Quantum 2.0: At the beating heart of biology

What is life? The question was posed by famous theoretical physicist Erwin Schrödinger, and now advances in quantum mechanics could help provide the answer.

Environment | Pursuit by the University of Melbourne

Environment

As flood risk grows, underinsurance could become Australia’s least visible climate problem

More homes than ever are being mapped into flood zones, but many households are dropping their cover. New research points to a confusing system, not complacent homeowners

Analysis

What if our homes could move?

Flooding, displacement and housing insecurity are no longer distant issues. Houses that move with people are helping communities in Bangladesh adapt to a changing environment

Research

Tracking the Antarctic ice most at risk of breakup and melting

The most extensive analysis of satellite records shows Antarctica’s marginal ice zone – the area of sea ice most affected by waves – is larger and more dynamic than previously thought

Book extract

Melbourne's strange and splendid skyline that never was

A giant Peach Melba, a skyscraper-sized crocodile, a steel ‘V’ taller than the Eiffel Tower: these were just some of the design ideas when Melbourne asked the world to reinvent its skyline in 1979

Research

How corals ‘breathe’ by stirring the ocean around them

Tiny hair-like appendages on corals generate swirling microscopic currents – an ingenious way to exchange oxygen and nutrients with their surroundings

Research

We can grow our way out of this building crisis

Standard materials like concrete and steel allow us to build fast, cheaply and at scale. They also have huge environmental impacts. It’s time for the circular revolution

Research

After 100 years, the song of a lost cricket returns to Venice Lagoon

As part of the Venice Biennale festival, the Adriatic Marbled Bush-Cricket has been reintroduced to lagoons via floating habitats, creating both an art installation and an ecological experiment

Research

We’re using lasers to determine the age of sharks

A new technique is combining geochemistry and marine ecology to more accurately determine the age of sharks and reconstruct their life history

Opinion

Caring for Country means First Nations are at the heart of decision making

Recent environmental reforms have left the door open for new standards that ensure meaningful engagement with Traditional Owners

Research

Tiny 'time capsules' reveal the true age and origins of the Twelve Apostles

Using the age of microfossils within limestone, scientists show for the first time how Australia’s iconic Twelve Apostles were lifted and tilted out of the sea over millions of years

First published on 28 July 2025.


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