Impacts of Forever Chemicals
In recent years there has been increasing concern about the impact of PFAS on humans and our environment. Now, scientists have found high levels inside turtle populations. Could this be a threat to future populations of these iconic animals?
Waste Clothes and Carpet Making Concrete Safer
Every year, 92 million tons of clothes are disposed of into landfill; currently, very few are recycled. One method of destroying this waste is by burning it. However, this releases “various toxic gases, creating [serious] environmental concerns,” according to a team of researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, led by Dr. Chamila Gunaserkara.
We Cannot Continue to Rely on Nature to Mop Up After Us
Earth’s systems keep the levels of carbon in the atmosphere balanced. As carbon is released from biological processes, it is stored back up by others, such as the ocean, plants and soil. These are Carbon Sinks, areas with the ability to drawdown and store greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Climate Change Driving a Rise in Dengue Cases
14 million cases of Dengue fever were reported in 2024, more than double that recorded in 2023. This builds on a trend of increase which has been seen since the 1950s.
Cooler Sections Provide Hope for the Great Barrier Reef’s Future
Off the coast of Cairns, a once-colourful array of vibrant corals has been bleached into a bare, white graveyard, representing just one symptom of climate change. However, hope for the future of this UNESCO World Heritage treasure lies in pockets of untouched coral, protected by cool deep ocean upwelling.
Gophers heal devastated Mt Helen’s landscape in one day
Michael Allen, a University of California-Riverside Microbiologist, sent two Gophers to spend just 24 hours on the barren side of Mount St. Helen in 1983, 2 years after the devastating eruption. Yet, 40 years on, the benefits they gave the landscape can still be seen.
A Memoir: Finding the Endangered in My Backyard
We Australians might be accustomed to sulphur-crested cockatoos squawking in our backyards, but have you heard of gang-gang cockatoos? Gang-gangs are an endangered type of cockatoo that predominately lives in parts of the eastern coast of Australia, and there are at least two living near a storm-water drain in the inner south of the ACT!
E-Skin: The Innovation That Will Heal, Feel, and Transform Lives
In recent years, scientists have developed a groundbreaking innovation: electronic skin (also known as e-skin), which can mimic the sensitivity of human skin, detecting stimuli such as pressure, temperature and even pain. As this technology evolves, it offers the potential to transform fields like healthcare and prosthetics, opening new doors for real-time health monitoring and advanced medical care. However, as ethical and social debates about data privacy and accessibility emerge, the question arises: Should we embrace this technology? E-skin is a game-changer that will enhance human life. Here’s why.
Mars Is Off Limits
Will Mars destroy us, or will we destroy Mars? Mars has not proved habitable for humans, but if scientists were to find a way, it would still be wrong to begin new human life there. Over many years, humans have become unsatisfied with what we have. What the Earth provided for us was apparently, never enough. We destroyed Earth – it is up to us to restore it, not move on just to ruin another planet.
New Fishy Face Could Soon Appear on Australian Plates
Salmon, Tuna or Cod? Or the newest option we might be seeing in Australian fish markets, Pompano? A group of scientists led by Dr Polly Hilder from the CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, have recently completed successful breeding trials of the fish. These trials bring Pompano one step closer to swimming onto the plates of Australians across the country.