freelance science journalist and author
From ABC Science, 9 July 2015: Tracking technology has finally lifted the lid off the secretive love life of Australia’s favourite marsupial, the koala. Researchers have discovered that while males rarely interact with other males during the mating season, females seem to become a lot more sociable with each other. In a paper published today … Continue reading Secret sex life of koalas revealed
From ABC News in Science, 8 July 2015: The greater the cost of a raising a cuckoo chick, the more likely a host bird is to kick cuckoo eggs out of the nest before they hatch, Australian researchers have found. Brood parasitism — the practice of laying eggs in another species’ nest and leaving them … Continue reading Birds more likely to reject costly cuckoo eggs
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 8 July 2015: Australia has long been called the lucky country. We have a life expectancy of 82 years, which places us in the top 10 countries in the world when it comes to lifespan. But this isn’t the case for all of us. Indigenous Australians have a ten-year lower … Continue reading The Indigenous health gap: social factors hit hard
I recently took part in a panel discussion looking at traditional publishing versus e-/independent/self-publishing, as part of the Blue Lab Creative Industries Symposium. It was a useful exercise, in that it made me look at exactly why I have chosen – and intend to keep choosing – the traditional publishing route for my books. My … Continue reading The pros and cons of traditional publishing
From Monash Magazine, February 2015: Look at any landscape painting and there is a good chance that clouds will have a prominent presence. But the dazzling diversity of shapes and hues that captures the imaginations of artists is also what makes clouds so perplexing for meteorologists and climatologists. Clouds are still one of the least … Continue reading Climate science is in the clouds
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 17 March 2015: How many times have you been told that if you’re prescribed antibiotics, you must always finish the full course, even if you’re feeling better? The popular notion has always been that if you don’t complete the full course, you’re encouraging the development of antibiotic resistance. But in … Continue reading Antibiotics – when is enough enough?
From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 1 June 2015: Time poor? Of course you are. Who isn’t, these days? We’re all desperately trying to cram two-days’ worth of activity into one, and it seems like everything has to have happened yesterday. Deadlines scream at you while yet another crumpled note from your child’s school gently nudges … Continue reading Time or money? Why you need both to be healthy
From ABC Health & Wellbeing, 14 May 2015: When it comes to healing the sick, we look to doctors. When it comes to preventing us from getting sick in the first place, many say we should look to governments. That’s because the vast majority of our biggest killers, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, lung … Continue reading Understanding what really makes us sick
From ABC Science, 5 June 2015: A highly resistant malaria parasite hijacks resources in immature red blood cells to defend itself against the impact of anti-malarial drugs, researchers have found. The study, by Australian and Scottish researchers, looks at how different species of malaria parasite behave inside the human body. Their findings, published today in … Continue reading Malaria parasite hijacks red blood cells to beat drugs
From ABC News in Science, 12 May 2015: Sea levels over the past two decades have risen faster than previously thought, suggests a new study that reassesses the accuracy of satellite data. The study by an international team of scientists, published today in Nature Climate Change , compares satellite records of sea levels made from … Continue reading Satellite data indicates sea level rise accelerating
Bianca Nogrady 