Science: Ladybug's chemical warfare, handwriting brain boost

Science commentator Allan Blackman looks at how the mealybug ladybird uses carminic acid to scare off an attack from ants, and the new research that's found it "steals" it from an invasive bug that came to Spain via the Americas. How did it adopt this defence? A new study backs up the theory that handwriting is beneficial for absorbing information and why is adapting to daylight savings so hard? Allan Blackman is a Professor of Chemistry, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology.