Slice of Science

The above the neck physios – yes speech pathologists! What do they do and what could they do for you? What are some misconceptions about stuttering, and how could those who stutter (or clutter) use drama therapy to improve their symptoms? Shelly sat down with Michelle and Eleanor to find out!

Eleanor Brahsted is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist

Dr Michelle Swift is a Senior Speech Pathologist & Clinical Director at Swift Speech, Stuttering & Voice and also a Senior Lecturer in the Speech Pathology Program at UniSA.

Swift Speech: Stuttering & Voice - Glen Osmond:

• https://www.instagram.com/swiftspeechstutteringvoice/
• https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-health-services/healthcare-service/glen-osmond-5064-sa/swift-speech-stuttering-voice/speech-pathology/81e63420-9aa1-45fd-a2e4-8c6fed46f4ee

Sources:

• Byrd, et. al,, (2022) Targeting Communication Effectiveness in Adults Who Stutter: A Preliminary Study. Topics in Language Disorders 42(1):p 76-93, | DOI: 10.1097/TLD.0000000000000270
• Reid-Wisdom et. al., (2022). Perceived effects of improv on psychological wellbeing: A qualitative study. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 17(2), 246-263.
• Schwenke, et. al., (2021). Improv to improve: The impact of improvisational theater on creativity, acceptance, and psychological well-being. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 16(1), 31-48.

This episode was pre-recorded at Radio Adelaide and first aired on the 15th of February 2024

In this episode, we find out about Polymer Fume Fever, and how the hell scientists study the toxicity of a chemical when almost all of the human population is contaminated with it! Shelly dives into how PFAS end up in our bodies—from yoga pants and tampons to tap water and food—and what this might mean for our health.

Sources:

• Correia, M.S., & Horowitz, B.Z. (2025) Polymer Fume Fever. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK594276/
• Occupations most at risk of PFAS toxicity: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pfas/about/index.html
• Australian Story: Fire Fight - Mick Tisbury: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/australian-story/series/2022/video/NC2202Q021S00
• https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/enhealth-guidance-statement-per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
• Exposure to PFAS Can Make it Harder to Keep Weight Off With Diet: https://tools.niehs.nih.gov/srp/news/view.cfm?newsitem_ID=3961
• Hormone-disruption and Reproductive Issues: Rickard et. al., (2022). Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and female reproductive outcomes: PFAS elimination, endocrine-mediated effects, and disease. Toxicology, 465, 153031. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2021.153031
• PFAS and Cancers: Steenland, K., & Winquist, A. (2021). PFAS and cancer, a scoping review of the epidemiologic evidence. Environmental Research, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110690
• PFAS and High Cholesterol: Andersen et. al, (2021). Why is elevation of serum cholesterol associated with exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in humans? A workshop report on potential mechanisms. Toxicology, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2021.152845
• PFAS Immunological Impacts: von Holst et. al., (2021). Perfluoroalkyl substances exposure and immunity, allergic response, infection, and asthma in children: review of epidemiologic studies. Heliyon, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08160
• Picture Illustration by Bennet Geis: https://themainemonitor.org/testing-the-waters-tracing-the-movement-of-pfas-into-waterways-and-wildlife

This episode was recorded live at Radio Adelaide on the 8th of February 2024

In this episode, Shelly dives into the chemistry of PFAS. They are manufactured with beautiful fluorspar and not so beautiful fossil fuels, but what about their unique chemical structure make these compounds so resistant to biodegradation? What products are PFAS in and where in the world (it's everywhere) have they ended up!?

Sources:

• Commonwealth settles $132.7 million class action over PFAS contamination across Australia: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-15/pfas-class-action-commonsettlement-reached-with-30-000-claimants/102346274
• Samal, K., et al. (2022). Pharmaceutical wastewater as Emerging Contaminants (EC): Treatment technologies, impact on environment and human health. Energy Nexus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nexus.2022.100076.
• Glüge, J.S et al. (2020). An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) [10.1039/D0EM00291G]. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 22(12), 2345-2373. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0EM00291G
• Cousins, I. T., Goldenman, G., Herzke, D., Lohmann, R., Miller, M., Ng, C. A., Patton, S., Scheringer, M., Trier, X., Vierke, L., Wang, Z., & DeWitt, J. C. (2019). The concept of essential use for determining when uses of PFASs can be phased out. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00163H
• Wackett, L. P., & McMahon, K. (2021). Why Is the Biodegradation of Polyfluorinated Compounds So Rare? mSphere. https://doi.org/doi:10.1128/mSphere.00721-21
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/03/lawsuit-claims-gore-tex-poisoned-drinking-water-near-maryland-facilities
• Luo, Y., et al. (2022). Raman imaging for the identification of Teflon microplastics and nanoplastics released from non-stick cookware. Science of The Total Environment. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158293

This episode was recorded live at Radio Adelaide on the 1st of February 2024

What's the harm in vapes? What are the alternatives for those looking to quit? And how does Big Tobacco influence policy in Australia? I sat down with Flinders University public health researcher Dr Joshua Trigg ahead of the big Australian vape crackdown for the facts.

• Dr Joshua Trigg: https://au.linkedin.com/in/joshuatrigg
• Australian Vaping Legal Reforms: https://www.tga.gov.au/products/unapproved-therapeutic-goods/vaping-hub/reforms-regulation-vapes
• Whats in a vape: https://www.uow.edu.au/the-stand/2022/whats-in-a-vape-.php

• Types of vapes: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/pdfs/ecigarette-or-vaping-products-visual-dictionary-508.pdf
• Environmental impacts: https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2023/02/e-cigarettes-pose-a-triple-threat-to-the-environment-says-clean-up-australia-waste-report/
• Health harms: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/mja2.51890
• Smoking cessation: https://www.cochrane.org/news/e-cigarettes-varenicline-and-cytisine-are-most-effective-stop-smoking-aids-analysis-over-150000
• Tips on talking to kids about vapes:
  • https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z-health-reference/vaping
  • https://theconversation.com/my-teens-vaping-what-should-i-say-3-expert-tips-on-how-to-approach-the-talk-196205

This episode was pre-recorded at Radio Adelaide and first aired on the 25th of January 2024

Can a little bit of stress be good for us? How can you die from drinking water? Can our parents' habits before we were born shape our genes—and even impact our health? Who was Paracelsus and was that really his real name???

Tune in to find out!

Sources

• https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/health-and-safety/the-dose-makes-the-poison/
• Farrell, D J, & Bower, L., 2003, Fatal water intoxication. Journal of clinical pathology, https://jcp.bmj.com/content/56/10/803.2
• Calabrese, E. J. et al., 2007, Biological stress response terminology: Integrating the concepts of adaptive response and preconditioning stress within a hormetic dose–response framework, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0041008X07001032?via%3Dihub
• Mattson, M. P., 2008, Hormesis defined., Ageing Research Reviews, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1568163707000712?via%3Dihub
• Costantini, D., 2019, Hormesis Promotes Evolutionary Change., Dose-response: a publication of International Hormesis Society, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6484245/
• Dias, B., and Ressler, K., 2014, Parental olfactory experience influences behavior and neural structure in subsequent generations., Nat Neurosci, https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3594
• Coussons-Read, M.E., 2013, ‘Effects of prenatal stress on pregnancy and human development: mechanisms and pathways.’ Obstetric medicine, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5052760/
• Song, D.K., and Yong-Woon K., 2023, Beneficial effects of intermittent fasting: a narrative review., J. Yeungnam Med. Sci., https://www.e-jyms.org/journal/view.php?doi=10.12701/jyms.2022.00010

Picture: https://thethinkersgarden.com/odd-truths-paracelsus-rebel/

Recorded live at Radio Adelaide 18th Jan 2024

How can looking at tiny proteins through an xray can help us understand self-fertilisation in almond trees? And have you ever wanted to go foraging for fungi? Don't be put off by the news headlines!

Shelly sits down with PhD student Isis Pinner to get down in the dirt and up trees with fungi and almonds!

(***audio quality was reduced beyond repair in the second half, apologies!)

Sources

• https://set.adelaide.edu.au/news/list/2020/02/19/self-fertile-almond-varieties-create-buzz-ahead-of-harvest
• https://theurbannanna.com/2022/04/01/wild-mushroom-foraging-in-australia/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/isis-pinner-0b6129151/?originalSubdomain=au

What is lightning actually? How are storms formed? And do you know you can make lightning in your mouth?:0

Sources

• Byers, H.R, 1951, Thunderstorms. In: Malone, T.F. (eds) Compendium of Meteorology. American Meteorological Society, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-940033-70-9_56
• Dwyer, J., Uman, M., 2014, The physics of lightning, Physics Reports, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037015731300375X
• https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-overview
• https://www.uwa.edu.au/study/-/media/Faculties/Science/Docs/Lightning-facts.pdf
• https://www.adelaide.edu.au/press/ua/media/522/uap-coast-sa-ebook.pdf

Lightning experiments

• https://www.weatherwizkids.com/experiments-lightning-mouth.htm
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGUZSnbSLLE

What does playing an instrument do to our brain? What is flow state and how can you reach it? Could singing help soothe the post-covid scaries? Shelly sits down with music educator and researcher Dr Emily Dollman to find out!

Sources

• E. Dollman, 2023. The Value of Music Education for Child Development and Wellbeing in the Post COVID-19 Landscape. New Research and Possibilities in Wellbeing Education, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-99-5609-8_7
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-dollman-5b812562/

SoS Christmas eddition, we're talking worts from Jesus's right hand man St John the Baptist!

Tune in to hear all the good AND bad sides of a powerful herb called St John's wort.

Sources

• Davidson, J. R., et al, 2002. Effect of Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort) in major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial, Jama, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/194814
• Di Carlo, G., et al, 2001. St John's wort: Prozac from the plant kingdom, Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/St-John's-wort%3A-Prozac-from-the-plant-kingdom.-Carlo-Borrelli/fe55e78497080d8ec313467db46cec54960b0605
• Linde, K., et al, 2005. St John's Wort for depression, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD000448.pub2/full
• Mills, E., et al, 2004. Interaction of St John's wort with conventional drugs: systematic review of clinical trials, BMJ, https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/329/7456/27.full.pdf
• Nicolussi, S., et al, 2020. Clinical relevance of St. John's wort drug interactions revisited, British Journal of Pharmacology, https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bph.14936
• Vorbach, E. U., et al, 1997. Efficacy and tolerability of St. John's wort extract LI 160 versus imipramine in patients with severe depressive episodes according to ICD-10, Pharmacopsychiatry, https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2007-979524
• https://weeds.org.au/profiles/st-johns-wort/

Jacob and Shelly get down to the nitty gritty of weeds.

What's being sold on the dark web? Is your local nursery better than Bunnings? And what's mistletoe got to do with poo?

Sources

• Maher, J., et el, 2023. Weed wide web: characterising illegal online trade of invasive plants in Australia. NeoBiota, https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/104472/
• Stringham, O.C., et al, 2023. The dark web trades wildlife, but mostly for use as drugs. People and Nature, https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pan3.10469
• https://theconversation.com/the-buffel-kerfuffle-how-one-species-quietly-destroys-native-wildlife-and-cultural-sites-in-arid-australia-149456
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-maher-ec0l0gy/?originalSubdomain=au