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Science Top Stories
neuroscience

Salt cravings really are a lot like opioid drug cravings

New research has pinpointed the brain receptor responsible for salt cravings in mice.
climate change

World set for another hottest year on record: World Meteorological Organization

Global temperatures continue to rise at a rate of 0.10-0.15°C per decade.
science policy

Comment: Here’s how Trump’s presidency could be good news for science

The list is short, with big caveats.
science and art

Mona’s most daring exhibition yet explores the evolutionary biology of art

With renowned academics as curators, Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art puts on a dazzling and ambitious show.
science awards

Vaccines without needles? This award-winning rocket scientist made it possible

University of Queensland Professor Mark Kendall has just won the CSL Young Florey Medal for reinventing vaccinations.
engineering

Aussie teen invents award-winning sprinkler that only waters plants when they need it

Sabiqul Hoque’s super sprinkler can detect not just soil moisture, but also weather conditions and even daylight.
environment

Abandoned ghost nets are exacting a toll on our marine life and more

Here's what abandoned fishing equipment is doing to our north-eastern waters.

Nature

Biology, wildlife, conservation and the rest of the natural world

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invasive species

Bunnies eat toxic leaves to conquer Australia’s snowy peaks

Rabbits were not meant to eat gum leaves, but they're starting to adapt.
conservation

Tasmanian devils reared in captivity show they can thrive in the wild

New study shows 96% of devils released into the wild are still alive two years later.
pollution

Scientists now know why some seabirds eat so much plastic

It smells just like their normal food.
nature's course

In defence of racer snakes – the demons of Planet Earth II

Everyone roots for the iguana, but the snakes are just trying to get a meal.
underwater world

Watch this soothing time lapse of coral movement invisible to the naked eye

Corals are so slow we can barely see their movement without the help of a camera.
clever nature

Desert lizard has skin of ‘drinking straws’ to quench thirst

The lizard's mouth structure is so specialised it can't even drink water directly.
insects

This hardcore Aussie bug murders spiders on their own webs

It walks stealthily, slices through defences, and cloaks itself in wind.
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Space

Explore the night skies, planets, galaxies, and beyond

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need to know

Supermoons are big and bright, but not as rare as the hype would suggest

An astronomer lays out the facts about rare moon encounters.
Halloween in Space

NASA does Halloween with some epic space jack-o-lanterns

Trust rocket scientists and engineers to make the best animatronic holiday decorations.
princess kaguya

The 1,000-year-old legend behind a Japanese orbiter’s stunning photos of the moon

The photos from Kaguya lunar orbiter come with a beautiful old tale.
aliens?

Strange signals from 234 stars could be ET – or human error

Could 234 distinct civilisations really be sending the same pulses?
no man's land

What you need to know about 'Asgardia', the world's first space nation

Planetary scientist Monica Grady explains what Asgardia is all about - and the challenges it faces.
space game

The Moon has hundreds more craters than thought, so living there will be difficult

No atmosphere means our satellite is being constantly bombarded.
red planet

How feasible are Elon Musk’s plans to settle on Mars? A planetary scientist explains

Some aspects of the Mars settlement plan are more achievable than others, writes Christian Schroeder.
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Future

Where are we heading and what is it going to look like?

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technology

Why are batteries lately bursting into flames so much?

With more energy comes more heat.
good things

Tiny fingertip camera helps blind people read without braille

The HandSight camera sees the words and a computer reads them out.
future medicine

Robot surgeon can slice eyes finely enough to remove cataracts

It aims to prevent human errors that sometimes cause complications.
internet of things

Your home’s online gadgets could be hacked by ultrasound

Did you know ultrasound is already used by advertisers to push ads to your devices?
is it safe though?

Playing Grand Theft Auto can teach autonomous cars how to drive

Getting computers to recognise other cars is surprisingly difficult, but a realistic video game can help.
future of medicine

Paralysed people inhabit distant robot bodies with thought alone

For the first time, three people with spinal injury have controlled a robot and seen what it sees.
iot

How connecting your stuff to Internet of Things can bring down all the internet

What last week's DDoS attack can teach us about internet security.
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The crazy climate technofix

Some posit geoengineering as a radical fix to climate change. Others say the risks are too high and its proponents mad. Welcome to the debate where science fiction meets climate science.

Read the story

Earth

Environment, climate and other topics concerning our planet

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climate change

World set for another hottest year on record: World Meteorological Organization

Global temperatures continue to rise at a rate of 0.10-0.15°C per decade.
pollution

How Canadian dams risk poisoning Indigenous diets

A new hydroelectric facility in Canada could push dangerous amounts of methylmercury into communities that rely on seafood.
climate policy

Comment: What President Trump will mean for Earth’s climate

His climate policies could prevent the world from limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
environment

Abandoned ghost nets are exacting a toll on our marine life and more

Here's what abandoned fishing equipment is doing to our north-eastern waters.
coal power

Comment: Hazelwood’s closure won’t affect power prices as much as you might think

However, making an exact price forecast is tricky, writes Roger Dargaville.
renewable news

Germany is building world’s first wind turbines with built-in hydroelectric batteries

It's the first time the two technologies are physically integrated.
ecosystems

How overfishing and shark-finning could increase the pace of climate change

Without predators eating off smaller species, there's more carbon dioxide production.
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Humans

Looking under the hood - into our bodies and minds

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psychology

Are you a head person or a heart person?

Research on where people think their 'self' is located shows up interesting results.
alcohol science

There’s no such thing as ‘wine drunk’ or ‘tequila drunk’ — it’s all one drunk

Let's cut through some of the myths about different types of alcohol.
cognition

Why the best problem-solvers think with their hands, as well as their heads

Counting on your fingers is not dumb.
science awards

Vaccines without needles? This award-winning rocket scientist made it possible

University of Queensland Professor Mark Kendall has just won the CSL Young Florey Medal for reinventing vaccinations.
microbiome

Gut bacteria spotted eating brain chemicals for the first time

Some gut bacteria have been found to gobble up the GABA neurotransmitter.
pharmaceuticals

What’s the point of paracetamol?

If paracetamol works for you, that’s great, but it won't for most people, writes pain researcher Andrew Moore.
PERSPIRATION

How hot food can cool you down in summer

Ever noticed that chilli is such a popular ingredient in hot countries?
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Fundamentals

The building blocks of our universe, and the method of science itself

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petri dishes

Scientists call for emoji that represent the full spectrum of nerdom

A complete set of solar system planets might come as soon as 2017.
science policy

Comment: Here’s how Trump’s presidency could be good news for science

The list is short, with big caveats.
opinion

Comment: What the ABC’s new Catalyst could mean for science on TV

The role of the traditional journalist is vital, whatever platform used.
nanotechnology

Carbon nanotubes turn spinach plants into a living bomb detector

Just plant some spinach atop a minefield and reap the answers.
neuroscience

Comment: Using monkeys for research is justified

Debate on animal experiments is often misguided, argues neuroscientist Stuart Baker.
GMOs

Would you buy a genetically-engineered cashmere jumper?

Scientists in China have used CRISPR to create more cashmere-rich goats.
chemistry

How to choose a toothpaste

Here's what you need to know about the chemistry of toothpastes.
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Indigenous science

Sharing the knowledge and the heritage

NITV

Meet Ruby the Climate Kid - a Gamilaraay girl fiercely passionate about saving the planet

Six-year-old year old Ruby will never get to see her favourite animal, the Black Rhino, because it was made extinct by humans. Ruby wants to make sure no one else's...
Feature

DNA Country

A precious store of Aboriginal hair, collected last century, may now tell a story tens of thousands of years old.
indigenous science

Celebration of Indigenous science heroes inspires young minds

Nominations are open for the inaugural Indigenous STEM awards by CSIRO.
linguistics and etnography

Comment: It's time to kill the myth that Aboriginal people couldn't count past four

It's not just "one, two, three, four and many."
sydney science festival

Indigenous science gets its spotlight in community events

How do we get Indigenous students to be more interested in science? Just give them a go.
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