23 Feb 2021
Australia's oldest rock painting is a kangaroo
A two-metre-long painting of a kangaroo in Western Australia’s Kimberley region has been identified as Australia’s oldest intact rock painting.
Topics
Science and the Environments
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Page 7 of 17
15 Feb 2021
First humans in Tasmania must have seen spectacular auroras
Drilling a 270,000-year old core from a Tasmanian lake has provided the first Australian record of a major global event where the Earth’s magnetic field ‘switched’- and the opportunity to establish a precedent for developing new paleomagnetic dating tools for Australian archaeology and paleosciences.
8 Jan 2021
Tasmanian tiger pups found to be extraordinarily similar to wolf pups
Micro-CT scanning and digital reconstructions have been used to compare the skulls of the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) and wolf across their early development and into adulthood, establishing that not only did the thylacine resemble the wolf as adults, but also as newborns and juveniles.
7 Jan 2021
Genomes reveal insights into much-loved Aussie animals
The genomes of egg-laying monotreme mammals, platypus and echidna, have been published in the prestigious journal Nature, providing a valuable public resource for research in mammalian biology and evolution, with applications for their conservation and health.
17 Dec 2020
Coronavirus escalated armed conflicts in several war-torn countries
Armed conflict activities increased in five countries during the first wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to new research.
3 Dec 2020
STEM superstars call for more gender and cultural diversity
They specialise in different science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects but all have one thing in common – they’re all STEM superstars.
30 Nov 2020
University research hub one step closer for Point Nepean
The University of Melbourne and Monash University will begin developing a business case to support a proposed world-leading research and education field station at Point Nepean, following constructive discussions with Parks Victoria.
30 Nov 2020
Researchers map electrons to move one step closer to better quantum computers
Australian researchers have determined the ‘sweet spot’ for positioning qubits to achieve high-accuracy quantum computers.
26 Nov 2020
Aboriginal knowledge key to fight against bushfires and climate change: Narrm Oration
Australia needs to trust Aboriginal people and their knowledge of country and bushfires as they can help solve the environmental crisis that has seen the fastest rate of biodiversity loss on Earth, says Associate Professor Michael-Shawn Fletcher, in the University of Melbourne’s key annual address, the Narrm Oration.
23 Nov 2020
Changes in fire activity are threatening more than 4,400 species globally
Changes in fire activity are putting at risk more than 4,400 species across the globe, says a new paper led by the University of Melbourne, involving 27 international researchers.
19 Nov 2020
Can animals use iridescent colours to communicate?
A new paper from the University of Melbourne reveals how animals use beautiful but unreliable iridescent colours as communication signals. Special adaptations enable animals to control how these shifting colours appear so that they can convey reliable information
11 Nov 2020
Dollar value put on Australia’s biosecurity system – a world first
Biosecurity experts from the University of Melbourne have successfully valued Australia’s world-leading biosecurity system at $314 billion dollars, reflecting a 30 to one return on investment.
6 Nov 2020
Dark matter research boosted by Australian Research Council grant
Australia’s search for dark matter has been boosted by funding for the research of a University of Melbourne physicist, Dr Peter Cox.
6 Nov 2020
Sugar-coated viral proteins hijack and hitch a ride out of cells
Researchers from the Universities of Melbourne, York, Warwick and Oxford have shed light on how encapsulated viruses like hepatitis B, dengue and SARS-CoV-2 hijack the protein manufacturing and distribution pathways in the cell – they have also identified a potential broad spectrum anti-viral drug target to stop them in their tracks.
19 Oct 2020
Tapping the silk secrets of Australia’s basket-web spider
An international collaboration has provided the first insights into a new type of silk produced by the very unusual Australian basket-web spider, which uses it to build a lobster pot web that protects its eggs and trap prey.
16 Oct 2020
New theory on the origin of Dark Matter
A recent study from the University of Melbourne proposes a new theory for the origin of dark matter, helping experimentalists in Australia and abroad in the search for the mysterious new matter.
15 Oct 2020
NASA’s James Webb Telescopes will reveal hidden galaxies
Two new studies from the University of Melbourne will help the largest, most powerful and complex space telescope ever built to uncover galaxies never before seen by humanity.
6 Oct 2020
Solar panel efficiency could mean consumer savings of 20 per cent
Researchers at the University of Melbourne will use new materials to try to tap more efficiency from solar panels.
2 Oct 2020
Beach erosion citizen science project finalist in major award
Volunteer scientists are being recognised for their work to save Victorian beaches with a team managed by the University of Melbourne and Deakin University shortlisted for this year’s Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science.
29 Sep 2020
Insect Armageddon: low doses of the insecticide, Imidacloprid, cause blindness in insects
New research has identified a mechanism by which low levels of insecticides such as, the neonicotinoid Imidacloprid, could harm the nervous, metabolic and immune system of insects, including those that are not pests, such as our leading pollinators, bees.