Australian Science Media Centre

Australian Science Media Centre The Australian Science Media Centre Inc. (AusSMC) works to enhance the media's coverage of science

30/08/2026

🍃 We are not the experts on medical ma*****na

👩‍⚕️But we know two doctors who know a lot about it!👨‍⚕️

🎧 Listen to episode 5 now - wherever you get your podcasts!

Written, hosted and produced by Olivia Henry and Steven Mew, Australian Science Media Centre

Made possible through a Science Engagement Grant from Inspiring South Australia

28/08/2026

At least 469 people have been killed by flash flooding at the Nepal–Tibet border, with reports that the flooding was likely caused by a glacier avalanche. Anthony Albanese has said 39 Australians are among the 1400 people missing from the region.

🗨️ Experts from Swinburne University of Technology University of Sydney University of the Sunshine Coast UNSW and La Trobe University respond to the disaster.

✨Follow the link in the comments to read the expert reaction✨

27/08/2026

📱 Following a major trial in the US, Meta has agreed to put new safeguards in place to protect teenagers on their apps. The changes will include default safety restrictions, parental supervision features, time limits and 'school mode', disabling likes and filters for teenagers as well as implementing age verification and protecting against privacy risks. Below, Aussie researchers respond to the announcement.

Experts from UNSW RMIT University University of New England, AU Swinburne University of Technology UTS: University of Technology Sydney, Western Sydney University University of Sydney Adelaide University have responded to the announcement.

✨Follow the link in the comments to read the expert reaction✨

26/08/2026

🐶 Watching videos of adorable puppies in the office may be an effective way of lowering your blood pressure, according to Korean scientists, who have kindly provided a puppy video to get you started. The team showed 66 people several puppy videos while measuring their blood pressure, variations in blood pressure over time, and pulse rates before and after. They found the puppies brought down people's blood pressure, especially among those who already had high blood pressure. Puppy videos may be a cheap, drug-free and effective way to boost workplace health, the authors conclude.

✨Follow the link in the comments for more information on this story✨

25/08/2026

🤖 Large language models (LLMs) are making writing styles more similar without changing the overall meaning, according to an analysis of more than 880,000 texts across different writing types. The authors suggest that this could make it more difficult to identify important clues about aspects of a person’s identity, personality, and mental health from their language. The team analysed Reddit stories, news articles, academic papers, essays, social media posts, and political speeches over time to see how the rise of widespread LLM usage has changed our writing style. They found evidence of both an immediate shock, where the introduction of ChatGPT coincided with a sharp drop in variability, and a sustained effect, in which higher levels of LLM usage continued to reduce the complexity of language over time. They also analysed writing submitted by people who had completed a questionnaire to determine their personal traits, both before and after it had been edited by large language models, finding that they were less accurate at determining those personal traits using writing that had been edited by AI.

✨Follow the link in the comments for more information on this story✨

24/08/2026

🦭 A dead seal found at Beachport in South Australia's south-east coast has been confirmed to have had bird flu, making it the first detected case in a mammal in Australia. Another suspected case in a long-nosed fur seal has also been found near Kangaroo Island.

Experts from Monash University, University of Tasmania, Curtin University, Science & Medicine at ANU, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and The University of Melbourne have offered commentary on the research.

✨Follow the link in the comments to read the expert reaction✨

🧐 What we learnt from Off Embargo Episode 4 - New in Athlete Health: From the Olympics to local footy🎧 Listen now, where...
21/08/2026

🧐 What we learnt from Off Embargo Episode 4 - New in Athlete Health: From the Olympics to local footy

🎧 Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts!

✨Or listen to old episodes here✨
https://smc.org.au/off-embargo

21/08/2026

🏃‍♀️‍➡️ Consistency is key for using exercise to improve mental health, according to a study of young people in Norway. The researchers used data from a national wellbeing survey of Norwegian higher education students to investigate how their physical activity levels were impacting their risk of diagnosed depression and anxiety. Among over 10,000 students, the researchers say those who rarely exercised were more likely to have depression or anxiety compared to those who exercised every day. They say the more the students exercised, the less likely they were to have a mental health diagnosis, up to 10 hours per week.

✨Follow the link in the comments for more information on this story✨

20/08/2026

📏 In a study further pushing the disparity between body mass indexes (BMI) and waist circumference, US researchers say having a higher BMI when older has been linked to a significantly lower risk of dying, whereas a bigger belly was linked to the opposite. The researchers looked into data from close to 7,000 adults aged 65 or older and say overweight men and men with obesity (BMI of 30 to less than 40 kg/m2) had 46% and 51% lower risks of mortality, respectively, when compared against those with normal weight. However, high waist circumference was linked to a 24% increase in mortality in men, with similar patterns seen in women.

Australian scientists from The University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, Deakin University, Adelaide University, Griffith University, Western Sydney University, Edith Cowan University (ECU) and University of Canberra have offered commentary on the research.

✨Follow the link in the comments to read the expert reaction✨

19/08/2026

🥱 People who have trouble sleeping or need extra hours of sleep are more likely to retire earlier, according to international research. The researchers drew on data from two Finnish studies surveying over-50s about their sleep, looking at whether they had difficulties falling/staying asleep, waking up too early or feeling well-rested, and whether they slept for an unusual amount of time per night (less than seven hours or nine or more hours). The researchers say the working life expectancy - average length of time a person stays in the workforce after age 50 - of people with no sleep problems was 13 years and five months. Those with moderate sleep disturbances had a working life expectancy of 13 years, while those with severe sleep problems saw theirs drop to 12 years and 10 months. While short average sleep did not appear to impact retirement age, the researchers say those who slept 9+ hours a night retired nine months earlier on average. With workers expected to work further into older age as global populations age, the researchers say it will be important to support people who need to work longer to address sleep problems they're having in middle age.

✨Follow the link in the comments for more information on this story✨

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