When temperatures rise, so do crime rates: evidence from South Africa

Aug 08, 2018 13:02 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Over the past few decades there has been a growing worldwide interest in examining the relationship between weather and various types of crime. Most research in this area has however produced inconsistent and often...

Giants: why we needed them

Aug 08, 2018 12:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Think of any sizeable water gap. It might be that between you and the island many kilometres off the coast, a place like Kangaroo Island (South Australia) or Sri Lanka as viewed from nearby India. It might be the gap...

Unique pollen signatures in Australian honey could help tackle a counterfeit industry

Aug 08, 2018 12:09 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Australian honey, produced from domesticated European honey bees mostly foraging in native vegetation, is unique. Under the microscope, most Australian honey samples can be distinguished from honey produced in other...

Curious Kids: How many dinosaurs in total lived on Earth during all periods?

Aug 08, 2018 12:02 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions theyd like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome serious, weird or wacky! You might also like the...

After devastating earthquakes, Indonesia must embrace radical change

Aug 08, 2018 11:56 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

An earthquake on Lombok island in Indonesia has left 98 people dead and 20,000 people homeless, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Around 70% of North Lomboks housing stock has either collapsed or...

Why the summer sound of noisy crickets is growing fainter

Aug 08, 2018 11:28 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Chirp, chirp! To make this familiar summer sound, the male cricket holds his nerve and stridulates rubbing his back legs together in order to entice a female. He knows this makes him vulnerable. What a female cricket...

A perfect storm of factors is making wildfires bigger and more expensive to control

Aug 01, 2018 14:46 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Hopes for fewer large wildfires in 2018, after last years disastrous fire season, are rapidly disappearing across the West. Six deaths have been reported in Northern Californias Carr Fire, including two firefighters. Fires...