The world's shellfish are under threat as our oceans become more acidic
Jan 29, 2019 12:40 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
For the past few million years the worlds oceans have existed in a slightly alkaline state, with an average pH of 8.2. Now, with carbon emissions escalating, there is more CO2 in the worlds atmosphere. This dissolves in...
Carbon capture and conversion must not rely on rare metals
Jan 29, 2019 12:40 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Last year, humans emitted approximately 37 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere a disastrous and unsustainable figure. To avoid the worst effects of climate change we could capture some of that carbon as...
To predict droughts, don't look at the skies. Look in the soil... from space
Jan 29, 2019 12:39 pm UTC| Nature
Another summer, another drought. Sydneys water storages are running on empty, and desalinisation plants are being dusted off. Elsewhere, shrunken rivers, lakes and dams are swollen with rotting fish. Governments,...
Gene drive technology makes mouse offspring inherit specific traits from parents
Jan 27, 2019 14:42 pm UTC| Nature Science
As mouse geneticists, we spend a lot of time waiting for mice to make more mice. Their small size, ease of care and willingness to mate have made mice the mammal of choice for scientists for more than a century. Indeed,...
Flash photography doesn't harm seahorses – but don't touch
Jan 27, 2019 14:36 pm UTC| Nature
We all enjoy watching animals, whether theyre our own pets, birds in the garden, or elephants on a safari during our holidays. People take pictures during many of these wildlife encounters, but not all of these...
The stubborn high-pressure system behind Australia's record heatwaves
Jan 27, 2019 14:35 pm UTC| Nature
If you think the weather this month has been like Groundhog Day (albeit much hotter), youd probably be right! Much like a stuck record, weather systems seem to have stalled over most of the country. Brisbane residents...
Ganges: sewers could be making water quality of India's great river worse
Jan 20, 2019 09:31 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
The Ganges is a lifeline for millions of people who live within its catchment as a source of water, transport and food. During the Hindu pilgrimage known as Kumbh Mela the Ganges plays host to the largest human gathering...
Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects