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The Latest Breaking News from the Australian Research Council

We’ve created a new lens that could take thermal cameras out of spy films and put them into your back pocket

Like something out of a spy movie, thermal cameras make it possible to “see” heat by converting infrared radiation into an image. They can detect infrared light given off by animals, vehicles, electrical equipment and even people – leading to specialised applications in a number of industries.

The Conversation

Giant tree-kangaroos once lived in unexpected places all over Australia, according to major new analysis

Kangaroos are an enduring symbol of Australia’s uniqueness. To move, they do what no other large mammals do: they hop along on oversized hind legs. So you may be surprised to learn that some kangaroos live in trees, and are among the most endearing and threatened of all marsupials.

The Conversation

Changing wild animals' behavior could help save them – but is it ethical?

When large and warty cane toads were first brought to Australia nearly 100 years ago, they had a simple mission: to gobble up beetles and other pests in the sugarcane fields.

The Conversation

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The world's first flowers were pollinated by insects

Plants existed on Earth for hundreds of millions of years before the first flowers bloomed. But when flowering plants did evolve, more than 140 million years ago, they were a huge evolutionary success.

The Conversation

Hidden carbon: Fungi and their 'necromass' absorb one-third of the carbon emitted by burning fossil fuels every year

Beneath our feet, remarkable networks of fungal filaments stretch out in all directions. These mycorrhizal fungi live in partnership with plants, offering nutrients, water and protection from pests in exchange for carbon-rich sugars.

The Conversation

Social media snaps map the sweep of Japan’s cherry blossom season in unprecedented detail

Social media contains enormous amounts of data about people, our everyday lives, and our interactions with our surroundings. As a byproduct, it also contains a vast trove of information about the natural world.

The Conversation

A sustainable Australia depends on what happens in our cities – that's why we need a national urban policy

Australia has not had a national urban policy since the Rudd government. A troika of Liberal PMs followed. Tony Abbott wasn’t interested. Malcolm Turnbull didn’t quite live up to the hype but delivered cross-governmental City Deals and the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. Scott Morrison at best presided over a…

The Conversation

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How to fool a mouse: ‘chemical camouflage’ can hide crops and cut losses by over 60%

For as long as humans have grown our own food, we have battled pest animals that destroy crops and take food for themselves.

The Conversation

Fewer women receive research grants – but the reasons are more complicated than you'd think

It likely comes as no surprise that women receive a smaller share of research funding than men. But untangling the underlying reasons is no small feat.

The Conversation

From mangroves to fjords, coastal ecosystems can take up or emit greenhouse gases. But globally, they're a vital sink

Coastal ecosystems can absorb or emit the three main greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.

The Conversation

Bees can do so much more than you think – from dancing to being little art critics

Bees are among the most important insects on Earth – vital pollinators of our crops and significant contributors to human societies for thousands of years.

The Conversation

Murujuga's rock art is being destroyed – where is the outrage?

Three rock art panels were this month removed from Murujuga/Burrup in Western Australia to make way for a new A$6.4 billion fertiliser factory.

The Conversation

Breaking the mould: why rental properties are more likely to be mouldy and what's needed to stop people getting sick

Rental properties are more likely be mouldy than other homes. This is a concern as excessive mould growth is known to harm human health.

The Conversation

A new source of fire records, hidden in the sands, gives us a bigger picture of the risks

Sand dunes are not an obvious place to find high-quality fire records. For a start, anyone who walks on the forested sand dunes of South-East Queensland will be impressed by the intensity of ant activity at their feet. The ant nests extend at least 2 metres below the surface. As…

The Conversation

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These giant 'drop bears' with opposable thumbs once scaled trees in Australia. But how did they grow so huge?

Although long dead, fossil skeletons provide an incredible window into the lifestyle and environment of an extinct animal.

The Conversation

If the budget ditched the Stage 3 tax cuts, Australia could save every threatened species – and lots more

The Albanese government has made bold environmental promises over the last year. Given the parlous state of nature in Australia, these commitments are important.

The Conversation

Budget's energy bill relief and home retrofit funding is a good start, but dwarfed by the scale of the task

The quality and performance of our housing have big impacts on the environment, cost of living and our health and wellbeing. The 2023-24 federal budget’s announcement of $1.6 billion for energy-saving upgrades to housing recognises the broad importance of retrofitting Australian homes.

The Conversation

Supercomputers have revealed the giant 'pillars of heat' funnelling diamonds upwards from deep within Earth

Most diamonds are formed deep inside Earth and brought close to the surface in small yet powerful volcanic eruptions of a kind of rock called “kimberlite”.

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The Conversation

Bus rapid transit can avoid traffic chaos for the AFL's new stadium and transform Hobart – and other cities too

Following a decision to fund an AFL stadium on Hobart’s waterfront, the Tasmanian premier announced plans for a new bus rapid transit (BRT) system and ferry services to avoid traffic congestion. These plans are linked to Hobart’s City Deal and promise to reinvigorate the city’s ailing public transport system.

The Conversation

Remarkable new tech has revealed the ancient landscape of Arnhem Land that greeted Australia’s First Peoples

Many visitors to Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory are struck by the magnificent cliffs, stunning bird life and extraordinary rock art. Some may know this landscape includes the earliest evidence of human occupation in what is now Australia, at Madjedbebe, where signs of habitation have been dated to 65,000…

The Conversation

Teaching and research are the core functions of universities. But in Australia, we don't value teaching

This article is part of our series on big ideas for the Universities Accord. The federal government is calling for ideas to “reshape and reimagine higher education, and set it up for the next decade and beyond”. A review team is due to finish a draft report in June and…

The Conversation

1 in 4 households struggle to pay power bills. Here are 5 ways to tackle hidden energy poverty

One in four Australian households are finding it hard to pay their gas and electricity bills. As winter looms, energy price rises will make it even harder. Cold homes and disconnections resulting from energy poverty threaten people’s health and wellbeing.

The Conversation

Fair representation in news makes multicultural Australians feel more at home: new research

Belonging can be defined as a settled feeling. It is about feeling attached to the community and society you live in. Not only does belonging make people feel at home, but it can also help people participate in society.

The Conversation

Isotope analysis helps tell the stories of Aboriginal people living under early colonial expansion

Acknowledgement: we would like to extend our thanks to the Gkuthaarn and Kukatj People who invited us to work on this sensitive project through the lens of truth-telling – particularly Phillip George, Richie Bee and Francine George – whose insights have formed a key pillar of the work.

The Conversation

Drone seeding and E-seeds sound exciting, but ecosystem restoration needs practical solutions

A drone drops a small wooden projectile with three spiral tails and a seed mounted on the tip. It gently lands on the bare ground and sits there, exposed to the elements, until it rains. Then, the moisture penetrates the wood fibres, and the spiral tails start twisting, slowly pushing…

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