Last week, we woke to news that the largest cyber attack ever was underway in Europe, with reports of global internet speeds falling as a result of an assault on the anti-spamming company Spamhaus. In…
Canola is harvested on a property near Wallendbeen NSW.
AAP Image/Alan Porritt
Since the beginning of civilisation, humans have depended on organic materials - or “biomass” - for cooking and heat. Many developing countries in Asia and Africa still do. Biofuel or bioenergy is the…
There are two main types of solar energy technology: photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal. Solar PV is the rooftop solar you see on homes and businesses - it produces electricity from solar energy directly…
The definition of the word gene has evolved as our knowledge has advanced.
Katy.Tresedder
There’s a very confusing exchange in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass: “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more…
Up to 80% of people who contract herpes remain completely asymptomatic.
Image from shutterstock.com
When it comes to sexual health, the virus that causes those tingling blisters and angry sores of genital herpes is often the most reviled and feared. Most cases of genital herpes in humans are caused by…
The ways in which we use VPNs have changed.
Stephan Geyer
Have you ever wanted to exist in more than one place at the same time? The laws of physics suggest wormholes through space and time are hypothetical; but wormholes do exist in cyberspace and wonders can…
Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues.
Tips Times
Few things strike fear into people more than the word cancer, and with good reason. While improvements in cancer therapy and advances in palliative care mean that the illness does not always lead to inevitable…
Migraines often cause nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise.
Shutterstock/Emilia Ungur
If you, or someone close to you suffers from migraine, you’ll know it is much more than your average headache – migraine is a debilitating disorder that can even affect your sight and speech. Migraine…
It’s now one of the world’s most commonly used tools, but what exactly is GPS?
CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture
It’s a device used widely in cars, on smartphones and in fitness devices. But what exactly is GPS, and how is it able to pinpoint our exact location anywhere on Earth? How does it work? The Global Positioning…
The aim of CER is to assess the effectiveness and worth of medical interventions in real-life scenarios.
Image from shutterstock.com
The evidence gleaned from medical research directly affects the decisions made about health care in Australia, driving everything from clinical practice guidelines, to which health interventions will and…
Vaccination has a lot more uses than you may know.
Stephen Mitchell
Approximately 140 vaccines are registered for use in livestock and companion animals in Australia. Many more animals are vaccinated each year than humans. Vaccines are used in farm animals: to protect…
The Large Hadron Collider has been used to find out what matter is fundamentally made of, and how the universe was created.
EPA/Martial Triezzini
One of humanity’s eternal questions surrounds what we are fundamentally made of. Many ancient philosophies believed in a set of classical elements: from water, air, fire and earth of ancient Greeks; to…
The best way to prevent type 2 diabetes is to lose your excess fat.
Image from shutterstock.com
To keep your body functioning, glucose must always be present in your blood. It’s as important as oxygen in the air you breathe. The brain can only function for a few minutes without either before it stops…
Good news for those who like a weekend sleep-in: lost sleep can be recovered.
Image from shutterstock.com
Ever have those moments on weekends or public holidays when you wake at your usual time, then realise there’s no pressing need to get up? If you go back for another couple of hours of shut-eye and use…
We’re all familiar with the double helix structure so vital to life, but DNA can take other forms.
ctbroek/Flickr
DNA has been called many things: the king of molecules, the blueprint of life, and less excitingly but perhaps more accurately, the genetic code. DNA’s double helix, discovered in 1953 by James Watson…
Without treatment, half of PTSD sufferers experience chronic problems that can last for decades.
marcusjroberts
People have probably always known about the psychological effects of experiencing life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, or violent assault. Literature through the ages – some…
Depression is more than the experience of sadness or stress.
Sander van der Wel
Many people know what it’s like to feel sad or down from time to time. We can experience negative emotions due to many things – a bad day at work, a relationship break-up, a sad film, or just getting out…
Epigenetic factors can change due to environmental factors, such as diet, toxins and stress.
leeroy09481/Flickr
DNA provides the instructions to make us how we look and contributes to our life expectancy. Identical twins have exactly the same DNA, so why are slightly different in many ways? The answer is epigenetics…
Some of the isotopes we find here on Earth were created in supernova explosions like this one.
NASA
If you’ve ever studied a periodic table of the elements (see below), you’re probably already aware that this table reveals a great deal about the chemical properties of the atoms that make up our world…
“Wait a minute. I’ve been here before …”
PhotoJonny/Flickr
Have you ever experienced a sudden feeling of familiarity while in a completely new place? Or the feeling you’ve had the exact same conversation with someone before? This feeling of familiarity is, of…