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Last year’s “Discoveries Need Dollars” campaign saw the research sector directly target the 2011 federal budget. AAP

Universities gear up to stave off research cuts

Australia’s Group of Eight universities are preparing a campaign against cuts to health and medical research grants after Treasurer Wayne Swan refused to rule them out during Question Time last night…
Former Canberra Raiders player Brad Clyde speaking at the R U OK? Day morning tea in 2011. AAP

Are you ok? Ask the support agencies

Today is R U OK? Day – an initiative kicked off in 2009 by marketing executive Gavin Larkin and television producer Janina Nearn after the death of business management consultant Barry Larkin who took…
Headlines can scare, but media reports on new medical treatments often overstate the benefits. AAP

Sick of medical spin? Don’t just blame the media

The “spin” sometimes found in media reports emphasising the benefits of new medical treatments has more to do with the abstracts of studies published in scientific journals than misrepresentation by the…
NSW has become the third state to make major cuts to TAFE. AAP

Education cuts send mixed messages as states look to Commonwealth

State governments are shifting responsibility for education to the Commonwealth, resulting in mixed messages about the importance of education to Australia’s future, say education experts. Yesterday NSW…
Queensland Treasurer Tim Nicholls delivers what he has called “the most important state budget in a generation”. AAP

Queensland budget 2012: experts respond

The Queensland government will cut 14,000 public sector jobs, hike mining and gaming royalties and increase parking fines and speed cameras in an effort to get back in the black and regain its AAA credit…
Researchers from Stanford University say there’s enough wind potential to serve the world’s energy needs by 2030. AAP

Wind could trump coal power by 2030: experts

Around 4 million wind turbines, the majority located over water, could deliver half of the world’s power demand according to researchers from Stanford University. In a new study exploring the potential…
Minister for the Environment Tony Burke and Minister for Agriculture Joe Ludwig will amend Australian law to prevent the super trawler from fishing in Australian waters for up to two years. AAP

Scientists to be called in as super trawler blocked for two years

Super trawler the Abel Tasman (formerly the Margiris) will be blocked from fishing in Australian waters for up to two years after the Federal Government announced plans to amend legislation to address…
NBN Co chairman Harrison Young says too few Australians have access to reliable high-speed broadband. AAP

NBN pricing critical as digital divide deepens

Affordability of broadband and encouraging its use by people with low incomes is a major issue for the National Broadband Network, say researchers from Swinburne University who have been researching the…
Calls for the legalisation of cannabis use often centre on medical purposes, but three studies have linked marijuana use with a cancer most commonly seen in young men. AAP

Marijuana use may increase testicular cancer risk: study

Marijuana use may lead to an increased risk of developing testicular cancer according to a new US study, the third study to flag a potential link. In a case-control study of more than 450 men, published…
The High Court has extinguished Optus’ last hopes of appeal in what has been a test case for digital copyright. AAP

Optus seeks law reform after High Court kills off TV Now appeal

Optus has set its sights on the Australian Law Reform Commission’s inquiry into digital copyright, after the High Court today killed off any hope of an appeal over its TV Now case with the AFL, NRL and…
Some retailers want a GST applied to all goods Australians buy from overseas, but experts say it would cost too much to implement. AAP

New GST for online shoppers unlikely, experts say

A GST on imported goods valued under $1000 is unlikely say tax experts, despite a government taskforce suggesting “in principle” grounds for it. The Low Value Parcel Processing Taskforce yesterday released…
The case for regular breast screening has been strengthened by a study including 4,000 Australian women. AAP

Screening can halve the chance of breast cancer death: study

Breast screening can help women halve their risk of dying from breast cancer, a new Australian study has found. The research, published today in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, is the largest…
The concept of junk DNA has been debunked by a massive new genetic mapping project. AAP

Human Genome 2.0: ENCODE project debunks ‘junk’ DNA

DNA previously written off as junk actually acts as a lever controlling genetic activity, leading to health or illness, reveals a massive new genetic mapping project. It’s been ten years since the human…
The ABC has been criticised for offering rolling 24-hour news, but chairman James Spigelman says the ABC must deliver a comprehensive service. ABC

Commercial media can’t satisfy Australian audiences: new ABC chair

The ABC’s new chairman, James Spigelman, has rejected claims the broadcaster should steer clear of the audiences already served by commercial rivals, arguing instead that the commercial sector’s ability…
CSIRO’s ‘Our Future World’ report predicts more conflicts over scarce resources, including water. AAP

CSIRO defines six ‘megatrends’ that will change our lives

Humanity will find new ways to do more with less, climate change will have a far-reaching impact, and personal experiences will trump products according to CSIRO’s latest global megatrends report. CSIRO…
Studies find organic food is no better for you, but it is 30% less likely to be contaminated with pesticides. AAP

Organic food no better for you: study

Organic food may come with less pesticides but there’s little evidence it’s better for you, say researchers from Stanford University. In a study published today in Annals of Internal Medicine, Dena Bravata…
A new study of NATO troops returning from Afghanistan has found an ongoing impact from combat stress. AAP

Afghanistan combat stress changes the brains of soldiers: study

Soldiers should be given regular periods of respite to recover from combat exposure, experts argue, following the findings of a Dutch study of NATO soldiers returning from deployment in Afghanistan. The…
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says school funding should recognise that “children are individuals not standardised widgets”. AAP

Gillard looks to states to help drive education ‘crusade’

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has thrown down the gauntlet to the states and territories as she prepares to negotiate for increased school funding as part of the government’s long-awaited response to the…
Stanford University wants to take the lead in bringing online educational opportunities to the world. AAP

Stanford steps up online learning focus as MOOCs take hold

Stanford University has stepped up its focus on online education with the creation of a dedicated office for online learning, to be headed up by new vice provost John Mitchell. The university said the…
Chief Scientist Ian Chubb says more children should be taught the scientific method. AAP

Climate science is not about ‘belief’: Chief Scientist

Australia’s Chief Scientist Ian Chubb says teaching the scientific method to secondary school children could shift the discussion on climate change, by ensuring people can distinguish between belief and…
Dr Penny Allen examines bionic eye prototype recipient Ms Dianne Ashworth. Bionic Vision Australia

Australian researchers closer to true bionic eye

Researchers from Bionic Vision Australia have implanted an early prototype bionic eye, helping a woman with profound vision loss to experience flashes of vision. Bionic Vision Australia, which includes…
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek says millions of Australians are still going without adequate dental care. AAP

Labor plugs the gap in dental health care

Dental and health policy experts have welcomed a $4 billion dental health package from the Federal Government, which specifically targets children and pensioners. The package provides $2.7 billion in new…
An in-the-field device to detect chemical warfare agents has featured among this year’s Eureka prize winners. AAP

Scientists say ‘eureka’ on HIV and chemical warfare

An immunity booster to take on HIV and a lab-on-a-chip device to identify chemical warfare agents have featured in this year’s Eureka awards, which celebrate innovators in Australian science. This year’s…
Linking Australia’s emissions trading system to Europe’s will mean our carbon price and policy will rely on the European economy, experts say. AAP

Carbon price shift to tie Australian govt to European policy

Carbon trading without a floor price is “second best policy” that will see Australian carbon prices tied to the European economy says John Daley, chief executive officer of public policy analysis group…
Virgin Australia chief John Borghetti is pleased with the airline’s share of the corporate market, but experts say capacity is a bigger problem. AAP

Virgin courts corporate travellers, but cheaper airfares on the way

Virgin Australia’s full-year profit of $22.8 million masks the ongoing challenges facing the airline as it chases a bigger share of the corporate market, says University of Sydney business school Professor…