Drive to survive

A New South Wales academic with expertise in flying and psychology wants to change the way young people learn to drive to reduce their disproportionate road toll of deaths, injuries and accidents.

Would you want to know you’ll get dementia?

A simple, cheap and non-invasive blood test could help predict a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease up to 20 years before symptoms show, although the blight that might cast over their lives means it might not be news people want to know.

Love your bumps

Cosmetic surgery used to be the preserve of burned fighter pilots and fading Hollywood movie stars, but ever more younger women are making cosmetic surgeons richer at great cost to themselves.

Higher fees could reduce tobacco outlets

Significantly increasing the licensing fees for tobacco retailers is an effective way to reduce the number of shops selling tobacco and should be considered again, according to Australian researchers.

Greening the desert

Growing plants that have adapted to desert life could help naturally capture and store carbon, according to a perspective piece by international researchers.

Natural ingredients

A new handbook released by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, will help businesses, farmers, foresters, mining companies and non-governmental organisations report and account for their natural assets to help protect our environment.

Predicting the future with AI

Researchers and data scientists at The Florey Institute have found a way to harness artificial intelligence to improve people’s accuracy at forecasting future events.

Fixing unpaid work placements

Rather than be expected to work for free during work placements and internships, students should be reasonably compensated for the tasks they are doing.

Climate change is undermining sustainable development

The failure of the world to meet agreed climate goals undermines global efforts to tackle hunger, poverty and ill-health, improve access to clean water and energy and many other aspects of sustainable development.

Australia’s dead beat diet

Although Australia is ripe with golden soil and premium produce the nation is failing to embrace a balanced diet, with the national diet score falling well below a healthy level.

The high cost of feral invasion

Humans have wiped thousands of species from the face of the Earth, but have also spread other animals and plants around the world to wreak havoc on natural eco-systems.

Could ‘post-growth’ climate policies meet the Paris targets?

While Australia’s emissions are no longer rising alongside economic growth, we need to be reducing emissions more than 30 times faster than we did from 2013-2019 to comply with the Paris Agreement, according to international researchers.