ScienceAlert - Latest Stories

FEATURE: Deep brain stimulation: a fix when the drugs don't work

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:54:07 GMT

Deen Brain Stimulation techniques offer hope for patients with neurological disorders.

FEATURE: Want to boost your memory and mood? Take a nap, but keep it short

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:39:12 GMT

Scientists have demonstrated that up to 20 minutes of shut-eye enhances short-term memory and mood.

Developing better crops

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:17:24 GMT

Scientists are trying to develop crop varieties that can cope with challenging soil and environmental conditions.

Depression linked to stroke risk

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:04:58 GMT

Scientists have found that middle-aged women who have depression are 1.9 times more likely to have a stroke.

Vitamic C doesn't alleviate gout

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:45:06 GMT

A new study shows that vitamin C has a weak effect in lowering uric acid levels in gout patients.

FEATURE: Climate change threatens global fish stocks

Thu, 16 May 2013 02:39:40 GMT

A new study from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies highlights the effects of climate change in global fisheries.

FEATURE: For the endangered tiger, genetics may finish what the Raj started

Thu, 16 May 2013 02:06:04 GMT

A new study confirms that the remaining tiger population has low genetic diversity, which may contribute to its demise.

Printing solar cells

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:54:36 GMT

Scientists are using a new solar cell printer to create the largest flexible plastic solar cells in Australia.

Malaria parasites talk to each other

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:41:42 GMT

Malaria parasites inside blood cells ‘talk’ to each other, improving their chances of survival and transmission, researchers have found.

Seagrass continues to decline

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:10:32 GMT

A new study has found that rising sea levels have contributed to the drastic decline of seagrass along Moreton Bay.

OPINION: Carbon dioxide levels hit record high

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:59:21 GMT

The carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has reached 400 ppm, what should we be doing about this? Steve Sherwood explains.

Brains re-wire after injury

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:34:51 GMT

Scientist found that the brain forms new circuits after injury or damage to compensate for lost function.

The origin of hips

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:16:06 GMT

Scientists revealed that the evolution of walking animal hips from basic lungfish hips was a simpler process than previously thought.

FEATURE: Smarty pants: wearable electronics will recharge your life

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:47:56 GMT

Ultra-thin, flexible batteries that can be incorporated into fabric could soon be a reality, Adam Best explains.

FEATURE: Explainer: what is BRCA1

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:30:24 GMT

An expert explains what is BRCA1 and why some women, such as Angelina Jolie, opt for a mastectomy when they acknowledge they carry the gene.

Lotus genome reveals secrets

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:16:32 GMT

Scientists have decoded the genome of the sacred lotus flower, which can generate heat and regulate its temperature, like mammals.

FEATURE: Monday’s medical myth: flatlining patients can be shocked back to life

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Despite all those times we've seen patients on TV flatlining and being shocked back to life, in reality, that wouldn't work, explains Michael Vagg.

Warming threatens most species

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Almost two thirds of common plants and half the animals could be endangered this century by climate change, research suggests.

23 words from the Ice Age

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Researchers have identified 23 words that have been used since the last Ice Age, and were part of an ancestral language.

Pacific plant could treat anxiety

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

A clinical study suggests that Kava, a medicinal plant found in the South Pacific, can significantly reduce anxiety.

OPINION: Stand and deliver – upright births best for mum and bub

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Giving birth standing up is safer and less painful for mothers, writes Hannah Dahlen.

FEATURE: Frozen in time: clarifying laws on IVF embryo use and destruction

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

More than 120,000 human embryos are in storage across Australia as a result of IVF - so what happens to them? Jenni Millbank investigates.

FEATURE: Explainer: what is diabetes?

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Millions of people around the world suffer from diabetes, but what exactly causes the disease, and is there hope for a cure? Merlin Thomas explains.

Swimming with asthma

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:39:17 GMT

Researchers have found that swimming is beneficial for young people with asthma.

A protein protects against the big C

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:20:33 GMT

A new study shines light on p53, a powerful protein that protects against cancer development.