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Talking with your hands helps listeners separate an obJECT from an OBject
Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Talking with your hands, or specifically what is known as 'beat gestures', can influence what speech sounds we perceive and can help people pick up stresses on different parts of a word, for example distinguishing OBject from obJECT. Beat gestures Read more about Talking with your hands helps listeners separate an obJECT from an OBject
InternationalMax Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, The Netherlands -
Variety is the spice of life, at least for sparrows
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
For the last 2,000 years there has been debate about whether a more varied social group benefits the individuals in it. Experiments with house sparrows suggest that groups containing different personality types (in terms of exploratory behaviour) Read more about Variety is the spice of life, at least for sparrows
InternationalBabes-Bolyai University, Romania -
Being transparent about COVID testing benefits the workplace
Journal of the Royal Society Interface
A simulation model for small workplaces shows that workers who are open about testing for COVID-19 and their test results translate into improved workplace productivity and minimised infections, compared to those employees who keep such information Read more about Being transparent about COVID testing benefits the workplace
InternationalUniversity of Bristol, UK; University of Oxford, UK -
Even very young kids can socially distance at school
Royal Society Open Science
Measures to reduce COVID-19 spread in English primary schools reduced close in-person contacts by 50-80 per cent, according to UK research. Researchers surveyed teachers from 34 UK primary schools on close contacts before and after distancing Read more about Even very young kids can socially distance at school
InternationalUniversity of Bristol, UK -
Sorry, but you are probably fatter than an elephant
Journal of Experimental Biology
Do you think elephants are fat? Well, they're probably less podgy than you, according to international scientists. They measured fat levels in 35 female and nine male captive Asian elephants, and say they carry less body fat than the average person. Read more about Sorry, but you are probably fatter than an elephant
InternationalUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, USA -
NT alcohol policies reduce ICU admissions
Anaestesia and Intensive Care
The introduction of alcohol harm limitation policies in Central Australia from 2018 have had a marked effect on critical health figures, with a 38% relative reduction in Hospital Intensive Care Unit admissions associated with alcohol misuse, as well Read more about NT alcohol policies reduce ICU admissions
Australia; NTFlinders University -
Why does Flu get worse as we age - and is it the same for COVID?
Clinical & Translational Immunology
Elderly people who contract the Flu seem to produce fewer immune 'emergency' signals from infected cells, and therefore a slower immune response to infection than younger people, according to Aussie researchers. The team also found that regardless Read more about Why does Flu get worse as we age - and is it the same for COVID?
Australia; VICThe University of Melbourne|Monash University|Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity -
Long-term study reveals harm in regular cannabis use
Drug and Alcohol Review
Regular cannabis use has harmful effects regardless of the age a person starts using, a University of Queensland-led study has found. The study examined people who began regular cannabis use in high school or in their early 20s, and compared both Read more about Long-term study reveals harm in regular cannabis use
Australia; VIC; QLDThe University of Queensland|Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI)... -
Skink social network may help save species
New Zealand Journal of Ecology
Reptiles, apart from dinosaurs, aren’t usually thought of as particularly sociable. However, researchers from the University of Otago found that social groups of between two and eight endangered Otago skinks in Ōrokonui Ecosanctuary persisted Read more about Skink social network may help save species
New ZealandUniversity of Otago -
Early antibiotic use could have an effect on growth
Nature Communications
Exposure to antibiotics in the first few weeks of life is associated with reduced weight and height in boys up to the age of six, but not girls, according to international researchers who suggest this effect may be due to changes in the development Read more about Early antibiotic use could have an effect on growth
InternationalBar Ilan University, Israel