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 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
From ABC Science, 25 February 2015: Long lashes may make your eyes stand out, but researchers have discovered the ideal lash length that protects your eyes from dust and damage. The study, published today in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface , found that eyelashes of a length around one-third the width of the … Continue reading Ideal lash length follows one-third rule
From ABC News in Science, 11 February 2015: Australian scientists say they have unravelled a key mechanism in mice that may explain how obesity can be passed from a mother to her children. The mechanism may also provide insight into why obese women find it difficult to fall pregnant. According to their study, obese mothers … Continue reading Obesity damage to mum’s eggs passes to offspring
From ABC News in Science, 10 February 2015: A study of the most frequently used words across 10 different languages proves that we do always look on the bright side of life. Researchers from the Hedonometer Project, which aims to measure the real-time happiness of populations, used native speakers to rate their emotional response to … Continue reading Language proves we’re all optimists at heart
From ABC News in Science, 5 February 2015: Our brain’s reaction to pictures of angry or fearful faces could help predict our risk of developing depression or anxiety in response to stressful life events, a new study suggests. Researchers used MRI scans to examine activity levels in a part of the brain associated with our … Continue reading Angry faces may forecast mental health risk
From ABC News in Science, 26 November 2014: Vultures manage to survive exposure to a host of nasty bacteria by keeping their own team of gut bacteria that outcompete even the most deadly pathogens, new research shows. The study of the gut microbiome of New World vultures, published today in Nature Communication, reveals a remarkably … Continue reading Vultures survive toxic diet with bacterial help
From ABC News in Science, 30 October 2014: The charismatic Australian bearded dragon changes colour in sync with its circadian rhythm, researchers have found. The study, published today in PLoS ONE , shows that the dragon continues to change from dark colours during the early part of the day, to light at night, even when … Continue reading Bearded dragon’s colour matches body clock
Bianca Nogrady 