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Holding a hallowed place at the top of search engine results, Wikipedia has become a profound influence on the information age. With articles written and edited by millions of volunteers around the world, it’s been hailed as “the last best place on the Internet”, and is often the first port of call for anyone learning […]

People forced to hunker down in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic have retained many of those habits – which might change the face of our cities and urban spaces. In 2023, people in the US spent about 51 minutes less time on activities outside of the house compared to before the pandemic, a new […]

An estimated 65 million people live with long COVID, many of whom experience cardiovascular issues such as chest pain and heart palpitations. A small new Australian study suggests chronic inflammation could explain these symptoms. Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (PASC), is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as […]

A new report from a commission established by The Lancet Public Health reveals for the first time the global scale of the problem of gambling and its consequences, which are growing rapidly across the world. The Lancet shows harms of gambling are much more extensive than previously thought, with about 80 million people worldwide suffering from gambling disorder, and […]

In a week of macabre astronomy including a new study of the “dark wolf nebula”, more ghoulish observations have been reported. A pair of galaxies dubbed “blood-soaked eyes” has been analysed by NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes to better understand the physics of the colliding galaxies and their rapid star formation. The pair […]

New research has revealed the impact of climate change on a region of East Africa, with average monthly minimum temperatures increasing by more than 5°C, frequent droughts, and erratic wet conditions. The changing climate will impact on tourism, biodiversity and human habitability. Interactions between climate change and oceanic and atmospheric oscillations have impacted weather patterns […]

The world is striving to reach net-zero emissions as we try to ward off dangerous global warming. But will getting to net-zero actually avert climate instability, as many assume? Our new study examined that question. Alarmingly, we found reaching net-zero in the next few decades will not bring an immediate end to the global heating […]

Like all domesticated animals, cattle are descendants of wild animals which have changed genetically over thousands of years. New research published in Nature sheds light on the complex history of modern cows by analysing the DNA of their ancient ancestor the aurochs. Aurochs (Bos primigenius) once roamed all over Asia, Europe and northern Africa. They […]

Significant acceleration in the upper-ocean circulation of the equatorial Pacific Ocean over the past 30 years is impacting global weather patterns, according to a new study. The acceleration is driven by strengthening atmospheric winds. The oceanic currents are becoming stronger and shallower. Among the effects are increased frequency and intensity of El Niño and La […]

Can monkeys randomly hitting keys on a typewriter type out the complete works of Shakespeare? Alas, it is not to be. This is according to a statistical study published in the journal Franklin Open by 2 researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The Infinite Monkey Theorem is a thought experiment used to explain […]

Timelapse showing reverse development in a lobectomized individual of M. leidyi. Credit: Soto-Angel and Burkhardt (2024), PNAS, “Reverse development in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi“. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2411499121 Who knew you could be jealous of a comb jelly? Thats right, scientists have discovered that a ctenophore, also known as a comb jelly, can age in reverse. This alternate […]

The minimum age of criminal responsibility has become a hot-button issue in state and territory politics. But how well do people actually understand it? According to a West Australian study, the answer is “poorly”. The study, published in The International Journal of Human Rights, draws on interviews from 69 members of the West Australian public. […]

Giant clams (Tridacna gigas), found in the waters around Southeast Asia, Australia and Pacific Islands, have been declared critically endangered according to a new assessment. Its overall population has fallen 84% in the past century. Another 11 related giant clam species also had their statuses updated. The evaluation is based on research led by Ruiqi […]

A new quantum device might help discover new, complex materials that can be used to design high-performance electronics. Next generation electronics will be made using faster, more powerful and more energy efficient materials. This includes semiconductors, insulators and superconductors. Findings such new materials can be laborious. Scientists spend a lot of time, energy and resources […]

Quantum science is so fundamental to the future of society that the United Nations has proclaimed 2025 “The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.” It commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Schrödinger equation– often considered the key development in the birth of quantum mechanics. The UN’s educational arm UNESCO says the year-long, worldwide initiative […]

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has released a composite picture of the Dark Wolf Nebula – which is 5,300 light-years away and, as its name suggests, is shaped like a wolf. Dark nebulae are star-forming regions, filled with cold dust. Unlike other nebulae, they don’t emit visible light – leading to these dark shapes seen […]

A whopping 16-centimetre-long tadpole fossil has been found – dating to the heyday of the dinosaurs. The find, described in a paper published in Nature today, represents the oldest tadpole in the world, adding to our understanding of the evolution of frogs and toads. It dates to 161–168 million years ago – the middle of […]

A new study has uncovered the missing science behind why some lakes around the world emit such large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). Lakes are unlikely sources of substantial amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. But the exact mechanisms at work hadn’t been fully understood, hampering efforts to identify sources and sinks of carbon in the […]

An Australian, Dr Clare Weeden, has been awarded a fellowship and will return to Australia to set up a lab focusing on lung cancer, particularly in non-smokers. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Australia and about 25% of lung cancers occur in people who have never smoked. “I am fascinated by […]

More extreme heat events, a drier south and a wetter north, drier streams, a longer fire season, fewer tropical cyclones and less snow. All of these trends have been recorded in Australia over the past half-century; all are projected to get worse from global warming. That’s the bleak, but unsurprising, conclusion of the 2024 State […]

DNA from 131 ancient individuals throughout the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia has been analysed, pointing to a split into two populations – one group became farmers, while the others continued living a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. The region is known as one of the earliest places people practiced animal husbandry. The new study adds insight […]

New satellite technology might help to measure the extent of the global plastic pollution crisis by better detecting plastics washed up on remote beaches. The technology, which has been successfully field tested on a remote stretch of Australian coastline, distinguishes the differences in reflection of infrared light by sand, water, and plastic. An estimated 19 […]

Most of the universe still isn’t accounted for – the solution might be in black holes. Ordinary matter makes up only about 5% of the universe. This includes everything we can see and interact with, from stars and planets to dust, gas and you. About 25% of the universe is made up of dark matter. […]

Researchers have discovered a new species of flea toad in which one of the adults measured just 6.95mm in length – the second smallest adult vertebrate ever described. Vertebrates are animals with a spine, which includes all fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. But this new flea toad, Brachycephalus dacnis, which was found in the […]