September 2015

Issue 2: Underground

Evolution in tunnels, clandestine science education, rare earth mining, contraband media, and state-of-the-art physics labs deep beneath the earth: for our second issue, we're going underground. We're also launching a new monthly column, Sampling Eras, all about science and history. Check back throughout the month for even more great science writing.

Cover illustration by Elia Pirtle. Find out more about the underground forests of South Africa in this fascinating BBC Earth report.

Editorial

Featured

By Jack Scanlan

Modern technology's unfortunate metallic secret

By Jack Scanlan

Rare earth metals are vital for many advanced technologies, but controversies surrounding their mining are becoming increasingly common knowledge.

By Jack Scanlan

Features

Featured

By Emily Gregg

The fastest show on earth

By Emily Gregg

We often consider evolution a thing of the past. In reality, it may be occurring right under our noses, and perhaps even in our basements.

By Emily Gregg

By Luke Weston

Mining for WIMPs: The subterranean search for dark matter

By Luke Weston

Dark matter has never been directly detected; could a gold mine in Australia be part of the answer?

By Luke Weston

By Mark Richardson

Hidden schools and clandestine science education

By Mark Richardson

At the heart of education lies perhaps its grandest purpose: to maximise your potential to contribute to society. Why then, would education ever be denied to certain groups?

By Mark Richardson

By Nicola McCaskill

The violent underground: How the media makes us

By Nicola McCaskill

Controversial films and video games are often the scapegoat for horrific acts of public violence, but the science behind the media’s influence follows a much more complicated script.

By Nicola McCaskill

Articles

Faking volcanoes: A risky plan B for climate change

By Tessa Evans

Oct 1, 2015

Faking volcanoes: A risky plan B for climate change

By Tessa Evans

Oct 1, 2015

Volcanic eruptions help to cool the planet. Can geoengineers harness this in order to combat global warming?

By Tessa Evans

Oct 1, 2015

Lost in translation: The value of a PhD outside academia

By Janelle Braithwaite

Sep 28, 2015

Lost in translation: The value of a PhD outside academia

By Janelle Braithwaite

Sep 28, 2015

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?

By Janelle Braithwaite

Sep 28, 2015

By Caitlin Syme

Sep 21, 2015

Modern death and ancient CSI

By Caitlin Syme

Sep 21, 2015

The first body farm outside the US is currently under construction in Australia, and will help solve both modern and ancient murder mysteries.

By Caitlin Syme

Sep 21, 2015

By Chloe Warren

Sep 17, 2015

Reframing biology: How bioart takes science public

By Chloe Warren

Sep 17, 2015

Scientific discovery is changing the way that we live our lives. Now, bioart is changing the way we think about science.

By Chloe Warren

Sep 17, 2015

By Andrew Katsis

Sep 14, 2015

A Science Story: The house of Darwin

By Andrew Katsis

Sep 14, 2015

Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theories revolutionised how we look at the natural world. But how did this humble gentleman naturalist see so clearly what others had missed?

By Andrew Katsis

Sep 14, 2015

Columns

Gene Dosage

By Janan Arslan

Analgesics mixed with pharmacogenomics: The pain of it all

By Janan Arslan

Before you reach for that bottle of pain medication, it's worth knowing how your genes affect the efficacy of pain relief.

By Janan Arslan

Sampling Eras

By Rubee Dano

The persistent plague

By Rubee Dano

Centuries after the Black Death devastated Europe, modern science is filling gaps in our knowledge about the pandemic – and trying to find out why it has yet to return to full strength.

By Rubee Dano