Can a fright really cure hiccups?
READER QUESTION: “When I get hiccups, someone almost always shouts ‘Boo!’. Is there any reason to believe that this helps?” In scientific terms speaking, there is no proof that a fright can cure…
Unreal nature – AI images blur boundaries
None of these beautiful images of nature is real. We created them all using an artificial intelligence ‘art engine’ called Stable Diffusion. In a matter of seconds, the art engine turns any text…
How the giraffe really got its neck
The question of how the giraffe got its long neck has long been debated by scientists throughout the world. Since the days of Charles Darwin, the dominant theory has been that the giraffe’s…
Reverse extinctions, Tasmanian tigers and smoky mice
The idea of bringing back extinct flora and fauna is not new, but the challenge is two-fold: first in sequencing a full genome from recovered DNA fragments, and then in taking stem cells…
Groundwater could speed the loss of Antarctic ice
Australian research has uncovered groundwater beneath the Antarctic ice which may increase glacial loss and the rising of ocean levels. Antarctica preserves Earth’s largest ice sheet, and scientists have been warning for decades…
It’s National Science Week!
First held in 1997, National Science Week has become one of Australia’s largest festivals. Last year — despite the pandemic — some 1.3 million people participated in more than 1750 events and activities….
The smell of fresh-cut grass is an attack warning
We love the smell of fresh-cut grass. But in reality what we are smelling is a warning signal being released by plants under attack. The pheromones emitted by freshly-mown grass are known as…
All cats are psychopaths
Most people know that cats can be unpredictable. Now, scientists have developed a test which proves that cats have psychopathic characteristics. Cats have been loved, valued and even worshipped by people for thousands…
Art work generated by artificial intelligence
This is a frame from a dynamic artwork by Istanbul-based artist Ferdi Alici, who has collaborated with NASA and CERN to create a huge AI-driven multisensory experience which will form part of lluminate…
Crocodile eats dinosaur!
Neutron imaging of delicate fossils reveals what an ancient crocodile had for dinner. The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum has announced the discovery of Confractosuchus sauroktonos, a new genus and species of ancient…
