Shared houses also share bacteria
People living together often share many things. One of them turns out to be bacteria, as one of the biggest ever studies into bacterial transfer reveals how your co-habitants can affect your health….
How well do elephants smell?
“Does the long trunk of an elephant give it an advantage for a sense of smell? Or is it more designed as a tool for other things?” Elephants have an acute sense of…
Is it dangerous to ignite your farts?
READER QUERY: “I have a friend who claims that he has set light to his farts. Can this be done, and is it dangerous?” The gases released during flatulence are indeed flammable. Gut…
How many species can be found in a glass of ocean water?
If you’ve ever been involved in a school experiment looking at ocean or river water under a microscope, you’ll know that even a single drop teems with life, from larvae and fish visible…
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…
What is the world’s most toxic tree?
“I recently say a sign in Wingham Brush Nature Reserve, warning of giant stinging trees. Are there any trees more toxic than these?” The various species of Dendrocnide, such as the Dendrocnide excela…
Australia’s new leader in botanical science
Australia has a new scientific institute that brings together an astoundingly broad sweep of botanic research organisations and collections, services and facilities. The Australian Institute of Botanical Science is positioned to become a…
Your vaccines are ready – how they did it in under a year
More than 180 different COVID-19 vaccines were in the initial pipeline – and the majority of them can be placed in one of four vaccine categories. One is a classic. Two are comparatively…
Why do our eyes water when we chop up onions?
Onions emit a sulphur-containing gas when they are chopped. The gas irritates the cells of the eye, which react by producing tears that are intended to clear away the substance. In ordinary onions,…
Aussie lungfish has largest animal genome known to science
Scientists are teasing out the secrets that place the Australian lungfish near a critical moment of evolution. A team of researchers at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna has sequenced…
