Jana Howden completed a double degree in Arts and Science at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
-
What really causes pimples and acne?
So what’s going on in your skin?
What causes acne? It afflicts millions of people each year, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. But is...
-
Nature’s most successful camouflage tricks
Most notable mechanisms of camouflage, and animals whose lives depend on them.
For many creatures in the animal kingdom, camouflage is a matter of life and death. Whether the hunter or the hunted,...
-
“People love exploration”: what New Horizons researchers learned from the Pluto flyby
NASA scientists were in Australia this week to talk about the scientific and social results of se...
“A scientific wonderland” is how Alan Stern – principle investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission – described the m...
-
Google: the next weapon to beat epidemics
Internet searches used to accurately track the spread of disease.
A simple Google search could hold the key to tracking and preventing the outbreak and global spread of epidemics. In...
-
Relatives of animal that baffled Darwin
Ancient mitochondrial DNA has cleared up the family tree.
Solving an 180-year-old mystery that Charles Darwin himself couldn’t crack, new access to ancient DNA has revealed th...
-
How big are the planets?
If you’ve ever wondered how big the planets really are, this video helps put things in perspective.
It’s easy to feel small in the vastness of our solar system. Get ready to feel even smaller: this video provides an e...
-
Clouds seen from space
This video celebrates the diverse array of clouds that can be seen from space
If you were to look down at Earth from space, you’d notice that around two-thirds of its surface would be blanketed b...
-
Watching the seasons turn on Saturn
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is currently observing the solstice on Saturn.
An enhanced-colour animation showing seasonal changes in Saturn’s north polar region between 2013 (left) and 2017 (ri...
-
Mesmerising video of ink swirling in water
High definition and slow motion reveal the majesty of ink.
The mesmerising movement of ink through water is in fact nothing more than the random motion of molecules. Ink ente...
-
Greenland’s thaw
NASA’s Operation IceBridge monitors the state of the Arctic ice from above.
Meltwater in crevasses in southern Greenland, as seen during Operation IceBridge's last flight of the 2017 Arctic cam...
-
A simple rocket for staring at the sun
NASA’s RAISE mission takes a quick flight above the atmosphere to snap some high-speed pics of th...
The RAISE rocket being prepared for take-off.Amir Caspi, Southwest Research InstituteCapable of snapping 1,500 images...
-
New sauropod species found in Swiss museum
Fossil unearthed in 1995 reveals a new species of dinosaur.
Paleontologists Emanuel Tschopp (left) and Ben Pabst with the mounted G. Pabsti skeleton in the Sauriermuseum Aathal ...
-
Microbes may protect babies from infection
Infant mice receive an immunity boost after an infusion.
Colonies of Clostridium difficile bacteria. Credit: CDC/ Dr. Gilda Jones From mood manipulation to yo-yo dieting, ou...
-
Dengue fever often goes unrecognised
Australian doctors often fail to give patients appropriate treatment.
Infecting 50 to 100 million people each year and causing symptoms ranging from a rash to haemorrhaging, dengue virus ...
-
Laziness is contagious
Can you “catch” attitudes from others? New research suggests you can. Jana Howden reports.
Can't be bothered? Sounds like you've caught a dose of laziness.MotoEd/Getty ImagesFeeling lazy, impatient, or pruden...
-
Fake fish fool fowl feeding on amphibians
Many species of fish spend time out of water.
Many species of blenny spend periods of time out of water. Credit: Getty Images Taking the phrase “fish out of water...
-
Neanderthals used Aspirin’s ancestor
Poking about in ancient dental plaque gives insight.
A Neanderthal skull, showing teeth that could yield surprising clues about diet and medication. Credit: Wikimedia Com...
-
Bread: rich in vitamins, minerals – and carbon dioxide
A UK study finds the use of fertiliser to make our daily bread is unsustainable. Jana Howden repo...
Bread: beautiful but environmentally costly. Andrew Masterson A team of scientists from the University of Sheffield ...
-
Herpes doubles autism risk
Women with genital herpes carry an increased risk.
Women with genital herpes – a sexually transmitted disease affecting about one in five American females – have twice ...
-
Want clean water? Plant a lot of seagrass
Seagrass is much more than a sediment stabiliser.
A plethora of species lives alongside seagrass meadows, such as these fish and invertebrates in Indonesia. Credit: Ma...
-
Horse study reins in evolutionary orthodoxy
One key assumption of evolutionary theory may be wrong.
These three Hipparion species coexisted around eight million years ago in the Iberian Peninsula, being just one examp...
-
East Asians descended from Stone Age residents
7,700 year-old skeletons share genetics to modern people.
Two 7,700-year-old Stone Age East Asian skeletons are very similar genetically to modern populations in the area, acc...
-
Mouse diabetes treated with rat-grown organs
Study shows how cells of one species can be grown inside the body of another.
An illustration of tissues of the pancreas. The numerous beta cells (yellow) secrete insulin. Researchers have grown ...
-
Nine earthly versions of Star Wars creatures
Jana Howden found counterparts a little closer in space (and time).
Credit: Volanthevist / Getty Images Star Wars galaxy: Ewok Milky Way galaxy: Philippine tarsier, Tarsius syrichta Lo...
-
A better way to capture the vanilla flavour?
Produced by time-consuming, laborious farming practices.
Vanilla is found in an estimated 18,000 products worldwide, but down the track, genetic modification might be the onl...
-
Lampreys can’t swim, but can move fast
Generate spinning vortices that pull its body forward.
Looking at a lamprey’s toothy sucker mouth, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a creature straight out of a horror...
-
Seven of the biggest volcanic explosions to rock the Earth
You’re probably familiar with Yellowstone and Krakatoa, but they’re just a couple of the huge vol...
Thankfully they don't happen too often, but the biggest volcanic explosions the world has seen have had devastating e...
-
Watch snowflakes sprout and grow
Get up close with this time-lapse footage of delicate water crystals.
While we’re able to watch the mesmerising formation of snowflakes here in Vyacheslav Ivanov’s time-lapse video, the s...
-
Are octopuses really colourblind?
How they see the world is nothing short of marvellous.
Octopuses and their cephalopod cousins are famous for their ability to change colour and hide from predators and attr...
-
How your Christmas cake might outlast you
Sugar and brandy can bestow longevity on the holiday staple.
As Christmas races towards us, plenty of people focus on food – more specifically, rich, sugary, indulgent treats, as...
-
Light clears toxic protein in mice with Alzheimer’s
Resulting in immune cells to gobble more beta-amyloid.
The brain’s cleanup crew can be kicked into action to mop up harmful proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease, a new mo...
-
Misuse of antibiotics puts chimpanzees at risk
Populations were found to have antibiotic-resistant infections.
Primatologist Jane Goodall – pictured here in the 1960s – studied the Gombe chimpanzees. Since then, contact with hum...
-
Seven inseparable couples in nature
Jana Howden presents a few examples of obligate mutualism.
Credit: Azem Ramadani / Getty Images Aphids and the bacterium Buchnera aphidicola These small, sap-sucking insects a...
-
The night sky as you’ve never before seen
Nocturnal photography captures the Milky Way galaxy and aurora borealis in 4K.
Branding himself a "nocturnal photographer", Vincent Brady creates stunning images and videos of the night sky over t...
-
Fake dog snouts upgrade bomb detectors
Finding hidden explosives using a different kind of lab.
A 3-D printed labrador nose is 18 times better than standard devices at finding the faint odours that characterise ex...
-
Livestream: ‘Engineering change in medicine’
You won’t want to miss this live webcast by biomedical engineer Molly Shoichet.
Biomedical engineer Molly Shoichet will deliver a lecture on translating research to real life. Credit: Tara Walton /...
-
If food is expired, is it safe to eat?
Food expiration-date misconceptions and guidelines.
More than 60 billion kilograms of food is thrown out in the US every year, meaning as much as 40% of America’s food i...
-
8 predators with nifty catch-and-kill tricks
From a cat that impersonates monkeys to incredibly sticky spit.
Credit: UMI NO KAZE / a.collectionRF / Getty Images Bacterial buddies The bobtail squid (Sepioloidea pacifica) which...
-
Yo-yo dieter?
How gut microbes escalate weight gain after loss.
As if losing weight wasn't hard enough. A mouse study shows resident gut microbes affect how much weight an obese mou...
-
Defence of endangered wildlife
Uniting friends to do their bit for the environment.
An Australian environmentalist has launched a fundraising initiative – Edge Pledge – that generates which unites frie...
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today.
