Drug research limitations, Inflight medical emergencies, Arab astronomy

Drug research limitations
We hear from controversial British scientist Professor David Nutt, a former UK government drug advisor who was sacked for his views. This week he has called for greater scientific experimentation to assess whether there may be medical benefits in using what, in many countries, are currently illegal hallucinogenic drugs: magic mushrooms and LSD.

Medical emergencies on planes
A new study examining 12,000 medical emergencies on five US airlines has just been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr Chris Martin-Gill, who conducted the research, is Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine. The university also runs a medical communications centre on the ground that provides live advice to pilots about what to do when a medical emergency occurs.

Arab Astronomy
Centuries before astronauts were going into space, medieval Arab astronomers were making fundamental and lasting discoveries about stars and planets. Astrophysicist Nidhal Guessoum argues it’s time for the Arab world to rekindle that ancient tradition – noting a huge discrepancy between the oil-based wealth of countries like his own United Arab Emirates and the money spent on science.

Credit: Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images