Each reveal the fundamentals of science: energy, waves, light, and the beauty in the natural world in Josef Gatti’s photographs and short films. Please watch these two short clips and consider how you could use them in an online feature: https://bit.ly/2VTGGet; https://bit.ly/37OiiO1
Plankton? Pollen? Sound?
Cells or sound?
Ancient tiles? Bouncing salt?
An alien planet? Or a bubble
The clips and stills are from Phenomena, an ABC series of nine award winning episodes made by Josef Gatti and published through the ABC’s YouTube channel and Facebook and as a half-hour short film on ABC iView. Each film focuses on a force of nature.
Cognition is influenced by siblings, researchers find.
Autistic children with autistic siblings have better
cognition than those who are the only family member with the condition, researchers
have found.
Importantly, the outcome does not depend on birth order.
Although previous studies have identified that having
autistic siblings leads to better cognition for individual children with the
condition, it was assumed that the order in which the children were born was a
significant factor.
Adelaide researchers find how a bacteria digests a sugar can be key to new treatments
Vikrant Minhas, University of Adelaide
The severity of a common and often lethal type of bacteria
depends on its ability to process a type of sugar, research from the University
of Adelaide reveals.
Streptococcus pneumoniae causes diseases of the
lungs, blood, ear and brain, killing an estimated one million people every
year. Moreover S. pneumoniae causes
otitis media (infection of the middle ear), which devastates Aboriginal
populations. It also rapidly develops resistance to antibiotics, making it
challenging to treat.
Filtering out social bots can help critical response teams see what’s
happening in real time
Mehwish Nasim, University of Adelaide
Researchers have created an algorithm that distinguishes
between misinformation and genuine conversations on Twitter, by detecting
messages churned out by social bots.
Dr Mehwish Nasim and colleagues at the School of Mathematical
Sciences at the University of Adelaide say the algorithm will make it easier
for emergency services to detect major events such as civil unrest, natural
disasters, and influenza epidemics in real time.
“When something really big is going on, people tweet a
huge amount of useful information,” says Mehwish.
A technique adapted from telecommunications promises more effective cancer treatments.
Dr Shwathy Ramesan from RMIT
Drugs can be delivered into individual cells by using
soundwaves, Melbourne researchers have discovered.
Adapting a technique used in the telecommunications
industry for decades, Dr Shwathy Ramesan from RMIT, and colleagues, used the
mechanical force of sound to push against cell walls and deliver drugs more
effectively than treatments currently in use.
The new technique aids in silencing genes responsible for
some diseases, including cancer, by switching them on or off.
Captive ghost bats at Perth Zoo. Photo credit: Perth Zoo.
Alba Arteaga Claramunt, University of Western Australia. Photos of 2019 Science in Public Event at the Brisbane Hotel in Perth. Photos Ross Swanborough.
UWA,
Curtin university and Perth zoo researchers have discovered that Australian endangered
ghost bats in the Pilbara (WA) eat over 46 different species.
Its
diet is very diverse ranging from small mammals, birds, reptiles and
amphibians.
Researchers
used a new approach by combining two methodologies: DNA analysis of faecal
pellets and classification of dried food remains.
Astronomers from CSIRO and
Curtin University have used pulsars to probe the Milky Way’s magnetic field.
Working with colleagues in Europe, Canada, and South Africa, they have
published the most precise catalogue of measurements towards mapping our
Galaxy’s magnetic field in 3-D.
The Milky Way’s magnetic
field is thousands of times weaker than Earth’s, but is of great significance
for tracing the paths of cosmic rays, star formation, and many other
astrophysical processes. However, our knowledge of the Milky Way’s 3-D
structure is limited.
Researcher finds linguistic tricks that boost Facebook post engagement
Matteo Farina, University of Adelaide and Flinders University
Some Facebook posts are more successful than others and linguist Matteo Farina has worked out why.
By
applying a technique known as “Conversation Analysis” to a set of more than
1,200 posts culled from 266 anonymised users, the University of Adelaide and
Flinders University academic has been able to identify specific linguistic
structures common to most Facebook posts that attract a high number of Likes
and written responses.
“This research shows that successful posts project a clear
next action from Friends,” he says.
Kan Wang from Curtin University. Image credit: Ross Swanborough
We all rely on GPS to tell us where we are and where we’re
going. The US government’s global network of 30+ satellites guides planes,
ships, cars, tractors and much more. The latest GPS systems can provide mm- to
cm-accuracy using advanced equipment and technique.
But GPS isn’t the only game in town. There are other
global systems, and regional systems that we can tap into.
Curtin University researchers have explored the potential
of regional navigation satellite systems (RNSSs) for Western Australian users.
Two such systems are the QZSS operated by Japan and the IRNSS operated by
India.
Changing lives together: from water to astronomy to cancer, this collection showcases outstanding collaborations
between French and Australian researchers.
Scientific collaboration between Australia and France stretches back to the early days of European settlement, when La Pérouse built an observatory at Botany Bay in 1788.
