Five ways science can help you raise healthy children

There are countless parenting questions that science can’t answer: “is it gross to eat food my child spat out?”, “why do my kids hate wearing pants?” and, of course, “when they grow up, will my kids remember how much I loved them, or just that I made them wear pants?”.

Fortunately, there are some important parenting issues science can address. Here are five simple tips for raising healthy children based on scientific studies from the last 12 months:
1. Dads can – and...

"The best damned synth-pop record ever, period."[Musician Magazine]


CD Cover

This is number eighteen in the series of albums I'm featuring as part of an on-going retrospective of CD's in my personal collection. The series is called, "Cream of The Crate (CD's)", and they represent CD albums that I believe are of significant musical value, either because of their rarity, because they represent the best of a style or styles of music or because their is something unique about the group or the music.
...

Should we make contact with alien life?

The question of whether there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe has been asked by people for many years.

But if we hear something, should we answer? In the absence of any signal from them, should we try to make our presence known?

One of those asking these questions is Stephen Hawking, the British cosmologist with many deep thoughts and a good sense of humour.

Unlike many celebrity scientists,...

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has launched a sweeping attack on Cardinal George Pell for his sceptical stance on climate change.

Rudd – who took a high profile role at the Copenhagen climate conference in 2009 – has also said the coming Paris climate conference should consider reconvening in the near future to revisit the inadequacies of the international commitments made so far.

Speaking at the University of Melbourne on “Faith, Ethics and Climate Change” on Tuesday...

No four-year-olds in Australia are undergoing any irreversible treatment, as was implied in media reports yesterday.

“Preschooler’s sex swap at age four”, read the Daily Telegraph’s headline on Thursday, sparking intense debate in the media over how to handle cases of young children experiencing gender dysphoria.

The story detailed the case of a pre-schooler who is transitioning to another gender.

But the fact is that no four-year-olds in Australia are undergoing...

Dear Space Riders, We’re settling into 2015 with some big weekends of shows for you all. Be sure to check out some of the gigs this weekend – on Friday night, one of Australia’s favourites, Daryl Braithwaite, is taking the stage. On Saturday night, come along for “The Amy Winehouse Show” performed by Atlanta Coogan & the Little Big Band because it’s one of the greatest tribute shows you’ll ever see, then wind down on Sunday afternoon withCanyon – West Coast Sound. Please read on to find out mor...

Compiled and written by Sean J.O'Kelly

Part Two:
PARTY BALLOONS: ENVIRONMENTALLYSPEAKING & ARRANGING BUNCHES


Contrary to the unfortunately popular and the obviously misinformed opinion of far too many self opinionated armchair greenies the latex used to makethe hundreds of millions ‘toy/party latex balloons’ used around the world every year really does grow on trees and really is a 100% naturally biodegradable product that should never be confused...

A Victorian ReachTEL poll, conducted Thursday night from a sample of 1650, gives Labor a 51-49 two party lead, a one point gain for the Coalition since the November 2014 election. Primary votes appear to be 40.1% for the Coalition, 34.6% for Labor and 10.7% for the Greens, but we are told that Labor’s support rises to 36.8% with undecided voters who lean to Labor included, so presumably the first primary votes given include undecided voters.

Although Labor is still in an election-winning...

Last month the United Kingdom announced a sugar tax on soft drinks. The tax will come into effect in 2018, with the funds to be used to address childhood obesity.

The move has been applauded by public health groups internationally. Unsurprisingly, the tax is strongly opposed by powerful groups in the food industry, and the announcement resulted in shares in Coca-Cola temporarily plunging.

In our new research published today in PLOS ONE, for the first time we have modelled...

Recent revelations about the sledgehammering to death of what seem to be Australian cattle in Vietnam provide further evidence of the government’s inability to control how exported livestock are slaughtered overseas.

An Animals Australia investigation reported by ABC’s 7.30 showed what are reportedly Australian cattle being slaughtered in three abattoirs. Australia has suspended trade to the facilities while they are investigated.

The government’s tool to try to ensure...

The annual induction of new members into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sometimes throws up some strange spectacles.

This year we were confronted with the induction of Chicago, the creators of
Hard To Say I'm Sorry

– a mopey ballad of regret and restoration – and NWA, the creators of

Fuck Tha Police,

a groundbreaking and violent protest song.

Both were incorporated under the umbrella of “rock ‘n’ roll”.

In...