Research underway at the University of Technology, Sydney’s AFTER facility is yielding some surprising new findings about how bodies decompose in the Australian bush.
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‘This is going to affect how we determine time since death’: how studying body donors in the bush is changing forensic science
The Conversation, CC BY77.2 MB(download)
On the outskirts of Sydney, in a secret bushland location, lies what's officially known as the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research. In books or movies, it'd be called a body farm.
Polygenic risk scores currently account for only a small proportion of your total genetic risk.
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Most common chronic diseases are the outcome of complex interactions between genetic, environmental and social risk factors, so a genetic risk score, on its own, isn’t much help.
Experiments performed in microgravity – like this one in the International Space Station by astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti – can give us data not able to be gathered on Earth.
NASA
On Earth the flame from a struck match looks like an inverted teardrop shape and is orange. In microgravity, that same flame is spherical and blue. Heat transfer is different with minimal gravity.
Online community managers are well-educated and mostly women.
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Australia’s latest defamation ruling has made Facebook publishing a minefield, but there are strategies to ensure better social media outcomes for everyone.
A view from CSIRO’s Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope antenna 29, with the phased array feed receiver in the centre, Southern Cross on the left and the Moon on the right.
CSIRO/Alex Cherney
For the first time scientists have located the home galaxy of a one-off fast radio burst. Here’s how they did it – and what they learned about the galaxy.
Libra could become more successful than other cryptocurrencies because it has the backing of multiple large international corporations.
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We go back to the basics and look at what Libra is, how it compares to other cryptocurrencies and whether you should be concerned about using it when it eventually arrives.
Large groups inherently possess more diverse knowledge, expertise and perspectives.
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Intelligence work is no longer the sole preserve of intelligence agencies. Powerful platforms now allow everyday people to gather intelligence collaboratively – even from opposite sides of the world.
Power grids are high priority targets during conflict.
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US and Russian tension over power grid cyber attacks is a concern for global stability, but it also highlights our own critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.
In some ways, this case just adapts the old authorities on publication to a modern situation.
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Journalists are not happy about a decision of the Supreme Court of New South Wales finding that media companies could be liable for defamatory comments made under news stories on their Facebook pages.
The increasing use of sensors in smart homes adds to an ever expanding amount of user data that can be collected and commodified.
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Companies scrutinise our online likes, dislikes, searches and purchases to produce data that can be used commercially. And it’s often done without us understanding the full extent of the surveillance.
Deepfakes make it harder for us to communicate truths to one another and reach consensus on what is real.
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We know that social media platforms have an incentive to promote whatever gets the most attention, regardless of its authenticity. We’re more reluctant to admit that the same is true of people.
Out of the science labs, our internet connectivity is now part of our everyday lives.
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In just three decades we’ve gone from a very limited internet connection in Australia to now sharing our lives online.
Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton speaking to the media in Brisbane last month about a recent interception of an asylum seeker boat.
Dan Peled/AAP
Australians should be concerned about any shift to an intelligence model that is based on the introduction of greater powers on the one hand, and less oversight and governance on the other.
A nuclear reaction is under way inside the Sun.
Emily Nunell/The Conversation CC-NY-BD
It’s true that here on Earth, if you want to burn something you need oxygen. But the Sun is different. It is not burning with the same kind of flame you would have on Earth if you burned a candle.
Knew you were coming: a koala cub on the back of the mother.
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We used to think a marsupial mum didn’t know when she was pregnant, but new research shows that’s wrong. And that could help in conservation of endangered species.
There is a link between exposure to natural settings and better psychological well-being.
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For people who aren’t able to spend time in nature every day, exposure to virtual natural environments could be an effective way of improving psychological well-being.
Chris Froome (in the black jacket) of cycling team Ineos recently had a horrific crash while attempting to blow his nose while riding.
Peter Powell / AAP
Conspiracy theories help sports fans make sense of unexpected events – like when a whole rugby team becomes sick before a world cup final, or the retirement of Michael Jordan from basketball.
The first people to walk along the shores of northern Australia arrived more than 50,000 years ago.
Corey Bradshaw
New research shows just how many first people were needed to create a viable population in what is now Australia.
Australia’s future prosperity will require bold action on a number of fronts and a deliberate commitment to careful and considered long-term thinking.
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If the right changes are made today, Australia’s living standards could be up to 36% higher in 2060. This translates into a 90% increase in average wages (in adjusted, real terms) from today.
There is an ongoing, low intensity cyber conflict between nation states that involves attacks and counter-attacks on critical infrastructure like power grids.
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Our increasing connectivity and reliance on information technology is a vulnerability being targeted by two key threats: cyber attacks and the subversion of our democratic institutions.
It seems safe to assume One Nation and Greens voters might have differing views on climate change. But can they change their minds in the face of new evidence?
Mick Tsikas / AAP
We asked 252 Australian Greens party supporters and 252 One Nation party supporters to do some simple maths. Their answers changed when we told them it was climate change data.
Quantum particles are not really just particles… they are also waves.
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An Australian company’s plan to mine a fossil-rich site in New Zealand to produce pig food has been described as unjustifiable vandalism. A campaign is under way to protect the site in perpetuity.
Telegram was targeted in a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack during the protests.
Jerome Favre/AAP
Telegram enabled protesters in Hong Kong to evade surveillance, but a DDoS attack and the arrest of a group administrator undermined the ability of protesters to organise and communicate.
Paul Fletcher, Australia’s recently appointed minister for communications, cyber safety and the arts, says he wants to make the internet safe for everyone.
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