|
|
Editor's note
|
Rates of allergies have increased in recent decades. The “hygiene hypothesis” suggested this was because children were becoming too hygienic and were therefore exposed to fewer early infections in early childhood than previous generations.
But newer research suggests early exposure to disease-causing bugs doesn’t prevent allergies.
As Emily Johnston Flies and Philip Weinstein explain, good hygiene practices, such as hand washing, are critical for reducing the spread of infectious diseases such as influenza and even the Wuhan coronavirus.
Instead, parents should focus on getting their children outdoors and into nature. This will expose them to a range of microbes and could protect them against asthma and allergies.
|
Fron Jackson-Webb
Deputy Editor/Senior Health + Medicine Editor
|
|
|
Top stories
|
Katya Shut/Shutterstock
Emily Johnston Flies, University of Tasmania; Philip Weinstein, University of Adelaide
We used to think the rise in allergies was because we weren't exposed to as many early infections as previous generations. But that's not the case.
|
Lukas Coch/AAP
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
As this week showed, a clean end to a ministerial scandal is seldom possible. Even so, the aftershocks of the sports rorts affair have been major, and they’ll continue to plague the government.
|
Australian Navy
Anthony Richardson, RMIT University
How could a nation like Australia come close to a humanitarian crisis during the recent bushfires? A problem-solving theory called "systems thinking" can help us find out.
|
IMDB
Damon Young, University of Melbourne
The Marvel Cinematic Universe brings the virtues and politics of the comic world - indeed the Ancient Greek world - to life. But trusting the message doesn't mean I trust the corporation behind it.
|
Business + Economy
|
-
Kevin Davis, University of Melbourne
All that would be needed is to adjust retiree tax scales and tax their super fund earnings at their marginal rate.
-
Richard Holden, UNSW
The Iowa caucuses have been criticised for being unrepresentative. But there are good reasons for small states to go first in the US primary process.
|
|
Science + Technology
|
-
Rupert Sutherland, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington; Gerald Dickens, Rice University
Our expedition drilled into the recently discovered underwater continent of Zealandia, revealing a new picture of the violent geological forces that created it.
-
Melissa Southey, Monash University
A landmark analysis of the genetic sequences of hundreds of different cancers offers crucial insights into the origins and growth of the disease's myriad forms.
|
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Howard Manns, Monash University; Kate Burridge, Monash University
Languages are always changing and evolving- largely because humans have alwasy been on the move.
-
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
On this podcast, the Nationals leader defends his new frontbench line up against criticism it's short on women, mounts a strong pitch in favour of coal, and rejects claims that he's a weak leader.
-
Anne Tiernan, Griffith University
Whatever our differences, Australians’ essential empathy and yearning for connection always come out in times of crisis. We have a responsibility to make sure it stays that way.
|
|
Education
|
-
Michelle O'Shea, Western Sydney University; Hazel Maxwell, University of Tasmania; Megan Stronach, University of Technology Sydney
Swimming lessons can save lives. Here's what your child should ideally be able to do in the water at different stages of their development.
-
Christopher Ziguras, RMIT University; Ly Tran, Deakin University
Australia has never had such a drop in student numbers. Even during the SARS outbreak Australia didn’t implement bans on those travelling from affected countries.
|
|
Cities
|
-
Sajeda Tuli, University of Canberra; Shakil Bin Kashem, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The knowledge economy creates clear winners and losers in the big cities whose growth it drives. Many Australian and US cities with strong knowledge economies have high levels of social vulnerability.
|
|
Arts + Culture
|
-
Ari Mattes, University of Notre Dame Australia
In a strong field, there are a number of contenders for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards. Our expert picks his winner and names a couple of blockbusters that didn't make the grade.
|
|
Health + Medicine
|
-
Arosha Weerakoon, The University of Queensland
Spit, drool, dribble, slaver, slobber or sputum – saliva has many different names. It also has many different jobs.
|
|
Environment + Energy
|
-
Marissa Parrott, University of Melbourne; Naomi Ezra Davis, University of Melbourne
The main food for the mountain pygmy-possum’s spring/summer breeding season is the migratory bogong moth, but in 2017 and 2018 billions of bogong moths failed to arrive. Then the bushfires did.
|
|
|
Featured jobs
|
|
— Boston, Massachusetts, USA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Featured events
|
|
Deakin Downtown, Level 12, Tower 2, Collins Square, 727 Collins Street,, Docklands, Victoria, 3008, Australia — Deakin University
|
|
Building 193, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia — University of Melbourne
|
|
CSIRO Lindfield, 36 Bradfield Road, Lindfield, New South Wales, 2070, Australia — CSIRO
|
|
UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia — UNSW
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|