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Science Matters

Is Australia set to follow Europe and North America with an extreme summer?

With no end in sight for the drought, bushfires already causing problems in Eastern Australia and a looming El Niño, the coming Australian summer could be a shocker

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Science Matters

Life, the Universe and almost everything in between. This is Science at Melbourne.

  1. 6 September 2018 – Animal Behaviour, Australia, Birds, Climate change, Native Animals

    The invisible colours protecting birds from overheating

    University of Melbourne research finds the nanostructure of a bird's feathers can regulate its body temperature by reflecting or absorbing near infrared-light

  2. 21 August 2018 – Astronomy, Galaxies, Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope, Physics

    Getting it right: The most complex space telescope ever built

    The James Webb Space Telescope has been beset by problems, but astronomers understand that there is no room for failure, says a University of Melbourne expert.

  3. 15 August 2018 – Big Data, Landslides, Mathematics, Mining, Workplace Health and Safety

    Decoding data to predict landslides

    New software from the University of Melbourne can predict landslides two weeks before they happen, potentially predicting mine collapses and other disasters.

  4. 15 August 2018 – Climate Change, Economics, Extreme weather, Global Warming

    The great (climate) depression

    New University of Melbourne modelling shows the economics of some countries could collapse if global temperatures rise by 4 degrees Celsius this century.

  5. 14 August 2018 – Biodiversity, Conservation, Threatened Species, Urban Ecology, Urban Planning

    Making cities work for every urban-dweller

    With the urban age upon us, planners need to consider all the species that live in our cities, not just humans, a University of Melbourne expert argues.

  6. 31 July 2018 – Families, HILDA, HILDA 2018, House Prices, Housing

    Is rent-for-life becoming the new norm for families?

    The HILDA survey from the University of Melbourne finds the age group with the highest number of renters moving into home-ownership is now the 55-64 year-olds.

  7. 1 August 2018 – Environment, Plastic bags, Plastics, Pollution, Supermarket

    Why the plastic bag backflip is a bad idea

    Coles supermarket has reversed its ban on plastic bags: University of Melbourne experts explore the impact and what it means for Coles.

  8. 7 August 2018 – Astronomy, Black Holes, Galaxies, Space, Women In Science

    A quiet Sunday night discovering a supermassive black hole

    How two University of Melbourne astronomy students played a key role in one of the greatest space discoveries of 2018 – a fast-growing high redshift quasar.

  9. 5 August 2018 – Animals, Australia, Climate Change, Lizards, Water

    The sleepy lizard awakens new tools for climate change research

    University of Melbourne research into the impact of water shortages on Australia's sleepy lizard gives us insight into the effects of climate change on animals.