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.
The mystery surrounding dinosaur footprints on a cave ceiling in Central Queensland has been solved after more than a half a century. University of Queensland palaeontologist Dr Anthony Romilio discovered pieces to a decades-old puzzle in an unusual place – a cupboard under the stairs of a suburban Sydney home. The research has been published in … Read more
Using the Dutch-led Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope, astronomers have discovered unusual radio waves coming from the nearby red dwarf star GJ1151. The radio waves bear the tell-tale signature of aurorae caused by an interaction between a star and its planet. The radio emission from a star-planet interaction has been predicted for over thirty-years … Read more
Time is running out to predict how potential climate futures will impact biodiversity and the functioning of our biosphere. To save and predict the future of biodiversity we need to rapidly accelerate our understanding of the planet’s diverse forms of life. A new, global network of international researchers is using the power of open source … Read more
Information on what our ancestors ate is based mainly on carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of the structural protein collagen in bones and dentin. Nitrogen isotope analysis, in particular, helps scientists determine whether animal or plant food was consumed. Since collagen, like proteins in general, is not easily conservable, this method cannot be used to … Read more
An auditory illusion thought to synchronize brain waves and alter mood is no more effective than other sounds, according to research in adults recently published in eNeuro. The effect reported in other studies might be a placebo but could still have helpful effects for some people. Binaural beats are an auditory illusion caused by listening to … Read more
While at the proof-of-concept stage, it shows enormous potential as a portable power supply in several practical applications including electric vehicles, phones and wearable technology. The discovery, published today in Nature Energy, overcomes the issue faced by high-powered, fast-charging supercapacitors – that they usually cannot hold a large amount of energy in a small space. First … Read more
Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a device that uses a natural protein to create electricity from moisture in the air, a new technology they say could have significant implications for the future of renewable energy, climate change and in the future of medicine. As reported today in Nature, the laboratories of electrical … Read more
The ferocity, reach and duration of fires that have devastated Australian communities, bush and rural landscapes this summer should not just sound the alarm for a climate emergency, because the situation is much more serious. And Australia is “ground zero” for what is in reality a “climate crisis”. That’s the stark warning Professor Mark Howden … Read more
All organisms on our planet store the molecular blueprint of life in a DNA code within their genome. The digital revolution in biology, driven by DNA sequencing, enables us to read the genomes of the myriads of microbes and multi-cellular organisms that populate our world. Today, the DNA sequences of over 200,000 microbial genomes are … Read more
The current outbreak of a novel coronavirus, originating in Hubei Province of China and closely related to SARS, is once again keeping the world on its toes. This is but the latest of a series of pandemics that have terrorised countries all around the world in recent years, including Ebola, SARS, Zika, MERS, etc. All … Read more