Success! The world’s largest scientific experiment ever built records the first particle collisions in Switzerland.

One of the most important breakthroughs in science and technology recently occurred in Switzerland as the Large Hadron Collider produced the first clear evidence of a collision of particles, the first major achievement of a project to which Australia has contributed $700m.

17 December 2009

Which plants store more carbon in Australia: forests or grasses?

Since carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas, one strategy that can partially combat global warming and climate change is to increase the amount of carbon stored in plants. Read on to find out whether forests or grasses are the better carbon store.

15 December 2009

Why we must act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Despite world attention, humans emit more greenhouse gases every year than they did the year before. It’s a situation that Australia needs to help turn around if we don’t want to bear the brunt of climate change, says Chief Scientist Professor Penny Sackett.

7 December 2009

Approaching 2010: Climate change, where do we stand?

As we prepare to enter a new decade, this report by the International Alliance of Research Universities presents the latest findings from some of the world’s leading climate change experts.

23 November 2009

Strawberry DNA isolation

Have you ever wanted to see what DNA actually looks like? Well try this great experiment, which shows you how to isolate the DNA of a strawberry…

14 October 2009

Australia’s threatened species

Since the time of Captain Cook exploring the east coast of Australia, hundreds of species have become extinct in Australia, including at least 50 bird and mammal species and more than 60 plant species. Read on to find out more…

9 October 2009

How science facilitates productivity in the agricultural sector

The big issues in the agricultural sector can only be addressed by multi-disciplined research teams working with industry to better understand the critical connections between productivity and sustainability.

Epidemics in a changing world

At the twentieth meeting of the Prime Minister’s Science Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) held on June 5 2009, an Expert Working Group presented a report titled Epidemics in a Changing World.

8 October 2009

Science for sustainable reefs

Pollution, overfishing, coastal development and climate change are putting the world’s coral reefs under increasing pressure. With millions of people relying on them, how can science help make our reefs sustainable?

Feeding the future: Sustainable agriculture

With the population exceeding 6.7 billion and growing by over 6 million a month, the need to protect agricultural land and to increase food production has become critical. Does sustainable agriculture have the answers?