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 should – help with breastfeeding
How many people does it take to breastfeed a baby? A recently published Australian study found the answer is closer to three people (mum, baby and partner) than the traditional two of mother and baby. The chance of a baby being breastfed for six months was significantly lower if mum’s partner preferred bottle feeding, or even if her partner felt neutral about breastfeeding.

Not every mum can or wants to breastfeed exclusively for six months. For those...

"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.
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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, Hawking’s provocative, news-grabbing statements almost always have some content worth pondering.

Looking for ET

Hawking is part of a Breakthrough Listen project to develop more sensitive radio receivers and listen in on the alien civilisations of the cosmos.
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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 night, he declared it was “high time” Pell’s views – which are at odds with Pope Francis' strong stand on climate change in an encyclical this year – were confronted head on.

Rudd said that after years of silence in response to Pell’s critique of his government’s climate policy, he had chosen to enter the debate on the eve of the Paris conference because “we once again enter into a critical time both for Australia and the world”.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would...

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 any irreversible treatment. At that age, treatment for gender dysphoria consists mainly of counselling. No other medical treatment will occur until the child nears puberty.

What is gender dysphoria?

Diagnosis of gender dysphoria is governed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

To receive a diagnosis, a person must express a strong and persistent cross-gender identification for more than six months, a persistent discomfort...

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 more about some of our fantastic new show announcements, including CAIRO CLUB ORCHESTRA and SONS OF SUN plus the supports for CLARE BOWDITCH, as well as more info about this weekend and upcoming shows.

...

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 with plastic.

Proven to be no more harmful than a pile of composting garden waste a latex balloon will completely 'break down' in a few months.In fact the balloon begins this process the moment it is formed. Evidence ofthis deterioration process that occurs in latex can be seen when an inflatedballoon is exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the Sun for even the shortest time.

The once shiny surface of the balloon becomes dull and 'velvet-like' in less than anhour...

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 position, opposition leader Matthew Guy leads Premier Daniel Andrews 51-49 as better Premier. ReachTEL uses a forced choice question for its better PM/Premier results, and this removes the pro-incumbent skew that other polls, such as Newspoll and Ipsos, show. ReachTEL’s better PM/Premier results should not be compared with polls that do not use a forced choice question.

59% thought Andrews' handling of the dispute with the Country Fire Authority (CFA) was poor or very poor,...

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 the impact of such a tax in Australia. Over 25 years, a 20% rise in the price of soft drinks and flavoured mineral waters would save 1,600 lives. It would also prevent 4,400 heart attacks and 1,100 strokes.

Overall, the savings to the health-care system would add up to A$609 million.

It’s time for Australia to follow the UK’s lead and increase the price of sugary drinks.

What’s wrong with sugary drinks?

The evidence of the negative health...

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 humane slaughter is known as the Export Supply Chain Assurance Scheme (ESCAS). This requires cattle to be killed in accordance with World Animal Health Organisation standards. Killing cattle by hitting with a sledgehammer, although common practice in Vietnam, is not allowed by the standards.

The other requirements of ESCAS offer little reassurance to the Australian community that welfare will be safeguarded. Under the standards, cattle must be traced. This means we should know which...

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 the deeply insufficient debate that has followed, the speech of one of the highly-honored members of NWA has become the standard bearer of tolerance and inclusion.
In his acceptance speech, Ice Cube argued that,

Rock & roll is not an instrument, rock & roll is not even a style of music. Rock & roll is a spirit … Rock & roll is not conforming to the people who came before you, but creating your own path in music and in life. That is rock & roll, and that is us.

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