Seaweed farmers dare to dream but drowning in red tape
Australian seaweed farmers have set an ambitious target of $100 million worth of production each year but complain regulatory hurdles are getting in the way.
Science and Technology
Crocodiles are uniquely protected against fungal infections. This might one day help human medicine too
As the threat of antibiotic-resistant microbes grows, so does our need for new and effective treatments. Could the defensins of these beasts hold the answers to help create a new wave of life-saving therapeutics?
Aphasia patients get chance to be ‘part of life again’
A new telehealth program helping rural people with aphasia is showing early signs of success, offering patients 50 hours of speech therapy from their own homes.
White spot outbreak forces partial prawn lockdown
A deadly disease that hammered the Asian prawn industry has hit Australian producers, sending prawns from NSW's Clarence Estuary into a biosecurity lockdown.
What Australia learned from recent devastating floods – and how New Zealand can apply those lessons now
Perhaps the key lesson for New Zealand, and also Australia, is the need to think beyond emergency management to building long-term resilience within agencies and communities.
COVID deaths hit 12-month low
Case numbers of COVID have fallen significantly across the nation as new treatments provide hope in the fight against the deadly virus.
The Green Comet is visible again after 50,000 years
A space voyager known as the Green Comet is now visible from Australia, 50,000 years after its last earth encounter in the time of the Neanderthals.
Lab leads nanoscopic hunt for plastic in human bodies
Aussie scientists are hard at work trying to determine if the world's plastic pollution crisis extends to the innermost reaches of the human body.
Electric Uber rides double in six months
Uber has revealed Australians are taking twice as many electric car rides as they were six months ago amid plans to design its own vehicles.
Study investigates the ‘trashy’ lives of white ibis
Smelly, noisy and messy, Australia’s native white ibis is a bird with a bad reputation. Now a research project in Moreton Bay is trying to better understand how these ‘bin chickens’ breed, feed and move around urban areas – and if rubbish tips are the key to their survival.
Echidnas blow snot bubbles to say cool
It's long been thought echidnas are poor at dealing with the Australian heat but researchers say they have some secret weapons including snot bubbles.
World lags on removing carbon emissions
The world isn't doing enough to scale up the extraction of CO2 from the atmosphere and buy more time to slash emissions, a landmark report warns.
Lyrebirds losing their voices and habitat
Australia's lyrebirds are losing their impressive singing abilities because of habitat loss, with researchers concerned the species may disappear altogether.
What to look for in the Queensland night sky in 2023
If you're an amateur astronomer living in Queensland, there are many exciting things to look out for in the night sky in 2023. Here are a few highlights to add to your observing calendar...
Search on to find Australian mammals
Mammals are perhaps the best known and cherished group of species on the planet. Even so, many mammals remain undiscovered.
Avocado genome mapped by scientists
Australian scientists have completed mapping the genome of the avocado which they say could produce a better quality fruit.
Australian men poor on sun protection
A survey shows one in two Australian men don't seek shade from the sun and less than one in three regularly use sunscreen.
Drones, AI help SA outback meteorite hunt
It can take a team of people hundreds of hours to search large areas for meteorites but a drone can do it in less than a day.
Amazon Aussie exec reveals drone plans
Tech giant Amazon has revealed plans to deliver millions of packages by drone by 2030 using an aircraft one executive says would also suit Australia.
Rare ‘blood moon’ to excite skygazers
A total lunar eclipse where the moon will turn blood red is on the cards in a rare astronomical phenomenon that will not been seen again until 2025.
Tas top psychiatrist suspended over woman
Tasmania's chief psychiatrist had his registration suspended for allegedly being involved in an inappropriate relationship with a woman, it has been revealed.
Your dog ‘nose’ when you’re stressed! How man’s best friend uses smell to monitor our feelings
When people are stressed, there are hormonal and nervous system changes that alter the kinds of odours produced by the body.
Australia’s COVID-19 response was overreach
Australia’s response to COVID-19 exacerbated existing inequalities within the society, according to an independent review, which urges that “overreach” be avoided in dealing with future such crises
Car-sharing giant to launch in Australia
America's largest car-sharing service has announced plans to launch in Australia this year in what could create a competitive market for Christmas travel.
Manufacturers turn ideas into jobs: report
A bed that watches vital signs and 3D-printed racing bikes are among the projects helped over the line by an industry-led advanced manufacturing centre.
Cyber risk in adding electric cars to grid
Australian regulators need to consider cyber security when connecting electric vehicles to the national grid, experts warn, to prevent major disruptions.
Regulator suspends Tas chief psychiatrist
Tasmania's chief psychiatrist, who has also held the role in several other states, has had his licence suspended by the national regulator.
YouTube full of conspiracies, study says
Research conducted by the University of Sydney and QUT has found YouTube may have played a role in spreading conspiracy theories.
Citizen scientists spot elusive platypuses
From the Australian tropics down to Kangaroo Island, citizen scientists are looking for platypuses in suburban creeks, farm dams, and bush waterways.
Koalas at risk of extinction, experts warn
Koalas are under threat and could eventually disappear due to urban expansion, loss of habitat, disease and climate change, wildlife experts claim.
NASA’s DART mission will smash into an asteroid – but what will we learn?
DART was launched on November 24, 2021, its destination a pair of asteroids in orbit around each other, 11 million kilometres from Earth.