People who interpret x-rays or CAT scans often fail to notice symptoms of diseases such as brain cancer or breast cancer. This emerged from a new research study led by Árni Kristjánsson, professor of psychology at the University of Iceland, along with Mauro Manassi and David Whitney at the University of California, Berkeley. The findings appear in the journal Scientific Reports, published by Nature this week. Their research shows how systematic errors of perception can occur in people who regularly examine x-rays, e.g. due to suspected cancer of various kinds. The scientists have their own ideas about how to improve procedures for such visual searches. Going by their findings, it is clear that this research is incredibly useful and Árni believes that with the right response, it could potentially save lives. "In our research, we consider whether there is anything in the process of visual perception itself that could explain human error.

The book Language Development across the Life Span was recently published. The book is based on seven years of research conducted by Icelandic scientists on the impact of English as an international language in Iceland. The authors’ findings include that English is widely used in Iceland; especially in Universities and industry. They authors conclude that the official language policy has failed in keeping up with the development in the Icelandic linguistic environment, as English is widely used in daily conversations. The findings of these studies have wider international, practical, educational, empirical, and theoretical implications, and should be relevant to anyone interested in in the impact of English as an International Language.

The authors of the articles are: Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir, Hafdís Ingvarsdóttir, Ásrún Jóhannsdóttir, Guðmundur Edgarsson and Anna Jeeves. Birna and Hafdís are the editors of the book.