Australian science: healthy but starting to splutter
Australian science is “generally in good health”, but faces major challenges in the form of falling science participation…
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Humanities post-grads feel less support, fight for desks
Postgraduate students in humanities, arts and social sciences are older, feel less supported and have fewer spaces to work…
Top Australian unis to test new science metrics system
The University of Melbourne and Australian National University will perform a “stocktake” of all scientific research projects…
Push to quantify social impact of science goes global
Australia is preparing to join a worldwide push to map the wider social returns on investments in science.
This week Professor…
Keeping clean easier with water-repellent coating
A new coating for cotton that is 1½ times more water-repellent than Teflon can survive for dozens of machine washes, say…
Species with multiple colours evolve faster
Australian researchers have provided the first support for a 60-year-old evolution theory – that species with multiple colours…
Budget relief for unis, but financial strain lies ahead
Anxiety gave way to relief across universities last night after Labor handed down a higher education budget that maintained…
Efficiency tax will stifle scientific work at CSIRO
A $23-million “efficiency dividend” on administrative costs at CSIRO will inevitably affect the quality of scientific research…
Dingoes may have wiped out Tasmanian tiger on mainland
Dingoes were twice the size of female thylacines and could have caused their extinction on mainland Australia through direct…
Wiki founder to build open access site for UK research
The British government has enlisted the services of Wikipedia in a push to make all taxpayer-funded academic research from…
Google boss: let internet flourish to boost productivity
The annual $27-billion boost to Australia’s productivity from internet innovation is at threat from policymakers who would…
Patently Australian: CSIRO settles suits over Wi-Fi
Australia’s national science agency will receive $220m after settling litigation against three US companies to license the…
Funding secures the future of Australian Synchrotron
A $95-million rescue package for the world-class Australian Synchrotron research centre will ensure local scientists can…
Informed views on topical questions: The Conversation’s first year
The Conversation has “provided an avenue for academics to present an informed view of topical questions” and has become a…
Triggering a memory: scientists learn how to reboot recollections
Scientists say they have found a way to activate the brain cells that trigger particular memories, according to research…
Bill to stop misuse of dangerous technology could hit uni research
A bill designed to stop the transfer of sensitive materials and information would also impede crucial academic research…
Astronomers discover a strange diamond-shaped galaxy
A team of Australian and European astronomers has discovered a highly unusual galaxy in the shape of an emerald-cut diamond…
New variety of salt-tolerant wheat could help address food shortages
A new type of wheat bred with a gene that removes sodium from water can outgrow conventional strains by up to 25% in salty…
Lab-made organs could offer a solution to donor shortage
Scientists say they have developed a way to use a patient’s own stem cells to build fully functional organs in a laboratory…
Scientists solve century-old mystery of clot-busting enzyme
Australian researchers have discovered how a blood clot-busting enzyme is activated, unlocking a century-old atomic riddle…
Huge space storm could disrupt power grids, GPS, flights
The biggest space storm in five years is hurtling towards Earth at more than 2000 km per second. Two bursts of solar wind…
LulzSec arrests will do limited damage to hacktivist movement
The arrests of five members of the hacker group LulzSec are unlikely to land a lasting blow for authorities in the “constantly…
Pseudosciences are destroying the reputation of Australia’s universities
The international credibility of Australia’s universities is being undermined by the increase in the “pseudoscientific” health…
Slow growth in maths, physics and chemistry alarms scientists
The take-up of “enabling” science subjects such as mathematics, chemistry and physics has fallen behind the overall increase…
Career prospects are grim, say casuals on campus
Casual academics are deeply pessimistic about the prospect of ongoing employment, according to a study that shows only one…