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Birds are the ultimate architects, designing their nests for every climate

June 20, 2024

By Dr Iliana Medina Published on June 20, 2024 Nests are the key to the survival of birds, quite literally holding the future of their populations within them. Video: Jessica MclachlanLooking at museum specimens, we found the individuals of some species build very uniform nests; for example, the width of the cup or height of the dome varies by less than two per cent. But there are some species that show extreme variation in the shape of nests they build, with some building both open-cup and enclosed domed nests within the same species.

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Is today the day the music dies?

June 17, 2024

By Dr Suelette Dreyfus Published on June 17, 2024 Live music by Australian-based artists is slowly disappearing. Music festivals are pausing or shutting down. Local venues are quietly fading away, either dropping performances or shutting up shop altogether. This trend has become so alarming that the Australian Parliament is holding a national inquiry into the problems faced by Australia’s live music industry and possible solutions. Australia's once thriving live music scene is slowly disappearing.

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The Australian research helping to verify US election results

June 17, 2024

By Dr Michelle Blom Published on June 17, 2024 Later this year, Americans head to the polls in what promises to be another fraught presidential election. Over the course of US election history, there have been allegations of voter fraud, hanging chads, criticisms of accuracy and outright denial of the result. Elections are a cornerstone of democracy, which makes maintaining public confidence and trust in their outcomes vital. Australian votes are counted by Australian Electoral Commission staff and scrutineered by the candidates' representatives.

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How Australian audiologists are helping musicians with hearing loss

June 16, 2024

By Sarah Swann Published on June 16, 2024 Professional musicians work with high volumes of music and are much more at risk of developing hearing loss or hearing-related disorders due to their sound exposure. In fact, some reports set prevalence as high as 74 per cent. Hearing aids are a common and often very useful way of relieving communication difficulties for most people with permanent hearing loss. But hearing and enjoying music through hearing aids remains problematic.

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If Australia wants high-speed rail, it must take regions along for the ride

June 16, 2024

By Dr James Whitten Published on June 16, 2024 When many of us think of high-speed rail (HSR), we have visions of sleek urban progress and green sustainable development because HSR is a fast, efficient and convenient way of travelling between cities. Politicians and industry groups may also invoke ideas of ‘nation building’ because of HSR’s potential to promote regional economic development beyond our capital cities. People wave goodbye to the slow-speed train departing Yass, NSW.

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