The top 10 weird science stories of 2022

We all needed a bit of cheering up in 2022, and luckily there was plenty of weird science to put the smiles back on our faces.

Every office needs a window

People looking at blue sky and trees through a window are more creative and happier than those without a view according to a new study that has implications for workplace design and productivity.

An end to population growth integral to environmental law reform

Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) has welcomed Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s proposed reforms to Australia’s environmental laws but says they must include policies that lead to an end to population growth.

St Mary’s shines brightly for Christmas

The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney is set to transform the St Mary’s Cathedral forecourt into the spectacular centre of Christmas celebrations in Sydney.

Action on invasive species

More Australian species will go extinct unless more is done to fix and fund Australia’s threat abatement system.

Strengthen the things that remain

Most of Victoria’s native bush has been cleared for agriculture over the last two hundred years, and urgent action is required to protect remaining pockets of scrub and forest to safeguard precious biodiversity.

From the outback to orbit

How does a young girl from Wollongong studying Industrial Chemistry at UNSW Sydney go on to become an astronaut trainee with the European Space Agency?

Spinach in space

High school students from across Victoria are boldly growing where no students have grown before, sending plant experiments to the International Space Station to test the possibilities of growing food in microgravity.

Fifty years of time

Under the campaign slogan ‘It’s Time’, Gough Whitlam led the Labor party back to government fifty years ago today, on December 2 1972, after 23 years in opposition. Three tumultuous years of crisis and transformation followed, and Australia would never be the same again.

The trials of Scott Morrison

After a three-hour debate, a motion to censure Scott Morrison for secretly appointing himself to a range of ministries in flagrant breach of constitutional norms has been passed in the Australian parliament.

Explore South Australia – 600 million years ago

One of Australia’s most captivating landscapes can now be explored virtually, thanks to a University of South Australia project that documents the geological and cultural significance of the Flinders Ranges.

The mighty mangrove

Many mangrove swamps have been cleared for coastal developments, but these hardy shrubs are vital in protecting coasts from erosion and absorbing carbon dioxide, and can thrive in metal contaminated conditions.