Science

Awesome young science star in a super orbit of her own

Sindya Bhanoo Sylvia Todd's desk is not tidy. It's cluttered with small robots (including a solar-powered grasshopper), motors, wires, resistors, a soldering iron and an array of gadgets and tools.

Australian schoolgirl a science sensation

Ben Grubb An Australian teenager's simple idea that would allow a complete quadriplegic to control a wheelchair by voice has earned her international recognition and a top science award for school students,...

Science gets a grip on finger wrinkles

Getting "pruney fingers" from soaking in the bath is an evolutionary advantage, because it helps us get a better grip on objects under water, scientists suggest.

Super year for science

Peter Spinks The 19th-century British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli once said there were three kinds of untruths: lies, damned lies and statistics.

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How science digs up the royal dirt

The identification of King Richard III's skeleton is the latest coup by forensic scientists who use radiocarbon-dating, DNA analysis, 3D scanning and other hi-tech tools to unlock the secrets of the...

CSIRO SCIENCE CLUB

With a choice of magazines, events, online fun and more, the CSIRO's Double Helix Science Club is great for kids aged seven to 18. See csiro.au/helix or phone 6276 6643.

Dark matter pioneer wins PM's science prize

Bridie Smith Ken Freeman managed to put dark matter on the galactic map, and himself among international astronomy's brightest stars.

Big, bewildering science to thank for cranks, says writer

Catherine Armitage A BOOK about cranks could be a career-limiting move for someone with degrees in physics and mathematics whose livelihood is writing about science.

Once again with feeling: Australian science tugs heart-strings

Amy Coopes Do humans really wear their hearts on their sleeve? An ambitious Australian neuroscience project aiming to translate emotional impulses directly into music is hoping to find out.

Postcards from Mars show rover's key science targets

Irene Klotz NASA has shown off the first high-resolution, colour portrait images taken by the Mars rover Curiosity, detailing a mound of layered rock where scientists plan to focus their search for the chemical...

Array of hope: science the winner as rivals share prize

Deborah Smith IT WILL be a team effort of cosmic discovery.

Canberra science website more popular than NASA

David Sharaz More popular than NASA and the CSIRO combined, Canberra-based news service Science Alert has 1.3 million Facebook fans and a larger following across the globe.

Up and atom: seeking science's holy grail

Bridie Smith It has eluded scientists for almost five decades and given a Hollywood-style nickname to reflect its lofty status. But time may soon be up for the hard-to-nail Higgs boson - or 'God particle'.

In that other big hit-up, science finds Higgs boson

Deborah Smith In a discovery that throws light on the very fabric of space and time, a new subatomic particle has been found that is very likely the long-sought Higgs boson.

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Science proves alcohol is fun

Nick Collins and Kate Hagan Drinking alcohol makes people feel better because it produces the same chemicals in the brain as exercising and laughing, a study has proved for the first time.

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Science counts on your vision

Astronomy You don't have to use a telescope to help map the night sky - just your eyes.

Five science breakthroughs that will transform politics

Andrew Leigh Federal politician Andrew Leigh contemplates five ideas that are just over the horizon of today's technologies.

Science writer hopes Venus will inspire love of the universe

Deborah Smith DAVA SOBEL plans to travel to an observatory high on a mountain in California to witness next month's rare celestial event - a transit of Venus.

Sci-tech

Mutant roaches evolve to avoid sticky traps

Elizabeth Lopatto Roaches that have been hard to trap may be a variety that find sugar doesn't taste quite so sweet as bait anymore, a study suggests.