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Academic Research

Whales were happier during the COVID pandemic when humans weren't around, scientists find

Scientists find eastern Australian humpback whales benefited from a reduction in human activity on the ocean during the first year of the pandemic, recording lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. 
A while splashes around

These termite hills have been active for over 34,000 years — and they hold a snapshot of South Africa's ancient climate

Researchers used radiocarbon dating to determine some termite mounds in an arid region were about 34,000 years old.
Four people smile in front of a termite mound.

They're top-tier marine predators, so why are our endangered sea lions in a fight for survival?

A national research effort aimed at saving Australia's iconic sea lions will look at cat faeces, heavy metals, microplastics, and climate change as possible culprits for the species' continued decline.  
Gorgeous photo of sea lion pup resting on its mum, both asleep on a rock above the ocean

How the discovery of a 509-million-year-old fossil flipped palaeontology on its head

Scientists were taught that they would never find fossils in volcanic rock but a recent discovery shows the complete opposite.
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A group of insectoid like creatures swimming away from a cloud of ash

Have you seen a rakali? Researchers need help to understand the 'elusive' species

A PhD candidate urges citizen scientists to log sightings of the "mysterious", semi-aquatic animals — also known as water rats — so researchers can gather more information about its population. 
a rat-like species sitting in water beside a tree trunk, its hands are near its face

'Working with nature since 1912' is the Lyons family motto and here's why it's paying dividends

Fourth-generation graziers Michael and Michelle Lyons are the driving force behind a trial that succeeds in striking a balance between managing the land properly and also making a profit from their cattle.
Michelle Lyons in a red shirt and Michael Lyons in a beige shirt smile at camera in front of old homestead

NZ's smallest bird may be a 'missing link' in the evolution of birdsong

Scientists used to think birds were split into two groups: those that learn or imitate sounds, and those that can't. But a tiny wren from Aotearoa New Zealand bridges the two.
ABC News Current

'There's compassion': Neanderthals may have cared for a six-year-old with Down syndrome

A new study suggests ancient humans provided altruistic care for community members, after finding evidence of Down syndrome in a Neanderthal child.
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A woman with a large brow and nose looking off into the distance

Deadly bird flu is increasing among Antarctic seabird colonies.

A team of researchers led by Australian biologist Meagan Dewar confirm a deadly strain of avian influenza is spreading in Antarctica.
ABC News Current
Duration: 5 minutes 2 seconds

Hobart is Antarctic icebreaker Nuyina's home port — but a funding stoush has put WA on the radar

In the wake of tensions between the federal and Tasmanian governments over the redevelopment of the RSV Nuyina's base in Hobart, WA says it's open to discussions about the future of the Australian Antarctic Program.
Front on view of an icebreaker ship.

'Vegan Dracula' fish excites scientists after discovery in Queensland waterways

The finding bucks the belief that lamprey fish live in cold climates and gives researchers hope the species could be resistant to climate change.
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A close up of the mouth of what looks like an eel, with rows of teeth

These swimmers have their sights set on the Olympics. They're also more likely to develop cancer

The number of high-profile swimmers developing cancer is prompting a dermatologist to call for all major pools to be shaded by the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
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A composite image of Sam Short and Cate Campbell.

'That is the definition of a mediocre man': Women in media paid worse than men, record high dissatisfaction

Career dissatisfaction has reached a three-year high for women in media. But why? And how? 
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A blonde woman in business clothes smiles in front of a montage of screens, many of which say "News"

Australian uni students pursue the holy grail of energy generation — a fusion reactor

A group of intrepid UNSW students are hard at work on a project that could solve the world's energy problems, but, as a joke among scientists goes, the technology always seems to be 30 years away.
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A group of four university students.

Personalised treatments offer new hope for incurable childhood cancers for kids like Ka'ili

A world-first Australian study finds personalised cancer treatments using genome sequencing are achieving remission in cases considered unlikely to be cured.
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A young girl with a bald head smiles at the camera.

A doctor said he'd 'eat his shoe' if Sarah's toddler Chris had IBD. He was proved wrong

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in Australia is rising, particularly in children. Some families are struggling to get a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Chris, aged 3, smiles for a photo, wearing a cap backwards.

Despite the country's large farming industry, very few spices are grown in Australia … until now

Only about 3 per cent of spices found in your pantry are grown in Australia despite the nation's large agricultural industry, and a research team and a bunch of farmers want to change that.
Three rows of various colourful spices piled high in tubs.

How fossils of giant ringtail possums, marsupial lions and monster koalas could hold clues to surviving climate change

The fossils of prehistoric megafauna, which have been perfectly preserved for hundreds of thousands of years, give scientists an insight into how climate change affects species. 
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Graphic of possum, teeth

Crewing and maintenance costs, fuel consumption leaves troubled vessel facing $100m cost blowout

A newly released report shows Australia's icebreaker, the RSV Nuyina, is facing a $100 million cost blowout by 2030 due to rising crew, fuel and maintenance costs.
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Large ship seen from above.

Kimberley reefs avoid major coral bleaching event due to tropical storms bringing heat relief

Marine scientists are buoyed to find two reefs off the Kimberley coast have escaped the brunt of excessive sea temperatures over summer, but are worried about what's around the corner.
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An orange and white striped fish peeks out from anemone

Queensland researchers are following a 'radical new way of thinking' in treating Parkinson's disease with the gut

Australian researchers are working on developing drugs that target bugs in the guts of Parkinson's disease patients in a radical new treatment approach they hope will slow or even stop the progression of the debilitating illness.
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Two men wearing white jackets and protective glasses look up at a vessel holding red liquid.

Donating your body to science could improve the world of medicine. Here's what you need to know

From ancient Greece to Australian universities — body donations have unlocked the gates of modern anatomy, but what really happens when you gift your body to science. 
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medical mannikin in the foreground, two skeletons in the background of laboratory

analysis:The Wiley scandal illuminates a much bigger crisis of trust confronting universities around the world

Wiley's Hindawi scandal offers a window into a thriving black market of fake science, corrupted research and bogus authorship. It also illuminates a much broader crisis of trust confronting universities and scientific institutions worldwide.
people walking past large sandstone arches in uq st lucia's great court

Australian of the Year brain cancer free one year on from diagnosis

Richard Scolyer, who has treated his stage four brain cancer using his own research, has announced his latest scans show no new cancer growth one year after his initial diagnosis. 
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A man sits on the bed of an MRI machine looking at the camera.

Spider venom to be tested in the fight against plague locusts

A University of the Sunshine Coast researcher working with the world's "largest arachnid venom collection" is aiming to invent a honey-bee-friendly bio-insecticide for farmers battling swarms of hungry locusts. 
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Coremiocnemis tropix in the laboratory