freelance science journalist and author
From Fish magazine, September 2017: If there is a holy grail of recreational fishing, it’s the Swordfish. Anglers talk about it in almost mythical terms: the unicorn of the sea, the Mount Everest of angling, the ultimate test of man versus (marine) beast. Even its scientific name – Xiphias gladius – translates from ancient Greek … Continue reading Tagging study sheds light on the elusive Swordfish
From A*STAR Research Highlights, January 29, 2018 (not bylined): A hormone secreted by the placenta during pregnancy may play a key role in the development of pre-eclampsia; a major worldwide cause of maternal and fetal death. A*STAR researchers first discovered the hormone, called ELABELA, or ELA, in 2013 and showed, in zebrafish, that it was … Continue reading Hormone discovery opens path for new pre-eclampsia treatment
From A*STAR Research Highlights, December 19, 2017 (not bylined): The fetal immune system is fully developed and functional from as early as 16 weeks gestation, but has a mechanism to keep it suppressed until after birth, according to an A*STAR-led study. Their findings could shed light on the immunological mechanisms underlying fetal-maternal health problems such … Continue reading Fetal immune system developed, but tolerant
From A*STAR Research Highlights, August 25, 2017 (not bylined): Encapsulating the antioxidant quercetin in carnauba wax could mask its bitterness and enable its use in a wide range of food products, according to new research from Singapore. Quercetin is a type of plant pigment called a flavonoid, and is one of the most abundant antioxidants … Continue reading Making the unpalatable palatable
In celebration of International Women’s Day, I got to join Dr Karl and astrophysicist Professor Tara Murphy in the Triple J studio with Linda Marigliano, and talk science with Triple J callers. We had questions coming in on everything from whether burning hydrocarbons in fossil fuels add water to the hydrosphere to why some people … Continue reading Talking science on Triple J with Linda Marigliano and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
From ABC Science, 5 July 2017 The fastest-moving stars in our galaxy may have been shot off the bow of a passing smaller galaxy. These so-called “galactic hypervelocity stars” are large and short-lived but travel up to 1,000 kilometres per second. Strangely, most of them appear to be in an unusual cluster in the northern … Continue reading Milky Way’s fast-moving galactic hypervelocity stars may have come from another galaxy
From Oncology Practice, 5 December 2017: Twenty-four years’ worth of data from the Netherlands’ mammography screening program suggest that it has achieved only a marginal impact on breast cancer mortality, according to a paper published online Dec. 5 in the British Medical Journal. Researchers used data on the stage-specific incidence of breast cancer in the … Continue reading Mammography screening’s benefits for breast cancer mortality questioned
When I started out as a freelance science writer, I assumed that my entire workload would come from the metropolitan daily newspapers or major international science magazines. Those were the places where I read about science, so I figured they were all there was to be experienced in the world of science journalism. Barely a … Continue reading Got a story pitch? Here are some outlets you might not have thought of
From The Guardian, 4 October 2017: For a brief and shining moment in 2012, Australia was at the global forefront of climate change action, as one of the first countries to implement a carbon pricing mechanism. It lasted only two years, and was repealed amid much fanfare by the Abbott government in July 2014. During … Continue reading China’s emissions trading scheme puts Australian companies on notice
From Ensia magazine, 13 October 2017: The Australian federal government’s love affair with coal has reached new levels in recent years, with federal ministers bringing chunks of the mineral into parliament and donning high-visibility mining vests as pro-coal publicity stunts. Yet against this backdrop, one Australian state has managed to break global records in the … Continue reading South Australia goes all-out on renewables despite Federal focus on coal
