Why big datasets can help solve South Africa's environmental health ills

Mar 18, 2016 08:18 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology Health

There is a severe lack of environmental health data being collected in communities and households in South Africa. As a result of this, environmental health researchers have a significant challenge accessing high quality...

How does genetics explain non-identical identical twins?

Mar 17, 2016 23:35 pm UTC| Science Health

Newspapers recently went wild with a story about identical twin sisters with a difference: they werent identical. Like all identical twins, Amelia and Jasmine arose from a single fertilised egg so have identical DNA, but...

What are better, public or private hospitals?

Mar 17, 2016 23:03 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Around half of Australians have private health insurance. So if they need to go to hospital, they may have the option of going public or private. Although some people try to research their options extensively, its a...

Do you really need to go to hospital? Time to recentre the health system

Mar 17, 2016 23:01 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Hospitals dominate our health-care system and account for more than one-third of Australias A$150 billion-plus health budget. Pressure is growing on hospital services and costs are spiralling. This is because of the...

Sorry Jamie Oliver, I'd be surprised if sugar tax helped cut obesity

Mar 17, 2016 22:42 pm UTC| Health

It was Benjamin Franklin who said only two things in life are certain: death and taxes. Actually taxes are anything but certain, and what is definitely not certain is how people will respond to them. Unintended...

Ten more myths about smoking that will not die

Mar 17, 2016 01:51 am UTC| Health

Last week, I wrote about factoid-driven myths that just refuse to die. In less than a week, the piece has had more than 1.184 million readers. Theres plainly a big appetite for smoking myth busting, so here are 10...

Remember: a bad memory is actually good for you

Mar 17, 2016 00:15 am UTC| Health

Its not uncommon to hear people wishing that they had a better memory. If only I werent so forgetful, they complain. If only I could reliably remember my computer password, and that my neighbours name is Sarah, not Sandra....