freelance science journalist and author
From Ecos Magazine, 10 July 2014: As citizens living in a developed economy, we have a certain level of control over our health. Most of us have access to medicines, treatments and health services designed to cure our ills, or at least minimise pain. We also have access to information about dietary and lifestyle choices … Continue reading Hot and bothered: our health under climate change
From ABC News in Science, 9 July 2014: Plant-eating tropical fish species are causing serious damage to algae and kelp forests in sub-tropical and temperate regions around the world, an international team of experts warn. The findings come from a review published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, which suggests that climate … Continue reading Tropical fish threaten kelp and algae
From ABC News in Science, 9 July 2014: Would you continue gambling on a poker machine if you knew there was no chance of winning the jackpot? Setting a ‘jackpot expiry’ time limit for a poker machine causes gamblers to walk away sooner, a new Australian study shows. The research, published in the Journal of … Continue reading ‘Jackpot expiry’ limits gambling losses
From Medicine Today, June 2014: Cannabis use is associated with a significant increase in the risk of serious cardiovascular complications such as acute coronary syndrome, arteriopathies and acute cerebral angiopathy, according to data from the French Addictovigilance Network. Researchers found 1.8% of the 1979 cannabis-related reports to the Network, which collects physician data on serious … Continue reading Cannabis linked to serious cardiovascular complications
From Medicine Today, June 2014: Early natural menopause is associated with a moderate but significant increase in the risk of heart failure, particularly among smokers, a large prospective population-based study has found. Data from 22,256 postmenopausal women in the Swedish Mammography Cohort showed those who experienced natural menopause between 40 and 45 years of age … Continue reading The health costs of early menopause
From ABC News in Science, 3 July 2014: Two dolphin species in north-western Australia are vulnerable to local extinction because they rarely mingle with their own kind outside their immediate location, a new study has found. The genetic analysis, published today in PLOS ONE, also identified one of the first cases of successful breeding between … Continue reading Vulnerable dolphins keep to themselves
From ABC News in Science, 26 June 2014: The oldest known samples of Neanderthal faeces have revealed these early humans actually enjoyed some salad with their steak. The findings, published today in PLoS ONE, challenge the image of Neanderthals as unrepentant carnivores, and the theory that their high meat intake may have contributed to their … Continue reading Neanderthals loved vegies with their meat
From ABC News in Science, 25 June 2014: The unique damselfish practice of cultivating their favourite type of algae on coral reefs contributes to an increase in coral disease, Australian researchers have found. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, also suggests that overfishing of other fish species may contribute to … Continue reading Damselfish ‘algal gardens’ harbour coral disease
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 24 June 2014: A little experience goes a long way towards making a man more desirable to the opposite sex, Australian researchers have found. Women are more likely to rate a man desirable if he has had one or two partners than if he has had no relationship experience, according … Continue reading Women go for ‘road-tested’ mates
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 19 June 2014 Do you know your Body Mass Index, also known as BMI? It’s easy to calculate – simply take your weight in kilograms and divide it by the square of your height in metres. If the number you reach is between 20 and 25, congratulations. You are one … Continue reading Does BMI measure up?
Bianca Nogrady 