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The South American lungfish (Lepidosiren paradoxa) has the largest animal genome ever sequenced, according to a new Nature paper. “With over 90 gigabases (in other words, 90 billion bases), the DNA of the South American species is the largest of all animal genomes and more than twice as large as the genome of the previous […]

How was Stonehenge built in ancient Britain 5,000 years ago? New evidence suggests the Late Stone Age people who made the colossal structure would have to have used advanced transport methods to move the stones even further than previously thought. According to English Heritage, the largest stones – called sarsens and weighing up to 30 […]

US researchers have made substances that can extract nanoplastics from water. The solvents, made from non-toxic components, could remove 98% of the tiny plastic particles from water in a lab environment. The team has published its research in ACS Applied Engineering Materials.  “Our strategy uses a small amount of designer solvent to absorb plastic particles […]

Scientists have made an unexpected discovery in a thousand-year-old abandoned fortress in Mongolia. Buried in the walls of the fortress is the grave of an elite woman who pre-dates the rise of the founder of the Mongolian Empire, Genghis Khan (also known as Chinggis Khan). The frontier fortress is about 1.4 km west of Khar Nuur […]

New research comparing life expectancies across 6 English speaking countries reveals Australian women live nearly 4 years and men nearly 5 years longer than their American counterparts. According to the study published in BMJ Open, Australians have the greatest life expectancies at birth compared to people in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the […]

Physicists have studied a cricket ball in a wind tunnel to understand why bowler Lasith Malinga’s career was so successful. The study, done on bowling with a near-horizontal arm, is published in Physics of Fluids. The results, write the researchers, “provide valuable insights for improving unconventional bowling techniques in cricket”. Bowlers in cricket typically bowl […]

Fermilab scientists have taken a major step forward as they work to get the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) operational. DUNE is a prototype particle accelerator at the US Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Once finished, the new detector will be the most comprehensive neutrino experiment in the world. Its goal is to […]

Doctors may soon be able to predict whether your influenza infection will become life-threatening, or if you’ll recover quickly. Scientists have identified a gene associated with whether patients hospitalised with respiratory viral infections experience mild disease or life-threatening complications. According to the new study published in Cell, expression levels of the gene, OLAH, is critical […]

Circular fashion brands are hampered by geography, according to a new study. The study, done by US and UK researchers, finds that activewear brands with post-consumer waste policies often rely on consumers living close by for those policies to work properly. “Activewear is an area of the fashion market that is growing dramatically as consumers […]

There is an urgent need to regulate deceptive labelling and improve nutritional quality in the rapidly growing commercial food market for babies and toddlers in Australia. An analysis of food products for children aged 6-36 months sold in Australian supermarkets in 2022 found that all fail to meet World Health Organization recommendations for product promotion […]

Nearly 2 years since NASA’s InSight Lander mission ended, the space robot’s geological data continues to provide insights into the interior of Mars. Scientists believe that buried in InSight’s data is evidence of an ocean of liquid water on Mars. While the finding may have implications for the potential habitality of Mars, the underground ocean […]

Researchers have found a new process to cool buildings in the summer and keep them warmer during the winter, according to a new study in Cell Reports Physical Science. Their new method manipulates the movement of radiant heat from buildings’ vertical walls and windows. It works by using common building materials including plastics, polymer resins, […]

The rapid rise of AI over the last couple of years has touched every aspect of our lives.   There are clear opportunities for its use, including healthcare, scientific research and education.   The risks are also far too apparent. Deepfakes and disinformation contributed to by AI dominate the headlines, but the potential impacts of AI use […]

Professor Michael Kearney's research aims to understand and predict how Australia's major pests will respond to climate change.

Your cup of Joe’s genome sequenced About 60% of coffee products worldwide come from the species Coffea arabica. It is thought to be the first species of coffee ever cultivated. An international team has now sequenced Arabica’s entire genome, which could help us breed new coffees that can grow better in a wider range of […]

On 16 September 2023, a mega-tsunami ripped through eastern Greenland. The waters reached 200 metres high in some places and damaged an empty military base. The remote location meant that no-one was hurt, but nor was it easy to figure out the cause. A team of German seismologists has found the source of the mysterious […]

Scientists have come up with a theoretical proposal to warm Mars to thicken the Red Planet’s atmosphere, melt its glaciers and provide water to sustain life. And all of that can be done, the researchers claim, with metal nanorods made from elements found in the Martian soil itself. The far-fetched plan is detailed in a […]

The phase of the Moon influences the sex of new-born fish, according to a new study. The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, finds that sixbar wrasse are more likely to develop as male if spawned at the new moon. Sixbar wrasse (Thalassoma hardwicke) are small fish that live on […]

A star has been spotted which suggests a stage of star growth exists which astronomers weren’t aware of. Stars’ fuel is the elements in their cores. Lighter elements – like hydrogen, helium and lithium – undergo nuclear fusion to create heavier elements like carbon and oxygen. This process releases huge amounts of energy in the […]

Scientists have built a device that can harness ambient radiofrequency signals, like Wi-fi and Bluetooth, for energy. The invention, say the researchers, could help to improve the energy efficiency of devices and allow small sensors to operate without batteries. The international team of researchers has published its findings in Nature Electronics. Electromagnetic waves are used […]

While studying how marine algae produce their toxins, scientists discovered the largest protein. The protein, named PKZILLA-1, is 25% larger than the previous record holder titin. Titin is found in human muscles and can reach 1 micron (or 1 micrometre which is one-thousandth of a millimetre) in length. PKZILLA-1 and another super-sized protein PKZILLA-2 are […]

By Michelle O’Shea, Western Sydney University and Gabrielle Weidemann, Western Sydney University Olympian Tom Daley is the most decorated diver in Britain’s history. He is also an avid knitter. At the Paris 2024 Olympics Daley added a fifth medal to his collection – and caught the world’s attention knitting a bright blue “Paris 24” jumper […]

The upper intestine epithelium (inner lining) plays a crucial role in activating the immune system in coeliac disease, according to new research. Coeliac disease is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects about 1% of people. Its symptoms, which vary considerably, are triggered by exposure to gluten – proteins found in certain cereal grains like wheat, […]

Classical music can improve the mood of people with treatment-resistant depression because of the way it synchronises 2 parts of the brain, according to new research. The study, done by Chinese researchers, is published in Cell Reports. “Our research integrates the fields of neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurosurgery, providing a foundation for any research targeting the […]