Free trade deal may fast track nanotech
Australia may be forced to rush through inadequately tested and unsafe medical nanotherapies because of its free trade agreement with the US, a health technology regulation expert says.
View ArticleIran gears up for uranium enrichment
Iran says it is pressing ahead with a plan to install 3000 atomic centrifuges and achieve industrial-scale production of nuclear fuel, which the West fears is part of a program to make bombs.
View ArticleWest slams China's satellite-killer test
Australia, the US and Canada have voiced concerns to China over the first known satellite-killing test in space in more than 20 years, the White House says.
View ArticleMental torture as bad as physical
Psychological torture, including some of the techniques reportedly used on Guantanamo Bay detainees, appears to inflict the same kind of long-term mental damage as physical abuse, a new study says.
View ArticlePluto still a planet, in New Mexico
Seven months after being stripped of its planet-hood by an international scientific organisation, Pluto has found a loyal friend in New Mexico.
View ArticleChina named as world's top CO2 polluter
China's has already overtaken the US as the top emitter of carbon dioxide, thanks to the energy used to fuel its economic boom, a Dutch government-funded agency says.
View ArticleSigns of activity at Iran nuclear site
Satellite imagery shows Iran is building a new tunnel facility near a key nuclear complex, according to analysts who say this may be an attempt to protect parts of its uranium enrichment program from...
View ArticleUS bridge collapse raises engineers' hackles
This week's Mississippi River bridge collapse has thrown the spotlight onto ageing US infrastructure, with experts warning that billions must be spent to bring standards into line.
View ArticleCIA, FBI computers used to edit Wikipedia
People using CIA and FBI computers have edited entries in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia on topics including the Iraq war and the Guantanamo Bay prison, according to a new tracing program.
View ArticleCould Kyoto Protocol learn from Montreal?
NEWS ANALYSIS: Could the solution to global warming be as simple as a switch of cities?
View ArticleTime to rejoin space race, say scientists
Australia may gain a National Space Science Institute and send a spacecraft to a fiery death into the sun during the next 10 years, under a proposal by the nation's space scientists.
View ArticlePolitical conservatives more jumpy: study
Calm people tend to lean to the left side of politics, while those who react strongly to sudden noises and threatening images are more likely to support political conservatives, according to a US study.
View ArticleNew strategy to break climate impasse?
The fairest way to fight climate change is to base a country's emission targets on the number of wealthy individuals it has, argues an international team, but some Australian experts are not so sure.
View ArticleBorders tell tales on land management
Sensitive political borders between countries in the Middle East and in other parts of the world are providing clues on how best to manage the land, say ecologists.
View ArticleNew call for e-waste controls
NEWS ANALYSIS: The world needs global standards for the reuse and recycling of electronic goods to curb growing e-waste exports to developing countries, a recent meeting in the Netherlands heard.
View ArticleRandomness could 'improve democracy'
PARLIAMENTARY DUTY: Democracy can be better served by randomly selecting representatives, argue Italian researchers.
View ArticleStudy finds political views hard-wired
PRESET POLITICS: Scientists have shown that the brains of liberals and conservatives are built differently.
View ArticleClimate fight does little to sway public
CLIMATE VIEWS: New surveys suggest Australians have largely maintained the same attitudes about climate change in the past year, despite increasing controversy over the science and politics.
View ArticleMinnows reveal power of the 'uninformed'
MODULATING OPINION: US researchers say minnows make perfect lab rats when it comes to exploring the surprising power of the uninformed in group decision-making.
View ArticleVoters prefer candidates with deeper voice
DEEP CONNECTION: Voters are more likely to choose candidates with a deeper voice.
View ArticleVote for science in September
OPINION: A date has been set, the campaigning has started, but will this election be a win for science and our future? asks Paul Willis.
View ArticleResearchers fear political influence
FUNDING UNKNOWNS: Scientists and social scientists alike are nervous about how Australia's new government intends to influence the direction of research funding.
View ArticleGovernment nanotech info 'unbalanced'
NANO COMMUNICATION: Australian government public information on nanotechnology has had a bias in favour of promoting the technology, an independent review has found.
View ArticleBiodiversity offsets may allow governments to double dip
CONSERVATION CONUNDRUM: Compensation paid by developers who damage biodiversity may do more harm than good if it is misused by governments, say researchers.
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