94 posts · 82,296 views
Hospital doctor turned lecturer and medical writer. I love writing about science, watching movies, drinking coffee, eating ice cream and wine tasting (not usually at the same time).
Dr Stu's Science Blog
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- May 3, 2013
- 03:04 AM
- 63 views
Online reviews and movie critics are fantastic – so why do we ignore them??
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
The carpet is sticky and the smell of hotdogs mingles with sweet popcorn. The trailers are rolling. Even though person’s knee from the seat behind jabs into my back, I don’t care. The summer blockbuster is about to start and I’ve heard great things about it… But two hours, a bursting bladder and numb bottom … Continue reading »... Read more »
Chintagunta, P., Gopinath, S., & Venkataraman, S. (2010) The Effects of Online User Reviews on Movie Box Office Performance: Accounting for Sequential Rollout and Aggregation Across Local Markets. Marketing Science, 29(5), 944-957. DOI: 10.1287/mksc.1100.0572
Duan, W., Gu, B., & Whinston, A. (2008) Do online reviews matter? — An empirical investigation of panel data. Decision Support Systems, 45(4), 1007-1016. DOI: 10.1016/j.dss.2008.04.001
BOOR, M. (1992) RELATIONSHIPS AMONG RATINGS OF MOTION PICTURES BY VIEWERS AND SIX PROFESSIONAL MOVIE CRITICS. Psychological Reports, 70(3c), 1011-1021. DOI: 10.2466/pr0.1992.70.3c.1011
- April 15, 2013
- 04:21 AM
- 63 views
A little less money could do us some good
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
It can get depressing to reach Wednesday and the week’s food budget has already run out. It reminds me of college life. You young folk who are going to college, you’ve got it all to look forward to: independence, parties, lectures and beans on toast (not necessarily in that order). Let’s face it, with the … Continue reading »... Read more »
Franco, M., Bilal, U., Ordunez, P., Benet, M., Morejon, A., Caballero, B., Kennelly, J., & Cooper, R. (2013) Population-wide weight loss and regain in relation to diabetes burden and cardiovascular mortality in Cuba 1980-2010: repeated cross sectional surveys and ecological comparison of secular trends. BMJ, 346(apr09 2). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.f1515
- March 13, 2013
- 05:14 AM
- 124 views
Why do Zebras have stripes? Are zebras white with black stripes or black with white?
by Stuart Farrimond in Guru: Science Blog
We’ll get to the eternal question of whether zebras are black with white stripes or white with black stripes in just a little bit. Let’s focus in on why they have the stripes in the first place! There are five main theories as to why zebras are striped: camouflage, confusion, recognition, cooling, and repellant… 1. [...]... Read more »
Calderone JB, Reese BE, & Jacobs GH. (2003) Topography of photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells in the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). Brain, behavior and evolution, 62(4), 182-92. PMID: 14573992
Egri A, Blahó M, Kriska G, Farkas R, Gyurkovszky M, Akesson S, & Horváth G. (2012) Polarotactic tabanids find striped patterns with brightness and/or polarization modulation least attractive: an advantage of zebra stripes. The Journal of experimental biology, 215(Pt 5), 736-45. PMID: 22323196
- March 6, 2013
- 12:07 AM
- 164 views
‘Cancer Free’? What kind of Cancer did Hugo Chavez really have?
by Stuart Farrimond in Guru: Science Blog
Did the Venezuelan president really die of cancer? Rumours started in July 2011 that the Venezuelan ‘dictator was’ unwell. Officials vociferously denied it. Now it is known that Hugo Chavez had been suffering from cancer, underwent chemotherapy, and initially survived kidney failure. It seems impossible to imagine that some form of cancer hasn’t led to [...]... Read more »
Bosetti, C., & La Vecchia, C. (2005) Cancer mortality in Latin America: implications for prevention. Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 18(1). DOI: 10.1590/S1020-49892005000600001
- March 5, 2013
- 06:27 AM
- 199 views
Does watching the news make you feel more miserable than not watching it?
by Stuart Farrimond in Guru: Science Blog
That’s a really great question. Whether we watch, read, or listen to the news, I’m sure we have all had the feeling of being sick about it; be it the story itself or how it is presented. A huge proportion of our news seems to be negatively biased – but why? The answer has, in [...]... Read more »
Johnston WM, & Davey GC. (1997) The psychological impact of negative TV news bulletins: the catastrophizing of personal worries. British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953), 85-91. PMID: 9061893
Marin, M., Morin-Major, J., Schramek, T., Beaupré, A., Perna, A., Juster, R., & Lupien, S. (2012) There Is No News Like Bad News: Women Are More Remembering and Stress Reactive after Reading Real Negative News than Men. PLoS ONE, 7(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047189
- February 27, 2013
- 01:10 PM
- 164 views
Coming soon to a high street near you… horse meat burgers?
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
A Findus ‘100% beef’ lasagne made from 100% horsemeat now has a market value of over £50 ($75). A bargain. The woes of the processed meat industry may continue unabated. The exposé of recent weeks has been staggering: horsemeat and pork in ‘beef’ burgers, Non-Halal meat in ‘Halal’ meals and, staggeringly, 100% beef lasagne without … Continue reading »... Read more »
SafeFood. (2012) What's in that Bun?. Nutrition Takeout Series. info:/
Lee, C., Seong, P., Oh, W., Ko, M., Kim, K., & Jeong, J. (2007) Nutritional characteristics of horsemeat in comparison with those of beef and pork. Nutrition Research and Practice, 1(1), 70. DOI: 10.4162/nrp.2007.1.1.70
- February 2, 2013
- 01:38 PM
- 147 views
I can’t tweet without you: How twitter feeds our inner longing for friendship
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
I think I’ve started to feel what it’s like to get old. Strange ‘#’ symbols started to flash up on the TV screen a few months back. Some odd new lottery I wondered? Oblivious to the newest and most important media advancement in the last decade, my friends laughed at my ignorance. Graciously educating me … Continue reading »... Read more »
Chen, G. (2011) Tweet this: A uses and gratifications perspective on how active Twitter use gratifies a need to connect with others. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(2), 755-762. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2010.10.023
- January 16, 2013
- 11:11 AM
- 163 views
Do men get ‘phantom limb’ feelings after gender reassignment?
by Stuart Farrimond in Guru: Science Blog
If a man has gender reassignment surgery will he suffer ‘phantom limb’ type feelings? Asked by @christomill via twitter Phantom limb syndrome is the sensation of a body part being present even after it has been amputated. A most peculiar condition, for the amputee the absent limb can feel very real and even as that [...]... Read more »
Ramachandran, V., & McGeoch, P. (2007) Occurrence of phantom genitalia after gender reassignment surgery. Medical Hypotheses, 69(5), 1001-1003. DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2007.02.024
- January 11, 2013
- 09:11 AM
- 195 views
Q: Why does skin lose its elasticity as we get old?
by Stuart Farrimond in Guru: Science Blog
Asked by Sam Whiley via Facebook Before we even jump to the answer, let’s define what elasticity actually is. It’s not really the “stretchiness” of your skin as many people tend to think it is; that’s only half the definition. If elasticity were to be defined as only how stretchy something can be, then your [...]... Read more »
Ezure, T., Hosoi, J., Amano, S., & Tsuchiya, T. (2009) Sagging of the cheek is related to skin elasticity, fat mass and mimetic muscle function. Skin Research and Technology, 15(3), 299-305. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0846.2009.00364.x
Buehler, M. (2011) Atomistic and continuum modeling of mechanical properties of collagen: Elasticity, fracture, and self-assembly. Journal of Materials Research, 21(08), 1947-1961. DOI: 10.1557/jmr.2006.0236
- January 4, 2013
- 05:04 AM
- 139 views
Is it possible to classify animal mental health disorders?
by Stuart Farrimond in Guru: Science Blog
Is there an equivalent in the animal kingdom to the DSM IV that’s used to diagnose mental health problems in humans? Is there animal psychiatry, or is it just classed as behavioural? Asked by Nicky Sewell via Facebook Psychologist, psychiatrist, and “just plain old doctor” – a veterinary behaviorist has to be all three in [...]... Read more »
Sheppard G, & Mills DS. (2003) Construct models in veterinary behavioural medicine: lessons from the human experience. Veterinary research communications, 27(3), 175-91. PMID: 12777092
Overall, K. (2004) BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine. D. Horwitz, D. Mills, Heath, S. Quedgeley (Eds.) Glos., British Small Animal Veterinary Association, 2002. 288pp. £66 (soft) ISBN 0905214595. The Veterinary Journal, 168(1), 107-108. DOI: 10.1016/S1090-0233(03)00072-8
- January 3, 2013
- 12:41 PM
- 177 views
How many calories do you burn by coughing?
by Stuart Farrimond in Guru: Science Blog
Q: Do you burn calories by coughing and does it help to build ‘ab’ muscles?! I have to be getting some kind of workout out of this damned cold… Asked by Suzanne Butler via Facebook Your question is surprisingly difficult to answer. Energy expenditure has been measured in a variety of ways, but to do [...]... Read more »
Pontifex E, Williams MT, Lunn R, & Parsons D. (2002) The effect of huffing and directed coughing on energy expenditure in young asymptomatic subjects. The Australian journal of physiotherapy, 48(3), 209-13. PMID: 12217070
- January 1, 2013
- 08:36 AM
- 162 views
The Science of New Year’s Resolutions: making them work
by Stuart Farrimond in Guru: Science Blog
New Year’s Resolutions: Just what is the point? I used to hate the idea of resolving to do something good just because it was a new year. And yet there seems to be something magical about the stroke of midnight on December 31st: Many of us pledge to get fit, save money or stop smoking. [...]... Read more »
Norcross, J., Mrykalo, M., & Blagys, M. (2002) Auld lang Syne: Success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year's resolvers and nonresolvers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(4), 397-405. DOI: 10.1002/jclp.1151
- December 30, 2012
- 11:46 AM
- 228 views
What is really in your takeaway pizza
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
It’s a Saturday night. Perhaps you shouldn’t have had that last Babycham, but it’s been a hard week and you deserve it. Now, like a Siren luring you to the rocks, the takeout calls. Will it be the kebab van, the burger joint or pizza parlour? Unlike tightly regulated franchises, most high street vendors don’t … Continue reading »... Read more »
SafeFood. (2012) Pizza – What’s in that box? . Nutrition Takeout Series Feb 2012 SafeFood: Cork. info:/
- October 31, 2012
- 09:51 AM
- 359 views
Why popular culture is obsessed with Zombies
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
Flesh-eating marauding monsters – frightening? You betcha. Like many of us, I love a good scare every so often and Halloween is a great time to do it. In terms of nightmarish thoughts, there’s little to top a zombie apocalypse. The prospect of being chased by a half-decomposed Granny truly scares me. They say adrenaline-stimulating … Continue reading »... Read more »
Harper, S. (2002) Zombies, Malls, and the Consumerism Debate: George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Journal of American Popular Culture, 1(2). info:/
Deborah Christie, & Sarah Juliet Lauro, ed. (2011) Better Off Dead: The Evolution of the Zombie as Post-Human. Fordham Univ Press. info:other/0-8232-3447-9, 9780823234479
- October 17, 2012
- 06:00 PM
- 342 views
Bemused by The Great British Bake Off
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
I couldn’t help but laugh. “James’ choux pastry isn’t rising – it’s a real disaster” the commentator said in tones as if poor James’ house had just fallen down. I peered over my wife’s shoulder to see the unfolding catastrophe: anxious looking cooks whisked, poured and prayed (whilst gazing into ovens). An elderly woman wandered … Continue reading »... Read more »
Redden, G. (2008) Making over the Talent Show. In Exposing Lifestyle Television: The Big Reveal. Ashgate, 129-144. info:/
- September 12, 2012
- 05:50 AM
- 536 views
Get fit faster: listen to music!
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
It’s now officially Games Over. Gone is the excuse to bunk off work to catch five minutes of of dressage or synchronised swimming. And as our love affair ends, normal life must resume. The real challenge now begins: to stay true to those keep-fit resolutions. One of the tricks to stay motivated may be, quite … Continue reading »... Read more »
Goehr, Lydia. (2011) Sounds: Relationships between Sport and Music. Sporting The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 69(2), 233-235. info:/10.1111/j.1540-6245.2011.01465_2.x
Karageorghis C, Jones L, & Stuart DP. (2008) Psychological effects of music tempi during exercise. International journal of sports medicine, 29(7), 613-9. PMID: 18050063
Waterhouse J, Hudson P, & Edwards B. (2010) Effects of music tempo upon submaximal cycling performance. Scandinavian journal of medicine , 20(4), 662-9. PMID: 19793214
- August 30, 2012
- 03:18 PM
- 413 views
Why I hope this is the last Paralympics
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
Blink and you just might miss it. If you don’t live in the UK, that is. Last night, 80,000 people watched the Paralympic opening ceremony – a slightly more modest, but nonetheless equally poignant affair than its bigger brother. As the kids return to school and the Olympic feel-good fades, it offers a last-hurrah for … Continue reading »... Read more »
Moon, M. (2010) The shackled runner: time to rethink positive discrimination?. Work, Employment and Society, 24(4), 728-739. DOI: 10.1177/0950017010380648
- August 24, 2012
- 01:30 PM
- 477 views
The challenge to live a ‘no impact’ life
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
Of all the consumables I couldn’t live without, it wouldn’t be the internet. Neither would it be chocolate, ice cream or shampoo. I think I could cope without electricity just fine (I learnt how to make camp fires as a child). No, the one thing that would really chafe me (quite literally) would be not … Continue reading »... Read more »
Tukker, A. et al. (2006) Environmental Impact of Products (EIPRO). Analysis of the life cycle environmental impacts related to final consumption. Institute for Perspective Technological Studies. info:/
- August 10, 2012
- 12:12 PM
- 501 views
The real legacy of the Olympics: uncomfortable truths.
by Stuart Farrimond in Dr Stu's Science Blog
About 15 years ago, I visited the Montreal Olympic Village. A captivating and beautiful city, the Olympic Village was a complete contrast. Tired-looking vacant stadia and vast, mostly unused concrete behemoths populated by a few shuffling tourists. I found it a depressing place and the slowly flaking paint symbolised a squandered enterprise. Costing Canada $1bn, … Continue reading »... Read more »
Georgios Kavetsos, & Stefan Szymanski. (2011) National well-being and international sports events. Journal of Economic Psychology, 2010(31), 158-171. DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2009.11.005
- August 10, 2012
- 06:30 AM
- 308 views
How a brain bug that may spell hope for those with Alzheimer’s
by Stuart Farrimond in Guru: Science Blog
What links mind-altering parasites, rat mazes, and sartorially-challenged cat owners – and what have they all to do with treating diseases of the brain? Guest contributor Kathryn Lougheed discovers the answer. Have you ever had an impromptu Facebook session when you should have been working? Or have you experienced a lapse of concentration and ended [...]... Read more »
Jung BK, Pyo KH, Shin KY, Hwang YS, Lim H, Lee SJ, Moon JH, Lee SH, Suh YH, Chai JY.... (2012) Toxoplasma gondii infection in the brain inhibits neuronal degeneration and learning and memory impairments in a murine model of Alzheimer's disease. PloS one, 7(3). PMID: 22470449
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