Biology
Hidden deep in a jungle, there is a big, furry, shellfish-munching plant. An Australian found it
An expert in carnivorous plants says it’s the first time he’s seen one that eats shellfish.
- by Carolyn Webb
Latest
Qld scientist discovers six mysterious sponges defying ocean depths
The Queensland Museum expert discovered the carnivorous critters while controlling a deep-sea vehicle from his desk.
- by Nick Dent
Explainer
Animals
‘Avian architecture’: Why birds’ nests are truly grand designs
Some are cup-shaped, some have domes, others have been likened to apartment complexes. How do birds build their nurseries?
- by Jackson Graham
Explainer
Daylight saving
Is it better to be a night owl or an early bird?
Some of us are early birds, others are night owls. But is that down to your genes or modern life?
- by Angus Holland and Gemma Grant
Opinion
Opinion
Myth busted: the idea the brain doesn’t fully develop until 25 is wrong
If we accept that we don’t just “tick over” into adulthood, the idea that 18 should be the default age to drink, buy cigarettes, drive, vote and gamble begins to seem arbitrary.
- by Daniel Cash
How scientists got wind of airborne germs at 3km altitude
Hundreds of different types of fungi and bacteria have been caught for the first time in the atmosphere and researchers think they know where they come from.
- by Carl Zimmer
Bandicoot bandits taking a bite out of a multimillion-dollar business
The unlikely gourmands are pilfering thousands of dollars of farmed black truffles a night, but a PhD student has been working to get them to change their ways.
- by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Explainer
Health
Dim light, failing sight: Behind this classic sign of middle-age
The menu looks foggy. The tiny instructions are a blur. It’s that time when your vision, a marvel of evolution, needs some help sharpening up. What’s going on in the eye itself? And what else could possibly go wrong?
- by Jackson Graham
Analysis
Paris 2024
Not so simple: Boxer Imane Khelif and the science of sex
Humans exhibit a wide variety of differences in sexual development. There is no simple binary. And a history of women playing sports is also a history of questions about their sex.
- by Liam Mannix
A leg or a useless paperweight: When can a severed limb be reattached?
When a surfer’s leg washed up on a NSW beach after he was mauled by a three-metre shark, the speculation began. Would surgeons reattach it?
- by Kate Aubusson
Dolphins that play together get the girls together, WA study finds
The wonder of a good wingman and the power of play are clear in the world of Western Australia’s world-famous bottlenose dolphins, a global research team finds.
- by Charlotte Vinson
Original URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/topic/biology-jap