William Reville

2 months ago | irishtimes.com | William Reville

Fluoridation of public water supplies to prevent tooth decay has always been contentious, even attracting some very weird scare stories. The latest prominent opponent of water fluoridation is Robert F Kennedy jnr, the new secretary of health and human services in the United States. But there is very solid convincing evidence that fluoridation is an effective, safe and cost-effective public health initiative.

2 months ago | irishtimes.com | William Reville

The story of the discovery of the hormone insulin, the elucidation of its role in controlling blood sugar levels and its development as a successful treatment for diabetes is a rich vein in the history of biochemistry and molecular biology — as outlined by Henry Miller the journal American Council Science and Health recently. Hormones are chemical messengers that affect/control many bodily processes.

Jan 16, 2025 | irishtimes.com | William Reville

My column of October 17th, 2024, received in ominous silence, was on the subject of diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) programmes in the university. I explained these programmes, at least in their current forms, are incompatible with academic freedom; a cornerstone of the university mission. I return to that theme today with specific illustrations of other problems posed by DEI in our universities. Most scientific research is carried out in universities.

Dec 5, 2024 | irishtimes.com | William Reville

An important paper was recently published in Science on “A 485 Million Year History of Earth’s Surface Temperature” by Emily Judd and others. This long-term record of Earth’s temperature over virtually the entire history of complex life on our planet is important for understanding Earth’s history, putting present-day climate change in context, mapping the relationship between climate and the evolution/extinction of life, and tracking the chemistry of the atmosphere and oceans.

Nov 21, 2024 | irishtimes.com | William Reville

Today I bring you the story of Carl and Gerty Cori – particularly Gerty, one of many notable 20th-century female scientists who were poorly treated in their profession (American Chemical Society Commemorative Booklet 2004). Carl and Gerty were husband and wife and scientific collaborators who greatly advanced knowledge of how the body produces and stores energy. They shared the 1947 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for this work. Carl Corey and Gerty Radnitz were born in 1896 in Prague.