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Poliomyelitis as an epidemic disease passed through the Western world like some great comet. Recognised only sporadically before 1900, epidemics of polio appeared in Western communities with increasing frequency and intensity in the first half of the twentieth century. Thousands died, many more were paralysed for life. Yet by 1960 the disease was no longer feared and indeed, within a decade, was all but forgotten except by those whose lives had…

A brief story, if you will, about modern movie industry madness. In 2019, Will Smith and Tom Holland lent their voices to Spies In Disguise – a big-budget animation about a secret agent who turns into a pigeon. The film was pleasant enough: “a bird-brained Bond pastiche will have kids giggling for weeks” was this paper’s review. But more memorable than the movie itself is the bizarre story of its creation, emblematic of contemporary Hollywood’s…

In seeking new antibiotic sources, researchers have turned to an unlikely source: a whiffy frog known as Odorrana andersonii. By unclumping a compound it produces naturally, they've found a potential gut-friendly ally in the fight against superbugs. · Frogs aren't known for living in the cleanest environments. The mud and muck they typically inhabit are crawling with a pretty impressive range of microbes. Yet the amphibians thrive in a huge…

For centuries, women have gone to unnatural and even deadly lengths for beauty. Commoners and queens have covered their faces in lead, ingested arsenic and stuffed their feet, waists and breasts into various binds, all in the name of an ever-shifting ideal. Yet, the history of beauty is also one of agency. Women have leveraged the burden of beauty standards to build community and businesses—and to assert power through their own appearance. ·…

Bankrupt or Kick-start! · The simple choice the Government has to make. · This choice is related to our current climate change commitments. We are currently committed under the Paris Agreement, from the Labour Governments updated agreement from 2021 (the Labour Government committed to a Nationally Determined Contribution [NDC] to reduce emissions by a 41% reduction from 2005 levels by 2030, and a net-zero target by 2050). · The current…

Researchers at Korea's Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology have created a nuclear battery that could turn radiation directly into electricity for decades – but without all the scary stuff associated with nuclear radiation. · Called a dye-sensitized betavoltaic cell, this battery uses beta particles, which are just high-energy electrons. The magic in this battery is the material carbon-14, a radioactive isotope that emits beta…

The location of a chest believed to contain the Ten Commandments has long been a mystery, but CIA documents claims the Ark of the Covenant has been found. · According to the Bible, the Ark of the Covenant was built by the Israelites shortly after they fled Egypt around the 13th century BC. Moses then placed the Ten Commandments inside. · The CIA conducted experiments in the 1980s with individuals who claimed they could perceive information…

Caretaker and unionist Ernie Abbott was killed on 27 March 1984 when a bomb exploded inside Trades’ Hall on Wellington’s Vivian St. Trades’ Hall was the headquarters for many trade unions and police suspected they were the targets. · Designed to go off when moved, the bomb was hidden in a suitcase that was left in the foyer of the building. The device contained the equivalent of at least 1 kg of gelignite, although the actual explosive was not…

This dish can take many variations: use cooked salmon, especially if you have leftovers, sautéed prawns or fried cubed courgettes. Orzo is a brilliant thing to keep in the cupboard if you have children (especially toddlers) – it cooks so quickly. Sometimes I just make it with spinach leaves, lemon zest and parmesan – no other additions. · Ingredients · - 1 tbsp olive oil - ½ onion, finely chopped - 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped - 625ml…

Economist Robert MacCulloch takes aim at NZME’s opposition to a potential remake by investor Jim Grenon, suggesting their concern is less about editorial independence and more about preserving the status quo. · “Is it concerned a takeover may end its outrageous bias?” he asks, mocking board chair Barbara Chapman’s warning that “radical disruption is not the answer.” · Chapman, he notes, also sits on the boards of BNZ, Fletcher Building,…