Research news
Spooky quantum helium atoms give hope for a Theory of Everything
In a new quantum physics experiment, ANU researchers have shown that matter can experience entanglement – an effect Einstein dismissed as ‘spooky…
Heatwaves will be worst for rural parts of Africa – new model shows tens of millions face dangerous warming by 2100
Ask people where heatwaves hit hardest and most will probably say cities, which trap heat in concrete and metal and generate warmth from traffic and…
Australia’s environment is improving but climate change is ‘accelerating’ damage to ecosystems and wildlife
Australia’s environment experienced above average conditions for the fifth consecutive year in 2025, but climate change continues to inflict “serious…
Study links higher concentration of pokie machines to increase in family and domestic violence
Greater accessibility to Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs), or ‘pokies’, is driving higher rates of police-reported family and domestic violence…
Screening blitz could achieve cervical cancer elimination among Indigenous communities within a generation
Research from The Australian National University (ANU) and The University of Sydney (USYD) reveals cervical cancer among Aboriginal and Torres Strait…
This game-inspired innovation is empowering collaboration across Australia
The research-backed initiative Cobeo is helping make teamwork the dream work.
Three new rock monitor lizard species discovered in northern Queensland
Three striking new species of rock-dwelling monitor lizards have been formally described from the savannas of north-eastern Queensland, revealing a…
Rising CO₂ levels are reflected in human blood. Scientists don’t know what it means
Humans evolved in an atmosphere containing roughly 200–300 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide (CO₂). Today, that figure sits above 420 ppm,…
Analysis of ancient parrot DNA reveals sophisticated, long-distance animal trade network that pre-dates the Inca Empire
New analysis of ancient parrot DNA has revealed vibrant Amazonian parrots were transported alive across the Andes to coastal Peru centuries before…
Scientists rescue lost song of the critically endangered regent honeyeater
Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) and the Taronga Conservation Society Australia have successfully restored the lost…
Record-breaking image uncovers turbulent web of gas at the Milky Way’s centre
A team of international astronomers including researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have observed the central region of the Milky…
People are overconfident about spotting AI faces, study finds
Most people believe they can spot AI-generated faces, but advances in technology mean it’s becoming harder to tell what’s real and what’s not,…
Discovery of tiny RNA fragments unlock giant potential for new autoimmune disease treatments
Extremely short, or tiny, fragments of RNA – working copies of our genetic code – play a critical role in keeping the immune system in check,…
ADHD prescriptions are up tenfold, with the wealthiest kids most likely to be medicated
The number of young people in Australia prescribed medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased more that tenfold in 20…
In the Australian outback, we’re listening for nuclear tests – and what we hear matters more than ever
Tyres stick to hot asphalt as I drive the Stuart Highway from Alice Springs northward, leaving the MacDonnell Ranges behind. My destination is the…
Scientists develop technique to identify malfunctions in our genetic code
An international team of researchers including scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) have developed a way to reveal the smallest…
Why are human penises so large? New evolutionary study finds two main reasons
“Size matters” sounds like a tabloid cliché, but for evolutionary biologists the size of the human penis is truly a puzzle.
Compared…
Yes, feral cats and foxes really have driven many Australian mammals to extinction
Millions of years of isolation have shaped Australia’s extraordinary mammal fauna into species unlike anywhere else in the world, from platypus to…