~cosmos-magazine | Bookmarks (516)

When it comes to a relaxing summer read, The Little Book of Cosmic Catastrophes (That Could End the World) might not be the kind of title that springs to mind. But this tongue-in-cheek, hilariously morbid approach to astronomy could actually be the fun read you’re looking for! Written by the bright and bubbly science communicator, […]

We are diving into our archives and republishing some paid content for free. This long read was originally published in the March 2024 Cosmos print magazine. You can read more amazing long reads if you subscribe now. From modest beginnings, weather and climate models have come to dominate our days. Drew Rooke takes a tour across […]

In 2017, NASA discovered and later confirmed comet Oumuamua was the first interstellar object to enter our Solar System. It wasn’t aliens. But artist impressions of ‘Oumuamua’ (The Hawaiian word for “scout”) do resemble an alien spaceship out of a sci-fi novel. This strange depiction is because astronomers don’t quite know how to classify the […]

Researchers in the US have taken inspiration from manta rays’ graceful bird-like motion to design a fast robot that can deftly manoeuvre in water. They say their design for a soft, swimming robot, is suited for complex and unstructured environments, such as deep-sea exploration and environmental monitoring on the surface and underwater. The new soft […]

There is still no evidence that crystals have any healing properties. But that doesn’t mean they’re not a crucial part of other research fields. Here are 5 things scientists did with crystals in 2024 – and a 6th crystalline mystery solved. These pink crystals use magnets to super-cool hydrogen Researchers have made a material capable […]

The Global Methane Budget 2024, released earlier this year, highlights emissions from human activities have increased by 20 per cent in the past two decades.   Methane is one of three core greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. It lasts in the atmosphere for just a few decades, which is shorter when compared to its counterparts, carbon […]

Scores of fascinating science videos were released alongside research in 2024, these are some of our favourites. Feel free to pull them out when the conversation lulls around the table these holidays.  Scientists created their own version of Spider-Man’s web fluid Liquid stream of silk solidifies to a fibre, adheres to and lifts glass laboratory […]

Between 5.97 and 5.33 million years ago, the Mediterranean transformed from a thriving sea to a giant salt basin. The catastrophic event, known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis, was triggered by the movement of the European and African continental plates. They pushed against each other and closed what is now known as the Strait of […]

From the delicate needles which styled garments 40,000 years ago, to the 90 million tonnes of clothes currently discarded each year, fashion has left its mark on the planet – and on us. Here are 8 things we learned this year about fashion’s history – and future. When did fashion begin? The answer is like […]

The mineral calcite is the most stable form of calcium carbonate and is the main mineral found in limestone. It can be found  in the ocean, in shells or hard parts of marine organisms like plankton, coral reefs, types of red algae, oysters and sponges. There is even a stalactitic form of calcite found in […]

We are diving into our archives and republishing some paid content for free. This long read was originally published in the September 2024 Cosmos print magazine. You can read more amazing long reads if you subscribe now. Walking or driving Australia’s Red Centre is a great way to learn about geology. But even geologists agree the […]

Dinosaurs were the dominant creatures on land for more than 150 million years. The Mesozoic era (252–66 million years ago) is sometimes called the “Age of Dinosaurs” or “Age of Reptiles”. During this time, dinosaurs grew to be the largest land animals and biggest predators of all time. We are endlessly amazed by these magnificent […]

Humans can’t go long without water before feeling thirsty enough to rustle up a refreshing beverage. So how do hibernating animals suppress the need to seek out water for months at a time? New research shows that for one animal, it’s all in the mind. A species of squirrel, the thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus), […]

Batteries are surging ahead in storage, speed, and efficiency. Here are 5 of our favourite battery science stories of the year. Can a thumb-sized nuclear battery last 50 years? The race to build a nuclear battery is heating up, with a Chinese startup pitching a coin-sized device it says can keep producing a charge for […]

Expanding the kitchen gadgetry with an air fryer? Want to see what all of the hype is about? While they certainly have their uses – particularly in speed – you may want to re-read the instructions before cooking your first schnitty. Like all new cooking methods, they can carry some risks. Lydia Buchtmann, CEO of […]

Warm weather pairs perfectly with a cool meal, and we have just the recipe. Ceviche (suh-VEE-chay) is a popular dish from Latin America that relies on lime juice to “cook” seafood without any heat. Just the idea for kids in the kitchen on or before Christmas and new year’s feasts. The team at Double Helix […]

This week marks the beginning of summer holidays for Australian school kids so why not enjoy science time with your kids, cooking, making rockets, creating bubbles or building an automatic flying fishing machine? To celebrate summer, we’ve hand-picked 20 hands-on STEM activities for kids from the Australian children’s science newsletter, Double Helix Extra (DHE). DHE […]

Biologists from the University of Hawai’i have used drones to track lactating mother whales and their calves in the Pacific Ocean over 6 months and watched as the calves grew massively and mums lost weight. The research shows calves increased body volume by almost 395%, and lactating females decreased their body volume by approximately 17%. […]

As part of the Ultramarine project we are diving into our archives and republishing some paid content for free. In the December 2023 Cosmos print magazine, Keely Jobe considered how the community and scientists are both vital to saving at-risk species. Jobe lives in a small Tasmanian town shares its shores with the endangered red handfish. […]

Stem cell researchers have discovered a potential new lifeline for the tiniest and most vulnerable babies. Scientists at Monash Children’s Hospital have successfully collected and reinfused umbilical cord blood cells in extremely premature babies, offering a glimmer of hope for preventing brain injuries. This pioneering research, undertaken by a collaboration of Monash Health’s Monash Children’s […]

In an age where misinformation and deepfakes blur the lines between fact and fiction, identifying scams has never been more challenging. Falling for a scam can have devastating social, financial, and personal consequences. Over the past year, victims of cybercrime reported losing an average of $30,700 per incident. As Christmas and Boxing Day approach, shoppers face heightened risks, […]

Fine-tuning their programming could help panels on solar farms perform better while resisting damage, according to a new study. The study, published in Physics of Fluids, outlines a way for panels to optimise their angles to get the best out of windy conditions. While wind can make solar panels more efficient by cooling them, it […]

A complete model of Thylacoleo, Australia’s once-fearsome carnivorous marsupial lion, including its missing tail bone and other anatomical features of the backbone has been created by Flinders University Palaeontology researchers. Flinders University Emeritus Professor Rod Wells, was one of the first explorers to discover the scientifically important fossil more than 50 years ago. A partial reconstruction has […]

In a perhaps unsurprising turn of events new research has found that giraffes, which aren’t known for their grace, prefer to remain on flatter ground. In fact it revealed they flat-out refuse to climb slopes of more than 20°! The research, which was presented at the British Ecological Society’s Annual Meeting in Liverpool last week […]