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The deadly impact of climate change bringing more intense marine heatwaves and cyclones to the Great Barrier Reef has been revealed by initial results from the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences’ (AIMS) Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP). The in-water surveys found that coral cover has declined between 11% in some places to as much as 72% […]

In some very neat science, electron imaging has captured the atomic structure of the outermost layer of electrons on a material’s surface. Understanding the structure of surface atoms is useful for engineers and chemists. The research could aid in fabrication, growth, and controlling electronic and mechanical properties of nano-scale materials. The imaging of atomic structure […]

Palaeontologists have uncovered a fossilised worm-like creature at Nilpena Ediacara National Park in South Australia. The discovery is the first to date ecdysozoans – a group of animals which today includes arthropods and nematode worms – back to the Ediacaran period, when complex life first evolved. “Scientists have hypothesized for decades that this group must […]

A new pterosaur fossil from southern Germany has shed light on how pterosaurs went from species with eagle-sized wingspans to the most enormous animals ever to fly in Earth’s skies.  “This is an incredible find,” says David Hone from Queen Mary University of London. “It really helps us piece together how these amazing flying animals […]

A team of Japanese researchers has filmed a giant virus infecting a cell using just a light microscope, a tool familiar to high school and university students. The team found evidence that their video enhances student understanding of the virus life cycle.  Infected amoeba cells rupture and explode, spreading the Mimivirus. HPI stands for hours […]

Belief in the paranormal is linked with stress – but only for certain beliefs, according to a new study on UK residents. The study, published in PLOS One, found those with “traditional” paranormal beliefs had higher levels of distress, while those with “new age” beliefs did not. “Historically, research suggests that paranormal beliefs such as […]

Geoengineering – always a controversial topic – has been in the lens on Antarctic research this year, as a bold proposal to try and slow melting has captured public interest. While the technological and environmental risks of the large-scale environmental engineering suggestion has been hotly debated, researchers say that the geopolitical risks have – so […]

Meta will make its generative artificial intelligence (AI) models available to the United States’ government, the tech giant has announced, in a controversial move that raises a moral dilemma for everyone who uses the software. Meta last week revealed it would make the models, known as Llama, available to government agencies, “including those that are […]

Ancient pollen and charcoal remains uncovered from islands north of Tasmania (Lutruwita) suggest that human fire management practices were happening in the region 41,600 years ago. This predates the oldest archaeological evidence of people in Tasmania by roughly 2,000 years. The study, published in Science Advances, draws on 2 sediment records collected from islands in […]

Microbiologists have developed a new technique that can separate the DNA of living microbes from that of the dead. The new life detection method has been tested in the extremely arid Atacama Desert in Chile and has the potential for use in other hostile environments, including on other planets. The Atacama is the driest hot […]

If they’re past re-using, textiles are difficult to recycle – with individual fabrics needing different conditions. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of textiles end up in Australian landfill every year. A better destination, according to some engineers, might be concrete. A team, based at RMIT University in Melbourne, has been trialling ways to add fibres […]

In some fascinating research involving training birds, scientists have added to our understanding of social learning in animal groups. Immigration, it seems, is a major driver of social learning in wild great tits (Parus major), a small songbird that can learn new behaviours from others of its species. A new PLOS Biology study has found […]

A remarkably well-preserved fossil skull of a bird which lived 80 million years ago has been discovered in Brazil. It fills a 70-million-year gap in our understanding of how bird brains evolved. The bird belongs to a newly described species called Navaornis hestiae. The finding is reported in a paper published in Nature. The earliest […]

An asteroid struck Mars 10.7 million years ago, sending pieces of rock hurtling into space. One of those chunks landed on Earth – scientists analysing it have made an interesting discovery. The Martian rock landed somewhere in the US state of Indiana. It was rediscovered in a drawer at Purdue University in 1931 and named […]

Are they right – the experts who argue that digital technologies are rewiring children’s brains? As digital platforms become ingrained in daily life, concerns about social media’s impact on mental health and behaviour—particularly among young people—have intensified, sparking debates over the need for stricter regulation. In response, governments are considering policies to limit social media use. Australia, […]

Two years ago, scientists from around the world met in Dublin in Ireland, to discuss the state of the science regarding meat production and animal husbandry. “They are too precious to society to become the victim of simplification, reductionism or zealotry,” they wrote in what has become known as the Dublin Declaration, ultimately signed by […]

Chemists have made a substance that can absorb carbon dioxide at the high temperatures used in industrial processes, like cement or steel-making. The study, published in Science, could eventually help to lower the emissions of these hard-to-abate industries. While fossil fuels burned for energy can be readily replaced with low- or zero-emissions technology, it’s trickier […]

The Sun took about 10–20 million years to form according to an analysis of stardust left behind from the dawn of our solar system. Findings published in Nature show how long it took the molecular cloud of gas and dust to come together to create the Sun about 4.6 billion years ago. It is the […]

Space is huge and explaining the vastness of space can be a tall order, especially to kids. The team at Double Helix, our partner publication, has brought this big concept down to Earth by creating a scale model of our inner solar system. You can create your own scale model using materials from around your […]

People living in areas with higher levels of air pollution within the US are more likely to have eczema, new research in the journal PLOSE ONE has found. Outdoor air pollution its estimated to cause more than 4 million deaths per year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This is mainly due to fine […]

Quality journalism is not just for adults. Young writers and readers seek science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) news that is relevant and fact-based. In a move that supports the future of STEM journalism, CSIRO Double Helix magazine and Letterly will host a “Young STEM Journalism Bootcamp”. The Bootcamp is to run through January 2025, […]

Teenage mutant ninja turtles may not lurk in city sewers worldwide, but fatbergs do. These conglomerations of non-biodegradable solids, fat, oil and grease form rock-like masses, which cling to and clog the inside of sewer pipes. They cause 40% of all sewer blockages in Australia and cost A$100 million each year to deal with. Some […]

Last month, when the crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 International Space Station mission finally returned from a mission that was extended from 180 days to 235 days, the splashdown and recovery were initially described as safe and apparently uneventful. Then, hours later, NASA announced that all four of members of the crew—NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, […]

A reaction between 2 simple molecules might be the secret to uncovering how the building blocks of life were first encapsulated in a cell membrane, according to new research. There are a few ingredients needed for life on Earth. Most obviously, there’s the genetic material which governs the production of proteins and reproduction. That is […]