Author: Bianca Nogrady

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

Australian Indigenous genomes are highly diverse and unlike those anywhere else

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From Nature, 13 December 2023: Australian Indigenous communities from different regions in the north and centre of the country are some of the most genetically distinct people on the planet, according to a pair of studies published in Nature today. Indigenous Australian communities have the highest rate of genetic variation outside people in Africa. Hundreds … Continue reading Australian Indigenous genomes are highly diverse and unlike those anywhere else

Renewable energy for the subcontinent

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From Nature, 13 December 2023: When it comes to renewable energy, India is lucky to have an abundance of natural resources. It is the seventh-largest nation on Earth, occupying around 2% of the planet’s land mass, and has a mainland coastline that stretches for 7,500 kilometres. Most regions experience between 250 and 300 sunny days … Continue reading Renewable energy for the subcontinent

The fight against antimicrobial resistance

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From Nature, 13 December 2023: Faced with a skyrocketing rate of antimicrobial resistance, which is estimated to cause or contribute to millions of deaths around the world each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017 created a classification system for antimicrobial drugs. The WHO’s system, AWaRe, places all available antimicrobials into three categories: access, … Continue reading The fight against antimicrobial resistance

Australia bans engineered stone because of silicosis risk

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From the BMJ, 16 December 2023: Australia has become the first country to ban engineered stone, a popular material for kitchen and bathroom benchtops, after documenting hundreds of cases of silicosis in workers in the industry who were exposed to dust from cutting the product. Work health and safety ministers approved a ban on the … Continue reading Australia bans engineered stone because of silicosis risk

“My collaborations would see me jailed”: Australian researchers fear proposed new laws

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From Nature, 28 November 2023: Scientists have reacted with alarm at a proposal by the Australian Department of Defence to control information sharing with foreign researchers, even those working in Australia. If it is passed, the proposed Defence Trade Controls Amendment Bill 2023 would affect scores of scientists working in Australia and have a chilling … Continue reading “My collaborations would see me jailed”: Australian researchers fear proposed new laws

Microbiologist who was harassed during COVID pandemic sues university

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From Nature, 21 November 2023: Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles is suing her employer, the University of Auckland, in New Zealand’s employment court. She alleges that the university’s management “failed in their duty to keep her safe in her employment” while, as a high-profile scientist providing public information about the COVID-19 pandemic, she was subjected to “vitriolic … Continue reading Microbiologist who was harassed during COVID pandemic sues university

Does cancer screening really not save lives?

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From The Medical Republic, 30 October 2023: “Current evidence does not substantiate the claim that common cancer screening tests save lives.” As scientific mic drops go, it’s a doozy. The Australian government alone spends more than $400 million a year on screening programs for just three cancers – breast, bowel and cervical – and is … Continue reading Does cancer screening really not save lives?

Record-breaking summer set to hit southern hemisphere

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From Nature, 19 November 2023: The southern hemisphere is facing a summer of extremes, say scientists, as climate change amplifies the effects of natural climate variability. This comes in the wake of a summer in the northern hemisphere that saw extreme heatwaves across Europe, China and North America, setting new records for both daytime and … Continue reading Record-breaking summer set to hit southern hemisphere

The science on Covid boosters

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From The Saturday Paper, 4 September 2023: On May 5 this year, World Health Organization director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the pandemic emergency downgraded from an acute global disaster into a more chronic, long-term affliction. Covid-19 became another in the long line of deadly pathogens that have seared their way into history, then faded … Continue reading The science on Covid boosters