The Best of Australian Science: October 2013
FollowIt’s been a long October which brought many exciting, interesting and controversial events in the science online community. Starting with the good news as Peter Higgs was awarded Nobel Prize in Physics, then some not-so-good news surrounding Urban Scientist Danielle Lee and her terrible experience with (now former) editor at biology online – explained more here and here. Then as Ada Lovelace day approached, some other totally unexpected events popped out in the science blogosphere that brought many of us to stop and think about ethics and professionalism, not only in science but in other areas such as internet technologies, the academic world, and so on.
Interview: Lana Ostojic, an applied scientist in the field of forensic biology – read an interesting story about this young woman in science
Lana Ostojic is a young applied science professional with the real-world experience in criminal forensics. She is a researcher at the Research and Development Department at the Office of Chief of Medical Examiner (OCME), NYC. Lana is also a PhD candidate at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Molecular Biology and Physiology. Her primary field is molecular biology and physiology. Read more>>
Dig down to lift your spirits: soil bacteria act as antidepressants by Alisa Bryce
Have you ever noticed that people who spend more time outdoors, particularly those who garden regularly, are often cheery? While the exercise, sunshine and general health benefits of being outdoors contributes to a happy disposition, scientists have discovered that some of this cheer comes from a certain bacteria that lives in the soil.
Mycobacterium vaccae, a soil dwelling bacteria, has been found to affect our brains in a similar way to antidepressants. It activates brain cells to produce serotonin, a hormone that helps regulate mood and sleep. Low levels of serotonin are often correlated with moodiness, feeling down and depression. Read more>>
A Tale of Two STEM Women by Buddhini Samarasinghe
Ada Lovelace Day is a day for celebrating the achievements of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields. Recently, the New York Times published a fantastic article by Eileen Pollack, “Why Are There Still So Few Women in Science