Reading in the news - Thu 18 Jul

Longer days: Dr Simon Driscoll (Meteorology) was interviewed on Sky News Breakfast, explaining how the melting of the polar ice caps, due to climate change, is causing days to get marginally longer.

Food and farming:

• story on calls to introduce new labelling for ultra-processed foods includes comment from Professor Gunter Kuhnle (Food and Nutritional Sciences), who cautions against new labelling, advocating for a more positive approach to healthy eating instead.
• , and report Professor Vimal Karani’s (Food and Nutritional Sciences) study findings on the impact of milk intake on BMI, body fat, and cholesterol levels.
• A new study looking at the benefits of plant oils vs butter included dietary intervention trials held at the University, reports . 

Business and society:

• Dr Kiwi Ting (Politics) wrote an article for on what a House of Commons with fewer privately educated MPs could mean for the UK. 

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• Continued coverage of a study which found that low-pressure during Storm Ciaran caused the boiling point of water to drop slightly, resulting in bad tasting cups of tea. PhD student Caleb Miller (Meteorology) is quoted in multiple outlets. Coverage includes: , , ITV Meridian, .de, .de, and . Read our news story.
• features a write-up of Show Your Stripes Day and what it represents. Professor Ed Hawkins (Meteorology) is quoted. 

Health and wellbeing:

• Dr Alex Bye’s (Pharmacology) article for , about whether aspirin could potentially prevent heart disease, has been translated into Portuguese, also by . 

Other Coverage:

• Dr Joanna Baker (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) co-wrote a piece for , about her study that found the largest animals do not have proportionally bigger brains. The research is also reported by .org. Read our news story.

Alumni:

• publishes an obituary for Max Atkinson, an expert in the art of speechmaking who studied at the 色狗导航.
• reports that a Reading graduate has been jailed after admitting a violent assault.