News
all News articles
-
Pandas doing well, but predators at risk
Single-species conservation not enough, study finds.
The panda is one of the world's conservation success stories, and dedicated efforts to protect it also have benefited...
-
Why biocrust is useful in the desert
Study highlights the value of tiny plants and organisms.
Miniscule plants and microscopic organisms growing on desert soils reduce water erosion by an average of 68% worldwid...
-
NZ glacier melt linked to climate change
Extreme event attribution used to calculate human influence.
It is “very likely” that the increased melting of 10 glaciers in New Zealand’s South Island is caused by human greenh...
Insect disguises and pygmy-possum ID
Investigate mimicry or go on a virtual expedition.
Each week Cosmos takes a look at projects and news about Citizen Science in Australia. This week, with winter and cor...
When Mars was like Canada
Analysis suggests early landscape was icy, not warm.
Ancient river channels on Mars may have formed beneath thick ice sheets, scientists say. It’s an important find, b...
Features
all Features articles
-
Focus
More on the language of immunity
Peter Doherty explains some other perplexing terms.
This continues the process from last week (the I essay) of introducing terms that will be encountered as we engage wi...
-
History
Casimir Funk introduced us to vitamins
Polish biochemist explored what was essential for life.
Over the past century, a vast amount of research has looked at nutritional supplements, without reaching a consensus ...
-
Snapshot
American monarchs in Mexico
In peak season it can get pretty crowded.
This is what it looks like when millions of Americans head south for the winter. Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippu...
Space
all Space articles
-
Research
When Mars was like Canada
Analysis suggests early landscape was icy, not warm.
Ancient river channels on Mars may have formed beneath thick ice sheets, scientists say. It’s an important find, b...
-
Mars is the place (in space) to be
Three missions, three countries, one destination.
Mars is about to become crowded. When the spacecraft carrying NASA’s Perseverance rover safely launched from Cape Can...
-
Learning more about how spacecraft land
Scientists make good use of ‘messy turbulent flows’.
The focus this week has been on the launch of the spacecraft carrying the Perseverance rover to Mars (see mission sta...
Technology
all Technology articles
-
Who’s the fool now?
Magnetic new role possible for a maligned material.
Fool’s gold could actually be valuable, but only if you do something that no-one (fool or otherwise) has done before....
-
Attacking e-waste with ‘material microsurgery’
Innovative small-scale approach has big potential.
Australian researchers have reported early success with an innovative idea for recycling old electronic devices or e-...
-
Nature
all Nature articles
-
Pandas doing well, but predators at risk
Single-species conservation not enough, study finds.
The panda is one of the world's conservation success stories, and dedicated efforts to protect it also have benefited...
-
Citizen Science
Insect disguises and pygmy-possum ID
Investigate mimicry or go on a virtual expedition.
Each week Cosmos takes a look at projects and news about Citizen Science in Australia. This week, with winter and cor...
-
These fish are full of surprises
Scientists discover immune adaptations thought impossible.
Deep-sea anglerfishes are not only incredibly ugly, with bizarre ways of reproducing and luring prey; they have now s...
Earth
all Earth articles
-
Why biocrust is useful in the desert
Study highlights the value of tiny plants and organisms.
Miniscule plants and microscopic organisms growing on desert soils reduce water erosion by an average of 68% worldwid...
-
NZ glacier melt linked to climate change
Extreme event attribution used to calculate human influence.
It is “very likely” that the increased melting of 10 glaciers in New Zealand’s South Island is caused by human greenh...
-
The increasing cost of coastal flooding
Scientists predict it could be up to 20% of global GDP.
Infrastructure damage from coastal flooding will cost the world US$14.2 trillion over the next eight decades and affe...
History
all History articles
-
Crocodiles bound for America
New research suggests they went via Africa.
How crocodiles first reached the Americas has long been a matter of debate. Now Italian researchers are suggesting th...
-
Evidence for early arrival of humans in America
Two teams analyse artefacts from Mexican cave.
Humans may have reached the Americas 30,000 years ago – some 15,000 years earlier than previously thought – according...
-
An ancient story of change and adaptation
Study fills gaps in history of Aboriginal Australians.
Archaeologists are continuing to unravel the complex history of Australia’s Aboriginal people, the world’s oldest civ...
People
all People articles
-
Awards
Entrepreneur tackling a cause of blindness
Innovators acknowledged in ATSE awards.
A visionary idea to re-purpose a veterinary medicine to treat and help eliminate river blindness has been acknowledge...
-
How bias affects views of hate crimes
Casual sympathisers may suggest motives unclear.
People who commit hate crimes against minorities often assert they are protecting others, believing they have support...
-
Health
all Health articles
-
Focus
More on the language of immunity
Peter Doherty explains some other perplexing terms.
This continues the process from last week (the I essay) of introducing terms that will be encountered as we engage wi...
-
History
Casimir Funk introduced us to vitamins
Polish biochemist explored what was essential for life.
Over the past century, a vast amount of research has looked at nutritional supplements, without reaching a consensus ...
-
Cancer team finetunes its approach
New technology keeps an eye on the instruments.
An Australian research group has developed a technology it says can reliably analyse the proteins in cancer samples o...
Core Sciences
all Core Sciences articles
-
Is this how human sperm really move?
New research challenges centuries-old assumption.
We know what human sperm do, but it seems we may be wrong about one aspect of how they do it. Research by fertilit...
-
History
Rachel Makinson and the science of wool
Distinguished career began on a temporary basis.
Rachel Makinson joined the radiophysics laboratory at Australia’s then Council of Scientific and Industrial Research ...
-
Can water be two types of liquid?
Researchers offer evidence to support decades-old theory.
Cold water behaves strangely. For starters, it expands rather than contracting as it cools (which is why ice floats),...