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In remote Western Australia, the ASKAP radio telescope – a collection of 36 antennas – is listening to the vast sky above the red desert. Astronomers use it to search for one of the most intriguing things recently detected in the night sky – fast radio bursts.
These bright, flickering signals come from distant galaxies, and we still don’t know the full story of what produces them. But each one we find gets us closer to solving the puzzle.
So, when astronomers at ASKAP detected a “blindingly fast flash” last year, they were excited. However, a closer look soon left them baffled. Not only did the flash seem to come from within our galaxy, it was startlingly close – a mere 4,500 kilometres away. What was it, then? The answer turned out to be surprisingly satisfying. It also tells us something new about what radio telescopes are capable of.
Until next week,
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Signe Dean
Science + Technology Editor
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Clancy William James, Curtin University
The quest to pin down the source of the burst led to a derelict 60-year-old satellite.
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Lucia McCallum, University of Tasmania
The satellites the world relies on for navigation, communication and more get their bearings from distant black holes – but radio noise is blurring the picture.
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Steven Sherwood, UNSW Sydney; Benoit Meyssignac, Université de Toulouse; Thorsten Mauritsen, Stockholm University
Real world measurements of how much extra heat the Earth is trapping are well beyond most climate models. That’s a real problem.
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Nicholas Wu, Murdoch University
If bats’ way of living falters, entire food webs could feel the effects.
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Cameron Dodd, The University of Western Australia; Andrew M. Baker, Queensland University of Technology; Kenny Travouillon, Western Australian Museum; Linette Umbrello, Western Australian Museum; Renee Catullo, The University of Western Australia
Scientists have discovered that the kultarr – one of Australia’s most elusive marsupials – is actually three different species.
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Our most-read science articles this week
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Hsiao-chun Hung, Australian National University
Rice is difficult to grow in the Pacific, so how did it end up in a cave? Archaeologists reveal the hidden history of this ancient and well-travelled grain.
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Justin M. Chalker, Flinders University
The new method could also make small-scale gold mining less poisonous for people – and the planet.
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Steven Sherwood, UNSW Sydney; Benoit Meyssignac, Université de Toulouse; Thorsten Mauritsen, Stockholm University
Real world measurements of how much extra heat the Earth is trapping are well beyond most climate models. That’s a real problem.
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Hassan Vally, Deakin University
These tests promise to show how much cellular ‘wear and tear’ your body has undergone, and how that corresponds with your age in years. Here’s what the science says.
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More of this week's coverage
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Steve Turton, CQUniversity Australia
New South Wales residents face a rapidly intensifying major storm expected to bring intense winds, rains and high seas.
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Krissy Kendall, Edith Cowan University; Caitlin Fox-Harding, Edith Cowan University
If you’ve just started running or your workout is more intense, you might have felt it. A dull, nagging ache down your shins after you exercise.
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Kamil Zuber, University of South Australia
Preventing mould, decay and saving your phone after dropping it in water. What else can desiccants do?
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Mohiuddin Ahmed, Edith Cowan University; Paul Haskell-Dowland, Edith Cowan University
If a government wants to shut down the internet, it really can – the technical capability is there.
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Nina Sivertsen, Flinders University; Susan Elizabeth Smith, Flinders University; Tahlia Johnson, Flinders University
Many Indigenous families around the world say hospital staff often don’t understand their cultures or even give them basic rights during maternity care.
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Daniel Binns, RMIT University
What if instead of trying to detect and avoid AI glitches, we deliberately encouraged them instead?
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