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A newly discovered fossil site in the northeast US provides a glimpse into an ancient ecosystem nearly 100 million years older than the first dinosaurs. The exceptionally well-preserved find is described in Nature Communications. The site is about 50km southwest of Boston, Massachusetts in the Wamsutta Formation. It dates to about 320–318 million years ago, […]

Biologists in Japan studying emus have identified a new developmental reason for their shortened and differently shaped wings. Emu embryos don’t develop muscles near the tips of their wings. A new study from the Tokyo Institute of Technology shows that without regular muscle movement, the wing bones don’t lengthen as much, and they fuse together […]

Best put your stones away, because the future of sustainable construction could mean living in glass houses. Engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have developed a new kind of masonry made from 3D-printed, recycled glass. The bricks are the shape of a figure 8 and are designed to interlock, kind of […]

Smashing protons together at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider has led to the first observation of quantum entanglement of quarks. Einstein once called quantum entanglement “spooky action at a distance.” It is an effect in quantum mechanics where 2 or more particles become linked. The “entangled” particles share a single physical state and share information instantaneously. […]

Everyone who cycles knows the tribulations of a headwind and the joys of a tailwind. But according to a new study, in one tricky type of cycling, the tailwind is of little use. One of the more coveted challenges in the world of cycling is ‘Everesting’ – cycling up and down a hill until you […]

Scientists and eclipse enthusiasts alike will no longer need to worry about accidentally missing out on their view of upcoming solar eclipses. NASA has developed eclipse maps that plot in fine detail the pathway of the Moon’s central shadow (umbra) as it crosses Earth. Their new study reveals not only the true shape of the […]

Scientists are unravelling the role of dust from the Sahara in supporting life as far away as the Amazon Basin and the Bahamas. It’s not the dust but the iron it contains which helps life to thrive, and as the dust travels through the atmosphere, the iron components change. The further dust-bound iron travels from […]

The first study to coin the term “microplastics” was published in the journal Science 2 decades ago. Now, a new review by the same team argues we have enough evidence to inform our approach to tackle the global microplastics “pollution crisis.” “In our view, science will be just as important guiding the way towards solutions […]

Professor Gabrielle Belz is Chair in Immunology at the Frazer Institute at the University of Queensland, and a 2024 Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellow. She aims to understand how cells and the immune system function to protect us from illness and preserve life. Too many people have to live with disease. But when you […]

An international team of researchers has found more evidence that COVID-19 came from animals in a Wuhan food market. The researchers have identified wildlife present at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in early 2020 via traces of their DNA, and say it’s likely that some of these animals were infected with COVID-19. The study is […]

Australian researchers have constructed a safe, cheap zinc battery – using an office laminator! They say their “aqueous zinc-ion batteries” could be recyclable, easy-to-make power sources for small devices. “We made it on my desk, once,” Associate Professor Zhongfan Jia, a nanotechnology researcher at Flinders University, tells Cosmos. Most commercial batteries, like lithium-ion batteries, need […]

Antarctic krill are likely amongst the world’s most important carbon-storing organisms, according to a new study published in the influential Nature Communications journal. The findings, after a decade of research, have amazed the team behind the evaluation. The researchers estimate that Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) annually lock at least 20 million tonnes of carbon into […]

There’s new evidence that humans drove to extinction the unique megafauna on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Dwarf hippopotamuses and elephants once roamed the island, but they disappeared soon after palaeolithic humans arrived on the scene about 14,000 years ago. A new modelling study estimates that the likely population of hunter-gatherers in Late Pleistocene Cyprus […]

The long-term outcomes for people undergoing face transplants seem optimistic, according to an evaluation of the first 50 operations undertaken globally since 2005. Face transplants have been used as a major reconstructive option for complex and extensive facial disfigurements since 2005. For the first time, researchers have now evaluated their long-term outcomes. The results, they […]

As the UN General Assembly prepares to hold its second high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance this month, a new study highlights the urgent need for decisive, global action to combat the growing threat. A new report has revealed more than 39 million deaths are estimated to directly result from antibiotic-resistant (AMR) infections between now and […]

Despite a slump caused by a large volcanic eruption, the ozone layer is still improving in the long term, according to an annual global report. The United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has published its Ozone and UV Bulletin, finding that the ozone layer remains on track to recover fully between the 2040s and the […]

Researchers have found a type of lizard – referred to as the chicken nugget of the forest – that can hide underwater thanks to a special bubble they produce around their nostrils. Details of the scuba-diving lizards are published in Biology Letters. For animals that have adapted to live on land, air-based breathing limits the […]

Rural Australia is rich in diversity and warrants nuanced understanding about suicide within and across rural areas. Suicide rates in Australia are consistently higher in rural areas compared to major cities. Over the past 20 years, suicide rates in major cities and very remote regions are trending down, outer regional is relatively stable, yet inner […]

Scientists have peered at Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night painting and discovered it displays a startling resemblance to real atmospheric turbulence. To see stars, one needs clear skies. But just because we can’t see it, doesn’t mean there aren’t intricate patterns of air movement above us on a clear night. A paper published in […]

Marine biologists have shown that a migratory shrimp species relies on smell – chemical signatures – to pinpoint their home cave. Some of the chemicals they respond to appear to be sensitive to climate change. Animals that can navigate back to an original location, such as a breeding spot or nesting site, are said to […]

It’s referred to as “contrail avoidance” and it has nothing to do with debunked conspiracy theories about secret chemicals added to airplane exhausts. But it’s likely to reduce the environmental impact of the aviation industry, according to a new study. The aviation industry causes climate change in several different ways. Planes typically emit CO2 by […]

Engineering historians have solved a riddle that’s long puzzled people about the Crystal Palace in London. The Crystal Palace was more than 560m long with a roof supported by 3,300 cast iron columns at the time of its construction in 1851, and many people have wondered how such a giant building could be erected in […]

Militaries have always been reliant on newer technology to stay ahead of their opponents – but how do you bridge the gap between the open culture of science, and the secrets necessary in a defence force? According to Professor Tanya Monro, Australia’s Chief Defence Scientist and head of the government’s Defence Science and Technology Group, […]

Researchers training tomorrow’s medical and allied-health professionals are bridging the gap between anatomy textbooks and cadavers by creating photorealistic, 3D-printed replicas of dissected body parts. The 3D printing program in the Centre for Human Anatomy Education at Melbourne’s Monash University has been working on practical applications of 3D imaging and printing in anatomical education for more […]