Planets & Transits
New Moon in Leo August 12, 2026
The New Moon arrives in Leo August 12 at 8:36 PM UTC, and with it comes a singular...
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- Written by: Matthew Beck, Senior Lecturer in Infrastructure Management, University of Sydney
Cyclists are facing tougher penalties in New South Wales as part of new rules introduced in March 2016. While there are many changes, some of the more vague are increased fines for riding a bicycle “furiously, recklessly,
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- Written by: Karin Garrie, Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, Nottingham Trent University
The Dutch famine of 1944 was a terrible time for many in the Netherlands – with around 4.5m people affected and reliant on soup kitchens after food supplies were stopped from getting into the area by German blockades. As many as 22,000 people were thought to have died, and those who survived would find...
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- Written by: Christine Sinatra-UT Austin
More cities than previously assumed could soon be grappling with Zika virus if two species of mosquitos are found to be equally effective carriers of the disease. A new interactive map shows the relative risk for 100 cities worldwide, including many US locations.
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- Written by: Emma Boyland, Lecturer in Appetite and Obesity, University of Liverpool
It’s fair to say that frozen food has a bit of an image problem. One in three Britons believe it is inferior to fresh food, and 43% say that nothing could persuade them to buy more frozen fare.
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- Written by: Theodore Cicero, Professor of Psychology , Washington University in St Louis
Abuse of opium products obtained from poppy plants dates back centuries, but today we are witnessing the first instance of widespread abuse of legal, prescribed drugs that, while structurally similar to illicit opioids such as heroin, are used for sound medical
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- Written by: Richard Hoffman, Lecturer in Nutritional Biochemistry, University of Hertfordshire
The main aim of the UK’s new tax on sugary soft drinks is to reduce obesity in children. But, apart from causing child – and adult – obesity, too much sugar also increases the risk of many serious diseases, from cancer to heart disease. And sugar’s calories provide only part of the explanation.
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- Written by: Michelle Rodrigues, Consultant Dermatologist, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
To squeeze or not to squeeze? I’ll admit that I’m no skin saint. I have stood in front of the mirror on a number of occasions as a teenager with a big pimple staring right back at me. And yes, despite being advised not to, I have squeezed, picked and popped.
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- Written by: Pablo Monsivais, Senior University Lecturer, University of Cambridge
Last month, the UK health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, called childhood obesity “a national emergency”, but the government has once again delayed publishing its strategy aimed at combating it. Obesity is much more common in people with less money and education and this socioeconomic gap is getting larger.
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- Written by: Nick Fuller, Research Fellow, Clinical Trials Development and Assessment, University of Sydney
Good news. Taking a break from your diet every so often will help you lose weight in the long term.How many times have you attempted to lose weight only to fall short and fail? For many people it is extremely challenging to stick to a strict dietary and exercise program for more than a few weeks.
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- Written by: Jessica Tyrrell, Research fellow, University of Exeter
Are you a short man or an overweight woman? If so, you may have a slight disadvantage in life compared with taller men and thinner women. Our latest study has found evidence that men who are shorter due to their genes have lower incomes, lower levels of education, and lowlier occupations than their taller counterparts.
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- Written by: Wenhui Qiu, Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental and Chemical Engineering , Shanghai University
The industrial chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) is an ingredient in dozens of everyday products – baby and water bottles, sports equipment, medical and dental devices, dental filling sealants, CDs and DVDs, household electronics, eyeglass lenses, foundry castings and the lining of water pipes. Manufacturers worldwide use at least 3.6 billion kilograms (8
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- Written by: Siobhan Banks, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Sleep Research, University of South Australia
Most people know sleep is important. But few know a lack of it can put us at greater risk of heart disease and obesity. Many of us don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis. It might be due to a sleep disorder, busy social life, new baby, long working hours, shift work or just staying up too late binge-watching Netflix.
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- Written by: Aubrey Cunnington, Clinical Senior Lecturer, Imperial College London
It is well known that babies born naturally – read that as vaginally – are exposed to lots of beneficial bacteria known as microbiota when they travel down the birth canal. Included in the mix are bacteria which help babies digest their first meal.
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- Written by: Kara Gavin-U. Michigan
"PET scanning is a great technology and very effective, but using it in this way doesn't seem to make any difference for these cancers that have a relatively poor prognosis," says Mark Healey
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- Written by: David Neil, Lecturer, University of Wollongong
Suppose you discovered that some past prescription a GP gave you was actually a placebo. The treatment made you feel better, but now you know that the perceived benefit was really a placebo effect. Would you be upset at the deception, or pleased the doctor had found a way to help you?
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- Written by: Nicholas Talley, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global Research and Laureate Professor of Medicine, University of Newcastle
If you’ve eaten a fabulous meal recently, the experience was pleasant, comfortable and pain-free because your stomach and intestinal system worked seamlessly to move the food along and eventually absorb it.
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- Written by: Andrew Watterson, Chair in Health Effectiveness, University of Stirling
The debate about whether or not talcum powder causes ovarian cancer has rumbled on for decades. However, it recently reached fever pitch after a US court awarded damages to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer, allegedly as a result of having used talc as a feminine hygiene product for many years. Does that mean women should avoid using talcum powder?
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- Written by: Tim Olds, Professor of Health Sciences, University of South Australia
A 2011 British survey found 12% of women would give up two to ten years of their lives just to be their ideal weight, while 29% of men think about their appearance at least five times a day. So what makes an ideal body, and why do we want one so badly?
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- Written by: Vincent Ho, Lecturer and clinical academic gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University
Food craving is an intense desire to consume a particular food that is difficult to resist. This is different from hunger, as consumption of any number of foods satisfies hunger. Food craving is an intense desire to consume a particular food that is difficult to resist. This is different from hunger, as consumption of any number of foods satisfies hunger.
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- Written by: Rebecca Charlotte Reynolds, Lecturer in Nutrition, UNSW Australia
Many types of red meat and red meat products are available, from farmers' markets, to supermarkets, to restaurants. The impacts of their production and consumption on human health, animal welfare and the environment are complex.
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- Written by: Matthew Solovey-Penn State University
Obesity is a major breast cancer risk factor in postmenopausal women, and scientists believe increased inflammation is an important underlying cause.
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