Despite living just before the invention of the telescope, the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe made huge contributions to European astronomy. He was also, like many scientists of his era, a very keen and secretive alchemist. His castle, called Uraniborg, was fitted with observatories in its towers and an alchemy laboratory in the basement. The building ..read more

A taco-shaped arthropod – or “tacopod” as I shall affectionately refer to it henceforth – which has long eluded classification has finally been identified as one of the first creatures to have mandibles. The tacopod is actually called Odaraia alata. It was about 15cm long and lived during the middle of the Cambrian period (541–485 ..read more

The global chemical industry has been grappling with a big problem: manufacturing  releases carbon dioxide. The industry emits nearly a billion tonnes of CO2 each year, more than double Australia’s national output. Industrial chemicals, which end up everywhere from fertilisers on farms to polyester in T-shirts, require energy to make, sometimes in very high amounts ..read more

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has been cleared to return to flight following the rare failure on July 11, which resulted in all 20 Starlink satellites from the launch re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere and burning up. Following SpaceX’s public safety determination request on July 15, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave approval for the Falcon 9 ..read more

After death, the human body undergoes a series of natural processes as it begins to decompose. Somatic death occurs when all vital signs irreversibly stop, namely breathing, heartbeat and brain function. Immediately after death, all the muscles in the body relax, a state known as primary relaxation. Within minutes, the body starts to cool down ..read more

South Australian satellite Kanyini’s highly anticipated launch has been delayed following an incident during the SpaceX Starlink Group 9-3 mission last month. After a successful launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on July 11, the Falcon 9 rocket experienced a rare failure of its second stage, which normally fires up to deliver ..read more

Dinosaurs are well known and loved for the immense size these ancient creatures used to reach. But could some have been even bigger than we think? New mathematical modelling suggests that some individuals during the ‘Age of Dinosaurs’ might have grown to truly monstrous proportions, like massive individuals of animals today. For instance, the average ..read more

For the first time, physicists have developed a quantum sensor capable of detecting magnetic fields at the scale of atoms. Atoms range in diameter from 0.1–0.5 nanometres. That’s about one ten-billionth of a metre, or roughly a millionth the width of a human hair. At this scale, the strange effects of quantum mechanics dominate, making it difficult to visualise and precisely measure physical quantities such as electric and magnetic fields. Quantum sensors aim to use the same quantum phenomena – such as the spin of subatomic particles or quantum entanglement – to make precise measurements. Sev ..read more

Cybersecurity failures and cybercrime continually make the news. To protect yourself from complex cybersecurity threats, no one defence is sufficient. Instead, a multifaceted approach is essential. First, ensure your software, including your operating system and applications, are up-to-date. Software developers regularly release updates to patch vulnerabilities that cybercriminals exploit. Second, use strong, unique passwords for different online accounts. Consider using a reputable password manager to generate and store complex passwords. Coupled with this, enable two-factor authentication ..read more

New Zealand Minister for Space, Judith Collins, has announced 4 new research projects under the Australia-New Zealand Collaborative Space Program. Among the expected outcomes is a project to monitor the southern Indo Pacific from space, including methane and other greenhouse gas emissions. The news was delivered as part of Collins’ speech at the 17th Australian Space Forum in Adelaide, South Australia. New Zealand Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins speaking at the Australian Space Forum. Credit: Imma Perfetto “Space is one of the most exciting areas of tr ..read more