Screen Time | Boomers Daily

Listen to the latest from the world of science, brought to you by Benjamin Thompson and Nick Howe. This week, observations of objects orbiting a black hole, and rethinking how we measure screen-time.

In this episode:

00:45 Observing the centre of the galaxy

Researchers have uncovered a population of dust-enshrouded objects orbiting the supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy. Research Article: Ciurlo et al.

06:34 Research Highlights

A London landmark’s height lends itself to a physics experiment, and generous behaviour in parrots. Research Highlight: An iconic structure in London moonlights as a scientific tool; Research Highlight: Parrots give each other gifts without promise of reward

09:00 The human ‘screenome’ project

To understand the effects of online media consumption, researchers argue that the way it’s measured needs to change. Comment: Time for the Human Screenome Project

17:26 News Chat

A decline in human body temperature, and a new report on research culture. News: Not so hot: US data suggests human bodies are cooling down; News: Stressful, aggressive, damaging: huge survey reveals pressures of scientists’ working lives

From a New York Times online article:

At the moment, about two-thirds of Americans do not meet the standard exercise guidelines of about 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise, such as walking.

These findings might suggest that, if we adjusted our schedules and turned off the TV, phone or computer, most of us would have plenty of time to work out.

Almost all of the respondents — whatever their income, age, gender or ethnicity — reported about five hours a day of leisure time. Men tended to have more free time than women, older people more than the young, and African-American women the least of all. But no group reported less than about four and a half hours a day of free time.

To read more