Australia is falling behind on blood pressure management, according to a group of leading experts who have published an editorial in the Medical Journal of Australia. While the number of Australians with high blood pressure isn’t increasing, those with high blood pressure make up over a third of the adult population (34%) – and many … Continue reading Time to lower Australia’s blood pressure
Category: Australia
Australia’s computing pioneer
In the late 1940s and into the ’50s, Australia was at the international forefront of computer design and construction. One of the key figures was expatriate British scientist Trevor Pearcey. Pearcey was born in London in 1919 and graduated from Imperial College London in 1940 with first-class honours in physics and mathematics. He emigrated to … Continue reading Australia’s computing pioneer
Ivermectin could throw a lifeline to endangered Australian sea lions
Ivermectin has been burdened with a seriously bad reputation in recent times. Infamously – and incorrectly – touted as a wonder cure for COVID-19 by, the drug has emerged from the turmoil of the pandemic as something of a snake-oil equivalent in the collective psyche. But this image is undeserved – despite being thoroughly debunked … Continue reading Ivermectin could throw a lifeline to endangered Australian sea lions
3 reasons the announcement to dump radioactive waste in South Australia is extremely premature
Radioactive waste from nuclear medicine facilities around Australia will be trucked to and buried near the South Australian town of Kimba, the federal government announced this week. The site, Napandee, comprises 211 hectares of government-acquired land, with radioactive waste set to be stored for over 100 years in deep trenches. The announcement comes after six … Continue reading 3 reasons the announcement to dump radioactive waste in South Australia is extremely premature
How to use drones responsibly in Kakadu
Drones have transformed conservation and land management over the past decade, making it easier than ever to collect high-quality data. But like all new technologies, they come with new ethical quandaries – particularly when used on country managed by Indigenous Australians. A group of researchers, Jawoyn Traditional Owners, and Indigenous Rangers, have addressed this with … Continue reading How to use drones responsibly in Kakadu
In the aftermath of COP26, what have we learnt?
The much-anticipated 26th UN Conference of the Parties – COP26 – is over, and the response to its agreement is mixed. Some say the path to net zero is inexorable; others that much remains to be agreed. In Australia, a dominant theme is that private enterprise and state governments are taking the lead on the … Continue reading In the aftermath of COP26, what have we learnt?
Could gravitational waves help us find dark matter?
Over the last few years, gravitational waves have revolutionised physics. Sensitive instruments like the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), Virgo and KAGRA have spotted these ripples in spacetime emanating out from collisions between black holes and neutron stars billions of light-years away. But can gravitational waves find dark matter? Now, researchers think that gravitational wave … Continue reading Could gravitational waves help us find dark matter?
Novel implant turns Australia’s threatened wildlife into a poisoned chalice for feral predators
As intelligent and notoriously cunning predators, feral cats have proven exceptionally difficult to manage in Australia. They threaten the survival of more than 100 native species and are responsible for the death of more than 815 million mammals each year – but a newly developed population management technique might curb this devastating loss. In a … Continue reading Novel implant turns Australia’s threatened wildlife into a poisoned chalice for feral predators
Back on the rails
Broken train tracks begone! A new approach to fixing damaged rails in remote locations has proved viable for large-scale use, according to a study published in The Journal of Materials Processing Technology. Researchers and engineers from Monash University, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and the Institute of Railway Technology (IRT) have developed … Continue reading Back on the rails
A Victorian-made mRNA vaccine gets to the next stage
While other types of vaccine, like AstraZeneca, are currently being made in Australia, there is as yet no large-scale way to make mRNA vaccines (such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines), meaning these vaccines have to be shipped in from overseas. But a team of Victorian researchers have just announced they’ve developed the first local … Continue reading A Victorian-made mRNA vaccine gets to the next stage
Cancer mortality has fallen in Australia
Cancer is becoming less deadly in Australia, according to the most recent biennial large-scale analysis. The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released its biennial report on cancer in Australia, synthesising data on Australian cancers up to the year 2017. It finds that survival rates from cancer are continuing to improve, as they … Continue reading Cancer mortality has fallen in Australia
The high cost of endometriosis
It isn’t just the agonising pain – endometriosis also robs women of their job security, according to a new study published in The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the womb, causing immense pain … Continue reading The high cost of endometriosis