Record for decoding the longest DNA sequence is impressive – here's what to expect next

Dec 31, 2018 12:15 pm UTC| Science Health

Like other professionals, scientists like to be the best at what they do, but they also like to have fun in their job. And in 2018, my colleagues managed just that in claiming a record for decoding the worlds longest DNA...

Will wearing your coat indoors make you feel colder outside? A scientist explains

Dec 30, 2018 23:01 pm UTC| Science

If youve ever had to work in a draughty office, warehouse or classroom, youve probably been tempted to keep your coat on inside. And you were probably also advised against it because you wouldnt feel the benefit when you...

A brief history of black holes

Dec 30, 2018 23:01 pm UTC| Science

Late in 2018, the gravitational wave observatory, LIGO, announced that they had detected the most distant and massive source of ripples of spacetime ever monitored: waves triggered by pairs of black holes colliding in deep...

When you look up, how far back in time do you see?

Dec 27, 2018 23:58 pm UTC| Science

Our senses are stuck in the past. Theres a flash of lightning, and then seconds pass until we hear the rumble of distant thunder. We hear the past. We are seeing into the past too. While sound travels about a...

David vs. Goliath: What a tiny electron can tell us about the structure of the universe

Dec 21, 2018 11:08 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

What is the shape of an electron? If you recall pictures from your high school science books, the answer seems quite clear: an electron is a small ball of negative charge that is smaller than an atom. This, however, is...

How we're probing the secrets of a giant black hole at our galaxy's centre

Dec 19, 2018 15:16 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

Supermassive black holes are giant black holes found at the centre of almost every galaxy. Astronomers recently made the clearest image yet of the supermassive black hole at the heart of our own galaxy using the new...

Dramatic advances in forensics expose the need for genetic data legislation

Dec 19, 2018 15:14 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

Many people first became familiar with DNA testing through its use in the OJ Simpson murder trial in 1994. Now, 24 years later, there have been two dramatic advances in the capability of forensic genetics that mark the...