• She made the discovery, but a man got the Nobel. A half-century later, she's won a $3 million prize.
• British astrophysicist overlooked by Nobels wins $3m award for pulsar work
• UK physicist donates $3 million prize to boost diversity

• UK: Transcendental Meditation featured in Daily Star's recommendations to reduce blood pressure
• Head of worldwide Transcendental Meditation organisation addresses International Yoga Day celebration, UK Parliament
• UK: Dr Charlotte Bech shares the secrets of stress-free living

• Even low levels of traffic pollution tied to heart damage
• Survey finds rapid increase in number of UK vapers
• Record number of severely obese children in England

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Positive Trends
Short Summaries of Top Stories

She made the discovery, but a man got the Nobel. A half-century later, she's won a $3 million prize.
8 September 2018 - Jocelyn Bell Burnell built the telescope, laboring in damp and chilly English weather to install more than 100 miles of cable and copper wire across a wind-swept field near Cambridge. She operated the instruments and analyzed the data, poring over miles of chart paper etched with the inked recordings of galactic radio waves. And, in 1967, when she spotted the first four light sources with repeated pulses beating a steady rhythm against the background noise of the stars, it was Bell Burnell who realized she'd detected something important. (more)

British astrophysicist overlooked by Nobels wins $3m award for pulsar work
6 September 2018 - A British astrophysicist who was passed over for the Nobel prize for her discovery of exotic cosmic objects that light up the heavens has won the most lucrative award in modern science. Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, a visiting professor at Oxford University, was chosen by a panel of leading scientists to receive the $3m (British Pounds sterling 2.3m) special Breakthrough prize in fundamental physics for her landmark work on pulsars and a lifetime of inspiring leadership in the scientific community. (more)

UK physicist donates $3 million prize to boost diversity
6 September 2018 - One of Britain's leading astrophysicists is donating her $3 million purse from a major science prize to encourage diversity in physics. Jocelyn Bell Burnell says the money will go to the Institute of Physics to fund graduate scholarships for people from under-represented groups -- women, members of ethnic minorities, and refugees. (more)

Build-your-own broadband brings rural British communities together
30 August 2018 - Before Chris Conder's village in northern England built its own broadband network, internet speeds were so bad that children who went away to study would refuse to come home for the holidays. Now it has some of the best broadband speeds in Britain after villagers took matters into their own hands -- part of a growing trend for community-owned networks run independently of the main providers. B4RN provides broadband to rural villages in the north of England, offering internet speeds hundreds of times faster than the national market leaders. (more)

UK considers banning 'energy drink' sales to children in England
30 August 2018 - The sale of high-caffeine soft drinks to children could be banned in England, the British government said on Thursday (30 August), citing public health concerns. Adolescents in Britain who drink energy drinks consume around 50 percent more than their counterparts in Europe, the statement said. Some retailers already ban sales of energy drinks to children aged under 16. (more)

Goats 'drawn to happy human faces'
29 August 2018 - Scientists have found that goats are drawn to humans with happy facial expressions. The result suggests a wider range of animals can read people's moods than was previously thought. The goats made a beeline for the happy faces, the team reports in the journal Royal Society Open Science. (more)

Return of strip-field farming creates haven for rare species in south Wales
29 August 2018 - National Trust trial of 13th century method used until 1940s transforms stretch of Gower peninsula coast. A pioneering farming project using field management techniques dating back to the 13th century has transformed a stretch of coast into a haven for endangered animals, birds, insects, and wildflowers. The experimental return to 'strip-field farming' close to the spectacular Rhossili Bay on the Gower peninsula in south Wales is being credited with a threefold increase in the number of species of wildflowers and the appearance of rare birds. (more)

Majority of UK public want to install solar panels, poll finds
20 August 2018 - More than half of the British public would install solar panels and home batteries to tackle climate change if there was greater assistance from the government, polling has found. While many have already made their home more energy efficient, 62 percent said they wanted to fit solar and a surprisingly high 60 percent would buy an energy storage device such as those sold by Tesla. The results run counter to the government's approach to climate change and energy, which favours large-scale power generation such as nuclear plants and offshore windfarms. (more)

Fix a phone or 50 pushups: how to beat knife crime in Britain
16 August 2018 - Sitting in his cell, mulling a childhood shaped by fear, theft, and drugs, gang member Jake knew things had to change. Enter 'Cracked It' - an innovative business that teaches young offenders how to fix cracked smartphones, boosting former inmates' self esteem and confidence in the process. Josh Babarinde, a 25-year-old former youth worker, started the business three years ago. Nearly two thirds of his 140 graduates are working or studying and 80 percent did not reoffend within six months of graduating, bucking the national trend of 42 percent. (more)

British business helping women prisoners rebuild lives
2 August 2018 - Fewer than one in 10 women prisoners have a job to go to on release. As Rita neared the end of a 10-year jail sentence for money laundering, her first thought was getting back her four children -- and finding a way to support them. Enter Shine, an innovative business in northern England that provides job opportunities for female offenders, starting while they are still serving their sentences. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
Short Summaries of Top Stories

UK: Transcendental Meditation featured in Daily Star's recommendations to reduce blood pressure
17 September 2018 - One in four Brits suffers with high blood pressure, according to the UK's National Health Service. The Daily Star reports that a study led by Dr Robert Schneider, director of the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management in Iowa, USA, found that Transcendental Meditation reduces high blood pressure. TM is featured first in a discussion of research on lifestyle approaches to reducing blood pressure including meditation, yoga, exercise, and diet. (more)

Head of worldwide Transcendental Meditation organisation addresses International Yoga Day celebration, UK Parliament
26 June 2018 - Dr Tony Nader, MD, PhD, MARR, addressed this week's celebration of International Yoga Day held in the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, London. Dr Nader is a distinguished neuroscientist and the leader of the worldwide Transcendental Meditation organisation founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The celebration was hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional Sciences. Dr Nader spoke on 'Yoga, consciousness and prevention' and presented the scientific basis of yoga, including scientific research on the benefits of yoga, of which Transcendental Meditation is a central aspect; and how the principles of yoga are found reflected in physics, physiology, and other areas of modern science. He presented published research showing the relevance of yoga for promoting health and preventing disease. (more)

UK: Dr Charlotte Bech shares the secrets of stress-free living
27 May 2018 - Dr Charlotte Bech, a Danish doctor, surgeon and expert on natural medicine - lecturing in the UK for National Stress Awareness Month - said that simple procedures, such as the right light, diet, oils, spices, mental and emotional training, yoga and meditation, have been shown to reduce stress, despite the demands of our frenetic, modern lives. 'The most important advice is to practise Transcendental Meditation (TM), which is probably the most effective method against stress as it is time-tested, is the most extensively researched and most widely-practised and is the simplest and most natural procedure for meditation,' she said. 'In just a few minutes, this technique activates the parasympathetic nervous system and transforms the physiology to a settled and stress-free state.' (more)

First ever neuroimaging study of people in the midst of Transcendental Meditation - British Psychological Society review
21 April 2018 - It is possible to pay attention effortlessly, your mind 'pulled by the inherent nature of the object of experience'. In fact, with practice, doing so can 'lead you to experience inner silence, tranquility, peace and transcendence'. That's according to a research team led by Michelle Mahone at the California School of Professional Psychology, who have published in Brain and Cognition what they describe as the first neuroimaging study of people in the midst of Transcendental Meditation (TM). (more)

Scotland: Transcendental Meditation for caregivers - 'The dynamic in the family has changed'
14 April 2018 - Caring for elderly relatives can be exhausting. Leaving the Scottish Civil Service to take care of his mother left Owen feeling tired and stressed. 'As a carer, Transcendental Meditation seemed like a good fit. It would help deal with the stress of the caring combined with the isolation.' He had tried other forms of meditation which required a bit of effort. 'TM was surprisingly easy,' he said. 'I was able to do it right away and I felt the benefits almost immediately. . . . When I meditate I feel calm and restful but not sleepy. [Afterward] I feel very refreshed and more alert and focused.' During the day Owen feels more aware and understanding of his mother's needs, and that his increased calm has had a relaxing and reassuring effect on both of his parents: 'The dynamic in the family has changed.' (more)

UK Parliament marks International Yoga Day - Prof Tony Nader, MD, PhD honoured with special award
16 July 2017 - The third International Yoga Day was celebrated in the House of Commons, Palace of Westminster, hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Indian Traditional Sciences, its Secretariat Amarjeet S Bhamra and the High Commission of India. The event on 10 July was designed to explore the value of introducing Yoga in the NHS (National Health Service). Chief Guest of the event, H.E. High Commissioner Y K Sinha paid tribute to the work of the APPG in introducing Yoga, Ayurveda and other disciplines into the mainstream of public life. Prof Tony Nader, MD, PhD, MARR, head of the worldwide Transcendental Meditation organization, was honoured with a special award, and presented five volumes of Scientific Research on the Transcendental Meditation Programme to Members of Parliament. In his keynote address Prof Nader explained that 'every one of us has within us, built into our very physiology, the essential quality of Yoga, which is unifying.' (more)

UK: Could Ayurveda be the cure for ailing National Health System?
1 July 2017 - As the UK's National Health Service (NHS) shoulders a growing financial burden, the ancient Indian tradition of Ayurveda is being promoted as a way to take the pressure off doctors while helping people keep good health. At the recent Second International Ayurveda Congress in London, Dr Rainer Picha, chairman of the International Maharishi Ayurveda Foundation in the Netherlands (one of three organizations that hosted the Congress), said: 'Modern medicine has become hugely expensive to support. Rather, we should be focused on the prevention of disease, which is much cheaper than curing diseases.' (more)

UK: SuperMind Peak Performance Programme - Transcendental Meditation for professionals
20 June 2017 - The SuperMind Peak Performance Programme, a division of the David Lynch Foundation UK, offers Transcendental Meditation to companies and organisations to help executives and employees overcome stress, promote health, and attain high levels of performance. (more)

Second International Ayurveda Congress held in London, 1-3 April
24 April 2017 - The Second International Ayurveda Congress, held in London 1-3 April, was organized by the All India Ayurvedic Congress, New Delhi, the International Academy of Ayurved, Pune and the International Maharishi AyurVeda Foundation, Netherlands. At the Congress, 300 delegates from 55 countries, including research scientists, doctors, and pharmacologists with expertise in Western and Ayurvedic medicine, discussed scientific evidence on preventing disease, promoting longevity and alleviating specific conditions with Ayurveda. The title of the Congress was: ''Ayurveda - The Pursuit of Health, Happiness and Long Life through Prevention-oriented Health Care''. (more)

Profile: Transcendental Meditation, the 'missing piece of the recovery puzzle'
12 April 2017 - Having overcome alcohol addiction through the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 12 step programme, an engineer in Glasgow, Scotland, found Transcendental Meditation to be the missing element in his recovery - allowing him to finally feel rested, and alleviating the high anxiety churning in his 'racing brain'. 'I would be anxious and fearful about something or someone or some event and I would do my TM practice and come out from it rested and full of energy,' he says. 'My ''great fears'' would have evaporated to the point where I had forgotten about what was giving me so much grief in the first place.' With TM, 'the energy of that anxious catastrophic ''racing brain'' is now channelled into creativity both in my personal and professional life.' (more)

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Flops
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Even low levels of traffic pollution tied to heart damage
14 September 2018 - People exposed to even low levels of air pollution are more likely to develop structural changes in the heart that can be a precursor to heart failure, a UK study suggests. (more)

Survey finds rapid increase in number of UK vapers
13 September 2018 - An estimated 3.2 million people in Britain are now users of e-cigarettes, or vapes, compared with around 7.4 million who smoke tobacco cigarettes, according to data from a survey conducted by an anti-smoking charity. E-cigarettes have no tobacco, but contain nicotine-laced liquids that the user inhales in a vapor. (more)

Record number of severely obese children in England
28 July 2018 - A record number of primary school children are leaving school severely obese, according to new figures from Public Health England. Data for 2016/17 shows one in 25 10 to 11 year olds were severely obese. That's more than 22,000 children, and the highest level since records began. Levels of childhood obesity have remained fairly stable in recent years, but the new analysis shows that severe obesity has been on an upward trend over the last decade. (more)

UK: Antidepressant prescriptions for children on the rise
24 July 2018 - The number of antidepressants prescribed to children in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland has risen over the past three years, figures obtained by BBC's File on 4 reveal. ... The total number of prescriptions rose from 290,393 in 2015-16 to 330,616 in 2017-18. The steepest increase was seen in the youngest patients, those aged 12 and under, where the number of prescriptions rose on average by 24 percent, from 14,500 to almost 18,000. (more)

England's World Cup run sparks domestic violence surge in UK - helpline
12 July 2018 - Domestic violence cases in Britain have surged during the World Cup and England's defeat in the semi-finals is likely to trigger another spike in beatings, a leading organization that helps women to escape abuse said on Thursday (12 July). The number of victims referred by police in Britain to the National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) has risen by a fifth this month as England's football team enjoyed their best World Cup run in 28 years before losing to Croatia on Wednesday (11 July). Police and activists in Britain last month issued warnings over domestic violence ahead of England's first World Cup match, with evidence showing abuse levels spike when the team plays. (more)

Raging wildfire threatens moorlands in northern England
1 July 2018 - Some 120 firefighters are trying to contain a wildfire that has been declared a 'major incident' as it spreads in the moorlands of northern England. British fire officials said two large fires had merged because of high winds and extremely dry conditions as much of England is gripped by a heat wave. The fire is in the Winter Hill area, 220 miles (355 kilometers) northwest of London. (more)

Vigorous exercise may not keep dementia from worsening
14 June 2018 - People with dementia who exercise regularly are just as likely to experience cognitive decline as those who don't work out, a UK study suggests. 'High-intensity exercise is unlikely to cure or reduce the symptoms of dementia,' said lead study author Sarah Lamb of the University of Oxford. ... 'Although the current study didn't show benefits to cognition, physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle is still likely to reduce the risk of other chronic diseases which can also negatively impact a dementia patients' quality of life,' Joe Northey of the University of Canberra in Australia, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email. (more)

Disrupted sleep cycles linked with mood disorders
7 June 2018 - People who have disrupted sleep cycles or less variation in their activity levels around the clock may be more likely to have depression, bipolar disorders, and other mental health issues, a UK study suggests. ...'That includes having a regular sleep schedule (sleeping and waking at about the same times), keeping active and exercising (which helps to regulate rhythms), avoiding late night light exposure (such as from mobile devices), and avoiding or addressing the circadian disruptions from shift work,' [said Dr. Raymond Lam, a psychiatry researcher at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, who wasn't involved in the study]. (more)

Stressed out middle-aged workers have higher risk of mental health issues
30 May 2018 - Middle-aged adults who feel stressed, powerless or overworked on the job may be more likely to develop mental health problems in the coming years than more contented coworkers, a recent study suggests. For the study, researchers examined data from questionnaires completed by 6,870 workers in the UK who, at age 45, had never been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or other common mental illnesses. ... By age 50, workers who reported high levels of job strain five years earlier were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with mental health disorders as the people who had low-stress jobs, researchers report in The Lancet Psychiatry. (more)

Dementia risk linked to some medicines
26 April 2018 - A study links the long-term use of some drugs with a higher risk of dementia. In England, 1.5 to two million people are likely to be taking anticholinergics for depression, Parkinson's, and bladder problems. University of East Anglia researchers found more cases of dementia in patients prescribed larger quantities of particular anticholinergics. ... The research [was] funded by Alzheimer's Society and published in the British Medical Journal ... (more)