Radio Wammo

Janine Young reports on recent research that shows the size of the human brain isn’t all that special & the time honoured approaches to treat fevers could be misguided and potentially life-threatening. For more go to NewScientist.com

New studies have revealed that ex-cannabis users who have been dieting or who have been subject to stress months after using the drug could still produce positive results in drug tests.

Also studies by Paul Thompson and colleagues from the University of California in Los Angeles have revealed that body fat levels may be linked directly to brain shrinkage. Overweight people were found to have smaller brain sizes than those who were lean.

Janine Young is a freelance science writer, Immunologist and also a broadcaster for New Scientist magazine.

Listen/Download Janine Young on Dieting, Cannabis and Shrinking Brains

Janine Young explains that throughout life our brains undergo more changes than any other part of the body. These can be broadly divided into five stages, each profoundly affecting our abilities and behaviour. Also, could terrorists bring down a plane with nothing but microwaves? Counter-terrorism analysts are warning that pulse weapons capable of frying aircraft electronics can be built using information and components available on the internet. Janine Young is a freelance science and medical writer and also a broadcaster for New Scientist magazine.

Listen/Download Janine Young on Brains and Microwaves

The brain is doing very important things when stuck in neutral. Researchers have noticed that instead of lying dormant when unoccupied, the brain devours a huge amount of calories when we’re doing absolutely nothing. So what exactly is it up to? Some say there’s a major system within the brain that taps in to our memories, knitting them all together. Others believe all the evidence points to a default network that enables us to daydream.

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Spoken phrases seem to morph into song when repeated, shedding light on the difference between speech and song. In a US test, people who were played a phrase once and asked to repeat what they heard, spoke it back. But those who heard the same phrase many times sang it back.

Bianca Nogrady is a freelance science and medical writer and also a broadcaster for New Scientist magazine.

Listen/Download Bianca Nogrady on Brains and Song

Why do the most gifted and talented brains stand out from the crowd? Is there anything physical or psychological that sets them apart? A study of Einstein’s brain in 1998 showed it was 15 per cent wider than average, making it more spherical. And Controversial research suggests that pterosaurs were too heavy to fly. A Japanese scientist collected data from 5 large birds, including the largest in the world: the wandering albatross.

Listen/Download Bianca Nogrady on Beautiful Minds and Pterosaurs