Hot Topics

ROUND-UP: Bring elephants to Australia? (Nature* Comment piece) – experts respond

Thu Feb 2, 2012

EMBARGO LIFTED 5am AEDT Thursday February 2, 2012

An Australian scientist has written a provocative opinion piece which looks at the impact of grazing on bushfires, as well as the problem of feral flora and fauna in Australia. It suggests considering all potential solutions, including the introduction of wild elephants to keep introduced grasses under control.

ROUND-UP: Is sugar as toxic as alcohol? (Nature)* - experts respond

Thu Feb 2, 2012

EMBARGO LIFTED 5am AEDT Thursday 2 February, 2012

In a comment piece, international scientists argue that added sweeteners pose dangers to health that justify controlling them like alcohol. Here an Australian expert puts the arguments into context for Australian readers.

ROUND-UP: Embryonic stem cells used to treat eye disease (The Lancet)* – experts respond

Tue Jan 24, 2012

US scientists report in The Lancet the first successful use of embryonic stem cells to treat eye disease (macular degeneration) in humans. The study was done on two patients with advanced eye disease, reporting some vision improvement after four months of the stem cell treatment. Below Australian and UK experts respond.

MEDIA BRIEFING: Groundwater – Australia’s next crisis?

Fri Jan 20, 2012

BACKGROUND BRIEFING - Monday January 23 at 10.45am AEDT in Sydney and online
Across the world countries are having to face the serious issue of depleting water tables as the ever-increasing thirsts of agriculture and industry compete for every drop.

ROUND-UP: HRT and the risk of breast cancer – a review of the Million Women Study questions the link (Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care*) – experts respond

Tue Jan 17, 2012

EMBARGO LIFTED  at 10.30am AEDT, Tue January 17, 2011
In the ongoing debate over the benefits and harms of hormone replacement therapy, an international team of researchers has suggested that findings from the Million Women Study, which were used to establish that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) causes breast cancer, do not in fact prove a causal [...]

RAPID REACTION: Phobos-Grunt space probe re-entry to earth around Jan 16 – expert response

Fri Jan 13, 2012

The Russian space agency revised its predictions for re-entry of the Phobos-Grunt space probe to a 4 hour 21 minute window between 3.41am AEDT and 8.05am AEDT on Monday 16 January.  According to media reports re-entry occurred over the Pacific early monday Morning Australian time.

ROUNDUP: Gas drilling and animal health (New Solutions*) – experts respond

Tue Jan 10, 2012

US Scientists have documented cases of animal health problems which they believe have possible links to gas drilling. The report, published today in the journal New Solutions, involved interviewing the owners of animals who reported negative health effects on their animals.

ROUND-UP: Cognitive decline can begin as early as 45 (BMJ)* - expert responds

Fri Jan 6, 2012

EMBARGO LIFTED 10.30am AEDT Friday 6 Jan, 2012

International researchers report that the brain’s capacity for memory, reasoning and comprehension skills can start to deteriorate from age 45, which is 15 years earlier than it is normally thought to begin. They assessed the onset of cognitive decline by observing more than 7,000 men and women [...]