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The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has announced the immediate cancellation of the controversial herbicide chlorthal dimethyl, also known as Dacthal or DCPA. The cancellation follows evidence that chlorthal dimethyl can cause damage to the development of unborn babies. The herbicide is currently used in 12 products in Australia, all of which are […]

Evidence is mounting that Uranus moon Ariel may be the latest world found to have, or once have had, a subsurface ocean, scientists have revealed at a meeting in Idaho in the US today. If so, that brings to at least 10 the number of such worlds identified as such since NASA announced its astrobiology […]

In a field 40km down the road from Warrnambool in Western Victoria, scientists are beginning the next stage of a long-term carbon storage project. The Otway International Test Centre, run by the CO2CRC, has been injecting carbon dioxide into the ground for 20 years. This month, it’s starting Stage 4 of the research, pumping 15,000  tonnes […]

The worlds of physics and computer science are abuzz as this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics has gone to two trailblazers in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies. John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton share the prize. Hopfield, an emeritus professor at Princeton University in the US, invented in 1982 an artificial network that can […]

Your closest biodiversity hotspot could be found no further than the bathroom. According to new research in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, showerheads and toothbrushes are home to a diverse community of viruses – most of which are currently unknown to science. “The number of viruses that we found is absolutely wild,” says Erica M. […]

NASA’s Curiosity rover has found new details in Mars’s Gale crater which helps explain how the Red Planet went from one with a climate with liquid water to the inhospitable place it is today. It may help scientists determine if there ever was life on Mars. Evidence gained by rovers on Mars makes the pretty […]

Carbon capture and recycling technology can deal with emissions from fossil fuel energy production by turning them into naturally occurring chemicals, like methane, adding financial, energy and renewable value, according to Distinguished Professor Tianyi Ma. While carbon capture and storage often face criticisms for potentially prolonging or expanding the use of fossil fuels, they are […]

For the first time, scientists have sequenced the entire genome of the critically endangered Tasmanian spotted handfish, one of the world’s rarest fish. The spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) is named for its hand-like fins, which it uses to walk short distances on the shallow seabed.  A relative of deep-sea anglerfish, the spotted handfish is an […]

A new report out today says the world is on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster; quoting the United Nations Environment Programme, it says the global temperature will rise by 2.7°C by 2100. According to NASA, the mean temperature on Earth is approximately 15°C or 59°F. But what does this all mean? When we […]

While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change operates on cycles that take most of a decade to ensure scientific rigour, the rest of the world needs to move faster . In fact, according to the 2024 State of the Climate report, an annual missive published in BioScience, multiple climate-related disasters are occurring each month. “We […]

An international team of scientists has warned the world is on “the brink of an irreversible climate disaster”. Their annual report – the 2024 State of the Climate Report, published in BioScience, finds more of Earth’s vital signs are in extreme distress. The team behind the report says that a global carbon price, renewable energy, […]

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been jointly awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA – class of tiny RNA molecules governing how gene activity is regulated. Ambros, now a professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, and Ruvkun, a professor at Harvard Medical School […]

A galaxy very similar to our Milky Way home has been found confounding astronomers with its location and age. About a billion years after the Big Bang, things settled in the universe. It hasn’t changed much since then. But before this period, when the universe was still young, things were much more turbulent. At least […]

A global study has found that whale sharks will be 15,000 times more likely to collide with ships by the end of the century due to climate change. The study is published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Sharks and other large marine animals are increasingly encountering human vessels. While the reasons and impact of […]

A new study reveals that Australian people under the age of 50 are facing stagnating life expectancy. The comparative study examined longevity trends in 6 English-speaking (Anglophone) countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. These were then compared with other high-income countries. The research is published in the International […]

For years, astronomers have been engaged in a concerted effort to find potentially hazardous asteroids that could hit us with a wallop big enough to seriously impact civilization. Happily, they think they’ve found the vast majority of them. But that doesn’t mean they’ve found them all – not to mention smaller ones still big enough […]

Next-generation optical fibre manufactured in microgravity aboard the International Space Station has been returned safely to Earth. Scientists at Adelaide University in South Australia are now comparing the fibres to otherwise identical Earth-made counterparts to confirm whether the space-made product is superior. It’s thought likely that it is, but the results won’t be known for […]

Arm position has an effect on blood pressure readings, according to a new study. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, finds that putting your hand in your lap or leaving it dangling down your side results in a higher blood pressure reading than if you’d rested it on a desk. This means that hypertension […]

As the debate rages in Australia about how best to handle the use of phones in class, new research from the US suggests a one-minute phone break might be the answer to enhancing student attention. A study, published in Frontier, is one of the first to look into the effects of technology within the college […]

Cat owner Jordan Reeves noticed a big difference in attitudes towards cats when he moved from rural New South Wales to urban Canberra 14 years ago. In the country, “cats can just very much do whatever they want”, says Reeves. “They would just be roaming, they wouldn’t be desexed a lot of the time. So, […]

Sharolyn Anderson, University of South Australia In a world increasingly illuminated by artificial light, the beautiful night skies of a small coastal town in South Australia have attracted international recognition. Carrickalinga on the Fleurieu Peninsula is Australia’s first official Dark Sky Community. The title rewards a dedicated community effort to combat light pollution and preserve […]

Researchers trying to understand how people with schizophrenia hear voices, have focussed on a breakdown in the brain to tell the difference between self-generated thoughts and external voices. New research suggests abnormalities in 2 key brain processes likely contribute to what are referred to as: ”auditory verbal hallucinations,” (AVH) or “hearing voices”. This is the […]

A recent trial in Sydney has resulted in a significant reduction of the number of opioids used in emergency rooms for lower back pain. Two-thirds of Australians who end up in emergency departments with lower back pain are given  opioids. In the US, opioids are administered to approximately 40% of lower-back pain patients in emergency […]

This summer while many people will be heading to the beach and pool in droves, for some a fear of water will prevent them from reaping the mental and physical benefits of water-based recreation. It’s been estimated that 2 to 3% of all people suffer a debilitating aversion to water, a problem which affects children […]