Australia declared measles free (ABC Science)
High take-up rates of the infant measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has led to the elimination of the endemic measles virus in Australia, immunisation experts say.

El Niño in the clear over 'Big Dry' (New Scientist)
BLAME the Indian Ocean for Australia's "Big Dry" - the intense drought that has dried out much of the Murray-Darling river system, devastated agriculture and led to water rationing.

Asylum-seeker language test under scrutiny (ABC Science)
A method used by some of the world's immigration authorities to decide whether or not asylum seekers are genuine refugees is unscientific, says one Australian linguist.

Fractures can triple the risk of death (Science Alert)
A new study shows that osteoporotic fractures increase a person’s risk of dying, even after relatively minor fractures if that person is elderly.

Energy storage devices are on their way to being more efficient and longer lasting, with help from a $100,000 joint research grant to be provided to NSW and Korean researchers as part of a joint technology program.

The University of Wollongong’s Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI) headed by Professor Gordon Wallace, Chemistry Category winner in the NSW Scientist of the Year Awards, and the Kangnung University in Gangwon, Korea are the first recipients of funding through this program. The collaborators plan to use nanotechnology and combine the advantages of both lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors to create a hybrid storage device.

The Minister for Science and Medical Research, Jodi McKay, visited the Wollongong institute to announce the grant. “High performance energy devices can mean longer lasting mobile phone and digital camera batteries,” she said. “The research could also improve the performance of electric vehicles and enhance the State’s ability to harness wind and solar power technologies.”

Media release >>