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In a big day for planetary science, scientists have announced major news regarding the exploration of two different worlds in our solar system: Mars, and Jupiter’s moon Io. The findings from Io resolve one longstanding mystery…and create a new one.  When NASA’s two Voyager spacecraft visited Jupiter in 1979, scientists were stunned to discover that […]

Most non-African people today inherit 1-2% ancestry from Neanderthals, and researchers have long searched for clues about when our ancient ancestors were interbreeding with Neanderthals. Now 2 studies have independently dated the interbreeding to about 47,000 years ago. A study in Nature analysed the genomes of 7 Homo sapiens that lived about 45,000 years ago in what […]

A new gene therapy may give hope to the more than 64 million people living with heart failure worldwide. Robin Shaw, director of the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI) at the University of Utah says: “In the history of heart failure research, we have not seen efficacy like this.” Current treatment options […]

A new study investigating the female orgasm has found that women have more frequent and satisfying climaxes when they have high levels of “interoception” – the ability to focus on and sense body sensations such as heartbeat and touch.  “Our study empirically demonstrates that women need to get out of their heads and into their […]

We normally think of E. coli as something that makes us sick, but the bacteria also plays a huge role in making us better – by producing medicines. And a new study might help to make medical production more sustainable – by making E. coli stronger. The study is published in Nature Catalysis. A range […]

As the remaining carbon budget to limit global warming to 1.5°C dwindles – expected to run out in just 6 years – a new Nature Communications study has found that greenhouse gas emissions from tourism have been growing faster than global emissions. The new analysis, which considered data for international and domestic travel in 175 […]

Astronomers have trained the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on a galaxy named “Firefly Sparkle.” But the young galaxy may not invite you to its birthday party as it is already accompanied by galaxies newly named “Firefly-Best Friend” and “Firefly-New Best Friend!” Firefly Sparkle does give astronomers a gift: the first glimpse of a typical […]

Climate change is putting the future of some seals at risk as icebergs on which they depend become smaller, and the movements of the ice in the oceans change. Recent research in the Johns Hopkins Glacier and Inlet in Alaska has revealed  how climate-driven changes are impacting the birthing season in seals. Harbour seals depend […]

Animals are known to go to great lengths for the opportunity to breed. A new study reports that an adult male humpback whale has traversed record-breaking distances on the quest to find new fish in the sea. The whale, which has its own profile on Happywhale.com, was initially spotted in 2013 in breeding areas off […]

As the Parker Solar Probe readies to dive to the Sun on Christmas Eve, scientists at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union, heard multiple reports of how the solar eclipse that stretched across North America earlier this year offered a rare opportunity to study the Sun and its interaction with Earth. What makes eclipses unique—as well […]

A jerking, lurching bus ride can be enough to put someone off their lunch – or even dissuade them from using public transport. But just how much do public buses jostle passengers? Measuring this, according to one team of researchers, might help to make the vehicles more comfortable. The researchers, from University of Technology Sydney, […]

An American-led research team has developed a new way to sequester more carbon dioxide at the bottom of the ocean. The technique leverages the ravenous appetite of microscopic zooplankton and their propensity to defecate at depth. Zooplankton are part of the biological carbon pump, the ocean’s natural cycle for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere […]

Astrophysicists have added further flames to a 20 year debate about what lies at the centre the largest star cluster in the Milky Way galaxy – Omega Centauri. The stars near its centre have long puzzled scientists because they move at higher-than-expected velocities. Scientists have sought to understand whether this is caused by a cluster […]

New findings, published in respected and influential British Journal of Sports Medicine, challenge the common claim that women are more likely than men to suffer ACL injuries. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of the four main ligaments in the knee that connects the thin bone to the shin bone and prevents it from […]

As artificial intelligence becomes more pervasive, a new research institute in Adelaide, Australia will be looking for a way to make AI systems that can be trusted to “behave” and make “decisions” in a responsible manner. “How do we make sure that AI can actually explain what it’s doing?” asks Jon Whittle, Director of Data61 […]

Researchers at Google Quantum AI have managed a new milestone in quantum computing, with chips that can correct errors below a “critical threshold”. The team has published a description of the error-correcting chips in Nature. “It’s fair to say that this is the most significant demonstration to date of quantum error correction,” says Professor Stephen […]

Electric vehicle (EV) batteries may last longer in the real world than manufacturing lab tests predict, according to a new study. The researchers “surprisingly” found that charging and discharging based on driver data led to battery lifetimes 38% longer on average, compared to typical lab tests. Their study is published in Nature Energy. “We’ve not […]

Independent energy experts largely – although not universally – agree with an economic analysis that finds renewable energy, with storage, to be the cheapest energy option for Australia’s future. A draft of the 2024-2025 GenCost report, which is published each year by CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), was released today. The draft […]

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health in the US has found the H5N1 bird flu virus could be just one mutation away from being able to spread amongst humans. Although the authors say the virus needs to overcome multiple other barriers to become an effective disease of humans, and there are no […]

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Australia’s forest ecosystems, renowned for their extraordinary diversity of rare plants and animals, also play a vital role in mitigating climate change by absorbing and storing carbon. However, fossils from these ancient forests are reshaping the understanding of modern forest management practices. According to Peter Wilf, professor of geosciences at Penn State, […]

Over the course of her career Susan Scott has explored the fundamental question of how gravity relates to and shapes the universe. And, importantly, how we can formulate and discuss that force mathematically. Today, the Australian National University Distinguished Professor has been presented with the Australian Mathematical Society’s George Szekeres Medal in recognition of these […]

A UK study confirms that secondary students lack diverse role models for computer science, likely compounding the industry’s known challenges surrounding diversity and inclusion. “We know from existing data and research that girls are underrepresented in computer science qualifications,” lead author Billy Wong of the University of Reading tells Cosmos. “So we looked at the […]

Renewables look likely to be the cheapest energy source in Australia again next year, according to a draft of the new Gencost report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and the CSIRO. The report has been issued as political debate around the costs of nuclear energy heats up. The draft 2024-25 GenCost report finds […]

Weather scientists have used 3D scans to delve deep into the inner anatomy of hailstones, providing them with information that could help mitigate future hailstone damage. In a study published in Frontiers in Environmental Science, researchers in Catalonia have used computed tomography (CT) scans to investigate the cores of hailstones. “It is the first time […]