News
all News articles
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Aerosols have three different liquid phases
A discovery about the chemistry of aerosols has implications for climate modelling and pollution ...
Aerosols – tiny droplets of liquid suspended in the air – have interesting chemical and physical properties. They ...
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Good (spider) vibrations
Scientists create music from arachnid webs.
The fascinating properties of spider webs could now be explored in an entirely new dimension: through music. The e...
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Video
Getting to zero
Former chief scientist Alan Finkel discusses how we’ll shift greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
Dr Alan Finkel trained as a neuroscientist and engineer and forged a successful career as a technology entrepreneur. ...
Cosmos Q&A: Concussion
What causes concussion, and are we learning more about how to treat it?
Concussion is sometimes still treated as a mystery in sport, but the field of concussion research began in 1928 – onl...
Living fossil discovered below Earth’s surface
Microbe may have been in evolutionary stasis for millions of years.
A microbe that feeds on radioactivity has been at an evolutionary standstill for up to 175 million years, researchers...
Features
all Features articles
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Explainer
Cosmos Q&A: Concussion
What causes concussion, and are we learning more about how to treat it?
Concussion is sometimes still treated as a mystery in sport, but the field of concussion research began in 1928 – onl...
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How clean is the Hunter Valley air?
What’s the truth behind the NSW air-quality stoush between past and serving politicians?
The air quality in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley has made news this week, with serving and former politicians accusi...
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Conversation
First continents formed with a dash of mantle water
New research cracks the mystery of how the first continents formed.
By Chris Kirkland, Curtin University; Hugh Smithies, Curtin University, and Tim Johnson, Curtin University Earth i...
Cosmos Briefing
all Cosmos Briefing articles
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Video
Getting to zero
Former chief scientist Alan Finkel discusses how we’ll shift greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
Dr Alan Finkel trained as a neuroscientist and engineer and forged a successful career as a technology entrepreneur. ...
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Video
Chief scientist talks about AI, machine learning
A special Cosmos Briefing panel including Dr Cathy Foley tackles some of the big future-science i...
During a visit to Adelaide last week, chief scientist of Australia Dr Cathy Foley very kindly agreed to join a taped ...
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Event
Cosmos Briefing: Supercomputing and Big Data
Unravelling the analysis machines we turn to for answers.
Join our Cosmos Briefing Supercomputing & Big Data, Thursday 15 April. Think of a computing process underpinned by...
Space
all Space articles
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This week on Mars
Helicopter Ingenuity safely deployed, but flight delayed.
NASA announced yesterday that the first flight of its Ingenuity Mars helicopter will take place no earlier than 14 Ap...
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Martian climate had ups and downs
Curiosity rover spies possible evidence for fluctuating wet and dry periods.
While its sibling Perseverance has just landed on the Red Planet, the Curiosity rover – on Mars since 2012 – continue...
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Exoplanet atmosphere hints it formed far from star
Chemical fingerprint in exoplanet, Osiris, shows unexpectedly high carbon.
An international team of astronomers has uncovered the atmospheric composition of the exoplanet HD 209458b (AKA Osiri...
Nature
all Nature articles
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Butterflies must gamble on unpredictable futures
Climate change and food scarcity force butterflies to take risks.
Even butterflies need to make decisions about adapting to a changing and unpredictable future, research shows. A t...
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You may have missed...
Stray science stories from last week to brighten your Monday.
More than 5,000 tonnes of space dust hit Earth every year If you’ve ever seen a shooting star, you’ve encountered ...
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Earth
all Earth articles
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Video
Getting to zero
Former chief scientist Alan Finkel discusses how we’ll shift greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
Dr Alan Finkel trained as a neuroscientist and engineer and forged a successful career as a technology entrepreneur. ...
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Research
Living fossil discovered below Earth’s surface
Microbe may have been in evolutionary stasis for millions of years.
A microbe that feeds on radioactivity has been at an evolutionary standstill for up to 175 million years, researchers...
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How clean is the Hunter Valley air?
What’s the truth behind the NSW air-quality stoush between past and serving politicians?
The air quality in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley has made news this week, with serving and former politicians accusi...
History
all History articles
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Last supper for prehistoric pollinating beetle
Fossil poo filled with pollen shows beetles visited flowers.
Identifying who pollinated flowers in prehistoric times might be as simple as looking at fossilised beetle poo. A ...
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Zlatý kůň: The oldest human genome
The skull of Zlatý kůň might be the oldest to date and had large stretches of Neanderthal DNA.
Scientists have identified potentially the oldest human genome from a 45,000-year-old skull. When humans and Neand...
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Bone tools from the Kimberley among oldest in Australia
A new study of bone artefacts found in the Kimberley region reveals the secrets of their deep ant...
The rugged Kimberley region of Western Australia is home to vast tracts of land – a savannah landscape of ranges and ...
People
all People articles
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Poorer children “failed by system”
Study reveals the extent of poverty as a barrier to education in low and middle income countries.
Poorer children with academic promise in low- and middle-income countries are struggling to access higher education, ...
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Folbigg 2019 inquiry: guilty finding upheld
Compelling recent scientific evidence remains unexamined by law.
The Australian Academy of Science late yesterday released a statement about the NSW Court of Appeal’s decision to dis...
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Health
all Health articles
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How long does impairment last after cannabis use?
A new study shows that intoxication can last 3–10 hours, depending on how pot is used and who’s u...
A review from the University of Sydney has located a “window of impairment” for cannabis users, suggesting more accur...
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Explainer
Cosmos Q&A: Concussion
What causes concussion, and are we learning more about how to treat it?
Concussion is sometimes still treated as a mystery in sport, but the field of concussion research began in 1928 – onl...
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Covid Booster: herd immunity and nature nurture
5 things we learned about COVID this week.
Herd immunity is impossible without vaccination A review led by Australian researchers has found that no country h...
Core Sciences
all Core Sciences articles
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Aerosols have three different liquid phases
A discovery about the chemistry of aerosols has implications for climate modelling and pollution ...
Aerosols – tiny droplets of liquid suspended in the air – have interesting chemical and physical properties. They ...
-
Good (spider) vibrations
Scientists create music from arachnid webs.
The fascinating properties of spider webs could now be explored in an entirely new dimension: through music. The e...
-
Could muons rewrite the laws of physics?
New experiment hints that subatomic particles are behaving weirdly, challenging the Standard Model.
Muons don’t seem to be obeying the standard laws of physics, which suggests we don’t yet fully understand the standar...
Technology
all Technology articles
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Video
Chief scientist talks about AI, machine learning
A special Cosmos Briefing panel including Dr Cathy Foley tackles some of the big future-science i...
During a visit to Adelaide last week, chief scientist of Australia Dr Cathy Foley very kindly agreed to join a taped ...
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Brain organoids ready for real-time observation
Cheap, multi-well device for brain development research.
A group of researchers has grown small, self-organising blobs of brain tissue in multi-welled dishes to observe in re...
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How to avoid a shark attack
The right deterrent could save hundreds of lives – and sharks.
Good news for ocean enthusiasts – if beachgoers wear personal electronic deterrents that can reduce the probability o...