Are we pre-programmed to believe in weird and wonderful things that lack any significant scientific basis, and are some of us more likely to believe than others?
FEATURES - In depth articles on current research in Australia and abroad.
New evidence tightens the noose on humans as the decisive factor in the extinction of the last of the megafauna in Australia and North America.
A map of the universe as it existed six billion years ago is close to completion, and may provide new insights into the physics of dark energy.
Newborn babies will smile when they first taste sucrose and wrinkle their noses at the bitter taste of quinine. What is the adaptive significance of such innate responses to taste?
The DNA sequence of a microbe that produces methane in ruminants provides a target for vaccines and other drugs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.
Early-career scientists are using goggles that mimic common eye diseases to teach primary school children about their vision research and the importance of eye care.
The assumption that indigenous Australians did not develop agriculture is highly contestable, with a body of evidence revealing that they developed food production systems and in some cases lived in large villages.
Meteorological records since the 1950s reveal a decrease in rainfall that is consistent with anthropogenic climate change, but a different picture emerges when looking at records since 1900.
conSCIENCE - Discussing topics in the public interest.
Synthesis of knowledge from different disciplines is underused in research and has hazards for practitioners.
The creation of synthetic bacteria will increase the speed with which new organisms can be generated, and reduce the value of animal life to mere chemical devices.
THE NAKED SKEPTIC - Keeping a critical eye on current issues.
Could there be a greater abuse of both science and Christianity than creationism?
SIMON SAYS - Simon Grose shares his views on current issues in science.
The creation of the first synthetic genome is the latest paragraph in the story of evolution.
BROWSE - A round-up of the latest science news from our shores.
The human family tree is turning bushy with the announcement of yet another new species named Homo gautengensis by University of NSW anthropologist Dr Darren Curnoe.
Genes believed to be implicated in autism and schizophrenia have been found in the sequencing of the genome of three species of parasitic wasp, indicating they are extraordinarily ancient and essential for animal survival.
Climatologists believe they have confirmed what has been long suspected: the rapid loss of sea-ice from the Arctic is a result of a feedback cycle where global warming causes ice loss, which in turn causes more local warming.
If you want cheaper medicines, get a prescription in New Zealand.
Dave Reneke brings news from the space and astronomy communities around the world.
