freelance science journalist and author
From Nature News, 22 March 2016: Researchers in Australia are worried that an unusually restrictive ‘export controls’ law that comes into force in April could constrain their academic freedom. The law, called the Defence Trade Controls Act, will require academics who are working on applied research that is classified as ‘dual-use’ — that which may … Continue reading Australian cryptologists concerned by restrictive exports law
From Australian Geographic, May/June edition: IT’S BARELY 8AM ON A spring morning in Sydney’s inner south-west. Already the indoor ice rink is alive with lithe figures swooping and twirling in the cool internal air. These world-class figure skating hopefuls have been here for hours, practising their gravity-defying leaps, forcing themselves to their feet after each … Continue reading Forever young
From ABC News in Science, 16 March 2016: The population of southern right whales in the waters off New Zealand is just 12 per cent of its size before whaling began, according to a new study. The research, published in Royal Society Open Science, highlighted the slow path to recovery from whaling in this area, … Continue reading Southern right whale study quantifies impact of whaling in New Zealand’s waters
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 21 March 2016: We can talk about good deaths and bad deaths, cheating death or embracing it, but the one thing that we all seem to reach for is this: when we die, we want to do it our way. Tony Smith (not his real name) says his mother and … Continue reading The tough question we all need to think about: what type of death do you want?
From Nature News, 22 February 2016: An Australian bill, proposed by Greens senator Lee Rhiannon, to ban the importation of non-human primates for medical research provokes rush of protests from the Australian and international scientific establishment. Read more.
From BBC Future, 1 February 2016: Walking through Sydney’s northern beaches in the height of summer, the dense, humid bush is alive with the buzz of cicadas, the screech of rosellas, and the mouth-watering smell of barbecue. But hiding in the undergrowth is a tiny creature that is forcing some unrepentant carnivores to turn their … Continue reading A tick bite that makes you allergic to red meat
From BBC Future, 10 November 2015: It used to be called ‘Chinese Restaurant Syndrome’: a collection of symptoms such as headache, nausea and a strange numbness that certain people seem to suffer after a meal of Chinese food, which went beyond the usual queasiness and self-loathing at having eaten one too many barbecued pork buns. … Continue reading Is MSG as bad as it’s made out to be?
From ABC Science, 20 November 2015: Even if we all ate the same meal, everyone would metabolise it differently, according to a new study that suggests that there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all dietary advice. Rather diets should be tailored to an individual’s gut microbiome, or combination of gut bacteria, Israeli scientists said. The … Continue reading Diets should be personally tailored to your gut microbiome, study says
From ABC Science, 4 November 2015: Moods, both positive and negative, may actually serve an evolutionary purpose in helping us to have more realistic expectations. Researchers have used mathematical modelling to show that our mood may be a subconscious way for us to keep track of the availability of rewards in our environment, and to … Continue reading Moods may have an evolutionary purpose
Am I a science journalist or a science communicator? It might seem like a pointless question to ask, but as someone whose day-to-day living kinda of revolves around this issue, it’s actually quite important. Contemplating this led me to realise that I actually don’t really know what the point of difference is between a science … Continue reading The demise of science journalism and rise of science communication?
Bianca Nogrady 