Latest research news
Falling asleep might look simple, but in fact it’s an elaborate interplay of hormones, circadian rhythms and light cues. Now, as sleep researcher Dr Aurore Perrault explains, studies are showing another big influence on the quality of your slumber is whether you’re a man or a woman.
For millennia, sisters, mothers, wives and daughters have been sacrificed at the altar of male greatness. On International Woman’s Day, Dr Rebecca Sheehan, Senior Lecturer in History and Gender Studies, reminds us of a work in progress.
A new clinical trial is testing whether a molecular therapy already in use to treat eye disease could help patients with frozen shoulder, a debilitating condition that mostly affects active women aged 40 to 60.
A new map has begun to build a picture of motor neuron disease (MND) in NSW, with the team at Australia’s first MND surveillance centre aiming to collect patient data to pinpoint the causes of the deadly neurodegenerative disease.
Health and Medicine
Advances in lymphoedema research have resulted in significant improvements in managing the condition, but some of the old myths persist. Professor John Boyages AM and Associate Professor Louise Koelmeyer explain the latest evidence-based advice.
A new study of Australians living with chronic physical health conditions has found family members and doctors who dismiss their experiences cause significant mental distress.
Visits to the doctor could be improved with the use of AI to record a patient’s medical history provided concerns about accuracy, reliability and privacy are addressed. A study led by Macquarie University researchers tested the performance of models such as ChatGPT to find out which form of AI took the best clinical notes.
A new study by Macquarie University health science researchers has identified a way of showing which runners are at risk of injury from high impact landings, and they hope now to use it to drive the next generation of wearable devices.
Please Explain
More than a century after Tutankhamun's tomb was uncovered, a British-Egyptian team has discovered the tomb of another pharaoh, King Thutmose II. Archaeologist Dr Karin Sowada explains why the discovery of a royal tomb – even one largely bereft of artifacts – is big news.
In one famous case in the US, a police officer pursuing a suspect ran past an assault without seeing it. What does this tell us about how memories are formed and retrieved, and how they might be altered along the way? Forensic psychology researcher Dr Hayley Cullen explains.
Science and Technology
Video: New research has tracked Australia’s peacock spiders making the fastest-known jumps in a spider, experiencing forces higher than fighter pilots while leaping distances 15 times their body length.
Scientists have found prized Siamese fighting fish are typically being kept in conditions a quarter of the size they need to thrive, challenging decades of retail practice in the multi-million dollar ornamental fish industry worldwide.
Relationship dynamics among birds can be just as complex as they are in humans. While some bird species stick with one partner for life, new research has shown others might switch partners after just one breeding season.
Scientists have used bacterial DNA to track sewage pollution in 18 global harbours, revealing widespread contamination that current testing methods fail to detect.
Arts and Society
You don’t have to be a scholar of classical Greek mythology to enjoy the Australian Opera’s latest production of the multi-Tony award-winning musical Hadestown, now on at Sydney’s Theatre Royal. But this guide to the tales of gods versus mortals from ancient historian Tanika Koosmen will help.
The epic tale of a Trojan hero is given an acrobatic twist in Opera Queensland’s production of Dido & Aeneas, writes Macquarie University Professor of Ancient History Ray Laurence.
In her new book, social anthropologist Dr Ceridwen Dovey explores the imaginary tales of human-made objects adrift in outer space, using real events as her inspiration. Here Dr Dovey unveils the motive behind her 'characters' which include the International Space Station and the Voyager 1 space probe.
More than a century after Tutankhamun's tomb was uncovered, a British-Egyptian team has discovered the tomb of another pharaoh, King Thutmose II. Archaeologist Dr Karin Sowada explains why the discovery of a royal tomb – even one largely bereft of artifacts – is big news.
Business and The Economy
Macquarie University has teamed with tech giant Tata Consultancy Services to produce a business white paper through its research and innovation centre, the TCS GoZero Hub, to help Australian organisations in their quest to reach net zero carbon emissions.
Many air passengers are open to paying extra for flights with reduced emissions, according to a new study of consumer preferences by Macquarie University researchers.
Opinion: Faith-based voters represent a significant proportion of the U.S. electorate - and they overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump.
Opinion: New research led by Macquarie Business School suggests government programs to subsidise the cost of solar panels for low-income households may not be the best way to boost the uptake of solar energy.