Author: Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

the painful skin condition that can hide in plain sight

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLeave a Comment on the painful skin condition that can hide in plain sight

You may not give much thought to your armpits, apart from checking whether they need another swipe of deodorant. But this small, often overlooked patch of skin is one of the body’s busiest crossroads. Beneath those folds lies a complex network of glands, nerves and lymph nodes that keep you cool, fight infection and even […]

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Could pain medication be causing your headaches?

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLeave a Comment on Could pain medication be causing your headaches?

It seems contradictory: the pills you’re taking for headaches might actually be perpetuating them. Medication-overuse headache is a well-documented medical phenomenon, but the good news is it’s often reversible once identified. Over 10 million people in the UK regularly get headaches, making up about one in every 25 visits to a GP. Most headaches are […]

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Bugonia: why some people’s brains cling to the idea that aliens are real

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLeave a Comment on Bugonia: why some people’s brains cling to the idea that aliens are real

The latest absurdist offering from Yorgos Lanthimos, director of The Favourite and Poor Things, hits cinemas this week, and Bugonia promises to be another strange and rollicking masterpiece of complete, unmissable chaos. Lanthimos’s muse Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons reunite in this darkly comic tale about a pharmaceutical CEO (Stone) kidnapped by conspiracy theorists. Believing […]

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Is Halloween more trick than treat? The dangers of overeating sugar, liquorice and sherbet

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLeave a Comment on Is Halloween more trick than treat? The dangers of overeating sugar, liquorice and sherbet

Trick or treat? Something I won’t be hearing at my own door this Halloween. Myself and the other misers of our village will once again be shunning anyone ringing the bell in search of sugar. Apparently, placing a pumpkin outside your house is the standard invitation to call — as much effort as buying the […]

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The Celebrity Traitors: how star status changes the game

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLeave a Comment on The Celebrity Traitors: how star status changes the game

The Traitors and a resplendent, though funereal, Claudia Winkleman are back on screens in the UK – and you could cut the tension with a poison-laced dagger. This time, both intermingled faithful and traitors are not civilians – they’re celebrities. The cast is diverse, featuring actors, comedians, singers, athletes and presenters. Each has their own […]

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Acne: a GP’s guide to understanding and managing it

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLeave a Comment on Acne: a GP’s guide to understanding and managing it

LightField Studios/Shutterstock Acne is one of the most common skin conditions seen in general practice. Acne vulgaris – the most prevalent form – affects more than 80% of teenagers and young adults (in some countries, it may be as many as 95%), and tends to peak around age 18. But acne isn’t a single condition. […]

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Indigestion is commonplace but sometimes concerning. Here’s what you need to know

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLeave a Comment on Indigestion is commonplace but sometimes concerning. Here’s what you need to know

Every so often, a completely random advert stops me in my tracks and makes me wonder what on earth went on in the room where it was created. For me, that moment came this past weekend, courtesy of a bubblegum-pink, cheerfully surreal advert for Pepto-Bismol. Pepto-Bismol has been around since 1901, when it was first […]

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From sulphur to selenium, calcium to copper, here’s what your body’s made of – and why it matters

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLeave a Comment on From sulphur to selenium, calcium to copper, here’s what your body’s made of – and why it matters

In my youth, I spent an unreasonable amount of time questioning why A-level chemistry was a prerequisite for medical school. Why was it as essential as biology? Why did I need to learn about electrons and entropy? The penny finally dropped when my rather brilliant teachers turned my attention towards the periodic table. Every single […]

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Five of the most common injuries that can happen while climbing and bouldering

Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLeave a Comment on Five of the most common injuries that can happen while climbing and bouldering

Climbing and bouldering have become increasingly popular pastimes. In 2021, competitive climbing even become one of the official games at the Tokyo Olympics. But while climbing is a great way to test the body to its extremes, it’s not risk free. It puts all sorts of stresses and strains on many parts of the body, […]

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