Researchers found that warming temperatures are disrupting rainfall patterns, leading to more extreme and destructive storms. The study suggests that this could result in increased flash flood risks, particularly in urban areas.
A beached iceberg in Antarctica has provided a unique natural experiment to study the effects of sea-ice changes on marine ecosystems. The study found that seaweed on the sea floor had decomposed or become discolored due to lack of light, while darker-adapted animals started to colonize the area.
Researchers confirm strong warming in the upper troposphere, known as the tropospheric hotspot, using publicly available temperature and wind data set. The study reveals a 10% increase in winds over the Southern Ocean, suggesting ozone depletion may be responsible.
Researchers introduce single-letter DNA change into human red blood cells, increasing oxygen-carrying haemoglobin production and alleviating symptoms of sickle cell anaemia. The approach is effective, safe, and non-inherited, offering a promising alternative to conventional gene therapy.
The UNSW research provides new insight into hearing loss and improves cochlear implant functionality, enabling better sound localisation in noisy conditions and protecting against noise damage. The study's findings suggest a potential link to age-related hearing loss and aim to develop more accurate soundscapes.
A 55-million-year-old global warming event triggered a highly corrosive deep-water current in the North Atlantic Ocean. Researchers recreated the ocean basins and land masses of that time using a global climate model to understand how this event occurred.
A UNSW Australia-led study found that people eat less when their companion consumes a small amount of food, due to the social modelling effect. This psychological influence leads individuals to rely on external cues rather than internal hunger and fullness signals.
Researchers found two specific ocean hot spots responsible for the record-breaking heat of 1934/36, a decade marked by devastating dust storms. This study may help predict extreme summers over the central US with months-long forecasts.
A recent slowdown in global average temperatures is having no effect on the planet's projected warming by 2100. The study found that long-term temperature outcomes are unaffected by short-term variability, with greenhouse gases expected to overwhelm natural fluctuations and lead to dangerous levels of warming.
A new study suggests that cloth masks used by healthcare workers in Vietnam increased their risk of contracting respiratory illnesses. The trial found that cloth masks allowed almost 97% of particles to pass through, compared to medical masks with 44%. Experts warn against the use of cloth masks in healthcare settings.
A UN SW-led research team has successfully encoded quantum information in silicon using simple electrical pulses for the first time. This breakthrough enables local control of individual qubits with electric fields, reducing development costs and making large-scale quantum computers more accessible.
A study by UNSW medical researchers found that maternal exercise during pregnancy reduced offspring's body weight, insulin and blood glucose levels in male rats. Female offspring showed only modest improvements, highlighting the sex-specific effects of maternal exercise on metabolism.
An international team of scientists found that global vegetation has increased by nearly 4 billion tonnes of carbon since 2003, driven by environmental and economic factors. The increase was largely due to tree-planting projects in China and changes in rainfall patterns in regions like Australia and Africa.
A UNSW Australia collaboration uses previously top-secret technology to image whole body organs at a cellular level, reducing analysis time from 25 years to weeks. The technology, developed with Google algorithms, explores osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, revealing connections between blood, bone, lymphatics, and muscle.
Joint research from Monash and NASA found that big storms deliver 50% of tropical rain, while small disorganized storms decrease in frequency. The study suggests a dynamic change in the climate system is responsible for increased rainfall, rather than just warmer atmosphere holding more moisture.
UNSW Australia scientists have developed a highly efficient oxygen-producing electrode for splitting water that has the potential to be scaled up for industrial production of clean energy fuel, hydrogen. The new technology is based on an inexpensive, specially coated foam material that lets the bubbles of oxygen escape quickly.
Research reveals how tiny creatures' movements affect temperature estimates, allowing scientists to refine past climate studies. By analyzing plankton shells and ocean currents, researchers created a tool to estimate the impact of drift on temperature estimates.
A UNSW-led study demonstrates long-term control of cane toads by erecting fences around dams, effectively converting their invasion refuges into ecological traps. The approach could work on a large scale to halt the spread of these toxic amphibians across Australia.
A satellite study has identified critical water bodies on the Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia that support aquatic species survival, with many facing decline due to climate change and human factors.
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that losing 10 kilograms of fat requires 29 kilograms of oxygen to be inhaled, producing 28 kilograms of carbon dioxide and 11 kilograms of water. Most doctors, dieticians, and personal trainers incorrectly believe that the missing mass is converted into energy or heat.
Rates of intracerebral haemorrhage in Australia have declined by an average of 1.6% per year over eight years, according to a large retrospective study. The study found that better recognition and management of blood pressure, as well as improved stroke care, contributed to the decline in fatality rates.
UNSW researchers have successfully converted over 40% of sunlight into electricity, exceeding previous records. The breakthrough is made possible by a custom optical bandpass filter that captures wasted sunlight and converts it at a higher efficiency than commercial solar cells.
Weeds introduced to the UK centuries ago are still adapting and changing, with some species showing significant increases in leaf area and plant height. Researchers found that 70% of weeds in New South Wales have undergone substantial changes since introduction.
Two research teams at UNSW Australia have developed high-accuracy quantum bits in silicon, surpassing 99% accuracy. The breakthroughs are published simultaneously in Nature Nanotechnology and aim to build powerful quantum computers.
Researchers at UNSW Australia found that the size of young flies is determined by the first male mated with, not the second. The team proposes that molecules from seminal fluid are absorbed by eggs and influence growth.
Researchers found that Antarctic ocean temperature layering, similar to conditions 14,000 years ago, may lead to rapid collapse of glaciers and ice shelves, causing a steep rise in global sea levels. This stratification is caused by global warming adding freshwater to the ocean surface.
Researchers warn that sildenafil, used to treat erectile dysfunction, can cause visual responses in people with a common mutation for eye disease. Studies on mice found heightened effects and signs of cell death in those with the mutation, raising concerns about long-term vision impact.
Research from ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science highlights Australia's climate as heavily influenced by global warming. Global warming doubled the chance of intense heat waves, tripled the likelihood of heatwave events and increased extreme summer temperatures across the country.
Two tropical rabbitfish species are destroying algal forests in eastern Mediterranean, reducing large seaweeds and algae by 65% and 60%. Climate change is enabling their expansion, posing a threat to entire Mediterranean basin.
A new study links groundwater availability to human evolution, proposing that springs fed by freshwater could have sustained life during extremely dry periods. The research suggests that access to groundwater may have been crucial for hominin survival and dispersal.
A UNSW Australia-led team pioneers citizen oceanography by having recreational sailors collect and test data from remote waters on their yachts. This cost-effective approach demonstrated that scientists can gather large quantities of information as they sail around the world, advancing the field of oceanography.
A recent study by UNSW psychologists found that expressing gratitude to a new acquaintance increases their desire to seek an ongoing social relationship. This theory, known as the find-remind-bind theory, suggests that gratitude helps people form new relationships and maintain existing ones.
A recent study published in PLOS ONE found that passport officers struggled with face matching tasks, making errors comparable to those of untrained university students. The researchers suggest that selecting staff based on their aptitude for visual tasks could significantly improve security checks.
The HPV vaccine has resulted in a dramatic drop in genital warts among young Australians, with a 90% decrease in girls aged 12-17 and a 73% decrease in women between 18-26. The vaccine also showed an indirect protective effect among young men, leading to a 38% drop in genital warts.
Rapid Atlantic warming has turbocharged Pacific Equatorial trade winds, causing eastern tropical Pacific cooling and amplifying the Californian drought. The increased winds also accelerated sea level rise in the Western Pacific and slowed global surface temperature rise since 2001.
New research reveals that changes in Antarctic winds may accelerate global sea level rise by up to 4°C warmer water temperatures near ice shelves. This could lead to a massive increase in the rate of ice sheet melt, with direct consequences for global sea levels.
A UNSW Australia-led team found a class of cryptophytes where quantum coherence is switched off due to genetic mutations, allowing them to thrive in low-light conditions. This discovery could lead to technological advances in organic solar cells and quantum-based electronic devices.
A revised Australian tsunami database, updated by UNSW researchers, has revealed up to 145 possible tsunamis since prehistoric times, with 11 reported deaths in Australia. The database indicates the east coast faces the most significant risk from tsunamis.
Researchers at UNSW Australia developed a novel lab-on-a-chip device using non-volatile ionic liquids to overcome evaporation issues. The device has potential applications in environmental monitoring, medical diagnosis and process control.
Researchers at UNSW Australia have successfully regrown auditory nerves using bionic ear technology and gene therapy, potentially improving outcomes for people with cochlear implants. The technique delivers neurotrophins to cells near the implant electrodes, promoting nerve regeneration.
A UNSW-led study found that 80% of 2012 Australian whooping cough cases were caused by pertactin-free strains, which may evade vaccine antibodies. The shift could reduce the vaccine's effectiveness in Australia.
Researchers at UNSW Australia propose that very low nutrient diets may extend lifespan in laboratory animals by increasing cellular recycling and repair mechanisms. This effect could potentially lead to longer, healthier lives for humans through a better understanding of these cellular recycling mechanisms.
Research found a steep upward tendency in extreme hot days over land, despite a supposed 'hiatus' in global average temperatures. The study revealed regions experiencing 10-50 extremely hot days saw the greatest increases in hot events and affected area.
A team of researchers has identified a giant gas cloud in the Milky Way galaxy, shaped like a long filament and about 50,000 times the mass of our sun. The discovery was made using the High Elevation Antarctic Terahertz telescope, which detects atomic carbon and is located at Ridge A in Antarctica.
Researchers find Pacific trade winds have driven more heat into oceans, slowing global warming; however, when winds weaken, heat will rapidly return to atmosphere. The study suggests a hiatus in global warming is temporary and temperatures will soon rise rapidly.
Researchers have identified a new species of beaked whale, Mesoplodon hotaula, based on DNA analysis and physical characteristics of seven stranded specimens. The discovery sheds light on the elusive habits and low abundance of deep-diving whales in the world's oceans.
Scientists predict a doubling of extreme El Nino events as the world warms, leading to increased heat waves and droughts. The research found that the eastern Pacific Ocean will warm, causing massive changes in global rainfall patterns.
Researchers from UNSW successfully transplanted Phyllospora comosa onto two barren reef sites in Sydney, where it once thrived. The transplanted species not only survived but also reproduced, creating a potential self-sustaining population and restoring a vital habitat for marine organisms.
New research reveals global climate sensitivity is higher than previously thought due to correct representation of water vapor in cloud formation. Global temperatures are expected to increase by 3-5°C with a doubling of carbon dioxide, with potentially more extreme warming if emissions are not reduced.
Scientists have found a molecular mechanism behind aging that can be reversed using a compound that restores communication between mitochondria and the nucleus. This breakthrough may lead to new treatments for age-related diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory disorders.