Humans have always had a complex relationship with rivers, which both fostered and threatened civilizations throughout history.
How COVID-19 Created Dramatic Changes in a ‘Winter Virus’
One of the first studies to document the impact of COVID-19 on already existing viruses in Australia has revealed how the pandemic was responsible for creating a huge change in the incidence and genetics of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in the country.
8000 Years of Great Barrier Reef Climate History Revealed
A group of Australian scientists have for the first time unravelled the history of climate change upheaval on the Great Barrier Reef over the past eight millennia.
What guppy guts can teach us about evolution
Thanks to a unique combination of biology and ecology, the guppies have provided researchers with insights into evolution for decades. Evans and Fitzpatrick have pushed those insights a step further, showing the guppies' potential to help probe big questions about how microbes living in host organisms contribute to health, survival...
Palms at the poles: Fossil plants reveal lush southern hemisphere forests in ancient hothouse climate
Plant fossils dating back 55 to 40 million years ago, during the Eocene epoch reveal details about the warmer and wetter climate. These conditions meant there were palms at the North and South Pole and predominantly arid landmasses like Australia were lush and green. By focusing on the morphology and...
Oil spill remediation: Research confirms effectiveness of oil dispersants
Chemical dispersants are some of the best tools to clean up after an oil spill. However, scientists do not fully understand how well they work. A new study validated their efficacy in order to better prepare for the next disaster.
New insights into the movement of pine cone scales
Pine cones open when dry and close when wet. In this way, pine seeds are released only under advantageous conditions, namely when it is dry and the seeds can be carried far by wind. Opening and closing is of particular interest to researchers because the actuation is passive, that is,...
New artificial enzyme breaks down tough, woody lignin
An innovative artificial enzyme has shown it can chew through woody lignin, an abundant carbon-based substance that stores tremendous potential for renewable energy and materials.
How Plate Tectonics Has Maintained Earth’s ‘Goldilocks’ Climate
Not hothouse, nor icehouse: when tectonic plates move at a moderate speed - not too fast or slow - Earth remains habitable, new University of Sydney research finds.
Fjords emit as much methane as all the deep oceans globally
During heavy storms, the normally stratified layers of water in ocean fjords get mixed, which leads to oxygenation of the fjord floor. But these storm events also result in a spike in methane emissions from fjords to the atmosphere. Researchers have estimated that the total emissions of this climate-warming gas...