Science & Technology

Animals
Artist's impressions of extinct flightless bird Genyornis.

Ancient ‘thunderbird’ roamed SA

Partial fossils of a giant 230kg prehistoric bird found in South Australia 45,000 years ago have given scientists clues about the flightless megafauna’s physical structure and appearance

Animals
The vibrantly coloured, spiky caterpillar of the comparatively mundane Comana monomorpha moth. Picture: Supplied

Strange use for caterpillar venom

Long seen as a spiky menace to the gardeners of Townsville, the electric caterpillar has a painful and venomous sting that scientists say could be used in a surprising way

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Environment
Mark Knight cartoon, June 20

Dutton sparks nuclear reactions

Cartoonist Mark Knight suggests cool heads are needed in the nuclear power debate after Liberal leader Peter Dutton’s policy announcement sent the political landscape into instant meltdown

History
FOR KIDS NEWS. A study of ancient Egyptian skulls has changed the way we think about the history of cancer treatment. Picture: Dr Edgard Camarós

Surprise Ancient Egypt cancer find

A new study has shown Ancient Egyptians may have performed surgery to treat cancer as far back as 4000 years ago after hi-tech equipment detected cut marks in an ancient skull

Explainers
Airport staff and emergency services preparing for the arrival of the Singapore Airlines in Bangkok -One person has died and multiple people have been injured on a Singapore Airlines flight that experienced “severe turbulence”.,The Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow was forced to divert to Bangkok after experiencing severe turbulencewhile entering airspace in the region, which is currently being battered by tropical thunderstorms. Picture: Twitter

What causes turbulence in the air?

Passengers aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 included 56 Australians and first reports suggest a natural phenomenon caused their ordeal – here’s what we can learn from it

Animals
(FILES) This photograph taken in Saint-Philbert-sur-Risle on August 12, 2023 shows western honey bee also known as European honey bee (Apis mellifera) in a beehive. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)

Bees’ survival creates major buzz

World Bee Day 2024: How did a few stowaway bees stranded far from home survive life in a new country? The answer could bring fresh hope for Australia’s native bee population

Animals
Huon Valley Caravan Park celebrating 10 years and the addition of new Tasmanian Devils to the park.  Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Vaccine battle to save Aussie icon

Efforts to protect Tasmanian devils from the deadly facial tumour disease that has already wiped out half the known population have researchers hoping the latest vaccine trial succeeds

Space
This artists concept shows what the exoplanet 55 Cancri e could look like. The illustration is of the rocky exoplanet and its star. The star is in the background at the lower left and appears somewhat smaller in the sky than the planet. The planet has hints of a rocky, partly molten surface beneath the haze of a thin atmosphere. Picture: NASA, ESA, CSA, R. Crawford (STScI)

Atmosphere found on rocky planet

The super-Earth planet known as 55 Cancri e is surrounded by an atmosphere of gases, a groundbreaking new study has revealed – but does this mean it holds the conditions to sustain life?

Animals
sperm whales in the Azores off Portugal   - picLin/Sutherland underwater whale animals marine

Whale clicks offer alphabet clues

The building blocks of whale language are closer to being understood as an ‘extraordinary’ new study identifies four distinct sounds Dominican sperm whales make while communicating