SciGlow is a newsletter of science stories from the major research labs. Headlines link to in-depth articles and editorials. SciGlow keeps scientists and others up-to-date on current research.
A new species of prehistoric scorpion from the early Siluarian period (approximately 437.5 to 436.5 million years ago) is described in a study in Scientific Reports. The findings suggest that Parioscorpio venator is the oldest-known scorpion reported to date and may have been capable of leaving its marine habitat and venturing onto land, a behaviour similar … Read more
With major cities across Australia choking on thick clouds of hazardous smoke, an expert from The Australian National University (ANU) has released freely accessible new factsheets on how to best protect yourself from bushfire smoke. The factsheets have been developed by leading air quality and health expert Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis from the ANU Research School … Read more
A way in which some connections between brain cells can resist degeneration – a hallmark of traumatic brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases — has been discovered by researchers at The University of Queensland. Dr Sean Coakley and Professor Massimo Hilliard from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research uncovered a way in which cells control the … Read more
EVONETIX LTD (‘Evonetix’), the synthetic biology company developing a desktop platform for scalable, high-fidelity and rapid gene synthesis, today announced it has partnered with imec, a world-leading research and innovation hub active in the fields of nanoelectronics and digital technologies, to increase production of Evonetix’s proprietary microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based silicon chips, enabling the platform to … Read more
It’s a resource used in global construction and mined from rivers and coasts across the world. But the humble grain of sand is being depleted by increased and relentless mining. New research published in the journal Nature Sustainability and led by academics at the University of Hull has shown excessive sand mining is causing river … Read more
In response to future fossil fuel burning, climate computer models simulate a pronounced warming in the tropical oceans. This warming can influence the El Niño phenomenon and shift weather and rainfall patterns across the globe. Despite being robustly simulated in computer models of the climate system, the origin of this accelerated tropical warming has remained … Read more
Australia’s current bushfire crisis could wipe out some of our rarer insect species, according to a group of experts. Associate Professor Michael Braby from The Australian National University (ANU) says the bushfires will have a huge impact on our native insects, as well as the plants and animals that rely on them. “Insects are critical … Read more
In mammals, pair bonds are very rare, one of the few exceptions being the red titi monkeys of South America. These relatively small tree dwellers live in pairs or small family groups and are characterized by the fact that the males take intensive care of their offspring. A team of researchers from the German Primate … Read more
Magnetic storms are the primary drivers of extreme space weather around our planet, visible as the northern and southern auroral lights. Despite their importance and potential hazards to space and ground infrastructure, the process that powers storms has not been understood yet because they are far too dynamic and complex to study with single satellites. … Read more
In 1906, Francis Galton was at a country fair where attendees had the opportunity to guess the weight of an ox. Galton took the guesses of 787 fair-goers and found that the average guess was only one pound off of the correct weight- even when individual guesses were off base. This concept, known as “the … Read more