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Editor's note
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After Tesla’s storage project in South Australia was announced, large-scale batteries got a lot of attention. But smaller batteries that can power themselves over long periods are needed for commercial and research projects, from tracking flying foxes to shipping and logistics.
Researchers are working on sensor batteries that can collect energy from their environment, whether from the sun or even movement, meaning they don’t have to be manually recharged. Of course, this comes with ethical and environmental risks – do we want machines that can sustain themselves indefinitely?
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Top story
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Batteries that can last indefinitely are needed to track wildlife.
Mamiraua Sustainable Development Institute
Raja Jurdak, CSIRO; Brano Kusy, CSIRO
Batteries that can self-sustain are needed for long-term animal tracking as well as shipping and logistics.
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Science + Technology
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Duane W. Hamacher, Monash University
Some people think the sky is blue because of sunlight reflected off the ocean and back into the sky. But that's not the real reason.
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Michael J. I. Brown, Monash University
It promises to be one of the brightest objects in the night sky once the Mayak satellite unfolds a giant pyramid reflector. But what is it going to do?
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Aurelien Forget, Queensland University of Technology; Tim Dargaville, Queensland University of Technology
3D bioprinting of living cells and materials may contribute to faster and cheaper ways to create effective new drugs - and even reduce animal testing.
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Arts + Culture
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Hollis Taylor, Macquarie University
Is birdsong simply a hard-wired, functional, primitive sound – or could we call it 'music'? Australia's pied butcherbirds show there are surprising overlaps between birds' and humans' musical abilities.
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Brooke Maggs, Deakin University
Women are making inroads in the gaming industry but progress is slow. We need more flexible workplaces, and perhaps even hiring quotas, to fix the gender imbalance.
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Cities
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Justin O'Connor, Monash University
The notion of the creative sector driving fulfilling work as cities shed old industries has worn thin. But those creatives might be delivering value of a different kind, offering a more human future.
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Politics + Society
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Jason Thompson, University of Melbourne
It's time for Australia's personal injury insurance schemes to start preparing for change.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Matt Canavan has resigned as the minister for resources and northern Australia after being told by the Italian embassy that he is an Italian citizen.
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David Schlosberg, University of Sydney
The undermining of environmental science, and the creation of lies and bribes to distort public policymaking, is as old as industries that know their products do harm, but lie to keep them in use.
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Health + Medicine
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Maher Gandhi, The University of Queensland; Huyen Tran, Monash University
An overview of the most common problems in our blood: bleeding disorders, clotting disorders and cancer.
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Robert Flower, University of Sydney
Why do we have blood groups and how are they discovered?
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David Trembath, Griffith University
James Best took his son Sam, who has autism, on a six-month journey to Africa. The lessons learnt may encourage a slightly riskier approach to parenting and education for some children with autism.
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James Sharman, University of Tasmania
A blood pressure test can say a lot about your health, but new research says not all readings are correct.
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Neera Bhatia, Deakin University
The high-profile Charlie Gard case could change the way end-of-life decisions play out around the world.
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Environment + Energy
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Euan Ritchie, Deakin University; James Watson, The University of Queensland; Jeremy Kerr; Martine Maron, The University of Queensland
To conserve Earth's remarkable species, we must also defend the importance of science and scientific integrity.
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Luke S. O'Loughlin, La Trobe University; Peter Green, La Trobe University
There's a terrifying species that spreads rapidly, breeds prolifically and eats hundreds of plants. But the first research into the actual harm caused by giant African land snails found ... not much.
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Business + Economy
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Susan Thorp, University of Sydney
Many of us barely glance at our own superannuation account balances, so it’s reasonable to predict that only a tiny fraction are likely to go to a super fund annual meeting.
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Columnists
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Featured jobs
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RMIT University — Melbourne, Victoria
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University of Melbourne — Parkville, Missouri
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University of Sydney — Sydney, New South Wales
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University of Technology Sydney — Sydney, New South Wales
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Featured events
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Meat Market, 5 Blackwood St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3051, Australia — IMPACT7
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4th Floor Linkway, John Medley Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory, 3010, Australia — University of Melbourne
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Wilkinson Architecture LT 1, University of Sydney, Australian Capital Territory, 2006, Australia — University of Sydney
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Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia — Murdoch University
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