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Ever wondered what the world looks like to an animal? A new camera has been developed which can replicate in real time the colours seen by different animals. Animals see varying ranges of colour. It’s all about the colour-sensing cone cells in an animal’s retina. Humans have 3 cones for perceiving wavelengths of light that […]

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has called on the United States, China and Russia to wind back increasing military and nuclear armament investment in its annual update to the ‘Doomsday Clock’ –  the symbolic marker of a human apocalypse. The concept was first devised by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer and the scientists who […]

Next Friday, Apple releases its ‘Vision Pro’, a device that looks very much like every other virtual reality headset created over the last decade – but costs a lot more. Hypervigilant about the ‘failure’ of virtual reality to break out of a niche market of mostly-young-male gamers, Apple has forbidden its developer community to use […]

A new review challenges the way  bushfires are controlled in Australia, finding that disturbing natural forests with activities such as logging and prescribed burning, can make them more flammable, not less. The research, published in the journal Biological Reviews, challenges the notion that broadscale interventions are necessary to manage fire risk in forests. The researchers […]

What do 17th-century fire engines and arteries have in common? A physical effect that – until now – hasn’t been properly explained. A pair of US physicists have been delving into museum artefacts to understand the Windkessel effect: a way to smooth the flow of a liquid when it’s being pumped out. They’ve published a […]

Cameroon has today become the first nation to introduce a vital malaria vaccination into its national inoculation program. It is not the first time any nation has used the Mosquirix vaccine – Ghana, Kenya and Malawi participated recently in a pilot initiative that delivered the inoculation to 2 million children – however it does mark […]

Travel through many nations in the Pacific, and you will most likely be asked to try the local drink, kava. The muddy concoction – made by grinding the kava plant’s roots and mixing it with water to create a dark, earthy liquid – holds a deep cultural significance throughout the region, and the drink is […]

Scientists looking for a new way to observe atoms have turned to the inert noble gas, krypton. Chemists were able to imprison krypton atoms inside a carbon nanotube, forcing the atoms to form a one-dimensional gas, so that they can film them with electron microscopes. Why create this krypton panopticon? Because it’s very difficult to […]

We know that cigarettes are bad for our health. But now they’re old news – it’s now flavoured puffs of white smoke that are on our minds. Is vaping an alternative to smoking without the nasty health effects? In the fourth season of ‘Debunks’, the new podcast series from the Cosmos newsroom team and Nine […]

The Bogong thruster has flown. It has proven the material behind mothballs can provide a kick in orbit. But not without a bit of flap. And a lot of waiting. Canberra-based Boswell Technologies and the Australian National University’s Space Plasma Power and Propulsion Group are basking in the glow of success – after embarking on […]

Japan has become the fifth nation to land a vehicle on the Moon. It achieved the feat on Saturday when its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft set down on the lunar surface. The successful landing sees Japan join the United States, Soviet Union, China and India as the only nations to have done […]

Australia’s electricity could be over 95% renewable by 2035, according to the latest release of Australia’s electricity market operator’s Integrated System Plan. But many people are sceptical. They regularly witness days with little wind and sun and deduce that relying primarily on wind and solar generation will lead to disaster. They firmly believe that 24×7 […]

Megalodon, the prehistoric giant shark, was leaner and probably longer than previously thought, say scientists after re-examining the evidence. A global team of 26 scientists re-visited body estimates for megalodon (Otodus megalodon, also known as Carcharocles megalodon) based on its fossil record comprising mainly teeth and vertebrae.  They conclude the ocean giant’s body was more slimline than […]

New Australian research has revealed a type on immune cell called CD4+ T cells traditionally thought to only assist other immune cells are effective in controlling melanoma. The new findings challenge the conventional understanding of these ‘helper’ T cells in cancer immunity and indicate they may show potential for future immunotherapies against the disease. It’s […]

Deadly levels of humid heat are not a common phenomenon, yet. But on current climate pathways, it’s likely parts of the world will get so hot and humid that humans will be literally unable to survive the weather in coming decades. And according to an Australasian research team, populations under the most threat are also […]

People around the world are living longer, and the sex gap in life expectancy is closing, according to new research. The study, published in PLOS One, also found other trends in life expectancy are less universal but are often shared by continents. The Spanish-based team of researchers used a United Nations database to track 9 […]

As life for an amusingly named bird species becomes harder, Spanish scientists have proposed new measures to restore its fortunes. Suitable habitats for the little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) are shrinking due to a reduction in steppe-land and the disappearance of traditional agriculture and livestock farming, according to a new study in the journal Biological Conservation. The […]

Solar farms can provide key habitats for insects and other pollinators to rehabilitate the local environment, according to new research. US researchers have found that when fields housing solar photovoltaics (PVs) are planted with native plants, they can attract large numbers of insects which improve the biodiversity of the area. The study is published in […]

People with diabetes may soon be able to replace injections with more palatable oral forms of insulin, such as sugar-free chocolate, thanks to advances in nanotechnology. Insulin injections are a daily reality for many of the 150 to 200 million people globally who need insulin. Everyone with type 1 diabetes needs insulin, and 20 to […]

A disused Western Australia oil refinery is one step closer to being given a new lease on life as a biofuel reactor and it could help power Australia’s aviation industry towards its 2050 carbon reduction targets. The $1 billion BP Kwinana Renewable Fuels Project situated between Perth and Rockingham will produce up to 1.6m litres […]

Microbiomes – the microbes that live alongside us – have been implicated in cancer, healthy brains, and even personality, but a new study has found the specific microbiome of semen may impact male fertility. “The [cause] of abnormal semen analysis parameters is not identified in 30% of cases; investigations involving the semen microbiome may bridge […]

A new Netflix documentary, You Are What You Eat, showcases sets of identical twins as they adopt different diets. For eight weeks one twin follows a vegan diet while the other one follows an omnivorous diet. The experiment is compelling because, being genetically identical, the health of each twin is very similar before the trial. […]

Before you reach for that cup of coffee or tea, have you ever thought about whether that caffeinated beverage is good or bad for you? Most of us will drink coffee or tea each day. It helps keep us alert, especially in a world of the nine-to-five grind. Some workers rely on caffeine to get […]

Australians love the ocean – and we love shipwrecks – so will our love affair help save the seas? Cosmos Country dives into the ocean – or specifically the Ocean Lovers Festival – as Glenn Morrison and Marie Low talk with Carolyn Grant, Director of Engagement with the Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival, and shipwreck expert and […]