Chemists plan to make synthetic life in test tube

Georgia Bell   What if synthetic life could be created in a test tube?

Science

How we made the Earth move

Peter Spinks   For the first time, human activity has caused a shift in the tilt of Earth's spin axis, which could affect GPS and other satellite measurements.

Comments 7

Reaching for the stars, across 4.37 light-years

Dennis Overbye   Can you fly an iPhone to the stars?

Science

Breakthrough brain chip gives paralysed man ability to move fingers, play Guitar Hero

Ariana Eunjung Cha   Ian Burkhart is the first quadriplegic man to have movement in his arm and hand partially restored by a brain implant.

Comments 5

Science

Fossil ear reveals origins of dolphin communications

Peter Spinks   Toothed whales, including dolphins, developed the ability to sense their watery world by interpreting high-frequency sounds at least 26 million years ago.

Comments 1

Hey, Sun, your spots are clearing up

Perry Vlahos   For non-astronomers, there's a better chance of Carlton winning the AFL Grand Final this year than of having heard of the Maunder Minimum. But there are improved odds you've heard of the Little Ice Age, experienced in Europe and North America a few hundred years ago. The two intersect, but did one cause the other?

The big dry threatens world's small islands

Peter Spinks   Roughly 16 million islanders face the prospect of freshwater supplies drying up, as climate change takes its toll.

Scientists discover land without bees - and it's in Australia

Bridie Smith   Imagine a world without and bees. Food production chains would falter and some crops which rely on bee pollination would fail entirely.

SpaceX rocket makes breakthrough ocean landing

​A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that blasted off from Florida on a cargo run for the International Space Station has achieved a dramatic spaceflight first.

Comments 1

Putting mice on the autism spectrum

Bridie Smith   Scientists have found out how to make mice autistic – a finding that could enable researchers to better diagnose and manage the condition in humans.

Science

This spider could have the fastest jaws in the world

New research has highlighted a species of spider that could have the fastest jaws in the world, with strikes so fast that high-speed cameras struggle to capture it.

Submarine-hunting drone ship Sea Hunter unveiled by the US

The US military has christened an experimental self-piloting ship designed to hunt for enemy submarines, a major advance in robotic warfare at the core of America's strategy to counter Chinese and Russian naval investments.

How to understand encryption by reading novels and watching telly

Kevin Bankston   Encryption makes sure our private data stays private, but it's also making law enforcement investigators nervous.

Like as not, you're being followed by a bot

Terry Lane   After years of staying away from social media, I decided to start an Instagram account. I learned a lot more than I bargained for.

Space

Meteor shines bright green in spectacular chance photo

Jeff Tolan   New Zealander Jono Matla had just pressed the shutter button when the night sky lit up.

Comments 1

BOM plan to take over CSIRO climate change research

Adam Morton, Peter Hannam   The Bureau of Meteorology has offered to save climate research that CSIRO plans to axe under a plan that would see some long-term programs and dozens of jobs transfer between the two national science agencies.

Science

Real lightsaber would be the most dangerous weapon on the planet

Martin Archer   Physics research uncovers a fundamental property of Star Wars lightsabers that would make them incredibly deadly in the real world, for both the attacker and victim.

Comments 13

Australian neuroscientist nearly went to jail for making up data

Amy Ellis Nutt   The main counts were for an article heralding a breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

The emails showing CSIRO plan to abolish climate research

Adam Morton, Peter Hannam   Australia's national science organisation will stop "doing science for science sake" and no longer do "public good" work unless it is linked to jobs and economic growth, according to internal emails between CSIRO senior managers.

How to tell if other people think you're attractive, according to science

Ana Swanson   One technique allows people to think about themselves with an outsider's perspective.