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Science Museum Group Blog

Spring has sprung, summer is heating up; insects and creepy crawlies are starting to buzz, wriggle, and flutter once again. Often these animals are treated as pests, yet bugs and insects play a very important role in our ecosystem. But more than that, many of these insects also have a long and important historical role in medical treatment and healthcare – a tradition that is continued in modern medicine. Here we explore some examples of these helpful bugs – all of which continue to be used by the NHS today!

This month a major Science Museum Group collection milestone has been reached: more than 150,000 objects now have an image attached in our online collection. Up from 5% in 2018, over a third of all objects in the collection are now visible online in a dramatic increase in accessibility. 

Trillions of dollars in assets have joined forces to steer the global economy towards net-zero carbon emissions. Our Science Director, Roger Highfield, talks about the power of big finance to curb climate change with Adam Matthews, Chair of the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI), which tracks corporate decarbonisation.

The splashdown of a space tourism mission yesterday marks the end of a new experiment to help astronauts grow their own food. Roger Highfield, Science Director, discusses how growing meat in microgravity could pave the way for a more efficient alternative to farming back on Earth.