How traditional bush foods are transforming health and school attendance

Publicly released: Mon 21 Jul 2025 at 1700 AEST, 1900 NZST

An innovative, culturally-safe cooking program is improving nutritional health and social outcomes for Aboriginal children and their families. How traditional bush foods are transforming health and school attendanceA number of junior schools across... Read more about How traditional bush foods are transforming health and school attendance

Children who get their first smartphone before age 13 face higher mental health risks

Publicly released: Mon 21 Jul 2025 at 1401 AEST, 1601 NZST

Journal of Human Development and Capabilities

Children who get their first smartphone before their 13th birthday are likely to end up with poorer mental health during young adulthood, according to international research. Using data on 18-24-year-olds participating in a global mental health study... Read more about Children who get their first smartphone before age 13 face higher mental health risks

New-age and old school shark bite prevention strategies put to the test on Gold Coast beaches

Publicly released: Mon 21 Jul 2025 at 1400 AEST, 1600 NZST

People and Nature

Amid growing concerns about shark bites on Australian beaches, researchers have developed a new framework to compare and assess the broad range of prevention measures available to help identify which are most suitable in dynamic conditions. Flinders... Read more about New-age and old school shark bite prevention strategies put to the test on Gold Coast beaches

EXPERT REACTION: Should SA's toxic algal bloom be declared a natural disaster?

Publicly released: Mon 21 Jul 2025 at 1352 AEST, 1552 NZST

The Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt is currently in South Australia visiting the sites impacted by SA's algal bloom. The bloom has been impacting the SA coast since March and there are now calls for it to be declared a natural disaster.... Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Should SA's toxic algal bloom be declared a natural disaster?

Big changes to Australia’s largest animals over 100,000 years reveal mammals are most vulnerable

Publicly released: Mon 21 Jul 2025 at 1018 AEST, 1218 NZST

Quaternary Australasia

Over the past 100,000 years, Australia and New Guinea’s large animal communities have been disrupted by extinctions and invasive species, altering entire ecosystems and threatening the conservation of remaining species. A new study led by... Read more about Big changes to Australia’s largest animals over 100,000 years reveal mammals are most vulnerable

Knowing better, doing worse: The science behind self-sabotaging behaviour

Publicly released: Mon 21 Jul 2025 at 1000 AEST, 1200 NZST

Nature Communications Psychology

UNSW researchers have uncovered why some people persist in harmful behaviours – even when they’ve been shown where they’re going wrong. Knowing better, doing worse: The science behind self-sabotaging behaviourWhy do some people keep making... Read more about Knowing better, doing worse: The science behind self-sabotaging behaviour

Scientists uncover hidden bone structures in the skin of Australian monitor lizards and it could unlock the secrets to their evolutionary success

Publicly released: Mon 21 Jul 2025 at 1000 AEST, 1200 NZST

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

Beneath the scales of Australia’s iconic monitor lizards (commonly known as goannas), scientists have discovered an unexpected secret: a hidden layer of bony skin structures known as osteoderms. These structures, which have been long overlooked,... Read more about Scientists uncover hidden bone structures in the skin of Australian monitor lizards and it could unlock the secrets to their evolutionary success

Co-infections in young bats could underpin coronavirus emergence

Publicly released: Mon 21 Jul 2025 at 0830 AEST, 1030 NZST

Nature Communications

New research by the University of Sydney offers important insights into how and when new coronavirus variants arise in bats. Co-infections in young bats could underpin coronavirus emergenceNew research by the University of Sydney offers important... Read more about Co-infections in young bats could underpin coronavirus emergence

Low vitamin D may increase your risk of being hospitalised with COVID-19

Publicly released: Sat 19 Jul 2025 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

PLOS One

UK and Australian scientists say having low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19, but low levels of the vitamin are only weakly linked with the risk of contracting COVID-19. The team looked at health records for... Read more about Low vitamin D may increase your risk of being hospitalised with COVID-19

How do the new diabetes drugs stack up against the old for cancer patients?

Publicly released: Sat 19 Jul 2025 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

JAMA Network Open

New diabetes drugs including Ozempic and Mounjaro are linked to similar or improved survival benefits for cancer patients compared to older diabetes drugs, according to international research. Some diabetes drugs have outperformed others in previous... Read more about How do the new diabetes drugs stack up against the old for cancer patients?

Hungry bugs and disappearing bioplastics hold key to ending plastic waste crisis

Publicly released: Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 1234 AEST, 1434 NZST

Scientists are working with microbes found in Australia's unique ecosystem to create bioplastics which break down in land, soil and water. The research aims to tackle one of the most pressing global issues - single-use plastic food packaging: a... Read more about Hungry bugs and disappearing bioplastics hold key to ending plastic waste crisis

‘AI is not intelligent at all’: Why our dignity is at risk

Publicly released: Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 1051 AEST, 1251 NZST

Australian Journal of Human Rights

The age of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed our interactions, but threatens human dignity on a worldwide scale, according to a study led by Charles Darwin University (CDU). The age of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed our... Read more about ‘AI is not intelligent at all’: Why our dignity is at risk

Recycled tyre tech boosts railway resilience and cuts waste

Publicly released: Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 0953 AEST, 1153 NZST

Canadian Geotechnical Journal

New research has shown that a system of rubber shock absorbers made from recycled tyres can significantly protect railway tracks from damage, addressing the dual challenges of high maintenance costs and national tyre waste. New research has shown... Read more about Recycled tyre tech boosts railway resilience and cuts waste

New COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows strong protection against multiple variants in mouse study

Publicly released: Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 0939 AEST, 1139 NZST

npj Vaccines

A promising new COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by researchers at the Centenary Institute and the University of Sydney has shown strong potential to protect against both current and emerging coronavirus variants in a mouse study. By targeting... Read more about New COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows strong protection against multiple variants in mouse study

Decades of surveys show whale migration shift

Publicly released: Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 0935 AEST, 1135 NZST

Nature Scientific Reports

Surveys reveal the peak of the southern migration of humpback whales down the east Australian coast is now three weeks earlier than it was 21 years ago, and a warming Southern Ocean may be the reason. University of Queensland surveys reveal the peak... Read more about Decades of surveys show whale migration shift

Android's quake detection provides early warning for a third of users

Publicly released: Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 0914 AEST, 1114 NZST

Science

Since the Android Earthquake Alerts system first rolled out in New Zealand and Greece in 2021, it has become available in 98 countries and sent over 1200 alerts. In a survey conducted by researchers from Google (which created the alert system), 36%... Read more about Android's quake detection provides early warning for a third of users

EXPERT REACTION: Is gene editing the next frontier of conservation?

Publicly released: Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 0901 AEST, 1101 NZST

Nature Reviews Biodiversity

Genome engineering can be used to help conserve endangered species, according to a group of researchers, including some from Colossal Biosciences – the startup behind controversial "de-extinction" announcements. The researchers argue in a... Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Is gene editing the next frontier of conservation?

Could we use global smartphone networks to predict earthquakes?

Publicly released: Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

Science

The world's love of smartphones has spread the handheld data collectors all over the world, and now Google researchers say they could be key to improving our ability to predict earthquakes. The researchers spent three years trialling a system where... Read more about Could we use global smartphone networks to predict earthquakes?

Cancer patients who received a COVID-19 booster vaccine were less likely to be hospitalised with the virus

Publicly released: Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

JAMA Oncology

Cancer patients were less likely to end up in hospital due to COVID-19 if they received a booster vaccine, according to a US study. Because people with cancer are especially at risk of severe COVID-19, the researchers investigated how receiving a... Read more about Cancer patients who received a COVID-19 booster vaccine were less likely to be hospitalised with the virus

Can we predict a bird flu outbreak?

Publicly released: Fri 18 Jul 2025 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

Scientific Reports

Bird flu outbreaks could be predicted by measuring autumn temperatures and checking for swans, new research suggests. The study looked at where highly pathogenic avian influenza emerged in Europe over nearly 20 years. They found that the coldest... Read more about Can we predict a bird flu outbreak?