?

For years immunotherapy has held huge promise. Finally, it seems to be coming to fruition with hopes for a cancer vaccine in the near future…
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Medicine gets personal © Tang Yau Hoong

Why personalised medicine is coming, and how it's going to help us beat disease

It is estimated that up to 75 per cent of cancer drugs do not work on the person they are prescribed for. This is because medicines are developed to work on 'the average person' when in fact all of us - and our diseases - are unique.
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