A is for app

A new Flinders University study of primary school children suggests a phonics reading app can accelerate early reading while helping teachers identify students needing extra support.

All the pieces of the puzzle

Efforts to prevent dementia may be placing too much responsibility on people’s choices while overlooking the wider social and environmental conditions that shape brain health, according to new Curtin University research published in The Lancet Public Health.

Dark star

The most comprehensive catalogue of exploding white dwarf stars ever assembled has revealed new clues about dark energy, the mysterious force driving the universe’s accelerating expansion.

Star Trek at 60

An endless slew of Star Trek schlock in recent years has tarnished its reputation, but the original series remains one of the most important TV series ever made, as the adventures of the Enterprise not only explored the galaxy but what it means to be human.

A warm spring ahead

Australia are likely to have warmer spring temperatures this year as El Niño strengthens in the Pacific, says the latest Global Seasonal Climate update from the World Meteorological Organisation.

“Engagement” isn’t education

A new report from the American Psychological Association warns that student engagement with educational technology is not the same as learning, and generative AI tools pose particular risks by improving students’ immediate performance without building underlying knowledge or skills.

How do we decide what to remember?

The brain may “tag” experiences during learning to better consolidate the memory of them during sleep, according to a new British study.

Keto does work after all!

A diet that severely limits carbohydrates but is high in fat has the greatest health benefits for people with obesity compared to a Mediterranean diet or a low-fat diet, according to a newly published clinical trial.

COVID could be the key to broad spectrum vaccines

New research suggest that directing the immune system towards conserved areas of the Covid virus and its many variants using RNA technology could be a significant step towards designing broad-spectrum vaccines.

AI could flag your hip fracture before it happens

A tool developed using data on more than 3.5 million adults in Sweden can identify individuals at high risk of hip fracture using registry data, with no in-person assessment

Turning the lights back on

A new study suggests that engineered nanoparticles could help regenerate neurons in human brains and improve cognition for people suffering from degenerative brain diseases.

Don’t panic, they’re here to help

Swarms of cyborg cockroaches with cameras and miniature medical injectors could soon deliver supervised emergency care to people trapped in collapsed buildings, caves or other places too dangerous for rescuers to reach.