freelance science journalist and author
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
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
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
From ABC News in Science, 25 September 2014: The eyeless, cave-dwelling form of the Mexican tetra fish (Astyanax mexicanus) has surrendered its circadian rhythm for the sake of saving energy in its pitch-black habitat. The absence of a day/night cycle in the cave-dweller’s metabolism has resulted in a 27 per cent saving in energy use, … Continue reading Blind cavefish ditches circadian rhythm to save energy
From ABC News in Science, 23 September 2014: The evolution of fire may have had major social impacts, as well as transforming our diet, according to new research. Research among the Bushmen of the Kalahari has found sitting around a campfire at night enables conversations, storytelling, and social bonding that rarely happens during daylight. Study … Continue reading Campfire chat a chance for social bonding
From ABC News in Science, 11 September 2014: The ultimate guide to pain-free sexual positions for men with lower back pain has been developed by Canadian researchers using motion-capture technology. A lack of evidence-based guidelines on how to avoid triggering back pain during sex prompted the research, says co-author Professor Stuart McGill, professor of spine … Continue reading Best sexual positions for a bad back
From ABC News in Science, 2 September 2014: We are not born with the ability to lie and distrust, but appear to acquire these ‘skills’ at around seven years of age, researchers have found. The team of child psychologists and game theorists published their results today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. … Continue reading Lies and distrust a part of life at seven
From ABC News in Science, 18 August 2014: The discovery of a link between Alzheimer’s disease and changes in several genes associated with inflammation opens a new frontier for investigation into the cause of the disease. Two independent studies, published today in Nature Neuroscience, support an emerging theory that inflammation may play a key role … Continue reading Genes point to immune role in Alzheimer’s disease
From ABC News in Science, 22 August 2014: The canola plant is set for an overhaul to boost its oil content, make it more disease-resistant, and help it adapt to climate change, thanks to the sequencing of its genome. An international team of scientists report the sequencing of the Brassica napus genome today in Science … Continue reading Canola genome paves the way for better crops
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
Bianca Nogrady 