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Hugh Pennington

About Hugh Pennington

Hugh Pennington is Emeritus Professor of Bacteriology, University of Aberdeen. He has chaired inquiries into E.coli O157 outbreaks for the Secretary of State for Scotland and for the Welsh Government.

A plague on old age

November 1, 2020 by Hugh Pennington Leave a Comment

‘By far the most important risk factor for getting hospitalised, being admitted to an ICU, and dying from the disease is old age, particularly being over 80. Not many housing scheme residents get that far…’

COVID-19: scapegoating begins in earnest

September 5, 2020 by Hugh Pennington 3 Comments

In his latest piece on the pandemic, Hugh Pennington examines inter alia how cuts in labs and scientists have helped damage our response to the coronavirus

Second wave scepticism

June 28, 2020 by Hugh Pennington 1 Comment

‘The current COVID-19 events are not a “second wave”, or a “second peak”, or “second spikes”. They are continuations of the ongoing epidemic.  There was no second wave with SARS, a closely related coronavirus, and we are still waiting for one in Wuhan.’

Pareto and the pandemic

May 31, 2020 by Hugh Pennington 8 Comments

Conferences, churches, weddings, Cheltenham races: clusters of cases of coronavirus may be key to the spread of the pandemic, says Prof Pennington

Not so sage experts

May 17, 2020 by Hugh Pennington 4 Comments

‘But the more we study COVID-19 the more the differences with influenza become evident. However, public pronouncements still take their cue from that virus, like the need to avoid a second wave that will swamp the NHS…time to stop using ‘flu as a useful model…’

Nations and nations

September 26, 2017 by Hugh Pennington Leave a Comment

What is a nation? Ahead of the October 1 referendum, is Catalonia one. The author reflects whimsically on at least two mkinds oif nation…

Plukes on plinths: an inquiry

August 19, 2017 by Hugh Pennington Leave a Comment

‘But Gibson’s Red Road flats owed much more to constituents chapping his door about their damp decrepit decaying sandstone tenements, his wish to keep Glaswegians in Glasgow, and a desire to help local industry by building big towers with steel frames’.

Brexit – a double blow for science in Scotland

June 27, 2016 by Hugh Pennington Leave a Comment

Scientists overwhelmingly backed the Remain case in last week’s EU referendum. Here a prominent Aberdeen-based scientist laments the outcome and its impact on scientific research funding – and fears for #indyref2 on top.

Scientific adviser, headhunters and sundries

June 13, 2016 by Hugh Pennington Leave a Comment

The Scottish Government has finally appointed a new Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) – months late. Our own CSA muses on the appointment and what else lies in store for Scottish higher education.

Flying Scotsman: how Scottish is it?

May 19, 2016 by Hugh Pennington Leave a Comment

There’s more to the recent Flying Scotsman restoration than its runs in the Borders and Fife. Its costs are huge. And it is not even all that Scottish.

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Welcome to Sceptical Scot, Scotland’s premier non-tribal forum for passionate, informed debate. Sceptical Scot is for all who care about Scotland’s future, regardless of how they vote: for party, independence or union, EU or Brexit. We aim to provide an arena that is both broader and deeper than current online/print offers with a rich diet of well-researched, polemical, thought-provoking writing. Read more » about About Sceptical Scot

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