Building blocks for life on Earth arrived later than we thought
19 March, 2020A large proportion of the elements that are essential to the formation of oceans and life — such as water, carbon and nitrogen — only came to Earth very late in its history.
Fossil methane emissions higher than previously estimated
21 February, 2020An international team of researchers has found that methane emissions from human fossil sources are at least 25% higher than previously estimated.
Nature-inspired textiles remove oil from water
05 February, 2020Researchers have developed a new technology for removing oil from water sources, creating textiles with surface properties that passively skim off the oil and move it into a floating container.
Confirmed: climate change increases bushfire risk
16 January, 2020Over 50 different studies show links between human-induced climate change and increased frequency or severity of fire weather.
Call to stop suppression of conservation science
05 December, 2019The Ecological Society of Australia is calling for governments, universities and industry to stop the censorship and suppression of science and scientists.
World's scientists declare a climate emergency
07 November, 2019Scientists warn that "untold human suffering" is unavoidable without deep and lasting shifts in human activities that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and other factors related to climate change.
Mussels could be used in surface engineering
18 July, 2019The adhesive properties of mussels, and the possibility of their use in a wide range of surface engineering applications, have been detailed by US and Chinese researchers.
Gene discovery could help roots grow deeper
16 July, 2019Researchers have discovered a gene that determines whether roots grow deep or shallow in the soil — and could be altered to help plants adapt to changing climates.
Does air pollution affect female fertility?
04 July, 2019Ovarian reserve — a marker of potential female fertility based on the number of resting follicles in the ovary — has been found in a large-scale study to be adversely affected by high levels of air pollution.
Anticancer properties found in medicinal plants
28 May, 2019The leaves of three Southeast Asian plants are effective in stopping the growth of seven types of cancer. Anticancer properties were also demonstrated in three other medicinal plants.
Pluto's atmosphere predicted to freeze over
15 May, 2019Pluto's atmosphere is predicted to ultimately collapse and freeze over, according to almost three decades' worth of research from an international team of scientists.
Extent of human footprint on Antarctica revealed
07 May, 2019More than half of all large ice-free coastal areas of Antarctica have now been disturbed by human activity.
Climate change may affect animal-to-human disease transfer
01 May, 2019Researchers have been looking at how different environments provide opportunities for animal-to-human diseases to interact with and infect new host species, including humans.
Work begins on million-year ice core drill
26 April, 2019The Australian Antarctic Program is leading an ambitious project to search for the Earth's longest continuous ice core climate record from deep inside an Antarctic ice sheet.
Antarctic mission to measure nature's air purifier
02 April, 2019 by Lauren DavisScientists spent the summer in a temporary lab set up on a remote Antarctic ice sheet, investigating a natural 'atmospheric detergent' that cleans the air of greenhouse gases.