Tourist "astronaut" millionaire Dennis Tito's quest to send an older couple to Mars could be a catalyst for further human exploration in space, writes Malcolm Walter.
Ocean acidification has been described as the evil twin of global warming and is becoming widely recognised as one of the top threats to coral reefs, explains Emily Shaw.
Shallow coral reefs may be even more susceptible to increasing acidity caused by heightened levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and oceans than previously recognised.
Australia’s only African elephant ecologist Keith Leggett is leading the charge in elephant sustainability studies, along with UNSW's first group of PhD students studying African ecology.
Research revealing that genetic sequences once considered as "junk DNA" can regulate cancer genes could lead to the development of new cancer drugs to re-activate tumour suppressor genes.
Big is often better, but when spiders are of a similar size, a male's success can depend on whether he is a sprinter or a marathon runner, explains Dr Michael Kasumovic.
From new ways to protect snow leopards in the Himalaya to keeping native Australian mammals as pets, Asia-Pacific communities are rising to the challenge of reconciling conservation with development.
Disturbed landscapes, such as mine sites, which have been deemed to be successfully restored, won't necessarily see the return of wildlife such as koalas, a landmark Australian study finds.
Good science is unpredictable, says Scientia Professor Victor Flambaum, who has been honoured with a prestigious Humboldt Award for his lifetime achievements in research.
UNSW researchers have found that cyclists who do not wear helmets are more likely to engage in risky riding behaviours and be involved in more severe crashes than those who wear protective headgear.
