freelance science journalist and author
From Nature, 4 November 2026: In 1972, sociologist and criminologist Stanley Cohen published a book called Folk Devils and Moral Panics, which explored the concept of moral panic: the idea that societies periodically fixate on a newly emerged condition, behaviour, identity or community as being a threat to the public. The fixation is characterized by … Continue reading Is social media changing children’s brains?
From Australian Geographic, May 2022: “Never has a bodily organ been so adored as the brain – not since Narcissus looked at his face reflected in water and fell in love with it,” Professor George Paxinos says. “And never was there so little justification for it.” It’s a surprising comment from a man who’s spent … Continue reading Making sense of the brain
From ABC News in Science, 5 August 2013: A study on monkeys has called into question the fundamental assumption that an active neuron is a hungry one; an assumption that underlies brain imaging techniques such as fMRI. Researchers compared levels of neuron activity and the amount of glucose uptake in the primary motor cortex of … Continue reading Trained brains become more efficient
From ABC Science Online, News in Science, 17 August 2012: Being able to lie about your age may soon be a thing of the past, after a new study shows the human brain develops at a consistent rate across individuals. The finding could also advance our understanding of autism and ADHD, and be used in … Continue reading Brain scan study reveals owner’s age
