Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that slowly kills off a patient’s motor neurons, reducing their ability to move, talk, and eat until they become fully paralysed. Wanting to continue communicating with their loved one, a German man’s parents approached scientists at the University of Tübingen to give him a new means of communication after he lost all control of his muscles. They implanted a chip in his brain that interprets his brain waves into inputs, allowing him to spell out words and form sentences with his thoughts. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
