COME SKY WITH ME
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
Shooting across the sky at 15km per second, its bright green and blue flashes were visible for a phenomenal nine seconds. The Mother’s Day Meteorite’s entry into the earth’s atmosphere was observed from inner city Perth, and all the way out past Kalgoorlie, to Leonora, two hours north of Kalgoorlie, more than 600km to the... Read More »
From camp to clinic: how movement is reshaping mental health care approaches
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
On a visit to the Rohingya refugee settlement in Bangladesh, a scene that stayed with Simon Rosenbaum, Professor of Psychiatry and Mental Health at UNSW, was seeing children playing soccer. The match was led by a local coach who knew every name and each story. “Sometimes you’d see hundreds of people gathered for a single... Read More »
Rethinking skin science to improve wound healing
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
No parent wants to face the moment when a surgeon needs to cut burned tissue from their child’s body. But for many families, it’s a painful reality, particularly as children under five represent the highest hospitalisation rate for burns in Australia. For clinicians, one of the biggest challenges is knowing how a child’s burn is... Read More »
Coral Nutrition: the key to help corals survive and thrive
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
It looked like a little underwater rave. Neon pink, vibrant yellow, and bold blue coral formations lit up the ocean floor off Ko Tao Island, Thailand. For Jennifer Matthews, fresh from an undergraduate degree in biology, the experience was love at first dive. “When I surfaced, the dive instructor explained that those colours were stress... Read More »
Can Australian innovation turn the tide on soft plastic waste?
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
The plastics industry is growing, and it’s a growing problem. Greater Sydney will run out of landfill capacity by 2030 unless major action is taken. Soft plastics — highly susceptible to fire as they are made from crude oil — are stockpiled in warehouses across Victoria following the demise of RedCycle and they have now... Read More »
Hearing voices within: Inner speech and schizophrenia
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
Many of us talk to ourselves in our minds–rehearsing conversations, reflecting on our day, or even just narrating life as it unfolds. This internal monologue is known as inner speech, and it’s a normal part of human thought. But in schizophrenia, something is different. For some people, this internal monologue can take on a life... Read More »
Grassroots science fuels two decades of turtle conservation
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
Almost half of Australia’s freshwater turtles are now listed as vulnerable, or worse. But in south-east Queensland’s Mary River, the endangered Mary River turtle is being given a fighting chance — thanks to an extraordinary 22-year collaboration between the local community (landholders, Landcare, volunteers) and researchers. Sixteen years ago, the then-PhD student Mariana Campbell (and... Read More »
Why older people are at risk of severe flu infections
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
Fewer killer T cells, which are also less efficient and weaker reinforcements: During World Immunisation Week, we look at revelations about how the body responds to influenza over time – and new research reveals why older people are at higher risk of severe influenza infection. KEY FINDINGS: > Older people are at higher risk of... Read More »
VR ‘trainer’ transforms workplace aggression and violence training
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
Exposure to workplace aggression and violence (WAV) in healthcare settings is stressful for staff, and a big burden on budgets. A virtual reality (VR) enhanced training tool pioneered by researchers at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia could soon be set to change things. The Simulation & Immersive Digital Technology Group (SIDTG) operating out of... Read More »
60 years of science + AI drives Australia-first groundwater recharge tool
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
Fresh water quenches our thirst, is used to grow our food, and sustains our rivers, springs, and wetlands, as well as the ecosystems they support. You may not think about it, but most of the world’s fresh water, 98% in fact, is stored out of sight, and out of mind. That is, most of the... Read More »
Dr Matt Baker and the bacterial flagellar motor
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
Matt Baker, Scientia Associate Professor in the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science at UNSW Sydney shares his passion for nature’s oldest motor, the bacterial flagellar motor. Q. Tell us about your passion for the bacterial flagellar motor. Where did this desire to unlock its origin come from, and what fascinates you about it? One... Read More »
Shift workers’ sleep disorders often left untreated for long periods
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
Sleep disorders — left unmanaged — have safety implications for our workplaces and on our roads. Drivers with sleep disorders are more than twice as likely to be involved in road traffic accidents. Sleep disorders pose a risk for poor mental health and declining physical health, too. The Australian Raine Study found that by middle... Read More »
Could advances in neuroscience help turn negative thinkers into better thinkers?
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
Could it one day be possible to ‘read’ people’s innermost thoughts? Could advances in neuroscience help turn negative thinkers into better thinkers? “Imagine a future where, just by measuring brain activity, we could understand thought patterns — helping people with anxiety or depression shift their negative self-talk toward a healthier inner dialogue.” Dr Bradley Jack,... Read More »
Is there an association between untreated hearing loss and dementia?
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
On World Hearing Day, we look at the association between untreated hearing loss and dementia. In 2025, an estimated 433,300 Australians are living with dementia. Without a medical breakthrough, these numbers are predicted to double by 2058*. Nearly half (45%) of dementia cases are associated with several potentially modifiable risk factors. Among these, hearing loss... Read More »
Include seagrasses in carbon credits to rally finance and drive ecosystem protection!
By Bree on June 30th, 2025 in Science Seeds
Professor Peter Macreadie, Director of the RMIT Centre for Nature Positive Solutions and the Blue Carbon Lab, along with a consortium of scientists at are calling for greater collaboration across science, policy and industry to help establish seagrass carbon credits and – ultimately – achieve real-world impact. “Policy is key – it is the ‘stick’... Read More »