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New South Wales researchers have been commissioned to design a medical drone. The specialised drone is to be equipped with a “medical capsule” to deliver cargo to remote regions. It will be able to transport pathology specimens, blood products, anti-venom, medications, medical supplies and other equipment. The drone will complement local primary health networks, telehealth […]

Reanalysis of the largest ever salmon, which lived several million years ago, shows that it sported tusk-like teeth which might have been used for fighting. Oncorhynchus rastrosus was first described in the 1970s. It’s the largest species of salmon, reaching up to 2.7 metres in length and weighing between 200 and 400kg, roughly the size […]

Astronomers have witnessed a rare giant flare from a magnetar about 12 million light-years away. Such events release huge amounts of energy in the form of gamma rays and are therefore known as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). These GRBs usually last less than a second and originate from neutron stars – the dense remains of a […]

Warming ocean temperatures caused by climate change could have a direct effect on octopus’ sight according to new research from South Australia and California. Marine biologist Dr Qiaz Hua and a team at The University of Adelaide Environment Institute and University of California Davis, tested embryos of the Southern Keeled Octopus (Octopus berrima) in water […]

Double-glazed windows are often seen as a useful, if expensive, measure to insulate Australian homes and shave quarterly power bills, now materials scientists are hopeful they’ve cracked a way to introduce similar properties to bricks. The researchers in Melbourne engineered clay bricks containing 15% reclaimed glass dust, which would have otherwise been unrecyclable, as part […]

Researchers have linked 4 genes to birds’ innate rhythmic ability in song, according to a new study in Nature Communications. Rhythm, which involves song elements being regularly distributed in time, is an essential component of communication that mediates key social behaviours, such as recognition of different individuals and mate selection. Of the genes identified, 2 […]

Researchers have recovered a 3.7-billion-year-old record of Earth’s magnetic field from Greenland, providing the oldest estimate of its strength derived from whole rock samples. “This is a really important step forward as we try and determine the role of the ancient magnetic field when life on Earth was first emerging,” says lead researcher Claire Nichols. […]

Scientists have pushed the earliest appearance of bioluminescence among animals back by nearly 300 million years. Bioluminescence is when an organism produces its own light, through chemical reactions in the creature’s body. It occurs in some fungi, bacteria and insects such as fireflies. But it is particularly common among marine vertebrates and invertebrates. Evidence suggests […]

One of Australia’s leading science academies is calling for an overhaul of the Murray Darling Basin’s governance system as part of a 50-year vision for Australia’s largest water region. The basin, which extends over a million square kilometres and crosses five sub-national borders, is governed by a series of water laws and 11 government bodies. […]

A new paper argues that the search for life outside our planet could be aided by looking in an unexpected place: the extremely hot, toxic planet Venus. Venus is uninhabitable. It’s like our planet’s evil twin, with a diameter only 5% smaller than Earth’s. But the average surface temperature on Venus is 464°C – high […]

New statistical analysis in the journal Geophysical Research Letters predicts the combined influences of rising global temperatures and El Niño could lead to extreme humid heat stress throughout tropical latitudes this summer.  The researchers concluded that the “strong‐to‐very‐strong El Niño” at the end of 2023 suggests an annual average maximum wet bulb temperature of 26.2°C, […]

“I nearly fell out of my chair,” says Danish archaeologist Freerk Oldenburger referring to the moment he realised he was looking at a small bronze portrait of Alexander the Great found in Denmark. Oldenburger added in his comments to Live Science that the piece “has the typical attributes of Alexander the Great, such as his […]

A leading Australian oceanographer says Australia’s coastal cities, including Sydney, are “not viable” under high-end projections of future sea level rise from global warming. Professor Matthew England from the Centre for Marine Science & Innovation at the University of NSW, (UNSW) and Deputy Director of the ARC Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, says nobody […]

An attempt to optimise optical fibre capabilities has led a team including a Silicon Valley start-up and scientists from Adelaide University to undertake some space manufacturing – with immediate success. Fibre optic communication converts an electrical signal into a pulse of light sent through a cable – usually a thin silica or glass tube.  Converting […]

Dozens of Chinese scientists have raised a red flag using a detailed satellite data analysis to plot land movement across China, writing that a third of the country’s urban residents could find themselves living in a ‘sinking city’. Led by Zurui Ao, Xiaomei Hu and Xie Hu from South China Normal University and Peking University, […]

Stargazers who miss out on catching a glimpse of the ‘Devil Comet’ 12P/Pons-Brooks on the western horizon have a chance of seeing other regular night sky activity in April and May. While the comet will be visible, it may only be a blurry, fleeting glimpse over the western horizon for those living in the southern […]

3D printed prototype “finger” with rigid bones and flexible flesh Engineers designing soft robotics or wearable devices often turn to elastomers – synthetic polymers that can be manufactured with a range of mechanical properties. But making elastomers that can be shaped into complex 3D structures that go from rigid to rubbery has been unfeasible until […]

They’re not just tall woody things, say plant scientists, who want the planet’s trees to be recast as far more expansive and complex organisms, amid the challenges of climate change. Environmental scientists have long forecast that living organisms will be tested by global warming and the ecological shifts that result from it, and trees are […]

By Rudra Prasad Pradhan and Kalyani Yeola India’s Kerala state is famous for its languid beauty, laidback lifestyle and stunning beaches. But it’s what lies beneath that has the country’s nuclear industry excited. Kerala — ‘God’s Own Country’ — is also home to a massive amount of thorium. Indeed, India has the largest thorium deposits […]

Farmers have been urged to get involved in discussions about their industry to “safeguard their futures.” The CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has published the Ag2050 Scenarios Report, to try to identify what Australian farming will look like in 2050, with perhaps the most interesting development being the consolidation of what it describes as “…regional […]

The 2023 film The Creator uses old footage of robots from the 1950s, and viewers probably don’t even notice. The film is directed by Gareth Edwards, the creator of Monsters, who claims his influences for film-making are George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino. The Creator is a film about “humanity v AI.” It includes a newsreel depicting an […]

The largest and most diverse study of PTSD genetics has identified 43 genes that appear to have a role in causing the disorder. The analysis of genetic data from more than 1.2 million people also pinpointed 95 locations on the genome associated with the risk of developing PTSD. This includes 80 locations that had not […]

Marine scientists using tracking devices have been able to shine a spotlight on the behaviour of great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) with the publication of 2 new studies this week. Australian-led research in the journal Ecosphere revealed that great whites along the US California coast adapt their routines to suit the specific habitat they are […]

Dutch medical scientists are warning about the risk of viruses mutating over long periods in infected immunocompromised people. Forthcoming research from the group relates to a previously reported case of a 72-year-old Dutch man who was infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus for a record 613 days before dieing from a blood disorder. The research, which […]