Nov 5, 2006
This month on Mr Science, we are celebrating November, or more
particularly, Mo-vember. That is, for a good cause, I am growing a
moustache, or a Mo. This
week in the podcast, we are going to have a discussion with the
Diffusion Team about the science of hair and of my moustache.
You can
sponsor me to grow at www.movember,com.au (look up Marc West),
and check out our team's progress and varying states of scruffiness
at http://users.tpg.com.au/users/arifern/DSTMO/ (Well done
Adrian!)
The cause is male health, and research into depression, testicular
cancer and prostate cancer. Men's health is an often overlooked
topic, however when you look at it, men are far less healthy than
women. The average life expectancy for men is six years less than
females (presently 75 compared to 81). Men access health services
30-40% less than women, thereby denying themselves the chance for
prevention and early detection of common diseases.
Money raised through this event go into the following areas:
Prostate Cancer in partnership with the Prostate
Cancer Foundation of Australia (www.prostate.org.au) because every year in
Australia 2,700 men die of prostate cancer - more than the number
of women who die from breast cancer.
Male Depression in partnership with Beyond Blue
(www.beyondblue.org.au) because one in six men
suffer from depression at any given time but most don't seek
help.
Testicular Cancer because it's the second most
common cancer in young men aged 18 to 35.
Seeing my face is going to be covered in an ugly growth for the
next month, this week we are going to take a look at the science of
hair.