ScienceAlert - Latest Stories

Aussies boost Pakistan's farms

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

An Australian-funded project is successfully teaching Pakistan's small dairy farmers to increase yields by making cheap and easy changes.

Aussies boost Pakistan's farms

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

An Australian-funded project is successfully teaching Pakistan's small dairy farmers to increase yields by making cheap and easy changes.

Fireproof walls made from ash

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Researchers have found a way to turn waste from coal fired power stations into super strong, fireproof concrete.

Galileo may have found Neptune

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Galileo's notebooks contain evidence that he discovered Neptune 234 years before it was officially found, according to a researcher.

Antibody attacks tricky cancer

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Researchers have found a possible way to treat a very tenacious blood cancer, using an antibody to target a crucial protein.

Crucial melt could raise oceans

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A researcher has found evidence suggesting that change in the West Antarctic ice sheet would raise sea levels by up to five meters.

Crack found in fractal laws

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Researchers have discovered a flaw in two widely-used fractal science laws – and have come up with a fix for them.

Opinion: Wake-up call for science

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:18:48 +0100

In theory, science is a failure. In practice, it works; in product, it soars. Yet because scientific product depends on practice, which in turn depends on theory, it is vital that scientists understand how and why science fails, Andrew Baker writes.

Black holes do join together

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Researchers have found evidence for a moderate-size black hole, backing up the idea that smaller black holes merge into huge ones.

Diggers discover new dinos

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Palaeontologists have found the fossilised remains of three new dinosaurs species in Australia – two herbivores and a carnivore.

Couples get lifestyle infertility

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A new study has found that many infertile couples don’t realise that lifestyle factors, such as obesity or stress, have a big impact.

Folate reduces tumour risk

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A study has found that eating more folate decreases the risk of getting a bowel tumour – but only on one side of the bowel.

Tropics are on the move

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A review has found that the Earth’s tropical zone is expanding – possibly moving cyclones, rainfall patterns, pests, and diseases.

Feature: All power to the sun and the light team

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:27:31 +0100

Affordable solar power could soon be a flick of the switch away, thanks to a collaborative project between Australian academics and Chinese solar panel manufacturers.

Opinion: Hasten slowly into renewable energy

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:53:16 +0100

Modern society has been built upon an ultimately unsustainable foundation. Martin Nicholson presents a strong case for a return to renewable sources of energy, sources that humanity have relied on for millennia.

Ancient child deaths uncovered

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Archaeologists have excavated burial sites that suggest child mortality in the ancient world was treated as common-place.

Vegan bones a bit less dense

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A study has found that vegans and meat-eaters are about five per cent different in their bone density – though this may not be a problem.

Socks over shoes grip better

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A recent study found that wearing socks over shoes can prevent falls on icy paths, and also cause short periods of embarrassment.

Feature: Antimatter Matters

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:34:08 +0100

Dr James Sullivan is heading a team exploring the potential of the Australian Positron Beam Line Facility.

Feathers help reconstruct moa

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Researchers have worked out what an extinct species of giant bird – the moa – must have looked like, using DNA from buried feathers.

Permafrost carbon adds heat

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A recent study found there is more carbon than expected in frozen soil near the poles, and it could add to climate warming if thawed.

Better diet helps diabetes

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A recent study found that changing diet can help people with Type 2 diabetes avoid illness, even if they’re taking medication already.

Seeds to be shared with poor

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A new fund has been developed that will encourage seed sharing with developing nations and help poor farmers preserve global biodiversity.

Drug protects racehorse lungs

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A study has confirmed that the drug furosemide helps horses to avoid lung injury while racing, perhaps resolving a contentious debate.

Shared keyboards more germy

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A recent study found that keyboards with multiple users were more likely to hold disease-causing bacteria such as golden staph.

Feature: Researching smart foods

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:39:47 +0100

New Zealand food scientists are investigating so called 'smart foods' that will benefit our health and boost the country's meat and dairy industries.

Opinion: Diagnosing death with certainty

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:28:41 +0100

Wendy Rogers, Professor of Clinical Ethics at Macquarie University, believes that Australia requires a national standard for the accurate and timely diagnosis of death after circulatory arrest.

Feature: Diabetes hope on the wings of silver cicadas

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:05:42 +0100

The intricate wing patterns of cicadas provide the key to dramatically improving the accuracy of blood glucose testing in diabetes sufferers.

Rainfall change causes salinity

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A recent study found that rainfall, rather than land clearing, is causing dryland salinity in parts of Australia – contrary to current ideas.

No boost from doping drug

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0100

A study on cyclists has found that the performance-enhancing drug, pseudoephedrine, doesn’t seem to work – and could be harmful.