When to trust (and not to trust) peer reviewed science

Jul 14, 2018 11:10 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

The article is part of our occasional long read series Zoom Out, where authors explore key ideas in science and technology in the broader context of society. The words published in a peer reviewed journal are sometimes...

Carbon monoxide exposure in homes is a risk – here's how to protect yourself

Jul 14, 2018 11:09 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Winter is a good time to remind ourselves of the potential risk of carbon monoxide exposure from faulty or unflued gas heaters or other gas devices. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odourless, colourless and tasteless gas...

How to break up with plastics (using behavioural science)

Jul 14, 2018 11:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Australia is responsible for over 13 thousand tonnes of plastic litter per year. At the end of June 2018, the Australian government released an inquiry report on the waste and recycling industry in Australia. One of the...

Long live the Europe of scientists!

Jul 10, 2018 00:31 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

This article is published as part of the EuroScience Open Festival (ESOF), of which The Conversation France is a partner. Since its inception, the European project has benefitted citizens from all walks of life in every...

Discovering dopamine's role in the brain: Arvid Carlsson's important legacy

Jul 09, 2018 14:25 pm UTC| Science

Arvid Carlsson, the Swedish neuroscientist and Nobel laureate, died on June 29, 2018 at the age of 95. He had devoted his life to understanding how the brain works and was awarded the Nobel for his research into dopamine ...

How Novichok is different from radioactive poisons – and what this means for decontamination

Jul 09, 2018 14:25 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

A man and a woman were found unconscious in Wiltshire, England, on July, after having been exposed to the nerve agent Novichok. This is the same substance that was used to poison the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and...

We need a bank of DNA from dirt and water to protect Australia's environment

Jul 09, 2018 14:05 pm UTC| Science Nature

Measuring biodiversity used to mean laboriously collecting samples and manually identifying the plants, animals and fungi. This might involve careful inspection under a microscope to spot identifying features. This takes a...