Health (ABC RN)
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Jabbed
Twenty or thirty years ago, it seemed almost no one questioned the science of vaccination -- and generation of parents had first hand memories of children they knew succumbing to polio, or dying of measles or whooping cough to skip their own kid's jabs.
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The Health Report's Norman Swan
New studies have confirmed salt is directly related to strokes and heart attacks and on today's Health Report, Norman Swan will look at how reducing salt and increasing potassium intake can have profoundly beneficial effects.
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NSW to consider banning unvaccinated children from child...
The NSW government is considering a draft bill put forward by the NSW Opposition to let child care centres ban unvaccinated children, in a bid to increase vaccination rates.
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Médecins Sans Frontières in Syria
Nearly all Syrians are now impacted by the collapsing civil society and in the border camps the humanitarian situation is stark.
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Australians in the dark about death
One in two Australians haven't talked about end-of-life care with their families according to a survey released this morning by Palliative Care Australia.
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From Here to Eternity
The urge to merge with Eternity has raised up saints, transformed sacred space, and inspired the faithful to resist injustice. Yet the belief in Eternity and its ante room Purgatory has also been a battleground that saw churches topple. The Romantics resurrected Eternity from its distant abode but today's secularists all but erase its traces, though science remains open. Carlos Eire, Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University, and a 'chronophobiac' is fascinated by the...
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Linking body and mind
Young people with severe mental illness have a 15–20 years lower life expectancy than the general population. We hear the story of a young man who after a psychotic episode put on 30kg. Now he’s back to surfing, with the help of an innovative mental health program which links mind and body.
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From Oxford to Monash - friendship rekindled
Professor John Crossley and Professor John Bradshaw, a regular contributor to this program, first met 50 years ago when they were both students at Oxford University.
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Disability care rolled out in Aboriginal communities
The Federal Government will today reveal plans that ensure Indigenous Australians benefit from the rollout of Disability Care Australia.
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Australians awarded for TB breakthrough
Tuberculosis remains a very real danger both overseas and in some Indigenous Australian communities.
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Budget 2013: Tanya Plibersek
It will be harder to qualify for the Medicare Safety Net after the Gillard Government scrapped a tax break for medical expenses in last night's budget.
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Could the deadly Coronavirus reach Australia?
A deadly new virus, related to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) has emerged in a handful of countries.
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I spy a crocodile
"I like playing in the bush," says William, aged four. But he warns you have to be careful of "snakes, lizards, crocodiles and kangaroos."
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Angelina Jolie opts for a preventative double mastectomy
The Oscar Award-winning actor Angelina Jolie has undergone a preventative double mastectomy.
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Using edible insects to combat hunger and obesity
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) wants us to consider eating more bugs.
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Living in the dark on plans for dying
What decisions can you make now about how you want to be treated or left alone in your final days?
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Law Report 14 May 2013
What decisions can you make now about how you want to be treated or left alone in your final days?
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Fire ants break out in Queensland
A town in south east Queensland has had another menacing outbreak of fire ants. It's the second time the stinging ants have appeared in Goodna, near Ipswich, in just over a decade.
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Cockroaches on the menu in Sydney restaurants
A report today from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation is urging more people to consider insects as food.
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Crossing Genders: Roberta Perkins
Author, academic, and transgender person Roberta Perkins spoke with Norman Swan in 1997. They discussed how people decide to change their gender, and talked about the results of a study she had done of 146 people who had gone through a transgender operation—how they fared after the operation and how their communities reacted to them.
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Kava noted as anxiety treatment
Many people might be well acquainted with the recreational and ceremonial plant kava, especially if you've travelled through the Pacific.
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A sense of sweetness
We're going to test your sense of sweetness, so get yourself a lolly before the show.
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Children and vegetables
How do you get your children to eat vegetables?
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Omega-3 fatty acid supplements and cognitive decline
The role of omega-3 in preventing cognitive decline in older people has been questioned.
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Saving Medicare
How much does Medicare really cost? In the last ten years federal, state and territory health spending has increased by 80%. In 2000 – 2001 it was 53 billion dollars ten years later it’s 90 billion.
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Love Potions
There is nothing new about a philosopher thinking about love. But it takes a slightly different hue in the era of neuroscience.
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Sophie Townsend
Accident prone Sophie Townsend didn't realise there would be so much driving involved when her husband was diagnosed with cancer.
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Accident!
Stories from the Now Hear This Storytelling Slam, themed 'Accident!'
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Do I have a problem?
In a piece of rampant gonzo journalism, where fact meets fiction, Seref Isler takes us into the sometimes altered reality of a young man in search of answers.
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Fat on film: how are 'fatties' represented by the media?
The 'obesity epidemic' is constantly in news reports, on the television, internet and papers. Cat Pause says that the discussion around obesity and the way fat people are portrayed in the media translates into discrimination against them in the real world.
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Preview of tonight's Religion and Ethics report
Andrew West explores the testy relationship between Margaret Thatcher and church leaders on today's edition of the Religion & Ethics Report.
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Margaret Thatcher a favourite of cartoonists and...
Throughout her time as prime minister—and long afterwards—Margaret Thatcher, who died just over a day ago from a stroke, aged 87, was a favourite with satirists and newspaper cartoonists.
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Better communication needed to improve organ donations
Apparently 90 per cent of Australians support the idea of organ donations.
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Call for more sensitive debate about female circumcision
A victim of female circumcision has spoken out against the western description of the procedure, saying the use of the phrase, 'female genital mutilation' is culturally insensitive.
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World first: Koala genome mapped
A research team from Queensland University of Technology has successfully mapped most of the koala's genome.
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Regional health experts want bush services to be hi-tech
Telehealth and the National Broadband Network could be part of the solution to providing quality health care to regional areas.
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The Law Report's Damien Carrick
Over 2000 children convicted for homicide in the USA have been sentenced to life behind bars under mandatory sentencing laws.
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Thatcher's influence on women in politics
Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who died earlier today at 87, had a huge influence on a whole generation of women, particularly on young girls who grew up during her 12 years at the helm.
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Criticisms of Margaret Thatcher: Ken Livingstone
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died earlier today in Britain at the age of 87. She is being remembered as a great British leader but also as one of the nation's most controversial.
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Margaret Thatcher's chief policy adviser: John Redwood
John Redwood was Thatcher's chief policy adviser, also a cabinet minister in former British prime minister John Major's government and challenger for the leadership of the Conservative Party
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Can we feed 9 billion in 2050?
There will be 9 billion people on earth in 2050 if predictions of population growth are correct. For some that's too many mouths to feed, but for others it's a challenge.
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Margaret Thatcher dies after stroke: Trevor Kavanagh
Former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, has died at the age of 87 after a stroke.
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New website for chronic musculoskeletal pain sufferers
On April 11 WA Health is launching a new website which is aimed at anyone who has conditions such as low back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Researchers investigated the effectiveness of magnetic resonance imaging in the care of patients with back problems like sciatica and lumbar-disk herniation.
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Cognitive functional therapy for low back pain
Australian and Norwegian researchers investigated the efficacy of cognitive functional therapy in patients with non-specific low back pain, compared with traditional manual therapy and exercise.
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Helen Sage, a flower between the cracks
One winter’s day in 1999 Helen Sage's daughter Jane was late returning home. As it happened, Jane had been involved in an horrific car accident that left her with a severe brain injury.
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The Health Report's Norman Swan
We return today to chronic back pain with Dr Norman Swan.
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Government to reduce strain on kidney donors
Kidney donors face not only a difficult decision in donating kidneys but also the prospect of a lengthy recovery.
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Ben O'Reilly
Ben O'Reilly breaks down the bond between a man and his hairdresser.
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Now Hear This: Stories of Misadventure
This week we'll hear stories of wild misadventure...
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Solar lanterns replace kerosene killers in Africa
Kerosene lamps kill 2 million people each year.
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Snoring in children
Snoring can pose real threats to health, and more.
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Alzheimer's, depression and suicide risk from concussions
The brains of young sports people who've suffered repeated concussions resemble those of seniors with Alzheimer's disease.
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Carers confused over NDIS as launch date looms
Carers for people with a disability are still unsure how the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will work, with the launch of the scheme planned for July.
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Science with Chris Smith: Bird flu, dreams and baldness
The latest news from the world of science with Chris Smith.
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France makes abortions free
Should abortions be free? France thinks so.
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Bloodlines - protecting the parsnip
Heirloom seed protector Clive Blazey becomes very animated when it comes to the corporatisation of our seed stocks. In this episode of Bloodlines he talk about the patenting and hybridisation of many vegetable varieties for profit and protection. The hollow crown parnsip is one seed stock Clive has helped resurrect.
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Psychs on Bikes
Motorcycles, leather jackets and outback pubs might not be what you picture when thinking of psychiatrists. Dr Joe Dunn and his Psychs on Bikes are undertaking yet another road trip around rural Australia to raise awareness of mental health issues.
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US to boost brain research funding
Last night, US president Barack Obama outlined a new plan to map the human brain.
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Research Filter: Climate change, the health halo effect,...
RN Drive puts the news coverage of the latest Climate Commission report through the Research Filter. We also look at the reported link between puberty and behavioural problems, and how organic labels make you think food tastes better.
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Preview of tonight's Religion and Ethics report
A British author is arguing that there's been an outbreak of what he calls 'Christianophobia' across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
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WA Government to move residents from asbestos town
The West Australian Government is looking to remove a small group of residents who continue to live in the deadly asbestos mining town of Wittenoom, in the Pilbara region.
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India's generic drug victory
In a landmark ruling for generic drugs, India's Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by Swiss company Novartis to win patent protection for a new version of its cancer drug Glivec.
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Overweight passengers pay more an airfare
Samoa Air has become the first airline to charge its passengers based on their weight.
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"Virtual Curtain" technology to clean up mine wastewater
A common gripe about Australia's resource economy is that the only thing we're good at is digging stuff up and shipping it out.
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Prevention of non-communicable diseases
Dr Douglas Bettcher is in charge of non-communicable disease prevention at the World Health Organisation. He's in Australia this week and spoke with Norman Swan about diseases that can be prevented by changing life styles.
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Health care reforms in the UK
This is the second in a series of health care reforms in other countries. This week we're looking at the English National Health Service.
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New recovery centres help Australia's returned soldiers
The majority of Australia's troops will leave Afghanistan this year, but the psychological impact the war has on soldiers is likely to continue for decades. The Queensland RSL says a new generation of ex-servicemen needs new solutions, and it has launched a number of new recovery centres to help returned soldiers get the assistance they need.
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Preview of tonight's Religion and Ethics report
You can catch the Religion Report hosted by Andrew West on Wednesday at 5:30 pm.
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Concerns over antibiotic-resistant superbugs
Last week an antibiotic-resistant superbug infected ten patients at Dandenong hospital in Melbourne.
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Could banning low-cost alcohol solve Central Australia's...
Alcohol has been described as one of the biggest problems affecting Central Australia, but could banning low-cost alcohol really be the way to make a real difference?
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Purely Practical: Health, cracking open the Easter egg
What is Easter to you? For some it is a time of worship, for some holidays, but no matter how you spend it, chocolate in all shapes and sizes is often part and parcel of the celebration. In Purely Practical this week we get inside the shiny foil wrapper of the Easter Egg and find out the effects of chocolate on our health. Can chocolate actually be good for you? ABC Health Journalist Claudine Ryan is here with some healthy advice on all things chocolate.
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Report highlights Macular Degeneration suffering
Macular Degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness in Australia.
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Drawing Room: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome: it's not something we talk about a lot but it's something that many Australians have.
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The effect of the Greek financial crisis on health
The financial crisis in Greece and other Southern European countries has a significant impact on people's health in those places. So far the people in Greece seem to suffer more severely than others.
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The effect of diet and watching TV on human fertility
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health investigated the effect of diet on human fertility. They also suggest that watching too much television has a detrimental effect on men's fertility.
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Australia's Bad Drug Deal
A new report has revealed that Australians are paying more, indeed much more, for prescription medicine compared to New Zealanders. How much more? Over 3 million dollars a day. So why is this happening and why do the laws differ from State to State?
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Plastic Face
The first recorded facial surgery – a nose job - was in India around 600 BCE. It’s only over the past 50 years, though, that plastic surgery has taken off as an anti-ageing treatment. These days a facelift, eyelid surgery, brow lift or nose job is at your fingertips! Are aesthetic plastic surgeons simply responding to demand - or are they creating the demand?
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The butcher, the baker...
Dan Lepard - Baker Boy. Carcass to Coals.
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Science with Chris Smith: 3D TV
The latest news from the world of science with Chris Smith.
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Passing animal diseases to humans
Pigs, birds and horses all have the ability to transfer diseases and viruses to humans.
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Outrage after asbestos dumped outside daycare
Footage released by City of Sydney council of a driver dumping more than two tonnes of asbestos outside two daycare centres last December has provoked outrage.
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Preview of tonight's Religion and Ethics report
Pope Francis celebrated his mass inauguration overnight with a considerably shorter, and more modest, ceremony than that of his predecessor.
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Charity lamb auction raises money for Leukaemia...
The father of a country boy, who recently lost his battle with leukaemia, has issued a challenge to regional saleyards across Australia.
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Alzheimer's and the euthanasia debate
Alzheimer's Australia says that by 2050 three million Australians will be living with dementia. Professor Megan-Jane Johnstone says that different interest groups and the media are steering the discussion into dangerous territory.
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The Law Report's Damien Carrick: Irish abuse
April 3 is the first public sitting day of of the much anticipated Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
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What Australia should know about superbugs
Just a week after the UK's Chief Health Officer likened the risks of antibiotic resistance and superbugs to climate change and terrorism, concerns have been raised about the situation in Australia.
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Health care reform in the US
This is the first in a series of health reform in other countries. Today: A look at health care reform in the United States.
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High pharmaceutical prices in Australia
A report called 'Australia's bad drug deal - High pharmaceutical prices' has just been released. We talk to Dr Stephen Duckett from the Grattan Institute, who is one of the authors of this report.
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Rockhampton to debate fluoridation of the water supply
Rockhampton is the latest in a series of regional Queensland councils looking at the option of ending fluoridation of its local water supply.
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Passing down bush medicine pearls of wisdom
An elder of the Mitakoodi tribe in north-west Queensland has put her knowledge of bush medicine in writing.
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The Health Report's Norman Swan: PBS
Are taxpayers and patients, being ripped off by pharmaceutical companies?
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24-hour child care trial for police and nurses
The Gillard government has responded to families needing more flexible childcare by funding a trial of around-the-clock childcare. Five hundred policing and nursing families will have access to late night and after hours care for their children.
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PBS might be a bad drug deal
We could be paying a lot less for prescription medication if changes were made to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme pricing system, according to a new report released today by the Grattan Institute.
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Breath
Driving along a country road in the middle of the night there is always that feeling of what might be around the corner
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Australian children and salt
If you’ve been a parent of school age children you’d know about the almost hourly signing of various permission or disclaimer forms quickly followed by the opening of the wallet. But until now RN Firstbite has never had to sign off on my child's wee being handed over to strangers.
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First Bite Sat 16th March 2013
Old Colonists dinner recreated. Australian children and salt.
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Report on kids' wellbeing to be launched in parliament...
A report will be launched at Parliament House this morning on children's wellbeing, compiled by the Australian Research Alliance for Children.
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Science with Chris Smith: Heart disease in ancient times
In the rich, western countries, the big health problems, such as obesity, high cholesterol and heart disease all relate to our lifestyle.
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Queensland drug squad tackles mining problem
Queensland Police say illicit drug manufacturers are targeting mining industry workers.
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Living with Cystic Fibrosis, Jennifer Symonds
Jennifer Symonds lives with Cystic Fibrosis, a genetically acquired condition that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. In Australia, one in 2,500 babies are born with this debilitating condition. For Jennifer, who is on oxygen every minute of the day, a lung transplant was a hope of a better quality of life. The option of a transplant has became no longer available to her due to a related health problem. She wishes to raise awareness not only of the plight of those living with...
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Research Filter: Fat insomniacs, unhealthy mummies, and...
This week, newspaper headlines claimed that not sleeping well can make you fat, that climate change threats have been exaggerated, and that tests on ancient mummies proved our ancestors had heart disease too.
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Whistleblower concern over Patel verdict
A jury has cleared Jayant Patel of the manslaughter of a pensioner who died three weeks after receiving surgery in 2003.
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Miners tell of drug abuse in FIFO towns
Some Queensland coal mine workers have spoken out about drug abuse they've witnessed at mining camps.
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90 per cent of businesses failing at first aid
Research out this morning from St John Ambulance Australia says nearly 90 per cent of businesses are failing at first aid, putting workers and customers at risk.
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NYC escapes ban on large sugary drinks
A New York judge has stopped a ban on large sugary drinks.
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Leeches still valuable suckers in medicine
They remain a critical tool for surgeons in Australia, but before farmed leeches arrive at the medical ward they start life feeding on blood-filled sausages.
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Study finds drugs, drink and prostitution rife in mining...
A Queensland law academic says drug and alcohol abuse is endemic in parts of the mining sector.
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Bhutan to boost Gross National Happiness with organics
The small, landlocked country of Bhutan is aiming to increase its national happiness by becoming the first country in the world to completely shift to organic farming.
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Nanoparticles and the regulatory regime - is it adequate?
We continue our focus on risk, nanomaterials and regulation. Some believe Australia should tighten the regulatory framework, but Brian Priestly argues that the regulation of nanomaterials is adequate and it is working.
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Tasmanian Devil
Researchers say they are one step closer to developing a vaccine against the deadly facial tumour disease that has plagued the Tasmanian Devil.
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Antibiotic resistance labelled on par with terrorism
The threat of antibiotic resistance should be ranked alongside terrorism on a list of risks facing the UK, according to the Chief Medical Officer for England.
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US egg donors to meet 'serious' shortage in Australia
An Australian IVF clinic is trying to address a serious shortage of egg donors by importing frozen eggs from the United States.
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The bionic eye project
Bionic Vision Australia researchers are working to develop a bionic eye that can restore sight to people whose vision is impaired due to retinitis pigmentosa. They are also aiming to develop the technology further, so that in future it will be suitable for people with other conditions such as macular degeneration.
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Age-related macular degeneration - promising research
Age-related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness. There is no cure at the moment for this condition; however, researchers are looking at ways of slowing the disease and in some cases even curing it, using stem cell technology.
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Living Colour: the biological and social meaning of skin...
Nina Jablonski explores skin colour from the evolutionary relationship between the intensity of ultraviolent radiation and colour to social meanings and how skin pigmentation has also come to influence our societies in profound and complex ways.
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The Health Report's Norman Swan
Is there an argument for a new way of doing medical research?
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Salty choice
Despite a commitment from our food manufacturers to reduce salt levels in foods, it seems in many cases sodium levels are still high, particularly in foods marketed to children.
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The risks of mercury in dental amalgam
10% of the world’s mercury is in humans. It threatens health and moves to the environment after death.
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Helping paralysed people walk with robots and nerve...
Robotic devices can help paralysed people walk.
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The Science Show 9th March 2013
Robotic devices can help paralysed people walk.
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Science with Chris Smith: Bees seek a caffeine hit
The latest news from the world of science with Chris Smith. Today on the show Chris discusses new research which shows that bees—like so many of us—need their daily caffeine hit.
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Combining essential services in central NSW
Like many small country towns, Millthorpe in central NSW lost its doctor and chemist shop many years ago, and was in danger of losing its post office.
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In Your Face: The history of plastic surgery
Dr Bryan Mendelson is a leading Australian plastic surgeon who has just written a new book about his profession.
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Research Filter: Beer goggles, brainy women and BPA...
RN Drive puts some the week's most talked about science stories through the Research Filter.
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Thirty years representing the public interest
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) turns 30 this year.
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Law Report 5 March 2013
Two recent decisions in the High Court have left open the question of how far our law will go to protect Australia's equivalent of free speech.
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Guar boom tipped for the Top End
Rice, chia, sandalwood and sugar have all been seen as the crop that will bring big money to farming in Australia's north.
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The Law Report's Damien Carrick: Freedom of Speech
Damien Carrick from the Law report joins RN Breakfast to discuss a recent review in South Australia of Freedom of Speech Law by the High Court.
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Heart disease: Biggest killer of Australian women
Heart disease is the biggest killer of women in Australia, with four times as many women dying from the disease than breast cancer.
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Breakthroughs in curing HIV
Doctors in the US have reportedly cured a baby girl of HIV, while researchers in Melbourne say they're a step closely to finding an alternative way of eliminating the virus.
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John Snow and the cholera epidemic in London
John Snow was an English physician in the 19th century. He is considered to be one of the fathers of modern epidemiology due to the fact that his work traced the source of a cholera outbreak in Soho, England, in 1854.
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Bisphenol A (bpa)
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in the lining of some food and beverage packaging. It is used to protect from contamination and to extend shelf life. This chemical is also used in non-food related products. There are concerns that BPA may cause multiple health problems. At the recent American Association for the Advancement of Science Congress in Boston, some people questioned whether BPA is really as risky as many have said.
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The Health Report's Norman Swan
A lot of people have been frightened by stories of plastic drink bottles causing everything from asthma to obesity, and even breast cancer.
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Paramedics breakaway from HSU
Today a five-day hearing begins, in the NSW Industrial Commission, with the potential to change the way unions work—and who they represent.
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Panting and Chanting
Margot Anand, the Sorbonne trained psychologist and Tantric teacher believes sacred sex is the foundation of a fulfilling spiritual life. Trained in Hindu and Buddhist Tantra, Anand has taught Tantric Sky Dancing for 25 years, to students as diverse as married couples and Jesuit priests. The aim is to experience the luminous state of orgasm, and learn to move that energy up the solar plexis into your heart and head. Deva Premal and Miten hold healing workshops of mantra chanting where...
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High Court dismisses offensive letters case
A self-styled Muslim cleric has lost a High Court case in which he argued he had the right to send offensive letters to the parents of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
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Preview of tonight's Religion and Ethics report
Pope Benedict leaves office tomorrow at 8pm in Rome, and almost 60,000 American nuns have a special reason to pause when they consider the legacy of this pope.
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Two decades on: strengthening Australia's disability laws
How well are Australia's disability discrimination laws working?
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Law Report 25 Feb 2013
Lately, there has been a lot of debate about whether or not the numerous federal discrimination laws should be rolled into one single piece of legislation. So, just how well do our current discrimination laws work?
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Ripple effects of regional alcohol abuse
ABC Four Corners has shown alarming and confronting cases of alcohol abuse and violence in metropolitan Australia.
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Purely Practical: Health, quenching your thirst for...
In the summer months there is nothing quite like downing an ice-cold soft drink, juice or energy drink to quench your thirst. But what lurks beyond the refreshment? How do these sugary drinks affect our wellbeing?
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Tourism and cosmetic surgery
Would you ever think about going on holiday and fitting in some cosmetic surgery between sightseeing? It might not appeal to you, but each year thousands of Australians are doing just that. What are the risks and motivations?
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The Law Report's Damien Carrick: Discrimination
This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act, and debate around the effectiveness of the current legislation, and whether or not to roll various federal discrimination acts into one, are the focus of today's Law Report.
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Not enough doctors in regional communities
The number of doctors serving Mount Isa has dropped from eleven to seven, and another three are planning to leave this year.
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A Year Off The Grog
Jill Stark was a big drinker over 20 years, then shegave up the booze for a year. It wasn’t easy but it was a revelation.
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How Australian alcohol is marketed and regulated
While the cigarette industry in Australia has been set back by plain packaging legislation, alcohol is a free-for-all, with only voluntary codes of practice in marketing and taxation regimes that favour cheap wine. We look at Australian and UK public health industry attempts to reduce alcohol marketing to children and availability to the vulnerable and addicted.
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The Health Report's Norman Swan: Healthcare
There is an ongoing tussle between the commonwealth and the states and territories over how to split the rising costs of healthcare in this country.
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Scar Stories
You're young, you're beautiful. You get cancer. You survive, but the physical scars are a permanent reminder. For teenagers and young adults this comes at a time when body image and self-identity are paramount. A photographic project is challenging young survivors to see their scars in a different light—and to reveal what many wanted to keep hidden.
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Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project
Don Tillman thinks getting married would be a good idea, and he has the perfect solution to his romantic problems. A survey: sixteen pages, double-sided, multiple choice. What could possibly go wrong? Find out in Graeme Simsion's debut novel, The Rosie Project.
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Drugs in sport: Peptides
The debate about the use of drugs in sport—in this case, the use of peptides as outlined by the Crime Commission—has focused on eradicating them from the game.
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Obese man wins $350,000 from doctor
A morbidly obese man dying from liver cancer has successfully sued his GP for failing to send him to a weight loss clinic or recommend him for lap band surgery.
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Coroner rules Coca Cola killed NZ mother
A New Zealand coroner has pushed for warning labels to be placed on caffeinated soft drinks after finding a 30-year-old woman died from drinking too much Coca Cola.
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Law Report 19 Feb 2013
In an obesity epidemic, who bears the legal responsibility for your health?
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Dairy recognised in new national dietary guidelines
New Australian dietary guidelines have been released, with one of the significant changes being the recognition of low-fat dairy products as an important part of a healthy diet.
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Can exercise can help severe mental illness?
Antipsychotic medication can often lead to rapid weight gain, leading to poor physical health outcomes later down the track (not to mention the further negative impact weight gain can have on mental health). Is physical exercise the answer? Can it do enough to help people on medication lose weight?
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The Law Report's Damien Carrick
Last week a New Zealand coroner—in a world first—found the death of 31-year-old mother of eight, Natasha Harris, was caused by her chronic consumption of Coca Cola.
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National dietary guidelines: Fine-tuned or tuned out?
There has been no shortage of efforts to get us to eat healthily over the years.
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Population genetics
Dr Jim Wilson from the University of Edinburg has studied his relatives in the Orkney Islands using genome wide associations.
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Calculating your genetic risk
Genome wide association studies are an efficient way of finding genes that might be important in the search for causes of common problems and new treatments for them.
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Children as a moral shield
Are we using children as a kind of moral shield for our arguments? For instance, using terms like 'child poverty' instead of 'poverty', or 'a child is at risk' when a whole community is at risk. And we are also in danger of lumping many and varied behaviours into one handy label—'child sexual exploitation'?
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The Human Brain Project
Some of the world’s brainiest brain experts have put their heads together to try and unravel the human mind.
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My Intoxicating Career
A drink or two before you get up on stage can calm your nerves and fuel your creativity but how do performers manage the world of alcohol and addiction?
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360documentaries 17 February 2013
This week actors, musicians and performance poets tell producer Regina Bottros about the role of alcohol in their work. It can calm the nerves before you get up on stage and fuel your creativity but at what cost?
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The Law Report's Damien Carrick
Making tough decisions is never easy but what if you were responsible for deciding which criminals go to jail? Or which parent gets custody of a child?
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Alcohol use: from adolescence to adulthood
A study has just been released which looks at alcohol use in adolescents and tries to predict what will happen to them as adults.
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Oesophageal cancer and the prediction of risk
The most rapidly rising cancer in wealthy countries such as Australia is a potentially dreadful tumour of the oesophagus - the tube that takes food to your stomach.
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Red wine and the prevention of bowel cancer
Professor Finlay Macrae at The Royal Melbourne Hospital is currently leading a trial that aims to investigate the preventative effects of red wine, containing resveratrol, on the development and progression of bowel cancer.
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Controversial doctor sees link between human and animal...
The wasting disease Johne's is an economic problem for cattle and sheep producers, but there is no proven link to human health.
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The Health Report's Norman Swan
Cancer of the oesophagus has increased sixfold in the last 20 years and now Queensland scientists have discovered ways of predicting the risk of contracting the disease.
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How rich is calcium rich?
What do those claims mean when foods are labelled 'calcium rich' or 'high in anti-oxidants'? Are they scientifically proven?
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Saffron - pricey spice and vision restorer
Saffron, a spice whose fragrance, colour and taste have infiltrated cuisines and culture the world over, it’s mystique only added to by the enormous prices it commands.
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Saffron, 32 chews and truth in labelling
Saffron – one of the most expensive and anti-oxidant laden substances in the world. New science shows the spice could do more than just flavour a dish, it could restore vision. We explore the origins of 32 chews and a new food standard calls on companies to back up their claims of health and nutrition.
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Rural women hoping for shorter breast cancer treatment
A radiation therapy trial at Sydney's St George Hospital could make a big difference to rural women with breast cancer.
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Background Breifing: Highway One
There's been an alarming surge in crashes involving heavy vehicles, or trucks, in Queensland and Western Australia, most likely attributable to the mining boom.
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Science with Chris Smith: Tuberculosis
It's estimated two billion people around the world are infected with TB.
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Madness: A memoir
Kate Richards is a trained doctor currently working in medical research.
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Research Filter: Sleep and memory loss
In the Research Filter, RN Drive dissects the latest scientific research and pulls out the facts that will matter to you.
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Preview of tonight's Religion and Ethics report
The recent Israeli elections were a breakthrough for secular centrists, but the next coalition government will probably rely on religious parties and MPs for support.
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Environment protesters turn to corporate law
Can environmental protesters step it up and use company law against energy corporations?
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Law Report 29 Jan 2013
How are environmental groups such as anti-coal seam gas activists turning the tables and using company law against energy corporations?
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Purely Practical - Health, getting into exercise
Purely Practical this week is all about getting into exercise. Did you make a New Year resolution to get fit? Or maybe you are keen to shed a few kilos of festive overindulgence.
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Eco-Angst
Australia has always been a land of extreme weather conditions, and it makes it hard to make that final call: this bushfire, this heatwave, that cyclone, is a marker of climate change.But now it’s happened, according to the Climate Commission of Australia.
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Ultimate wellness: Kerryn Phelps
With January almost over, it's time to check in on your health mission for 2013.
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Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation is based on centuries of Buddhist meditative techniques. Dr Craig Hassed has co-written a book called Mindfulness for Life.
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How exercise can change your life
A world authority on exercise, Professor Steven Blair from the University of South Carolina, recently visited Australia and he talks about the importance of being fit and how being fit is more likely to save your life than being less fat.
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The Heart is an Organ of Fire
Why do we have two hearts? Medically speaking, there's the heart that pumps blood and oxygen around your body. Culturally, there's the heart as a symbol of love and emotion. Are these two different notions of the heart linked? In this historical, medical and emotional journey through the human heart, you'll meet a man whose heart stopped for ten minutes, the woman who loves him - and a medical historian.
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Art, science and schizophrenia
Many heads are now coming together to improve the lives of those who experience schizophrenia. Join Lynne Malcolm for this public discussion on art, science and schizophrenia.
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Tribute to Carmel Rosella
She learned to read as an adult and it opened up so many opportunities for her.
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Foodie backlash, man behind Momofuku, Afghan carrots
Had a gutful of food fetishism? Short and Sweet: David Chang. Bloodlines: a carrot is born.
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Blind coastal walker fundraising for blindness
Earlier this year more than 1,300 people took on Coastrek, a 50 or 100 kilometre fundraising coastal walk for the Fred Hollows Foundation in Sydney.
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Science with Chris Smith: Bad genes and bacteria
The latest news from the world of science with Chris Smith: Scientists in Oregon believe they've found a way to extract bad genetic material from a human egg before it's fertilised; doctors are trying to stop one type of bacterial infection caught in hospitals with a cocktail of different bacteria, and, still on the subject of bacteria, scientists have discovered underwater bacterial batteries and powerlines.
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Mothers in their 40s
There is much debate on whether there are health issues for older mothers, and for their babies.
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More babies than ever
Maybe it was the baby bonus, but Australian women produced a record 301, 617 babies in 2011.
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Royal Life Saving records 104 deaths in inland waters
Royal Life Saving's latest National Drowning Report shows that the country's inland waters are among our most dangerous.
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NSW blames Feds for internship funding impasse
The standoff between the federal and state governments over a funding shortfall for internships for medical students to finish their training means that 182 international medical students who have trained in Australia can't get jobs in our hospitals.
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Preview of tonight's Religion and Ethics report
Political commentators, even President Barack Obama himself, felt his performance in the first of the latest presidential debates was poor, but debating was never Obama's greatest strength.
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Young Australians in nursing homes
Across Australia, there are over 6,500 young Australians living in nursing homes because of lack of alternative support or rehabilitation services.
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Health insurance rebate cut: Tanya Plibersek
One of the key savings measures in this week's budget update is a plan to further cap the private heath insurance rebate.
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Local medical students denied internships
In recent years Australian universities have bolstered the number of places for medical students but there simply aren't enough internship positions -- needed in order to finish medical training in Australia.
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