April 11, 2017

Chasing the moonbirds

April 11, 2017

Over their lifetimes, some migratory shorebirds travel over 380,000km, equivalent to the distance from the Earth to the Moon. One young ecologist plans to follow their annual flight path.

March 13, 2017

By Jo Khan

Issue 20, Physical Science

Unexpected harmonies

March 13, 2017

By Jo Khan

Issue 20, Physical Science

Emotionless physics data can be transformed through a process called sonification. Chris Henschke uses this to tease the music out of light.

March 13, 2017

By Ellen Rykers

Philosophy & History, Issue 20

Enchanted earth

March 13, 2017

By Ellen Rykers

Philosophy & History, Issue 20

Scientists know the world through data, but Aboriginal Australians know the world through the ancient musical tradition of songlines.

January 9, 2017

By Elizabeth Newton

Issue 18, Life Science

Is specimen collecting justified?

January 9, 2017

By Elizabeth Newton

Issue 18, Life Science

Historically, killing an animal was the only way to preserve its likeness for future study. Even with modern technology, we must continue to do this.

November 7, 2016

By Brian Whitney

Art & Popular Culture, Issue 16

The sex machines

November 7, 2016

By Brian Whitney

Art & Popular Culture, Issue 16

The future of sex is designed, digitised, fetishised and controversial — and it might not fit in your bedside table drawer.

November 7, 2016

By Andrew Katsis

Life Science, Issue 16

Watered down

November 7, 2016

By Andrew Katsis

Life Science, Issue 16

Our official processes for threatened species are failing to save the Running River rainbowfish, which is rapidly mating itself into oblivion.

November 7, 2016

By Emma Beckett

Issue 16, Society & Education

The unexamined woman

November 7, 2016

By Emma Beckett

Issue 16, Society & Education

New medical treatments must be proven effective, but the majority of research studies are carried out on men. This discrepancy negatively affects the quality of care women receive.

October 3, 2016

By Erin Stewart

Issue 15, Philosophy & History

The implications of automation

October 3, 2016

By Erin Stewart

Issue 15, Philosophy & History

As robots replace more and more human workers, the world needs to work out how to transition to an automated economy without destroying society.

October 3, 2016

By Claudia Geib

Issue 15, Life Science

The new hunt for the right whale

October 3, 2016

By Claudia Geib

Issue 15, Life Science

Modern drone technology is helping to find and protect one of the world’s most endangered marine mammals.

May 2, 2016

By Ivy Shih

Physical Science, Issue 10

Toxic medicine

May 2, 2016

By Ivy Shih

Physical Science, Issue 10

In the search for better, faster, stronger drugs, animal venom could be the answer, as toxins are harnessed to create target-specific treatments.

March 7, 2016

By Debbie Pope

Issue 8, Art & Popular Culture

The freedom of a genre: Sexuality in speculative fiction

March 7, 2016

By Debbie Pope

Issue 8, Art & Popular Culture

The freedom of a genre: Sexuality in speculative fiction

With Ursula K. Le Guin challenging the gender binary as early as the 1960s, speculative fiction has been pushing society’s boundaries in a way no other genre has been free to do so.

September 28, 2015

By Janelle Braithwaite

Society & Education, Issue 2

Lost in translation: The value of a PhD outside academia

September 28, 2015

By Janelle Braithwaite

Society & Education, Issue 2

Lost in translation: The value of a PhD outside academia

Most PhD graduates won't find a job in academia. So how can people with an ultra-specialised area of expertise convey their value and skillset to non-researchers — including potential employers?