MYSTERIOUS: 20 - You Need To See This

Our research shows how students can miss out on their preferred uni degree – but there's a simple fix

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 later this month,…

The Conversation · Jun 18, 2023

Are tree-changers bad at managing their rural properties? A new study wades into the weeds to find the answer

Tree-changers opting for a rural lifestyle can get a bad rap for not managing their properties well. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted thousands more city-based Australians to buy property in the regions. So will this lead to more absentee neighbours who, in the eyes of some, don’t know what they’re doing?

The Conversation · Jun 15, 2023

How we collaborated in creating The First Inventors to celebrate extraordinary Indigenous peoples' knowledges and technologies

First Nations cultures and languages are being revitalised around the country. More non-Indigenous Australians are becoming interested in what Indigenous knowledges can teach us today.

The Conversation · Jun 14, 2023

Australia should follow Ireland's lead and add stronger health warning labels to alcohol

From August 2023, Australian beer, wine, spirits and pre-mixed drinks have to warn of the harms of drinking alcohol while pregnant. But they don’t have to mention the other harms of alcohol for the wider population.

The Conversation · Jun 8, 2023

More than 60 billion leaf litter invertebrates died in the Black Summer fires. Here's what that did to ecosystems

The Black Summer megafires engulfing south-eastern Australia in 2019–2020 were so intense they burned habitats rarely exposed to fire, such as southern warm temperate rainforest.

The Conversation · Jun 7, 2023

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 · Jun 7, 2023

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 · Jun 7, 2023

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 · Jun 6, 2023

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 · Jun 5, 2023

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 · Jun 5, 2023