NewsBite

Research

Yesterday

Crows don’t think humans all look alike. In fact, they never forget a face.

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.

  • Thomas Fuller

December 2024

The decision has attracted criticism from anti-gambling advocates.

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.

  • Updated
  • Ronald Mizen
Outgoing Chief Scientist Cathy Foley.

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.

  • Tom McIlroy

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.

  • Christopher Joye
Fiona Wood spearheaded the creation of Avita Medical’s spray-on skin in the 1990s and early 2000s.

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.

  • Ed Husic
Advertisement

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.

  • Julie Hare

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.

  • Tim Brown
University of Melbourne deputy vice chancellor (research) Mark Cassidy: “We are not going to solve all the issues we have unless we partner with others.”

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.

  • Alexandra Cain
Aphantasia: What it’s like when your mind’s eye is blind
1:11

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.

  • Updated

October 2024

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says taxpayer money being used to develop poker machines is “problematic”.

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.

  • Ronald Mizen
Swinburne University’s Professor Matthew Bailes has been named Scientist of the Year.

The Aussie who helped discover how to weigh the universe

World renowned astrophysicist Professor Matthew Bailes has won the 2024 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science.

  • Julie Hare
The new research found that women continue to live longer than men.

Don’t expect human life expectancy to grow much more, says new study

Some billionaires think they can extend their lives to 200 years at least, but researchers say we’ve probably already maxed out the human lifespan.

  • Mike Stobbe

September 2024

From left: Danielle Wood, Peter Varghese, Frank Lowy, Linda Jakobson, John Daley.

Australia’s ‘brain boxes’ are a growing source of covert power

These research and advocacy institutes are on the rise. But to get the funding, they need to be seen.

  • Emma Connors

August 2024

CSIRO chief Professor Doug Hilton, says the agency needs to be able to draw in skills from across the agency “with minimal friction”.

Plan to cut 500 jobs from CSIRO ‘threatens research’

A CSIRO plan to cut $100 million in costs threatens industry collaboration and the government’s Made in Australia ambitions, industry leaders say.

  • Tom Burton

This special paint could save lives from bushfires

New paint technology developed at UNSW to help fire-proof homes is a joint winner in the Higher Education Awards research commercialisation category.

  • Alexandra Cain
Advertisement

How medical research is failing women

For years, the process for developing and testing new drugs has focused disproportionately on male bodies — to the detriment of female patients.

  • Sarah Neville
Chief scientist Cathy Foley said she was surprised by the level of consensus around what the community was looking for from science.

Aussie innovators pushed to focus on five ‘missions’

New priorities, outlined by Science Minister Ed Husic, include the net zero transition, supporting healthy communities and “elevating” Indigenous knowledge systems.

  • Updated
  • Tom Burton
Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby: “These findings will now feed into safety regulations for plastic exposure in pregnancy.”

Bees’ royal jelly may ease autism’s sting

Researchers have found that a component of royal jelly, the secretion from honeybees, can counter one form of autism.

  • Jill Margo

June 2024

Humans typically struggle to see patterns in complex high-frequency transactions, but computers can be trained to identify networks and suspicious transactions.

Why people with cancer don’t get the full benefit of clinical trials

Australian researchers say regulators should mandate the requirement to share data.

  • Jill Margo
Universities have been “disingenuous” about how much overseas student revenue is spent on research.

‘Very wealthy’ unis ‘disingenuous’ about foreign student fees

Universities are richer than they claim and spend less of their overseas student revenue on research than they say.

  • Julie Hare

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/research-jar