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Record-breaking fast radio burst offers path to weigh the Universe
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No longer limited to the realm of science fiction, bio-computing is here, so now is the time to start considering how to research and apply this technology responsibly, an international group of experts says.
The inventors of DishBrain have partnered with bioethicists and medical researchers to map such a framework to help define and address the problem in a paper published in Biotechnology Advances.
[Read more…] about Does a brain in a dish have moral rights?Early career researchers and young professionals are invited to apply to undertake study, work experience and/or research in Switzerland, through the following programs:
Hear from past scholars below:
[Read more…] about HeadStartSwiss: early career opportunities to study or work in SwitzerlandA decade ago, University of Melbourne’s Professor Laura Mackay discovered the “first responders” of our immune system, a unique population of T cells based in our skin, gut and other barrier tissues.
Now she’s working to super-charge their protective power to clear infections and fight cancer, and to calm them down to avoid skin autoimmune disease.
[Read more…] about First responders in our skin and gut revealedSydney’s Professor David Ziegler plans to be able to improve treatment for every child with cancer.
He’s working in the clinic to trial treatments for the fatal brain stem tumour DIPG, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.
And he’s driving the development of the national Zero Childhood Cancer Program (ZERO) – to give every child with cancer the best chance of an effective treatment.
[Read more…] about A treatment for every childA paper published in Nature Communications shows that when neurons are given information about the changing world around them (task-related sensory input) it changes how they behave, putting them on edge so that tiny inputs can then set off ‘avalanches’ of brain activity, supporting a theory known as the critical brain hypothesis.
The researchers, from Cortical Labs and The University of Melbourne, used DishBrain – a collection of 800,000 human neural cells learning to play Pong.
[Read more…] about Brain cells living on the edgeDid you ‘call it’? Or do the results ruffle your feathers?
The magpie’s warbling has won over the nation, taking out number one in ABC’s search for Australia’s Favourite animal sound. The call of the magpie was a clear winner, attracting over a staggering 36% of the votes in the final round.
“The magpie’s warble is part of almost every soundscape in Australia,” says Dr Dominique Potvin, a behavioural ecologist and senior lecturer in Animal Ecology at the University of the Sunshine Coast. “Its song has regional dialects, developed through learning from older generations. So it’s an ancient song, but it keeps evolving. Magpies come together to sing these melodies in a duet or chorus by family groups, letting others know the territory they occupy,” says Dominique.
[Read more…] about Magpie swoops top spot in poll to find Australia’s Favourite Animal SoundEvery plant, every animal, every human depends on mRNA to accurately translate the DNA of their genetic code into proteins, the building blocks of life.
[Read more…] about A prize for nonsense and quality controlAre bin chickens spreading deadly diseases? Anjana Karawita and his colleagues at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong are investigating the role of Australian ibis in spreading Japanese encephalitis virus
[Read more…] about Are bin chickens spreading Japanese encephalitis?By 2100, the impacts of sea level rise and storm surge are predicted to result in a $442 billion economic loss according to a study led by the University of Melbourne and commissioned by the Victorian Marine & Coastal Council and Life Saving Victoria.
Some recent projects: ASTRO 3D, MindEar, Cortical Labs (Dishbrain), Illumina, ABC, World Mining Congress 2023.