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Australian National University

ANU was established, in 1946, to advance the cause of learning and research for the nation. It is consistently ranked among the world’s best universities and many ANU graduates go on to become leaders in government, industry, research and academia.

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Dugongs rely on seagrass for food - damage to grass beds is a bigger threat to the species than Indigenous hunting. sandwichgirl/Flickr

Banning Indigenous hunting won’t help dugongs

Jon Altman, Australian National University and Seán Kerins, Australian National University

In the 1990s some international animal rights and environment organisations instigated a concerted campaign to stop the hunting of pilot whales by Faroese people living in the northeast Atlantic. The thousand-year-old…
Genetically engineered mice were fitted with wireless LED devices which emitted light, triggering the release of dopamine. Image from shutterstock.com

Wireless device lights up pleasure centre in brains of mice

Fron Jackson-Webb, The Conversation and Odile Gotts, The Conversation

Scientists have found a way to control the reward centre of the brain, using a miniature wireless device that emits light and causes the brain to release dopamine, the chemical associated with pleasure…
Sending secure information? You could do a lot worse than employing the RSA algorithm. Seq

The RSA algorithm (or how to send private love letters)

Adrian Dudek, Australian National University

A couple of days ago on The Conversation, I set myself up with a task: to defend the usefulness of so-called “useless” maths. Today, that defence continues, with a look at the RSA algorithm. I finished…
China’s people and politicians are keenly interested in reducing emissions: what can we learn from each other? EPA/Wu Hong

China can learn from Australia when it puts a price on carbon

Frank Jotzo, Australian National University

China’s political commitment and ambition on climate change allow it to take global leadership. Australia is well placed to provide guidance on suitable policy approaches, sharing its experiences with…
As all mathematicians know, the rift between useful and useless can change with time. Manu gomi

Your number’s up – a case for the usefulness of useless maths

Adrian Dudek, Australian National University

I once made the mistake of asking a mathematician why he devoted his whole life to maths. “Because it’s fun!” he replied wildly, his flabby cheeks beaming with childlike excitement. “Ah, of course,” I…
An infographic accompanying the report showed how different parts of Australia would be affected by global warming-induced extreme weather events. Climate Commission

Extreme weather threatens crops, cities: official report

Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation

Extreme weather caused by global warming poses a growing risk to Australia’s crop lands, cities and iconic sites like Kakadu National Park, according to a new report that calls for global emissions to…
The debate around the Keystone XL pipeline represents concern over the environmental effects of non-conventional fossil fuels. Flickr/shannonpatrick

US non-conventional fossil fuel: environmental risks

Barry Naughten, Australian National University

In the US, extraction of non-conventional fossil fuels is booming. Investment in extra-heavy and heavy oils, oil shales and sands, tight oil and gas, shale gas and coal seam gas is taking off as companies…
Despite continuing unrest in Europe - particularly Cyprus - the global economy has firmed, say Shadow Reserve Bank commentators.

RBA: rates should hold, with a gradual return to neutral

Shaun Vahey, Australian National University

The consensus of the nine members of the Shadow Board is that the Reserve Bank of Australia should leave interest rates unchanged from March at 3.00%. But the balance of risks implies rates should rise…
Experts have said the new study does not demonstrate a causal link between low Vitamin D levels and pregnancy problems. AAP/Tracey Nearmy

Experts urge caution on new pregnancy and vitamin D study

Carley Tonoli, The Conversation

Australian experts are urging caution over a new study that suggests a link between insufficient vitamin D and pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and lower birth weight in…
The editorial board of the Journal of Library Administration is the latest group of journal editors to quit over open access issues. http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/wjla20/current

Journal editorial board quits over open access principle

Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation

The entire editorial board of a US academic journal has resigned in protest over restrictions that would require scholars to wait up to 18 months before making their published research more widely available…
How do rooftop solar panels work? Abi Skipp

Explainer: what is photovoltaic solar energy?

Andrew Blakers, Australian National University

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…
Medical device manufacturers sometimes engage in unconscionable behaviour to secure sales to private hospitals. Image from Shutterstock.com

Medical device sales: when a rebate becomes a kick back

Thomas Faunce, Australian National University

Australian public interest regulators usually have a very imperfect picture of how much anti-competitive or fraudulent activity is occurring in areas such as health care. But there’s a better approach…
Yesterday’s fatalities highlight the importance of ensuring Australian authorities continue to respond to asylum seekers caught at sea. AAP/Sharon Tisdale

Stop the deaths: rescuing asylum seekers is an integrity issue

Tony Kevin, Australian National University

We received news yesterday of the latest fatal capsize of a boat carrying asylum seekers towards Australia – the 20th reported sinking event in four years. The two deaths yesterday brought the confirmed…
Mass extinctions caused by rapidly escalating levels of CO2 have occurred before. Global warming image from www.shutterstock.com

Another link between CO2 and mass extinctions of species

Andrew Glikson, Australian National University

It’s long been known that massive increases in emission of CO2 from volcanoes, associated with the opening of the Atlantic Ocean in the end-Triassic Period, set off a shift in state of the climate which…
Australia is hanging on to flood mitigation measures that other countries have left behind. AAP Image/Pamela Blackburn

Three major floods, four reviews, but still lessons to learn

Karen Hussey, Australian National University and Jamie Pittock, Australian National University

The last few years provided plenty of data to help us reform our approach to floods. With devastating flooding in Queensland and Victoria in 2011 and 2013, we should have learned a great deal about which…
Often at the centre of electoral debate, what role do marginal seats have to play in this year’s election? AAP/Stefan Postles

From Western Sydney to Western Australia, how marginal is marginal?

Jennifer Rayner, Australian National University

In an election year, perhaps the only thing more inevitable than the major parties’ verbal jousting is the media’s obsession with marginal seats – that handful of bellwether electorates that can supposedly…
The lessons learnt from the Millennium drought may not help us prepare for the next Big Dry. Flickr/thoughtfactory

Australia is not ready for the next big dry

Albert Van Dijk, Australian National University

Three years ago in March 2010, southeast Australia was still in the grip of “the big dry” or the “millennium drought” - billed as the worst drought since European settlement. Dams across the Murray-Darling…
A new study says global poverty is on the way down. EPA/Yahya Arhab

Global poverty is shrinking: study

Katie Moore, The Conversation

Global poverty is declining and may be eradicated altogether in some countries in the next 20 years, a new study by the University of Oxford has found. The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative…

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