It’s October, which means Halloween is fast approaching. In addition to bringing trick-or-treaters to your doorstep in search of candy, it will bring many a …
G’day, Dr Karl here.
Gazing at the heavens or just staring blankly into empty space - we’ve all done it. And there is that phrase ‘stare bear’ that refers to somebody who is staring at you.
We’ve been staring at the stars forever, and for the last six decades, we’ve put telescopes into orbit around the earth to act as our upgraded eyes.
But shifting from astronomy to medicine, staring into space can occasionally be caused by an “absence seizure” – which is a type of epilepsy. They usually happen in children between the ages of four and 14, mostly lasting less than 15 seconds - and can sometimes go unnoticed. A child could have up to 100 absence seizures in a single day – which has a huge impact on their learning and concentration.