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A detector sitting on the sea floor off the coast of Italy has made a remarkable discovery: the first observation of an ultra-high energy neutrino. The kilometre cubic neutrino telescope (KM3NeT) spotted the neutrino in 2023. The event, dubbed KM3-230213A, was subject to meticulous analysis before being confirmed as the highest energy neutrino observed in […]

In pursuit of creating artificial intelligence that can “think” more like a person, researchers have developed a new machine learning algorithm that uncovers patterns in data without human guidance. The algorithm, called Torque Clustering, can efficiently and autonomously analyse vast amounts of data. It could be used to detect disease patterns, uncover fraud, or understand […]

A team of researchers say their latest attempts to understand how molecules chemically reacted to form the basic building blocks of life on Earth are promising. There has long been debate about the origins of the basic building blocks of life on Earth. Did these first organic compounds form through processes on our planet, or […]

Researchers at the CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool for estimating the biological sex of individuals – from their skulls. The tool has the potential to speed up investigations in criminal analysis or after severe natural disasters. Results published in Scientific Reports show the AI tool achieved an […]

Conserving and restoring Southeast Asia’s peatlands and mangroves could mitigate more than 50% of the region’s land-use carbon emissions, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. Peatland and mangrove ecosystems make up just 5% of the land in Southeast Asia. But they play an enormous role in carbon emission reduction. They store more […]

International data shows 2024 was an exceptionally calm year for shark attacks on humans. The International Shark Attack File, maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History, provides data on what are considered unprovoked bites, defined as incidents in which a person does not initiate contact with a shark. Instances in which a person intentionally […]

A new artificial intelligence-driven approach to more efficiently free up hospital beds will likely be rolled out across several South Australian hospitals within the year, with plans to implement it interstate in the next 18 months. The system provides a prediction of the likelihood that the patient will be discharged within 24 hours. Known as […]

A European-Australian research team has stumbled upon an unexpected accumulation of the rare radioactive isotope Beryllium-10 at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Dating to around 10 million years ago, this anomaly may serve as a global ‘time marker’ that will improve geological dating methods into the deep past. But the mystery remains as to […]

It is common for engineers to be inspired by nature. Now, researchers say we might be in for a revolution in palaeo-biomimetics – using the designs of ancient creatures to inform how we can design and build structures today. It’s not surprising to imagine that flying machines might take inspiration from animals that have taken […]

In a welcome spot of good news, researchers at Arid Recovery in South Australia have discovered that their small population of endangered kowaris has almost quadrupled in size. This is a promising sign for kowari conservation, and it gives researchers the opportunity to pinpoint why this unique Australian marsupial is declining in the wild. Molly […]

A team of geophysicists using seismic data from more than three decades of earthquakes have found evidence that the Earth’s inner core isn’t completely solid. The new research sheds light on a hotly debated question in geology by showing that the surface of the inner core can change, and can do so on annual timescales. […]

A 183-million-year-old plesiosaur fossil found in Germany has preserved soft tissue which reveals that the ancient marine reptiles had turtle-like scales. The new research helps bring these prehistoric creatures to life in a way that hasn’t been possible despite 200 years of research. Plesiosaurs are often mistaken for dinosaurs. While they lived at the same […]

Scientists have been able to use satellite imagery to find the warrens of wombats and rabbits in the remote Australian desert. They argue the test shows that satellite imagery could be a viable alternative to long and arduous ground-based surveys, particularly in harsh desert environments. The research is published in Australian Mammalogy, the peer-reviewed journal […]

A serendipitous image taken by the European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope allowed astronomers to spot a stunning new example of an Einstein ring. This extremely rare phenomenon occurs when a large space object acts like a lens and magnifies light from another object directly behind it. This was first predicted by Einstein’s general theory of […]

How do you look for something that doesn’t absorb, reflect, or emit light? A team of researchers has developed a new way to use atomic clocks aboard GPS satellites and a network of ultra-stable lasers to search for dark matter. “Despite many theories and experiments scientists are yet to find dark matter, which we think […]

A previously unknown phenomenon discovered deep inside the ice streaming from the Greenland ice sheet will change the way scientists model ice melt and rising sea levels. The ice streams of Antarctica and Greenland are major contributors to sea level rise, carrying ice from inland ice sheets to the sea. So, accurately predicting their behaviour […]

What can we expect from Monday’s Super Bowl? Emeritus Professor David Rowe, from Western Sydney University’s Institute for Culture and Society, weighs in on everything from the game itself, Trump’s attendance, the Aussie who’s after the title and of course, Taylor Swift, ahead of Monday’s Super Bowl. “The annual Super Bowl is, for many people […]

Astronomers have discovered a massive galaxy, LEDA 1313424, with the most rings ever seen. The ring galaxy, which is 2.5 times larger than the Milky Way, has been nicknamed “the Bullseye”. A relatively tiny blue dwarf galaxy punched straight through its centre about 50 million years ago and, like a stone dropped into a pond, […]

Mantis shrimps dole out a punch powerful enough to break mollusc shells and even crack aquarium glass, while somehow avoiding injuring itself in the process. These carnivorous marine crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda come in 2 flavours – “spearers” and “smashers”. Spearers impale prey on their toothed claws, while smashers clobber theirs. There are more […]

The mere mention of Leonardo da Vinci evokes genius. We know him as a polymath whose interests spanned astronomy, geology, hydrology, engineering and physics. As a painter, his Mona Lisa and Last Supper are considered works of mastery. Yet one great achievement that frequently goes unrecognised is his studies of human anatomy. More than 500 […]

Scientists have closed the data gap that will transform the cultivation of Asparagopsis, a seaweed set to revolutionise methane reduction in livestock. Asparagopsis armata is a red seaweed being used as an emerging solution to reduce livestock methane production. The seaweed is endemic to southern Australia and New Zealand and occurs on shallow coastal reefs around […]

Scientists from France and Spain have applied the maths of fluid dynamics to human crowds, creating better predictions for crowd behaviour and a protocol for improved safety. Dense crowds create some of the most dangerous environments in modern society with dangers to individuals including suffocation, stampedes, and getting pressed against walls. Published in the prestigious […]

Early humans underwent adaptive genetic changes in their blood groups after leaving Africa, according to new ancient DNA analysis. Researchers analysed the blood groups of 22 Homo sapiens (modern human), 14 Neanderthals and one offspring of a Neanderthal and a Denisovan – another archaic human species. The individuals lived between 120,000 and 20,000 years ago. […]

In recent months, Americans looking for eggs have faced empty shelves in their grocery stores. The escalating threat of avian flu has forced farmers to kill millions of chickens to prevent its spread. Nearly 70 years ago, Maurice Hilleman, an expert in influenza, also worried about finding eggs. Hilleman, however, needed eggs not for his […]