Tagged: Australia

Featured image: Hit hard by the pandemic, researchers expect its impacts to linger for years

Hit hard by the pandemic, researchers expect its impacts to linger for years - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 12, 2021 •

Sora Park, University of Canberra; Jennie Scarvell, University of Canberra, and Linda Botterill, University of Canberra   The impacts of COVID-19 on Australian university researchers are likely to have consequences for research productivity and quality for many years to come. According to an online survey of academics at the University of Canberra between November 2020 and February 2021, they have … Read More

Featured image: Schools have moved outdoors in past disease outbreaks. Here are 7 reasons to do it again

Schools have moved outdoors in past disease outbreaks. Here are 7 reasons to do it again - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 11, 2021 •

Karen Malone, Swinburne University of Technology   Leaders across the country – particularly in the states with the largest outbreaks, New South Wales and Victoria – have designed road maps towards reopening the states after long lockdowns. Safety in childcare, schools and universities is a core component of reopening plans. Year 12 students in Melbourne go back to school … Read More

Featured image: The earthquake that rattled Melbourne was among Australia’s biggest in half a century, but rock records reveal far mightier ones

The earthquake that rattled Melbourne was among Australia’s biggest in half a century, but rock records reveal far mightier ones - News

Guest Author • Sep 23, 2021 •

Mark Quigley, The University of Melbourne and Januka Attanayake, The University of Melbourne   An earthquake that struck near Melbourne today is one of the largest in Australia since instrumental seismic records began. However, the geological record of ground-breaking fault ruptures tells us much larger earthquakes have occurred across the continent. Some of these earthquakes would have been witnessed … Read More

Featured image: Musicians are urging us to vaccinate: the Australian federal government should learn from these moving, hopeful ads

Musicians are urging us to vaccinate: the Australian federal government should learn from these moving, hopeful ads - COVID-19

Guest Author • Sep 08, 2021 •

Andrea Fenton, Swinburne University of Technology   A new ad has been released from the LIVE Alliance (Live Industry Venues + Entertainment) a music industry collective, under the guidance of advertising veteran Russel Howcroft. The campaign, Vax the Nation, is set to Powderfinger’s My Happiness. Here, the lyrics take on new meaning as we watch scenes of live music … Read More

Featured image: ‘Living with COVID’ looks very different for front-line health workers, who are already exhausted

‘Living with COVID’ looks very different for front-line health workers, who are already exhausted - COVID-19

Guest Author • Sep 07, 2021 •

Karen Willis, Victoria University and Natasha Smallwood, Monash University   With the Delta variant raging across New South Wales and Victoria, health services are stretched and strained. Behind the scenes is a fearful, anxious and overburdened workforce. In the next few months, the health workforce will care for many more patients with COVID-19, with case numbers in NSW expected … Read More

Featured image: COVID cases are rising in highly vaccinated Israel. But it doesn’t mean Australia should give up and ‘live with’ the virus

COVID cases are rising in highly vaccinated Israel. But it doesn’t mean Australia should give up and ‘live with’ the virus - COVID-19

Guest Author • Aug 24, 2021 •

C Raina MacIntyre, UNSW   Israel has one of the highest COVID vaccination rates in the world, having fully vaccinated 78% of people 12 years and over. Many people are surprised at the country’s resurgence of COVID cases since restrictions were lifted in June. Israel’s vaccination rate is similar to Australia’s plan to start relaxing restrictions when 70% … Read More

Featured image: Five lessons for Aotearoa NZ from the current COVID-19 outbreak in New South Wales

Five lessons for Aotearoa NZ from the current COVID-19 outbreak in New South Wales - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • Aug 13, 2021 •

Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick Wilson* Australia has generally succeeded in eliminating community transmission of the pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2, but the Greater Sydney region is currently facing a large COVID-19 outbreak, driven by the Delta variant. The New South Wales Government is struggling to control the outbreak and the grim situation … Read More

Featured image: What’s the right Covid-19 risk to live with – an Australian perspective

What’s the right Covid-19 risk to live with – an Australian perspective - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • Jul 14, 2021 •

Blog syndicated with permission from “The Pursuit” at Melbourne University, Australia By Professor Tony Blakely, Dr Tim Wilson and Associate Professor Vijaya Sundararajan, University of Melbourne As Australia looks toward opening its international borders, new virus modelling provides scenarios that can help us decide what’s the right risk to tolerate. As Australia inches up its vaccine rollout, … Read More

Featured image: Friday essay: a rare bird — how Europeans got the black swan so wrong

Friday essay: a rare bird — how Europeans got the black swan so wrong - Guest Work

Guest Author • Jun 11, 2021 •

David Haworth, Monash University   The black swan is an Australian icon. The official emblem of Western Australia, depicted in the state flag and coat-of-arms, it decorates several public buildings. The bird is also the namesake for Perth’s Swan River, where the British established the Swan River Colony in 1829. The swan’s likeness has featured on stamps, sporting team … Read More

Featured image: Meet 5 of Australia’s tiniest mammals, who tread a tightrope between life and death every night

Meet 5 of Australia’s tiniest mammals, who tread a tightrope between life and death every night - Guest Work

Guest Author • Apr 29, 2021 •

Andrew Baker, Queensland University of Technology Australia has a rich diversity of mammals, with around 320 native, land-based species, 87% of which are found here and nowhere else. Many of these mammals are secretive, only active at night, and small, weighing less than one kilogram. Mammals are “endotherms”, which means they must generate their own heat and maintain the … Read More