Yesterday
Do viruses trigger Alzheimer’s?
A growing group of scientists think so, and are asking whether antivirals could treat the disease
This Month
Read the questionnaire Trump has sent to Australian unis
A questionnaire sent to Australian universities by the Trump administration has sparked alarm among academics. You can read it here.
Do we age steadily or in bursts?
New technologies are giving scientists a better understanding of how the process of ageing actually works.
February
Research funding body suspends grant to pro-Palestinian academic
Controversial academic Randa Abdel-Fattah, who has said Zionists “have no claim or right to cultural safety”, has had her $870,000 research grant suspended.
Australia should punt on bold, unproven ideas: Shergold
The Australian Research Council chairman says this country needs to get behind young researchers whose work takes greater risks but offers larger rewards.
$50m donation aims to foil ‘sneak thief of sight’
The University of Sydney has received its second major donation in just two weeks – this time to change the trajectory of 80 million glaucoma sufferers.
Australia’s critical slide in R&D is now a national emergency
In a world reshaping through emerging technologies, the nation needs to put innovation at the centre of its competitive DNA to set up its fortunes for decades.
‘National emergency’ as Australia falls $25b short in R&D
Tesla chair Robyn Denholm and Industry Minister Ed Husic say Australia risks falling behind unless big business spends more on inventing new products and ideas.
January
How Australia became a test bed for the future of farming
Experimental fungi and “robotic bees” are among the agtech innovations being trialled in a country on the front line of climate change.
Monkeys, Shakespeare and AI: latest thinking on an old puzzle
Could monkeys really type all of Shakespeare? Not in this universe, suggests new research from UTS into one of science’s favourite puzzles.
If you think you can hold a grudge, consider the crow
Sometimes the only way to avoid attacks from a murder of crows is to move a long way away. Bribing the birds can also work.
December 2024
Gambling sector stunned by axing of tax breaks
The wagering industry said Labor’s decision to axe the R&D tax incentive for gambling and tobacco companies risked exposing other sectors to political horse-trading.
Chief scientist Cathy Foley despairs for an impatient society
The federal government’s top scientific adviser, whose term finishes at Christmas, says Australia needs to rethink its approach to research and innovation.
Public sector to blame for Australia’s poor productivity
Australia’s economic story has become dominated by public rather than private activity as politicians spend crazy amounts of money to buy votes.
Time to reverse the R&D slide
I encourage everyone with an interest in our long-term prosperity to engage with the review of the system so we get the best possible recommendations.
November 2024
Here’s the overall winner in the AFR’s Best Universities Ranking
For the second year in a row, UQ has taken out pole position in The Australian Financial Review Best Universities Ranking.
How we ranked Australia’s best universities
The Australian Financial Review Best Universities Ranking evaluates performance under four pillars: Teaching, Research, Career Impact and Equity, writes Tim Brown.
Stellar records on research at risk from funding shortfall
Melbourne University, ranked No.1 in the Research category, has created an ecosystem with industry partners and policymakers.
Aphantasia: What it’s like when your mind’s eye is blind
When a viral tweet made Yolanda Redrup realise she couldn't create a picture in her mind it changed her understanding of herself and the world around her.
October 2024
Chalmers flags crackdown on tax refunds for pokie makers
ASX-listed poker machine giant Aristocrat had a research and development budget of $22.1 million in 2021-22, according to the ATO data released earlier this month.