The latest salvo in the ongoing Homo floresiensis battle has placed the science of human evolution in deep conceptual crisis.
FEATURES - In depth articles on current research in Australia and abroad.
Excessive video gamers have the same physiological disturbances and disrupted thought processes as those addicted to substances and gambling.
As global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions continues to stall, can engineering the climate provide a feasible solution to climate change?
With indigenous knowledge being lost, six Aboriginal language groups have documented up to 13 “seasons” that can be used by scientists to evaluate the impact of climate change.
The first evidence of interbreeding between subspecies of blue whales suggest that their ecology is changing, possibly due to historic whaling or climate change.
Australian researchers are finding their careers more difficult to manage, with job security, uncertainty of funding and workload at the top of their concerns.
ONLINE FEATURES
A few quirks of neural processing explain why religious devotees can see the face of the Virgin Mary in a slice of toast.
The decision to link the Australia’s carbon price to the European Union emissions trading scheme has wiped A$6 billion from the federal budget.
One of the casualties of the 2013 federal budget is the university sector.
New coatings have been developed for hip replacements to protect against post-operative infection and provide a barrier to minimise metal ion release into the body.
Multi-tasking micro-lights now being developed could initiate an amazing transformation for the future of communications by using light to carry information over the internet.
A team of Australian engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has demonstrated a quantum bit based on the nucleus of a single atom in silicon, promising dramatic improvements for data processing in ultra-powerful quantum computers of the future.
A study of why animals change colour could enable scientists to develop bandages that change colour in response to slight changes in the temperature of the wound.
UP CLOSE – a podcast from the University of Melbourne.
Social psychologist Prof E. Tory Higgins discusses his model of how humans interpret and appreciate reward and punishment, and offers unusual approaches to motivate people to action.
PUBLISH or PERISH – Your guide to new books
Your guide to new science books
Curtin University researchers are seeking participants across Australia for a study examining the effectiveness of on-line computer brain training games designed to improve cognitive function through regular use.
SIMON SAYS - Commentary by award-winning journalist Simon Grose
Technological breakthroughs are setting the scene for the fossil fuel era to last longer and stronger.
THE BITTER PILL - Examining the science in medical claims
Esoteric breast massage claims “to heal many issues such as painful periods, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, bloating/water retention, and pre-menstrual and menopausal symptoms”.
LOWE TECH - Ian Lowe examines the role of science in public policy
A report finds that highly protected marine areas tend to be the least economically valuable rather than the most ecologically vulnerable.
THE FIT - How lifestyle affects health
Are we getting less sleep than we did in the past? And how much do we really need?
QUANDARY - Bioethical issues raised by new technology
The thriving business of DNA ancestry testing is hawking dreams, not science.
NEUROPSY – Adventures in neuroscience
The Capgras delusion raises interesting questions about how the brain attaches emotional responses to familiar faces.
POCKLEY'S POINT - A blog from Australia's first science journalist, Peter Pockley
A "warts and all" account of CSIRO has sidestepped some of its most embarrassing failures. The first blog in a series published online this month outlines the documentary evidence behind CSIRO's appointment of a tobacco lobbyist as its Director of Communications, which led to a public black ban of Australasian Science.
In part 2 of this exclusive series, Freedom of Information requests of CSIRO internal correspondence reveal the machinations behind the eventual appointment of a former senior tobacco executive and lobbyist as the science organisation's Director of Communications.
Part 3 of this series documents some of the glaring omissions from a “warts and all” account of CSIRO.
EUREKA - Quirky experiments and conclusions
Some birds are evolving shorter wings to help them avoid cars, and the stress of combat training leads to gastrointestinal issues.
OUT OF THIS WORLD - Space and astronomy news
Dave Reneke’s wrap-up of space and astronomy news.
Your guide to the night sky this month, and details of this month's solar eclipse.
ECO LOGIC - New ways to protect biodiversity
The lifestyle values of reef tourism companies contribute to the resilience of those companies and to better conservation outcomes for the Reef itself.
COOL CAREERS - Science beyond the lab bench
Dr Alexandra Grutter has revealed the extraordinary importance of cleaner fish.
THE NAKED SKEPTIC - A critical eye on myths and pseudoscience
Campaigns against fluoridation, vaccination and wind farms prove that if people think something is bad for them they will react badly.
DIRECTIONS - Science policy issues that affect our future
Design thinking can help Australia change its approach to innovation.
EXPERT OPINION - Experts comment on scientific claims made in the news
Experts address how the latest announcements will impact on science, the Murray Darling Basin and the Great Barrier Reef.
A new coronavirus – from the same group of viruses responsible for the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) – has been identified as the cause of an increasing number of illnesses and deaths in several countries.
New research finds that bacterial infection is the cause of 40% of chronic lower back pain.
