Guest Work

Featured image: Studying the complex genetics behind hair colour reveals how melanin affects us

Studying the complex genetics behind hair colour reveals how melanin affects us

Guest Author • Nov 09, 2021

Frida Lona Durazo, Université de Montréal   One of the traits that we usually use to physically describe people is their hair colour. Hair is a useful descriptor because it varies so much among us. Melanin is the molecule responsible for the many different hair colour tones. It’s also responsible for the colour of our skin and eyes. We inherit … Read More

Featured image: Students are told not to use Wikipedia for research. But it’s a trustworthy source

Students are told not to use Wikipedia for research. But it’s a trustworthy source

Guest Author • Nov 05, 2021

Rachel Cunneen, University of Canberra and Mathieu O’Neil, University of Canberra   At the start of each university year, we ask first-year students a question: how many have been told by their secondary teachers not to use Wikipedia? Without fail, nearly every hand shoots up. Wikipedia offers free and reliable information instantly. So why do teachers almost universally distrust it? … Read More

Featured image: Standing on one leg is a sign of good health – and practising is good for you too

Standing on one leg is a sign of good health – and practising is good for you too

Guest Author • Oct 07, 2021

Dawn Skelton, Glasgow Caledonian University Research shows that people’s ability to stand on one leg is an indicator of health and that getting better at standing on one leg can add to fitness and potentially lifespan. Being able to stand on one leg is linked to increased levels of physical activity and decreased risk of falls and is … Read More

Featured image: How rainbow colour maps can distort data and be misleading

How rainbow colour maps can distort data and be misleading

Guest Author • Oct 07, 2021

Philip Heron, University of Toronto; Fabio Crameri, University of Oslo, and Grace Shephard, University of Oslo   The choice of colour to represent information in scientific images is a fundamental part of communicating findings. However, a number of colour palettes that are widely used to display critical scientific results are not only dangerously misleading, but also unreadable to a proportion … Read More

Featured image: Why you shouldn’t make a habit of doing a ‘just in case’ wee — and don’t tell your kids to either

Why you shouldn’t make a habit of doing a ‘just in case’ wee — and don’t tell your kids to either

Guest Author • Sep 21, 2021

Jennifer King, University of Sydney   We’ve all done a quick “just in case” wee before heading out or because we’re passing the bathroom. If you’re a parent, you might have also told the kids to “do a wee now so we don’t have to find a toilet later.” Doing a “just in case” wee isn’t a problem if it’s … Read More

Featured image: Counselling almost always happens in a room — what if more people had the option of going outside?

Counselling almost always happens in a room — what if more people had the option of going outside?

Guest Author • Sep 10, 2021

Will W Dobud, Charles Sturt University   If you peered through the keyhole of any psychotherapy session, chances are they would all look very similar. There may be nearly 1,000 types of therapies — such as cognitive behavioural and family therapy — but you will typically find a client and practitioner in a room, sitting opposite each … Read More

Featured image: E-cigarettes: misconceptions about their dangers may be preventing people from quitting smoking

E-cigarettes: misconceptions about their dangers may be preventing people from quitting smoking

Guest Author • Sep 07, 2021

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, University of Oxford When electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) first emerged, they became a popular way for people to quit smoking. But in 2019, a mysterious lung condition emerged that primarily affected young people, particularly those who vaped. This left many questioning the safety of e-cigarettes. The condition was named e-cigarettes or vaping use-associated lung injury – or Evali for … Read More

Featured image: How patients talk about cancer with family, friends and doctors

How patients talk about cancer with family, friends and doctors

Guest Author • Aug 19, 2021

Wayne A. Beach, San Diego State University   Cancer is no longer spoken of only in a whisper. Today, the disease – although still dreaded, still terrifying – is routinely and openly discussed in all media. Yet in more intimate settings – as when patients privately discuss a cancer diagnosis or treatment with doctors, partners, family and friends – … Read More

Featured image: Nine things you don’t know about seahorses

Nine things you don’t know about seahorses

Guest Author • Aug 19, 2021

Mark Tupper, University of Portsmouth   Seahorses have long been a popular attraction in public aquariums, but they remain mysterious. They are a fish with a difference in that they swim in an upright, vertical position. They have flexible necks and long, tubular snouts that point downward, giving them the appearance of a horse’s head. Their lower bodies form a … Read More