Make way for the microbes?
Our civilisation is built on plants – they provide food, shelter, fuel and medicine. Can we rely on them in the future? Or will it be the era of the microbes.
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The Acacia debate
A plant name dispute that has bubbled away for a decade has finally been resolved at the XVIII International Botanical Congress in Melbourne. The species concerned are the acacias, which until now has included the Australian wattles and the thorn trees of the Serengeti—both highly recognisable and iconic groups of plants.
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Decisions of the Congress on nomenclature
Key decisions of the Nomenclature Section of the XVIII IBC Written by Nicholas Turland The Nomenclature Section met for five days, 18–22 July 2011, to discuss proposals to amend the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. The more significant changes to the Code are outlined below and will be put to Congress for ratification on Saturday.
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The vines they are a-changin’
Climate change is already changing the environment of the established “terroirs” of Australian wines, such as the Coonawarra and the Barossa Valley, says Prof Snow Barlow of the University of Melbourne. But it won’t be the end of winemaking as we know it. Our wines will just evolve.
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Species affected by climate change: to shift or not to shift?
Issued by CSIRO Ref 11/78 Relocating species threatened by climate change is a radical and hotly debated strategy for maintaining biodiversity. In a paper published today in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers from CSIRO, University of Queensland and United States Geological Survey present a pragmatic decision framework for determining when, if ever, to move species…
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Science and religion agree – again…
Botanists drop Latin for new species descriptions A rose by any other name would smell as sweet In 1539 the Church of England recognised Latin was a barrier to understanding, and published the Great Bible in English. The Roman Catholic Church authorised usage of languages other than Latin in its services in the 1960s. now…
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The World Congress of Asian Psychiatry
This week we’re at the 3rd World Congress of Asian Psychiatry. Visit the Congress media pages here: www.scienceinpublic.com.au/wcap And the Congress pages at http://www2.kenes.com/wcap/Pages/Home.aspx
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Humanity + – a free public forum on nanotechnologies and their implications
Nanotechnologies are changing our world, soon they’ll be transforming our bodies. Free public forum, Oceans Bar, Crown Plaza Hotel, Coogee This Thursday 14 July 2011 from 6 pm.
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Multi-layered armour protects body against immune failure
The work should lead to a better understanding of autoimmune conditions, such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, she says, and may even provide new ways to target treatments.
The human body incorporates multiple fail-safe mechanisms to protect it against the “friendly fire” from its immune system known as autoimmune disease, Charis Teh and colleagues at the […] -
You’re going to fall over soon
A new technology to stop falls before they happen could helping the elderly stay in their own homes longer
Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have developed a simple way of predicting the likelihood of an elderly person falling in the near future, allowing action to reduce the chances of it […]