Australasian Science: Australia's authority on science since 1938
conSCIENCE
conSCIENCE article
Jobs of the Future: The Known Unknown
By Karen Andrews
The digital revolution is having a profound impact on the workforce. Increasing skills in science, technology, engineering and maths is not optional.
To view this article subscribe or purchase a yearly pass here.
Stem Cell Loophole Must Be Closed
By Richard Harvey, Martin Pera and Megan Munsie
Unproven stem cell treatments are being offered in Australia without regulatory oversight.
To view this article subscribe or purchase a yearly pass here.
Closing the High Seas Opens Fishing Opportunities
By Reg Watson
Closing international waters to fishing would have little or no effect on global catches but make fishing potentially fairer, safer, better-managed and less polluting.
To view this article subscribe or purchase a yearly pass here.
Science Is Not Just Whitefella Business
By Rowena Ball
Australia’s indigenous culture has a rich scientific heritage, yet indigenous people are under-represented in science-related careers today. Some simple steps can change this.
To view this article subscribe or purchase a yearly pass here.
How to Get Girls into Physics
By Frances Saunders
Research from the UK has identified several impediments that discourage girls from studying physics, with new interventions now being trialled.
To view this article subscribe or purchase a yearly pass here.
Can Science and Religion Be Friends?
By Peter Harrison
Some scientists would prefer religion to become extinct but it defiantly prospers – peaceful co-existence is the enduring paradigm.
To view this article subscribe or purchase a yearly pass here.
It’s Time to Prepare for Peak Phosphorus
By Graeme Batten and Lindsay Campbell
A looming global shortage of an important fertiliser necessitates the development of phosphorus-efficient crops, recycling of phosphorus from sewage and even separating it from urine.
To view this article subscribe or purchase a yearly pass here.
Is “Mentally Ill” the New Normal?
By Gloria Wright
Drug treatments for behaviours that were previously not considered mental health conditions raise several unintended consequences.
If we are to believe federal Health Minister Peter Dutton, 46% of us will develop a mental illness in our lifetimes – a staggering increase. Almost half of us will qualify to log in to Dutton’s new online support forum SANE.
As the near majority of us can expect to have our individual identities relabelled as treatable disorders, the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual offers an ever-widening selection of “conditions” from which to choose – “illnesses” that previous generations may have seen as human dilemmas rather than mental disorders.
Science in a Fluoro Jacket
By Ross Smith
Contrary to common perception, most working scientists are not “researchers” and don’t work for public institutions.
I am a scientist. I am very proud of that fact and worked hard as a student to become one. In the process I spent far longer at university than my parents expected. After 9 years, including a year as a research assistant, I was awarded a PhD, was able call myself “Doctor” and my parents were proud.
Burying CO2 Is Cool
By Olivia Kember
Carbon capture and storage is a necessary component of any realistic effort to control global warming.
Using technologies to capture carbon dioxide produced by power stations and industries and pump it back underground features prominently in scenarios for achieving the global goal of avoiding warming above 2°C – yet it remains deeply contentious.
