Author: Bianca Nogrady

Bianca Nogrady is an Australian freelance science journalist, broadcaster and author - www.biancanogrady.com - @biancanogrady

Ancient bubbles in Pilbara rock show Earth had thin atmosphere 2.7b years ago

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From ABC Science, 10 May 2016: Air bubbles trapped in 2.7 billion-year-old lava flows in the Pilbara suggest the Earth’s atmosphere weighed less than half that of today and was far thinner than previously thought. The discovery has forced a rethink of how the Earth managed to stay relatively ice-free during that period, despite the … Continue reading Ancient bubbles in Pilbara rock show Earth had thin atmosphere 2.7b years ago

No trace of Neanderthal DNA on Y chromosome of modern men

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From ABC News in Science, 8 April 2016: Modern men have no traces of Neanderthal DNA on their Y chromosome, the first-ever analysis of the male Neanderthal sex chromosome has revealed. The Y chromosome is passed exclusively from father to son. Until now, all sequencing of the Neanderthal genome had been done on females because … Continue reading No trace of Neanderthal DNA on Y chromosome of modern men

Human embryos cultured in lab for record time a ‘major step forward’ that opens ethical debate

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From ABC News in Science, 5 May 2016: For the first time, scientists have kept human embryos alive in the laboratory for six days beyond the point at which it would normally implant into the uterus. Two separate groups of scientists today report in Nature and Nature Cell Biology their successful development of human embryos … Continue reading Human embryos cultured in lab for record time a ‘major step forward’ that opens ethical debate

Three planets discovered orbiting nearby cool small star ‘best places to look for life’

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From ABC News in Science, 3 May 2016: Astronomers have discovered three planets orbiting the habitable zone of an ultra-cool dwarf star just 40 light-years from Earth. The discovery, reported today in Nature, is the first evidence supporting the hypothesis that these very low-mass and low-temperature stars should have Earth-sized or smaller planets orbiting them. … Continue reading Three planets discovered orbiting nearby cool small star ‘best places to look for life’

Australian cryptologists concerned by restrictive exports law

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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

Forever young

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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

Southern right whale study quantifies impact of whaling in New Zealand’s waters

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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

The tough question we all need to think about: what type of death do you want?

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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?

A tick bite that makes you allergic to red meat

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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