Is sunscreen safe?
If there was a competition for world’s whitest woman, I would be a top contender. My legs have an eerie fluorescence akin to convenience store tube lights, and my face is as pale as the moon. Part of the reason for this is my prolific use of SPF 50 sunscreen which I religiously slather on the whole family in the hope of warding off skin damage. But does it really work, and is it safe? Global rates of skin cancer have been steadily rising for decades despite the widespread availability of sunscreen. This has led some people to worry that the chemicals in sunscreen are causing cancer rather than preventing…
4 ways science can help your baby sleep
I’ve read some pretty depressing books in my life (1984, The Road, Twilight etc) but Why We Sleep blows them all out of the water. Professor Matthew Walker cheerfully details the precise mechanisms by which sleep loss makes us fat, stupid, sick and ugly whilst shrinking our reproductive organs and propelling us towards untimely deaths. It is an (ironic) wake up call to the disastrous public health implications of sleep deprivation. The science is fascinating but it’s all rather academic unless you’re actually able to get some. My child, dog, feeble bladder and neighbours all routinely conspire against my sleep attempts. Despite explaining to my son that every nocturnal demand…
Books about space for children
I’ve always had a bit of a book problem. Attempts to streamline my collection were thwarted when my son’s arrival compelled me to amass an embarrassingly large number of children’s books. I thought it might be fun to share our favourites in a “book club” series with themes around science and the natural world. Given today is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing it seemed appropriate to start with space. First books about space for toddlers These books give simple introductions to the moon, our solar system and space exploration. Solar System is an ideal first board book for babies and toddlers. It gives a really simple…
Alcohol and health: is there really no safe level of drinking?
I’m writing this with a crisp glass of verdejo in hand, curled into a worn leather armchair in our Cornish holiday cottage (after some negotiation with the dog). It’s a welcome reward following a day at the beach, where the idyllic photographs belie the effort required to ensure nobody gets too hot, too cold, or swept out to sea. So many of us use a drink at the end of a long day to relax, to celebrate our joys and forget our woes. It might act as a tonic for the soul, but is even one glass a day damaging our health? It is according to the authors of a…
