Humans are not the only ones who enjoy optical illusions. Great bowerbirds make forced perspective illusions, too.

Science policy feature articles, 2020-2021

Poor old Pluto never asked for all this drama, yet it has found itself at the centre of a storm of controversy ever since it was demoted from a ‘planet’ to a ‘dwarf planet’ back in 2006.

Conservation relies on data—lots of data. So how do you protect a species that’s difficult to count, living in an environment that’s difficult to access?

Machines that can learn, make decisions and automate tasks are already part of our lives—the big question is, how do we make sure they’re helping society, rather than harming us?

Genetically modified food can prompt some very passionate responses and a whole lot of debate: some argue it could end world hunger; others think the risks are too great.

The powerful lasers researchers were trying to build had a nasty habit of damaging the machinery being used to generate them. Then a new way to make lasers changed everything.

Lasers can be some of the most delicate tools in a science laboratory, capable of holding tiny microorganisms without killing them.

Space mining. It’s the stuff of science fiction for now, but it could be a real possibility very soon—and our very own Moon could be a prime target.

Two biochemists found ways to use nature’s evolutionary processes to make new proteins. Those methods led to the development of new medicinal treatments, all thanks to something called ‘phage display’.

We’ve been able to harness the power of evolution to create biochemical tools that can build better medicines and cleaner fuels.

We can harness the power of the immune system to successfully prevent some nasty diseases through immunisation—but what about other diseases such as cancer?

Have you ever boiled an egg and wished you hadn’t? Thankfully, science is here to help. All you need is a handy invention called the Vortex Fluidic Device.

There’s one animal with seemingly physics-defying faeces: the wombat.

A few species can escape the ageing process completely.

If you’ve ever owned a cat—or been in contact with undercooked meat, or unwashed vegetables—you may be carrying a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii.

Many microbial species are still undiscovered, but there’s one group in particular that scientists know comparatively little about: the archaea.

People have very strong feelings about coriander, but why is there such a massive difference in how we perceive its taste?

It’s that old riddle that’s sparked many arguments through the ages: was it the chicken or the egg that came first?