freelance science journalist and author
From ABC News in Science, 23 October 2014: People handling shopping receipts on a regular basis may want to avoid using hand sanitiser. New research suggests the combination can increase absorption of the hormone-mimicking chemical BPA. The study found that bisphenol A — or BPA — on shopping receipts printed on thermal paper was easily … Continue reading Hand sanitisers boost BPA absorption from receipts
From ABC News in Science, 14 July 2014: Declines in rainfall over south-west Australia over the last 40 years are linked to greenhouse gases and ozone depletion, new climate models show. And the trend is likely to continue according to research, published today in Nature Geoscience , that predicts a 40 per cent reduction in … Continue reading Rainfall decline in south-west Australia linked to climate change
From ABC News in Science, 3 July 2014: Two dolphin species in north-western Australia are vulnerable to local extinction because they rarely mingle with their own kind outside their immediate location, a new study has found. The genetic analysis, published today in PLOS ONE, also identified one of the first cases of successful breeding between … Continue reading Vulnerable dolphins keep to themselves
From ABC News in Science, 26 June 2014: The oldest known samples of Neanderthal faeces have revealed these early humans actually enjoyed some salad with their steak. The findings, published today in PLoS ONE, challenge the image of Neanderthals as unrepentant carnivores, and the theory that their high meat intake may have contributed to their … Continue reading Neanderthals loved vegies with their meat
From ABC News in Science, 25 June 2014: The unique damselfish practice of cultivating their favourite type of algae on coral reefs contributes to an increase in coral disease, Australian researchers have found. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, also suggests that overfishing of other fish species may contribute to … Continue reading Damselfish ‘algal gardens’ harbour coral disease
From ABC Science Online, 30 May 2014: Large coral reefs have acted as survival centres for fish biodiversity during periods of climatic upheaval, explaining the extraordinary biodiversity present in the Indo-Pacific region. The findings appear in an international study published today in the journal Science. Researchers used sediment core data to map the changing distribution … Continue reading Ancient reefs helped shape fish diversity
From ABC News in Science, 11 April 2014: Countless theories on how to beat jet lag abound, but now two mathematicians have crunched the numbers to come up with what they believe is the quickest, most fool-proof method. They have developed a free mobile app based on their calculations and are hoping to use it … Continue reading Phone app trains you to beat jet lag
From ABC News in Science, 25 March 2014: A study of major league baseball players’ pitching arms has shown that bone strength in later life is decided by the quality of exercises we do in our youth. The research by US and Australian scientists is published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences … Continue reading Exercise during youth builds strong bones for life
From ABC News in Science, 5 March 2014: The hairy legs of water striders are artfully designed to strike a balance between the water capillary action and gravity, Chinese researchers have discovered. They found the spacing of the insect’s leg hairs fits a formula that takes into account the contact angle of the hairs and … Continue reading Leg hairs hold secret to walking on water
From ABC News in Science, 26 February 2014: Once creatures of the night, cane toads are now becoming active during the day to adapt as they move into semi-arid regions of Australia. Australian researchers used acoustic tags normally used to track fish movements and discovered that cane toads were accessing a dam during daylight hours, … Continue reading Desert cane toads no longer nocturnal
Bianca Nogrady 