The Third Urban Legendary Show!

Alerts for vaccine-preventable diseases are sadly still with us – and you might consider checking your immunisation status and that of your children, when you hear of outbreaks in the news. In Australia, there’s new help for Indigenous people when it comes to keeping up to date with the immunisation schedule is for young children and babies.

A forward-thinking group in Western Australia, the Immunisation Alliance of WA, is working towards raising the vaccination rates. The Aboriginal Immunisation Project has produced pamphlets, fridge magnets and promotion of the National Immunisation Program Schedule for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.

Aboriginal People and Our Children’s Health features beautiful art by Bernie Narkle and works in conjunction with local community groups and health providers. I spoke to Rebecca Cox of the project.

*****

This year, I attended the National Finals of Fame Lab, held in Fremantle, Western Australia. It’s a three-minute science communication competition – live on stage and with a question and answer session afterwards.

Since its birth at the Times Cheltenham Science Festival in 2005, FameLab has grown into arguably the world’s leading science communication competition. It aims to find, develop and mentor young science and engineering communicators.

Dr Michael Smout, of James Cook University in Cairns Qld, took out the title at the FameLab Australia 2014 national final at the WA Maritime Museum.

Michael’s presentation of his work, assisted in part by a trusty teddy bear prop and a liver-approximating pillow, so impressed the panel of judges – Professor Lyn Beazley (former Chief Scientist of WA), Dr Ian Macleod (Executive Director of WA Museums Fremantle and Maritime Heritage), and Nick Marchand (Country Director, British Council) – that they chose Michael to represent Australia in the upcoming International FameLab competition at the Times Cheltenham Science Festival.

*****

2014 could very well be called the Year of the Anti-Food Babe Brigade. One of the forerunners when it comes to challenging the pseudoscientific claims of Vrani Hari is her skeptical antithesis: The Science Babe.

Yvette Guinevere has a Bachelors degree in chemistry and a masters in forensic science. She’s been a chemistry professor, explosives chemist, toxicology chemist, an analytical chemist – and has recently taken up running the Science Babe site full-time, at http://www.scibabe.com.

***

Thanks to all of the Patreon supporters!! The ones who get a special mention due to donation level are: Stephen Finch, Linley Kissick, Gold, Brian Engler, Iggy, Lukas Mathis and Andrew Kirkhope. Thanks to all the others who help out as well – this wouldn’t be possible without your encouragement.

Thanks also to RTRFM and 89.7FM Joondalup, the Public Community Radio stations that have helped with broadcasting these shows on radio and online.

Check out the Patreon page at http://www.patreon.com/kyliesturgess to find out more. Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kyliesturgess and check out previous shows at www.tokenskeptic.org.

*****

Music “Pushed Away” by Mitchell Gannon: https://soundcloud.com/mitchell-gannon

Ice Core Scientist: http://www.youtube.com/user/icecorescientist

Additional Voiceover by Pamela Quevillon: http://speakeasynarration.com