Today’s announcement by Texas-based de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences about a successful hatching of chicks from an artificial egg would represent a major innovation, if the claims can be verified. The company says its artificial egg supports the full development of bird embryos outside a biological eggshell, without the requirement for supplemental oxygen. The work is part of […] … learn more→

Many of the most exciting discoveries in science involve highly specialised knowledge and making connections between far-flung facts. Scientists must combine deep analysis with broad reasoning strategies. As in many information-rich tasks, researchers are looking to artificial intelligence (AI) systems to speed up their work. AI tools may be able to support key steps such as generating ideas, reviewing […] … learn more→

For decades, science educators have been encouraged to “stick to the science” and leave politics at the classroom door. But as disinformation spreads online and public trust in science seems to erode in some contexts, this advice is no longer realistic. In Canada and elsewhere, science teachers face a challenge. Science is being questioned in varied ways, […] … learn more→

Expert voices in Australian science news coverage are still more likely to be those of men, according to recent research, despite journalists themselves being fairly evenly spread between genders. Our study of print and online science news from 2018–22 found an increase in the proportion of female journalists writing about science. The number of women quoted […] … learn more→

Academia isn’t strong on gender equality. Women are under-represented throughout, in the research workforce and even more so as leaders in scientific organisations. This is true for science academies (prestigious bodies within national science systems) and scientific unions (international organisations representing disciplinary communities). Women today make up nearly a third of the global research workforce. […] … learn more→

As a researcher investigating how electric brain stimulation can improve people’s powers of recollection, I’m often asked how memory works – and what we can do to use it more effectively. Happily, decades of research have given us some clear answers to both questions. Memory essentially operates in three stages, with different brain regions contributing to each […] … learn more→

Your browsing history, your location, your political preferences. For years, tech companies have found ways to turn personal data into profit. Now, a new and far more intimate frontier is opening: the electrical signals produced by your brain. This is not science fiction. Nor is it about brain implants for paralysed patients or experimental medical procedures. A […] … learn more→

Scientific publishing relies on peer review as the mechanism that maintains trust in what we publish. When we read a journal article, we assume experts have rigorously scrutinised it before publication. This crucial system is currently under severe strain. We conducted a comprehensive study of Australian academic journals and their editors – surveying 139 editors and interviewing 27. […] … learn more→

A growing distrust of expertise is reshaping the terrain of science in the United States. Since the pandemic, the partisan divide over science has widened dramatically. While 77% of Americans have at least a fair amount of confidence that scientists act in the best interests of the public, that breaks down to 90% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans. […] … learn more→

Imagine an average university student: they open their laptop to check an assignment, but first they have to deal with messages from the class group, three emails from the university platform, and a notification about a change in the due date. None of this requires great digital skills, but it does require attention that is […] … learn more→