Time or money? Why you need both to be healthy

From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 1 June 2015: Time poor? Of course you are. Who isn’t, these days? We’re all desperately trying to cram two-days’ worth of activity into one, and it seems like everything has to have happened yesterday. Deadlines scream at you while yet another crumpled note from your child’s school gently nudges Continue reading Time or money? Why you need both to be healthy

Malaria parasite hijacks red blood cells to beat drugs

From ABC Science, 5 June 2015: A highly resistant malaria parasite hijacks resources in immature red blood cells to defend itself against the impact of anti-malarial drugs, researchers have found. The study, by Australian and Scottish researchers, looks at how different species of malaria parasite behave inside the human body. Their findings, published today in Continue reading Malaria parasite hijacks red blood cells to beat drugs

Satellite data indicates sea level rise accelerating

From ABC News in Science, 12 May 2015: Sea levels over the past two decades have risen faster than previously thought, suggests a new study that reassesses the accuracy of satellite data. The study by an international team of scientists, published today in Nature Climate Change , compares satellite records of sea levels made from Continue reading Satellite data indicates sea level rise accelerating

Eight things in nature so old you’ll feel young

From ABC Environment, 10 March 2015: THERE IS SOMETHING about extreme age that fills us with awe. It’s hard not to feel it, when standing in the presence of a huge eucalypt that has raised its branches to the sun since long before European settlement. Or when watching the silent majestic form of an immense Continue reading Eight things in nature so old you’ll feel young

Silent spread of bird flu raises pandemic fears

From ABC News in Science, 12 March 2015: A deadly strain of bird flu known to infect humans is spreading rapidly and silently through chicken populations across China. The findings, published today in Nature, raise fears of a bird flu pandemic, as the sheer size of this disease reservoir increases the likelihood of a mutation Continue reading Silent spread of bird flu raises pandemic fears

Fossil jaw found in Ethiopia a missing link in the human evolution puzzle

From ABC News in Science, 5 March 2015: The discovery of a 2.8-million-year-old partial jawbone in Africa could rewrite the history of human evolution. An international team of researchers found the lower jawbone, complete with teeth, at the Ledi-Geraru site in the Ethiopian Rift Valley, and published the finding in a report today in the Continue reading Fossil jaw found in Ethiopia a missing link in the human evolution puzzle

Too much praise helps create narcissistic kids

From ABC News in Science, 10 March 2015: Overvaluing and overpraising children can contribute to the development of narcissism, researchers have found. A study, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science , answers a long-standing question of whether narcissistic traits develop as a result of too much or too little parental Continue reading Too much praise helps create narcissistic kids

Why there are plans to part ways with Pap smears

From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 26 February 2015: Mention the word ‘Pap smear’, and most women will reflexly cross their legs and shudder. It’s become something of a modern rite of passage for young women; receiving your invitation to join the cervical cancer screening program, and submitting yourself to the dubious pleasure of being prised Continue reading Why there are plans to part ways with Pap smears

Ideal lash length follows one-third rule

From ABC Science, 25 February 2015: Long lashes may make your eyes stand out, but researchers have discovered the ideal lash length that protects your eyes from dust and damage. The study, published today in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface , found that eyelashes of a length around one-third the width of the Continue reading Ideal lash length follows one-third rule