April 2006

FEATURES

Safe Pesticides from Spider Venom
The venomous eastern mouse spider doesn’t share the reputation of the infamous funnel-web, but it could change the future of insecticides. Youmie Chong puts its venom to the test.

Fantastic Elastic Isolated from Insects
Fleas can jump 150 times their own length due to a super-elastic protein that could soon be used in biomedical implants. Stephen Luntz reports.

Safer Landings at Sea
Landing a helicopter at sea in extreme conditions is not an easy task. Enter night vision goggles, explains Peter Blanchonette.

Bees Never Forget a Face
Honeybees can be trained to recognise stimuli representing human faces. Adrian Dyer explains this seemingly difficult visual task and its implications.

Can Science Foretell The Future?
Earthquakes, floods, stockmarket crashes and even the outbreak of war all occur when a threshold has been crossed. Julian Cribb speaks to the scientists examining how to identify these thresholds.

Thinking about Drinking:
The Power of Expectation
Most of the effects of alcohol result from our expectations, not from the actual chemical. Someone who thinks they’re drinking alcohol, but isn’t, will act almost as drunk as someone who is drinking the real thing, says Sitharthan Thiagarajan.

Smart Bomb for Cancer
A new system for directing radiation to cancer cells has the potential to destroy them with minimal damage to healthy tissue, reveals Tom Karagiannis.

Challenging Time for New Chief Scientist
Jim Peacock needs to pack a lot into his new part-time role, says Simon Grose.

Dispiriting Decade for Scientists
As the Howard government celebrates 10 years in office, Peter Pockley examines how science, R&D and innovation have fared.

conSCIENCE

Suppression of Science Sacrifices the Future (213 kb PDF)
Suppression of scientists’ views is about more than a supposed line between science and policy, and it threatens Australia’s survival, says Geoff Davies.

Browse

Biodiversity Model Wrong

WTO Condemns GM Moratoria

Fire, Not Ice, for Blue Bottle Stings

Abnormal Stem Cells Detected

Tiger Poo Shoos Roos

Transplants for Diabetics Show Promise

Iodine Risk for Australian Kids

Prostate Gland Grown by Women

A New Type of Star Discovered

Frazer Announces Trial of Genital Wart Vaccine

Microchips May Keep Monkeys Happy

How the English Won the Ashes

Superbike on Sale

Wheat for Your Weight

Open Access to Put Knowledge Online

Here Comes the Story of the Hurricane

Gagging Row Rattles CSIRO Executives
(183 kb PDF)