Understanding Māori language learners

Before COVID-19, my colleagues Dr. Maureen Muller and Tai Ahu and I conducted research for Te Mātāwai focusing on factors that enable and inhibit Māori from learning and using te reo Māori.

'Contact tracing' system for environmental chemical exposures

In the movies, scientists can take a sample of someone's blood, put it in a mass spectrometer, and quickly determine everything that's in the sample.

Pyrrole chemistry: Good things come in threes

A new approach leads to the long-awaited formation of rings made of three pyrroles, which could be used to produce compounds with a host of interesting properties, and explains why they have not been observed before.

Part of the universe's missing matter found

Galaxies can receive and exchange matter with their external environment thanks to the galactic winds created by stellar explosions. Via the MUSE instrument from the Very Large Telescope at the ESO, an international research team, led on the French side by the CNRS and l'Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, has mapped a galactic wind for the first time. This unique observation, which is detailed in a study published in MNRAS on 16 September 2021, helped to reveal where some of the universe's missing matter is located and to observe the formation of a nebula around a galaxy.

Data from 29,798 clean-ups around the world uncovers some of the worst litter hotspots

Coastal litter is a big environmental problem. But how does this litter differ around the world, and why? In the first global analysis of its kind, we set out to answer those questions using data collected by thousands of citizen scientists.

How the canine teeth of carnivorous mammals evolved to make them super-killers

Carnivorous animals come in all shapes and sizes, from the 500-gram quoll to the 500-kilogram polar bear. This disparate group of mammals shares a common feature: canine teeth at the front of their jaws.

A six-year search of the outer solar system turns up 461 new objects (but no Planet 9)

In the near future, astronomers will benefit from the presence of next-generation telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (RST). At the same time, improved data mining and machine learning techniques will also allow astronomers to get more out of existing instruments. In the process, they hope to finally answer some of the most burning questions about the cosmos.

African leopard sighting raises hopes for their conservation in southern Cameroon

In recent years, ecologists have been able to confirm the existence of species previously thought to be lost from former parts of their range.

Cosmic rays erode away all but the largest interstellar objects

So far, we know of only two interstellar objects (ISO) to visit our solar system. They are 'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov. There's a third possible ISO named CNEOS 2014-01-08, and research suggests there should be many more.

Boosting kiwi repopulation efforts

Releasing a higher number of kiwi into large predator-controlled areas could increase the success of efforts to help their survival in the wild, new research shows.

Burning space mystery solved as researchers confirm origins of 'empty sky' gamma-rays

Star-forming galaxies are responsible for creating gamma-rays that until now had not been associated with a known origin, researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have confirmed.

Humpback whales as bioindicators of Antarctic mercury pollution

A Griffith University-led study provided the first evidence of mercury accumulation in humpback whales and screened levels in other marine megafauna foraging in the Southern Ocean.

Taking Australia's homegrown superfood mainstream

Lupins have long been touted as the next superfood, combatting heart disease, diabetes and obesity and new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has taken an important step to make that a reality.

Engineering a polymer network to act as active camouflage on demand

The animal kingdom is full of creatures with active camouflage. What looks like a drab pile of sand and rocks might actually be a brightly colored squid, expanding and contracting structures within their skin to reveal shades of brown and gray instead of vibrant blue and yellow. Known as chromatophores, these cells can expand and retract internal reflective plates in response to external stimuli, allowing the animal to match the colors and patterns of their surroundings, and disappear in an instant.

New technology makes it possible to see clearly through murky water

Researchers have developed a new method that can automatically produce clear images through murky water. The new technology could be useful for searching for drowning victims, documenting submerged archaeological artifacts and monitoring underwater farms.

How climate change could impact algae in the global ocean

Global warming is likely to cause abrupt changes to important algal communities because of shifting biodiversity 'break point' boundaries in the oceans—according to research from the University of East Anglia and the Earlham Institute.

Australia approves new coal project as climate warnings grow

Australia on Thursday approved a controversial coal mine extension, doubling down on a commitment to continue extracting fossil fuels despite growing pressure to cut carbon emissions.

Chinese astronauts complete three-month space mission

Three Chinese astronauts have completed the country's longest crewed mission and started their journey home on Thursday after 90 days at the Tiangong space station conducting spacewalks and scientific experiments.

Contest winners, health worker orbiting world in SpaceX 1st

The four people on SpaceX's first private flight are fairly ordinary, down-to-Earth types brought together by chance.

Southwest China earthquake collapses homes, kills at least 3

An earthquake destroyed houses, killed at least three people and injured dozens Thursday in southwest China's Sichuan province.

SpaceX launches 4 amateurs on private Earth-circling trip

SpaceX's first private flight streaked into orbit Wednesday night with two contest winners, a health care worker and their rich sponsor, the most ambitious leap yet in space tourism.