Science and Technology
Advancing our world with audacious ideas
Science and Technology
Advancing our world with audacious ideas
Mind the gap: How maths is taught may be failing girls
Opinion: Australian boys are dramatically ahead of girls in maths at both primary and high school level, an international test has revealed. But mathematician Associate Professor Richard Garner warns the gender gap is more complex than it appears.
Why do some mammals have short pregnancies while others take years? Wallaby study sparks new insights
Macquarie University scientists compared placental mammals with wallabies, opossums and dunnarts to show how mammals evolved to manage inflammation during pregnancy, allowing them to extend their gestation from days to months.
Sewage Signals: How DNA detection is revolutionising water quality monitoring
Scientists have used bacterial DNA to track sewage pollution in 18 global harbours, revealing widespread contamination that current testing methods fail to detect.
How will AI impact your next job?
Artificial intelligence threatens to dramatically change the work we do and how our workplaces operate. Macquarie University researchers examine some vital ethical questions raised by this new technology.
Lights deter Great White sharks: new research
VIDEO: What if surfers could be protected from shark attacks with something like an invisibility cloak? That’s what Professor Nathan Hart says is close to happening following discoveries he and colleague Dr Laura Ryan have made about how to trick sharks’ visual systems.
New genetic discovery reveals how birds get their coloured bills
Macquarie University researchers have uncovered a genetic reason for the distinctive red, yellow and orange bills of Australian finches, finding a link with how they process the pigments they get from seeds.
The reasons flowers wilt could explain how plants spend (and save) their energy
Wilting flowers might not signal poor flower or plant health, but rather the effects of a sophisticated resource management strategy in plants, millions of years in the making.
One in three plants call islands home, now more than half are under threat
Islands make up just over five per cent of the world's land yet are home to 31 per cent of Earth's plant species. A new study shows that more than half the plants unique to islands are classified as threatened, with habitat loss, climate warming and invasive species to blame.
Surfing whales: citizen scientists help reveal behaviour of elusive tropical species
The first dedicated study of the distribution, ecology and behaviour of elusive Bryde’s whales in NSW and Queensland waters could help reshape conservation efforts.
Scales in the suburbs: 10 years of wildlife rescues reveal Sydneysiders’ reptile relationships
As spring signals an increase in reptile activity, an extensive exploration of 10 years of wildlife rescue data by scientists at Macquarie University reveals the complex interactions between humans and reptiles in Sydney’s urban landscape.
Racing the wind: How engineering students broke two world records with MQ Speed
From classroom to desert raceway, Macquarie students are shattering world speed records, propelling careers and pushing the limits of human-powered vehicles.
Hot Jupiter’s eccentric triangle of attraction could be a live case of ‘3 Body Problem’
An international astronomy team has analysed data from a newly-discovered massive planet on an extreme orbit to understand how ‘hot Jupiter’ planets form.