Opinion
Read the latest opinion articles inspired by science.
As climate change worsens, bushfires are likely to become more intense and frequent. We must find new ways of managing bushfires to prevent catastrophic events. Satellite data can help in this task.
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29 Apr 2021
Next time you see a butterfly, treasure the memory: scientists raise alarm on these 26 species
Our team of 28 scientists identified the top 26 Australian butterfly species and subspecies at greatest risk of extinction. We also estimated the probability that they will be lost within 20-years.
20 Apr 2021
Looking at the stars, or falling by the wayside? How astronomy is failing female scientists
It will take until at least 2080 before women make up just one-third of Australia’s professional astronomers, unless there is a significant boost to how we nurture female researchers’ careers.
26 Mar 2021
Managed retreat of settlements remains a tough call even as homes flood and coasts erode
Today's risks will be tomorrow's normal. That means tough decisions have to be made about human settlements having to retreat from areas most at risk, whether from floods or bushfires.
26 Mar 2021
Yes, Australia is a land of flooding rains. But climate change could be making it worse
The NSW floods are a textbook example of the theoretical impacts we can expect on Australian rainfall as climate change continues.
5 Mar 2021
Fires bring home climate-driven urgency of rethinking where we live – and how
The unprecedented intensity of two summers of bushfires, first in the east and then in the west, offered harsh lessons for Australians. One is that some settlements must retreat from high-risk areas.
10 Feb 2021
Australia must control its killer cat problem. A major new report explains how, but doesn’t go far enough
Cats kill a staggering 1.7 billion native animals each year, and threaten at least 120 species with extinction. Five experts analyse a parliamentary report on the problem.
18 Jan 2021
3 reasons to study science communication beyond the West
All cultures have communicated their knowledge in diverse and marvellous ways throughout time. Failing to see the significance of this is racist and lazy.
9 Dec 2020
The Hayabusa2 spacecraft is about to drop a chunk of asteroid in the Australian outback
Scientists hope samples of asteroid Ryugu may reveal traces of the chemical ingredients that formed life on Earth.
1 Dec 2020
Ancient Earth had a thick, toxic atmosphere like Venus – until it cooled off and became liveable
Unlike our hellish neighbour Venus, Earth was far enough from the Sun for liquid water to form and create a more hospitable environment for life.
24 Nov 2020
Ancient sponges or just algae? New research overturns chemical evidence for the earliest animals
Ancient fatty molecules, once believed to be traces of some of the first animals to live on Earth, may have been produced by algae instead.
