Science

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Our Communities 13 min read

What Australia learned from recent devastating floods – and how New Zealand can apply those lessons now

by Iftekhar Ahmed

Australia and New Zealand have both faced a series of devastating floods triggered by climate change and the return of the La Niña weather pattern. So it makes sense that Australia has now sent disaster crews to help with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

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Why El Niño doesn’t mean certain drought

Environment 13 min read

Why El Niño doesn’t mean certain drought

by Abraham Gibson, Danielle Verdon-Kidd

The Bureau of Meteorology released its latest climate driver update on Tuesday, saying the current La Niña has weakened and is “likely near its end”. Most climate models now point to neutral conditions – neither El Niño nor La Niña – through autumn and a trend towards El Niño in early spring

‘Forever chemicals’ have made their way to farms. For now, levels in your food are low – but there’s no time to waste

Environment 13 min read

‘Forever chemicals’ have made their way to farms. For now, levels in your food are low – but there’s no time to waste

by Ravi Naidu

They stop your food from sticking to the pan. They prevent stains in clothes and carpets. They help firefighting foam to extinguish fires. But the very thing that makes “forever chemicals” so useful also makes them dangerous.

Can chewing help manage stress, pain and appetite? Here’s what the science says

Health and Wellbeing 13 min read

Can chewing help manage stress, pain and appetite? Here’s what the science says

by Clare Collins

Ever feel a bit stressed or need a concentration boost? Research suggests one remedy may be right under your nose. Chewing has benefits for brain function, stress, anxiety, exam performance, pain perception, as well as hunger and food intake.
Nope, coffee won’t give you extra energy. It’ll just borrow a bit that you’ll pay for later

Health and Wellbeing 11 min read

Nope, coffee won’t give you extra energy. It’ll just borrow a bit that you’ll pay for later

by Emma Beckett

Many of us want (or should I say need?) our morning coffee to give us our “get up and go”. Altogether, the people of the world drink more than two billion cups of coffee each day.

Want your child to eat more veggies? Talk to them about ‘eating the rainbow'

Health and Wellbeing 13 min read

Want your child to eat more veggies? Talk to them about ‘eating the rainbow'

by Emma Beckett

Parents of young children today were raised during some of the most damaging periods of diet culture. From diet and “lite” foods and drinks, to expensive “superfoods”, one constant across these changing trends has been the moralisation of food as “good” or “bad”.

Photos from the field: our voyage investigating Australia’s submarine landslides and deep-marine canyons

Environment 15 min read

Photos from the field: our voyage investigating Australia’s submarine landslides and deep-marine canyons

by Hannah Power, Kendall Mollison, Michael Kinsela, Tom Hubble

Environmental scientists see flora, fauna and phenomena the rest of us rarely do. In this series, we’ve invited them to share their unique photos from the field.

Stop hating on pasta – it actually has a healthy ratio of carbs, protein and fat

Health and Wellbeing 13 min read

Stop hating on pasta – it actually has a healthy ratio of carbs, protein and fat

by Emma Beckett

New year, new you, new diet. It’s a familiar refrain. One popular dieting technique is to create a food blacklist. Quitting “carbs” or packaged foods is common, which can mean avoiding supermarket staples like pasta.

Traditional knowledge key to solving the world’s plastics pollution disaster

Our Communities 6 min read

Traditional knowledge key to solving the world’s plastics pollution disaster

by Gemma Dawkins & Shahni Wellington

A return to Indigenous-led solutions may be our only hope to address the global waste issue, according to researchers.

The internal shower

Health and Wellbeing 13 min read

The internal shower

by Clare Collins

Does TikTok's chia-lemon 'internal shower' really beat constipation? Here's what science says.

Living alongside COVID

Health and Wellbeing 14 min read

Living alongside COVID

by Peter Wark

We need to brace for a tsunami of long COVID. But we're not quite sure the best way to treat it

COVID disrupts sleep

Health and Wellbeing 13 min read

COVID disrupts sleep

by Gemma Paech

Has COVID affected your sleep? Here's how viruses can change our sleeping patterns

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