~cosmos-magazine | Bookmarks (564)

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has identified a black hole that confirms the theory that some supermassive black holes can starve their host galaxies of the fuel needed to make new stars. GS-10578, nicknamed “Pablo’s Galaxy”, is roughly the size of the Milky Way. It is nearly 12 billion light-years away, meaning the light that […]

After 9 years of work, researchers in Adelaide, Australia have discovered a new type of cell within the wall of the body’s largest artery, the aorta. They believe the finding has the potential to enhance future treatments in wound healing; growing blood vessels in ischemic tissues; and in chronic inflammatory disease atherosclerosis. The research was […]

An asteroid is approaching, but it won’t crash into Earth. Instead, it’ll be our planet’s little companion for 2 months before continuing on its merry way. 2024 PT5 is about 11m wide. The asteroid was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in South Africa on 7 August. In a study published in […]

Australia’s ability to develop and produce solid rocket motors on shore and at scale is being explored to bolster sovereign aerospace and defence capabilities. Solid rockets are powered by solid fuel and oxidiser, which makes them safer to store and transport than liquid rockets. This week, Lockheed Martin Australia and Thales Australia signed a Teaming […]

Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, has been hailed as the new magic pill for weight loss. But is it safe and what are the real risks beyond loose skin and “Ozempic face” – the gaunt ageing effect of drastic weight loss? What is semaglutide and how does it work? Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 […]

A team of Chinese researchers have made a lithium-sulphur battery that can provide power even after being folded or cut in half. The researchers, who have published their findings in ACS Energy Letters, say their battery demonstrates the potential for safer, cheaper lithium batteries. Lithium-sulphur batteries could be more energy-dense and cheaper than lithium-ion, but […]

German researchers have farmed yeast rich in protein and vitamin B9 (folate) by feeding them hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. Protein levels in the harvested dried yeast is similar to that of beef, pork, fish, and lentils, and just 6 grams, or 0.4 tablespoon, provides the recommended daily folate requirement.  The proof-of-concept system, which runs […]

Researchers at Melbourne’s La Trobe University have found ways to have more consistent seed growth across a season, providing bigger crop harvests. The study, published in Nature Plants, uses the latest technology to look at what individual cells are doing as the seeds germinate. “This will show us which cells we can manipulate to ensure […]

Software developed by Australian researchers accurately models the way sound, water or light waves are scattered by particles in complex formations. This will speed up the time it takes to design metamaterials – artificial materials used to amplify, block and detect waves. Metamaterials are comprised of at least 2 different materials. They were first developed […]

Oxycodone use in Australia nearly halved after a policy change, according to a new study. The study, published in Addiction, uses wastewater monitoring data to find that use dropped 45% after a series of regulations around prescribing were introduced. The data comes from the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program, which samples sewage at treatment plants […]

An exceptionally well-preserved skull from a fish which lived 384–382 million years ago helps explain how plate tectonics played a key role in the evolution of ancient bony fish which eventually led to humans. The skull was found in a remote region of northern Western Australia. It lay in the Gogo Formation – a deposit […]

Researchers have used a massive telescope to observe a pair of galaxies merging 12.8 billion years away, creating one of the brightest objects in the universe. The research, published in the Astrophysical Journal, was led by Associate Professor Yoshiki Matsuoka from Ehime University and Professor John Silverman of from the Kavli Institute for the Physics […]

New members have been added to the family tree of the now extinct thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus). Fossils of the new species were found in northwestern Queensland Riversleigh World Heritage Site. The site is more than 2,500 km from the southern island of Tasmania where the last Tasmanian tigers lived […]

The rainforests of eastern Victoria are home to giant tree ferns which pre-date the dinosaurs. But entire stands of these ancient plants are being wiped out by an ever-growing threat – deer. Joe Greet, a plant ecologist at the University of Melbourne, has seen the understory of these once-lush forests transformed. “They’ll browse [eat] them […]

Sharon Robinson, a Professor in the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences – University of Wollongong of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences at the University of Wollongong and Deputy Director of Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Futures, and a 2024 Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellow, aiming to implement a whole-of-continent observing system for Antarctica to […]

Researchers in Queensland might have discovered why attempts to eradicate crown-of-thorns starfish is so difficult. And it’s not just because they are prolific breeders. Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish, which can decimate coral populations and lead to widespread reef degradation, are among the most significant challenges facing coral reefs. Now, new research reveals these coral predators […]

For palaeontologists, deducing the behaviour of long-dead animals is notoriously tricky. And new evidence can rewrite long-standing hypotheses. Case in point: research published in Current Biology presents a surprising theory for the unusual teeth of an ancient bird. Longipteryx chaoyangensis, a 120-million-old bird whose fossils are found in north-eastern China has an elongated, kingfisher-like skull […]

Palaeontologists have discovered 24 dinosaur tracks dating to the Early Cretaceous period, on the Bass Coast in Victoria in southeastern Australia. During the Cretaceous (145–66 million years ago), the Australian landmass was part of the supercontinent Gondwana. Australia was still connected to Antarctica until about 85 million years ago. The region which is now the […]

Antarctic sea ice is at a record low for this time of year, according to the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership (AAPP). It’s also the second winter in a row that sea ice is unusually low. “In 2023, the winter extreme was outside everybody’s expectations – not just due to its sheer magnitude, but because it’s […]

DNA from a fossilised Neanderthal found in France reveals he was part of a community which was isolated from other Neanderthal for 50,000 years. The findings are detailed in a paper published in Cell Genomics. The individual has been dubbed “Thorin” after a character created by novelist J. R. R. Tolkien. He was discovered in […]

A study of ancient DNA has thrown a popularly held belief about Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, into even more doubt. It’s also provided evidence that the people who inhabited the remote island had contact with Indigenous people in the Americas, more than 3,500km away. The study, done by an international team of researchers, is […]

The windless equatorial region of the ocean, known as “the doldrums”, became so famous for stranding boats in the Age of Sail that the word has become part of our vernacular. But recently, research interest in the doldrums has been – well, stuck in the doldrums. And according to a German scientist, the current explanation […]

Global methane emissions are rising at record levels, according to a new report. Methane emissions have risen 20% in the past 20 years. The findings come from the Global Methane Budget 2024, which is run by the Global Carbon Project, an international partnership between a variety of science bodies. Methane holds much more heat in […]

Digital technologies, like AI, have the potential to revolutionise how health systems care for patients. The challenge lies in identifying the actions needed to integrate them. A new report by the National Industry Innovation Network (NIIN) Health Alliance has named the major technology trends that can have genuine impact in the Australian health system in […]