Suspicious minds, with Wammo on Kiwi FM

Talking about the latest in New Scientist with Wammo on Kiwi FM, 30 October 2008:Women beware. Men are better at detecting their partner’s infidelities than women. In a US study of heterosexual couples, 80 per cent of women’s inferences about fidelity or infidelity were correct, while men were accurate 94 per cent of the time. Continue reading Suspicious minds, with Wammo on Kiwi FM

Maths makes counting hair easy

From ABC Science Online, News in Science, 31 October 2008:New software is able to analyse exactly how many hairs there are in a patch of skin and could help in testing the effectiveness of baldness treatments and depilatory creams, say Australian researchers.Researchers from CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences in Sydney report their findings in the Continue reading Maths makes counting hair easy

Timing is everything with snake antivenom

From ABC Science Online, News in Science, 20 October 2008:New evidence suggests antivenom should be given at least within an hour after a snake bite to be effective at reducing the blood thinning effects of venom.Australian clinical toxicologist Dr Geoffrey Isbister, from the Menzies School of Health Research, and colleagues, report their findings online in Continue reading Timing is everything with snake antivenom

Meaty issues

From G Magazine, November 2008:Our diet revolves around meat. Imagine the footy without a pie, summer without snags on the barbie, or Christmas without a turkey. But rumours abound that being vegetarian is better for the environment. Could the lentil lovers be right?Read more in magazine.

Fast eating a fast track to obesity

From ABC Science News Online, 22 October 2008:Wolfing down your food and eating until your seams are straining could double your risk of becoming overweight, Japanese researchers have found.A study published in the British Medical Journal this week reveals that men and women who eat rapidly or eat until they are full are twice as Continue reading Fast eating a fast track to obesity

Dementia of young slowly unravels

From The Australian, 11 October 2008:ONE profoundly heartbreaking moment stands out for Jan Kuczerawy, in the anguished year since his wife Anne was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.“There was a moment in the early stages where she realised something was wrong,” says Jan. “She was frightened and she broke down in tears.”Thankfully, that moment of lucidity Continue reading Dementia of young slowly unravels

‘Fossil’ HIV reveals virus history

From ABC Science, 2 October 2008:A preserved specimen of lymph node nearly half a century old has revealed how rapidly the HIV virus has diversified, according to international research.A team of researchers from around the world has been trawling through decades-old tissue samples from African hospital archives in the hope of finding samples containing the Continue reading ‘Fossil’ HIV reveals virus history

Talking brain power with Wammo on Kiwi FM

From Radio Wammo, Kiwi FM New Zealand, 2 October 2008:Why do the most gifted and talented brains stand out from the crowd? Is there anything physical or psychological that sets them apart? A study of Einstein’s brain in 1998 showed it was 15 per cent wider than average, making it more spherical. And Controversial research Continue reading Talking brain power with Wammo on Kiwi FM

Four and a half stars on Media Doctor!

For the first time, one of my articles has been reviewed by Media Doctor, a website dedicated to improving the accuracy of media reports about new medical treatments.And I’m very relieved to have scored 4.5 stars (out of a possible five) for my recent story in The Australian about research on a potential disease-modifying drug Continue reading Four and a half stars on Media Doctor!