The world’s richest man has challenged inventors to develop a toilet that doesn’t need water and could also turn human waste into fuel. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has helped inventors with a $US1.3 million ($1.26 million) grant to ...

Murdoch University researchers may have solved one of sustainable energy’s greatest challenges: power storage for use in non-generation times. Project leaders, Dr Manickam Minakshi and Dr Danielle Meyrick from the school of chemical and mathematical sciences, say while the efficiency ...

Dolphin-like dinosaurs suffered from decompression sickness or “the bends” as a result of their deep dives, Melbourne researchers have discovered. The study by University of Melbourne pathologist Associate Professor John Hayman, published in the journal Naturwissenschaften: Science of Nature, found ...

Synthetic bone technology, developed here in Australia, could herald a major medical breakthrough that revolutionises the treatment of bone defects. We all tend to think of our bones as if they are scaffolding – rigid and fixed, solid, hard and ...

A new study shows that one of a GP’s most trusty tools can do more to ease your pain than a pill.  A Curtin University study has shown doctors should wear a stethoscope and surround themselves with “iconic” medical symbols ...

Tasmania’s Law Reform Institute has recommended a legal ban on the circumcision of baby boys in the state. It advises the practice of male circumcision on “incapable minors” be deemed illegal unless it is performed for religious or cultural purposes. ...

Plain packaging won’t stop those already addicted from lighting up, but will help stop people from picking up the habit, says a leading health academic. The dean of medicine and health sciences at the Australian National University, Professor Nicholas Glasgow, ...

Australian researchers have found a 15 per cent rise in the relative risk of suicide for rural men aged 30 to 49 in dry seasons. The team from the Australian National University and other research institutions looked at data in ...

The concept of driverless cars may sound like science fiction, but researchers say autonomous vehicles may soon hit our roads.  Imagine a world, in which your car would drive you from point A to B. You wouldn’t have to fret ...

The networking behaviour of sharks is being examined to discover the mysteries of their society. Lead researcher Nathan Bass is conducting the study as part of his honours project, in conjunction with Taronga Zoo to determine why and when the ...