Afleveringen
-
Everyone wants a healthy gut, and your microbiome plays a big role in keeping you well.
So how do you know your microbiome is in top shape? Are there stinky signs that things are going right, or wrong?
Norman and Tegan breeze through the research in this live recording at the World Science Festival Brisbane.
References:
The Invisible College of Experimental Flatology
Explainer: The chemistry of farts
A widespread hydrogenase supports fermentative growth of gut bacteria in healthy people
Intestinal gas production by the gut microbiota: A review
Association of the Gut Microbiota With Cognitive Function in Midlife
Gut microbiome predicts cognitive function and depressive symptoms in late life
The Relationship between Gut Microbiome and Cognition in Older Australians
Chart Your Fart - CSIRO
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Why is yawning contagious?
Why are some people right (or left) handed?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Cold season is upon us, so it’s no wonder you’re side-eyeing that person coughing on the bus.
But does a cough mean someone is still infectious? How do you know you’re in the clear to go back to work?
Norman and Tegan talk through the science, and also how attitudes have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
References:
How Long Does a Cough Last? Comparing Patients’ Expectations With Data From a Systematic Review of the Literature
Acute cough in outpatients: what causes it, how long does it last, and how severe is it for different viruses and bacteria?
Estimating influenza latency and infectious period durations using viral excretion data
Duration of viral infectiousness and correlation with symptoms and diagnostic testing in non-hospitalized adults during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection: A longitudinal cohort study
How the pandemic shaped presenteeism trends between healthcare and non-healthcare workers using the Korean working conditions surveys (2010–2023)
Sickness Presenteeism in the Aftermath of COVID-19: Is Presenteeism Remote-Work Behavior the New (Ab)normal?
Over‐the‐counter (OTC) medications for acute cough in children and adults in community settings
Comprehensive evidence-based review on European antitussives
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Is it OK to exercise when you're sick?
Are office jobs ruining our bodies?
Should you add snail slime to your skincare routine?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
Have you heard the phrases, "aches and pain, coming rains" or about "ill health due to evil winds"?
Many people believe they can feel a change in weather coming on because pain flares in their joints.
Norman and Tegan unpack what could be going on, and whether it's backed by scientific evidence.
References:
Associations between weather conditions and osteoarthritis pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Come rain or shine: Is weather a risk factor for musculoskeletal pain? A systematic review with meta-analysis of case-crossover studies
Cloudy with a chance of pain: How the weather affects the pain of citizen scientists using a smartphone app
Temperature extremes causing gout flare hospitalisation
Can aching joints really predict the weather? Exploring the science behind the stormy debate
What triggers weather-related joint pain? - Harvard Health
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
You'll catch your death! Does cold weather cause colds?
Can consuming dairy really give you acne?
How risky is sharing a toothbrush?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
It’s good to be on top of your health – but how far would you go to ensure you’re staying healthy?
Ads have popped up for full-body MRIs, promising to catch things from cancer to aneurysms.
Norman and Tegan scan through the potential benefits and risks of looking inside seemingly healthy bodies.
References:
Principles of screening - Cancer Council
Incidental Findings and Low-Value Care
Prevalence of abnormalities in knees detected by MRI in adults without knee osteoarthritis: population based observational study (Framingham Osteoarthritis Study)
Whole‐body MRI for preventive health screening: A systematic review of the literature
The effects of incidental findings from whole-body MRI on the frequency of biopsies and detected malignancies or benign conditions in a general population cohort study
Clinical value of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in health screening of general adult population
Long-Term Psychosocial Consequences of Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Reporting of Incidental Findings in a Population-Based Cohort Study
Impact of whole-body MRI in a general population study
Elective MRI Screening of the General Public—Buyer Beware
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
At-home DNA tests — what can they tell you?
Do glasses make your eyesight worse?
Can functional mushrooms really help treat cancer?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
You might've heard the qualifier that exercise is good for you – but you need to be progressing that exercise over time.
Running further, lifting heavier, exercising for longer. How important is it to up the stakes?
Norman and Tegan flex their muscles on progressive training and its benefits.
References:
Thomas L. DeLorme and the Science of Progressive Resistance Exercise
Associations of Muscle Mass and Strength with All-Cause Mortality among US Older Adults
Skeletal Muscle Strength as a Predictor of All-Cause Mortality in Healthy Men
Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations
Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Physical activity types, variety, and mortality: results from two prospective cohort studies
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Working out? Why 'No Pain No Gain' is bull
Is a vibration plate worth the cost?
You'll catch your death! Does cold weather cause colds?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
A cruise ship at the centre of a virus outbreak — sound familiar?
Passengers and crew are beginning to disembark the MV Hondius after several cases of hantavirus sent them into quarantine.
The virus is usually caught through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva. Transmission between humans is rare.
Norman and Tegan answer common questions about the hantavirus, and how it compares to the handling of COVID-19.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
It’s easy to catch a yawn – you might even yawn while you’re reading this.
It’s not just humans that yawn, but all kinds of verterbrates, even fish! But contagious yawning is rarer.
Norman and Tegan unpack why we yawn in this live recording at the World Science Festival Brisbane.
References:
Yawning: no effect of 3-5% CO2, 100% O2, and exercise
Brain size and neuron numbers drive differences in yawn duration across mammals and birds
Excessive yawning and thermoregulation: two case histories of chronic, debilitating bouts of yawning
Different yawns, different functions? Testing social hypotheses on spontaneous yawning in Theropithecus gelada
Why yawns are contagious—in all kinds of animals: Evolutionary biologist Andrew Gallup explains why we yawn after others
Mirror neuron activity during contagious yawning—an fMRI study
The mirror-neuron system
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Why are some people right (or left) handed?
Can consuming dairy really give you acne?
Is daylight saving time bad for us?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
You might know them as "vestigial" organs, but we no longer overlook organs that aren’t vital for life.
While they can be removed, your tonsils, appendix and gallbladder play important roles in the body.
Norman and Tegan define what "vestigial" actually means, and how our bodies adapt to losing an organ.
References:
How Do We Know What Human Organs Do? - JSTOR Daily
Tonsils, adenoids and throat infections — do doctors still recommend surgery? - ABC News
Association of Long-Term Risk of Respiratory, Allergic, and Infectious Diseases With Removal of Adenoids and Tonsils in Childhood
Influence of Tonsillectomy on Various Disease Outcomes: An Outcome-wide Association Analysis and Mendelian Randomization Analysis
Cytokine production in patients with recurrent acute tonsillitis: analysis of tonsil samples and blood - PMC
Association of Long-Term Risk of Respiratory, Allergic, and Infectious Diseases With Removal of Adenoids and Tonsils in Childhood - PMC
Microbial Composition of Human Appendices from Patients following Appendectomy
Long-term impacts of appendectomy associated with increased incidence of inflammatory bowel disease, infection, and colorectal cancer
Cholecystectomy (Gallbladder Removal)
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Why do we have wisdom teeth?
Can peptides keep you young and buff?
Is it OK to exercise when you're sick?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Not a fruit lover, but eat plenty of veggies? Ever wondered if skipping that banana might actually matter?
We all know a mix of fruit and vegetables is key to a long, healthy life.
Norman and Tegan dig into whether eating little or no fruit could actually be bad for you.
References:
What exactly is a tomato? The difference between fruit and veg - ABC News
Key statistics and data about child and adult consumption of fruit and vegetables - Australian Bureau of Statistics
Fresh fruit consumption and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: findings from the China Kadoorie Biobank
Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies
Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality: Results from Two Prospective Cohort Studies of US Men and Women and a Meta-Analysis of 26 Cohort Studies
The global burden of disease attributable to suboptimal fruit and vegetable intake, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study
Fruit and vegetable consumption and all-cause mortality: evidence from a large Australian cohort study
A basket of new fruit varieties is coming your way – The Economist
Releasing a sugar brake generates sweeter tomato without yield penalty
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
What's the best time of day to exercise?
Is whitening your teeth bad for you?
What are the health benefits of coffee?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
If you’re into skincare, you’ve probably been advertised light therapy face masks.
These high-tech hockey masks promise to plump up or heal your skin through light – often red, but sometimes yellow, green, blue or even purple.
Norman and Tegan go through the rainbow to assess where there's evidence, and where there's not.
References:
Sweaty sauna bathing for better health - What's That Rash?
Near Infrared Photoimmunotherapy: A Review of Recent Progress and Their Target Molecules for Cancer Therapy
Effect of NASA Light-Emitting Diode Irradiation on Wound Healing
Visible Red Light Emitting Diode Photobiomodulation for Skin Fibrosis: Key Molecular Pathways
Utilization of light-emitting diodes for skin therapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Photodynamic Therapy Using HMME for Port-Wine Stains: Clinical Effectiveness and Sonographic Appearance
Effect of Blue Light on Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review
The efficacy of violet light in the treatment of acne
Featured review: What are the benefits and risks of light therapy for treating atopic eczema?
Light therapy for preventing seasonal affective disorder
This episode first aired on December 18, 2024.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
What determines whether you’re right or left handed? Is there really such a thing as being ambidextrous?
It’s a surprisingly complicated story, and culture comes into play – some people are forced to go against their dominant hand.
Norman and Tegan parse through the history of handedness in this live recording at the World Science Festival Brisbane.
References:
A large-scale population study of early life factors influencing left-handedness
The handedness of Kerrs and Carrs
The association between switching hand preference and the declining prevalence of left-handedness with age
Stuttering and “Retraining” Left-Handed Children in Mid-Century U.S.
Can training to become ambidextrous improve brain function?
Brain Size Associated with Foot Preferences in Australian Parrots
The Influence of Handedness on the Clinical Presentation and Neuropsychology of Alzheimer Disease
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Can sudoku really keep your brain younger for longer?
Should you train cardio and strength on the same day?
The four steps you need to form a habit
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Headaches are common, but the causes are wide and varied, and some are more serious than others.
Why do we get headaches? What's the difference between a headache and a migraine?
Norman and Tegan talk through some basics about headaches, and why a round of squats might help...
References:
The Science Behind Headaches: What's Really Happening In Your Skull
The vascular theory of migraine—a great story wrecked by the facts
Twelve-month efficacy of CGRP monoclonal antibodies and predictive value of short-term response: results of an Australian multicentre study
Trial of Galcanezumab in Prevention of Episodic Cluster Headache
Erenumab for Chronic Cluster Headache: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Effect of Exercise on Chronic Tension-Type Headache and Chronic Migraine: A Systematic Review
The effect of different exercise types on migraine frequency in individuals with migraine: A pilot study
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Am I addicted to caffeine?
Is emu oil the new snake oil?
There's a lot of fog around brain fog
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
We've all probably wished for a way to achieve our fitness goals without the strain and sweat that can come with exercise.
So what if you could lose weight, gain muscle and improve circulation just by standing on a vibrating platform?
Norman and Tegan buzz through the evidence for and against vibration plates and so called "passive exercise".
References:
Dr Gustav Zander’s Victorian-Era Exercise Machines Made the Bowflex Look Like Child’s Play
The effects of whole body vibration therapy on reducing fat mass in the adult general population: A systematic review and meta-analyses
Whole-body vibration administered during a 3-week in-hospital multidisciplinary body weight reduction program increases resting energy expenditure in obese adolescents, a randomized clinical trial
Immediate effects of localized vibration on flexibility: A randomized crossover trial
Effects of whole body vibration with exercise therapy versus exercise therapy alone on flexibility, vertical jump height, agility and pain in athletes with patellofemoral pain: a randomized clinical trial
Whole Body Vibration as an Adjunct to Static Stretching
Whole-Body Vibration Stimulates Microvascular Blood Flow in Skeletal Muscle
Whole body vibration training improves leg blood flow and adiposity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Effects of Whole-Body Vibration Training on Lower Limb Blood Flow in Children with Myelomeningocele—A Randomized Trial
Effect of localised vibration on muscle strength in healthy adults: a systematic review
Whole-body vibration training improves muscle mass and strength in older adults through intra- and extra-muscular pathways
The effect of whole body vibration training on quadriceps voluntary activation level of people with age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia): a randomized pilot study
Hormonal responses to a single session of wholebody vibration exercise in older individuals
Hormonal and Metabolic Responses to Whole Body Vibration in Healthy Adults
Low-frequency vibrotherapy considerably improves the effectiveness of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) in patients with lipedema: A two-armed, randomized, controlled pragmatic trial
Efficacy of whole body vibration exercise in older people: a systematic review
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Can you zap yourself buff with electrical muscle stimulation?
Do the benefits of creatine go beyond the gym?
Do healthy people need lymphatic treatments?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Snail slime, or snail mucin, has become a popular product in skin care.
Some claim it has anti-ageing properties, but if the early research shakes out, snail mucus could have even more significant uses.
Norman and Tegan discuss why snail gunk has become a hero of cosmetics, and what else it might be capable of.
References:
Why Snail Mucin? Or, How This Ancient Practice Became a Skin Care Sensation
Chemical composition, mineral profile, anti-bacterial, and wound healing properties of snail slime of Helix aspersa Müller
Extraction, structure, pharmacological activities and applications of polysaccharides and proteins isolated from snail mucus
Antimicrobial Activities of Different Fractions from Mucus of the Garden Snail Cornu aspersum
Antimicrobial efficacy of Egyptian Eremina desertorum and Helix aspersa snail mucus with a novel approach to their anti-inflammatory and wound healing potencies
Reviewing The Potential of Snail Extract to Accelerate and Improve Burn Wound Healing: A Literature Review
HelixComplex snail mucus exhibits pro-survival, proliferative and pro-migration effects on mammalian fibroblasts
The efficacy of Helix aspersa Müller extract in the healing of partial thickness burns: A novel treatment for open burn management protocols
Helix aspersa maxima mucus exhibits antimelanogenic and antitumoral effects against melanoma cells
849 Snail mucus increases the anti-cancer activity of anti-PD-L1 antibody in melanoma
Snail Mucus Enhances Chemosensitivity of Triple-negative Breast Cancer Via Activation of the Fas Pathway
Snails and Skin: A Systematic Review on the Effects of Snail-based Products on Skin Health
From Nature to Nurture: The Science and Applications of Snail Slime in Health and Beauty
Artificial Snail Mucus Could Advance Cancer Treatments – Johns Hopkins University
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Does anti-ageing skincare actually work?
Should you be avoiding perfumes and fragrances?
What we do (and don't) know about tinnitus
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Walking down the street, most people you pass will be wearing headphones or ear buds. Chances are you are too!
But is this trend of noise-cancelling harming your ears or the way your brain processes sound?
Norman and Tegan sound out the evidence on headphone use and hearing damage, and what you can do to protect your ears.
References:
Know Your Noise - National Acoustic Laboratories
Pumping loud music is putting more than 1 billion young people at risk of hearing loss - University of Melbourne
A Partial History of Headphones - Smithsonian
Prevalence and global estimates of unsafe listening practices in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hearing thresholds, tinnitus, and headphone listening habits in nine-year-old children
Do Noise-Cancelling Headphones Help or Hurt Hearing? - University of Colorado
Tips for safe listening using headphones and earbuds – Hearing Australia
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Is there such thing as TOO much sun protection?
Is there a cure for jet lag?
Don’t Die: Is Bryan Johnson going to live forever?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Many people believe that taking vitamin C supplements helps their immune system fight off colds.
But there are even bigger claims attached to this supplement – that it not only boosts immunity, but fights cancer.
Norman and Tegan introduce us to the Nobel laureate who pushed these theories decades ago, and whether there’s any truth to them.
References:
The Discovery of Vitamin C
Treatment for scurvy not discovered by Lind
Linus Pauling’s Vitamin C Crusade
Ascorbic Acid in Cancer Treatment: Let the Phoenix Fly
A randomized trial of pharmacological ascorbate, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel for metastatic pancreatic cancer
The Role of Vitamin C in Cancer Prevention and Therapy: A Literature Review
High-dose vitamin C: A promising anti-tumor agent, insight from mechanisms, clinical research, and challenges
Vitamin C reduces the severity of common colds: a meta-analysis
Two Faces of Vitamin C—Antioxidative and Pro-Oxidative Agent
Vitamin C - Australian Institute of Sport
Vitamin C – EatforHealth.gov.au
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Multivitamins: Are they a scam?
Can consuming dairy really give you acne?
Is sitting the new smoking?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Unless you're in certain corners of the internet, you won't be aware of the peptide craze promising to grow your muscles and slow ageing.
That's because your average GP won't be printing a prescription for these injectable drugs, like BPC-157 or melanotan.
Norman and Tegan discuss why there's so much fan fare over unproven peptides with some potentially nasty side effects.
References:
Effects of Topical Copper Tripeptide Complex on CO2 Laser–Resurfaced Skin
Don’t risk using tanning products containing melanotan - TGA
Melanotan‐associated melanoma
Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report
Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report
Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan – BMJ case study
BPC-157: Experimental peptide prohibited - US Anti-Doping Authority
Effect of BPC-157 on Symptoms in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis: A Pilot Study
Safety of Intravenous Infusion of BPC157 in Humans: A Pilot Study
Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain
General practitioner disqualified for inappropriately prescribing peptides
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Can collagen supplements keep your skin supple?
Should you be flexible enough to touch your toes?
Can you zap yourself buff with electrical muscle stimulation?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Your dentist might be nagging you to floss to avoid cavities, but does flossing have more to given than pearly whites?
Interdental cleaning has been recommended for a while, but for many people it’s a habit hard to maintain.
Norman and Tegan pick through the history of flossing, and whether it can improve your heart and brain health too.
Terms and conditions of our World Science Festival Brisbane ticket giveaway!
References:
Ask the Expert: Do I Really Need to Floss? - NIH
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling periodontal diseases and dental caries
Flossing Is Associated with Improved Oral Health in Older Adults
Does flossing before or after brushing influence the reduction in the plaque index? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Why would cardiovascular disease and poor oral health be connected? - Harvard Health
Oral health and later coronary heart disease: Cohort study of one million people
Stronger connections made between oral health and Alzheimer's disease
Large study links gum disease with dementia
What Dentists Have to Say About Red-Light Therapy for Optimal Oral Health
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
How risky is sharing a toothbrush?
Should you be avoiding perfumes and fragrances?
Do healthy people need lymphatic treatments?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
With endless entertainment at your fingertips on your phone, how often do you really sit and do absolutely nothing?
It turns out that even when you’re staring into the middle distance, your brain is firing away with activity.
Norman and Tegan explore why giving your brain a break might be important for learning and creativity.
References:
The Journey of the Default Mode Network: Development, Function, and Impact on Mental Health
Default-mode brain dysfunction in mental disorders: A systematic review
Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind - Science
The Importance of the Default Mode Network in Creativity—A Structural MRI Study
The Importance of the Default Mode Network in Creativity—A Structural MRI Study
People are increasingly bored in our digital age
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
What is the perfect nap duration?
Can tattoos increase your risk of cancer?
Why are people taping their mouths?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
How many times a week are you eating fish? What about oily fish, like salmon and tuna?
Our dietary guidelines recommend the regular consumption of fish to potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and even macular degeneration.
Norman and Tegan dig into the oily history of fish, and whether supplements can have the same effect.
References:
The Man with a Fish on His Back: In the late 19th century cod-liver oil was proclaimed the cure for many ailments
"Fishing" for the origins of the "Eskimos and heart disease" story: facts or wishful thinking?
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - National Institutes of Health
The relationship between polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammation: evidence from cohort and Mendelian randomization analyses
Omega‐3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease
Regular use of fish oil supplements and course of cardiovascular diseases: prospective cohort study
Associations Between Plasma Omega-3 and Fish Oil Use With Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in the UK Biobank
Associations of fish oil supplementation with incident dementia: Evidence from the UK Biobank cohort study
Omega-3 Fatty Acids for the Management of Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review
Omega 3 fatty acids for preventing or slowing the progression of age‐related macular degeneration
Omega-3 fatty acids for depression in adults
Fish-Oil Supplementation and Cardiovascular Events in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis
If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!
Why is everyone suddenly talking about seed oils?
Does magnesium work against muscle cramps?
Why is the internet telling me to lower my cortisol?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices - Laat meer zien
