Tag: University of Melbourne
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‘Humble’ Aussie professor wins Nobel prize – at 88
A humble Australian professor has won science’s most prestigious prize by doing what he loves, after pondering on “big chemistry thoughts” for decades. The University of Melbourne’s Richard Robson has been honoured with a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in developing a new form of molecular architecture alongside alongside Japan’s Susumu Kitagawa and…
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The other road toll: Research finds car pollution kills thousands in Australia
A study from The University of Melbourne also found vehicle pollution could be putting more than 19,000 people in hospital for heart and lung issues, and causing asthma cases to spike by 66,000 each year. Climate and transport experts called the findings “shocking but not surprising” and called for urgent policy changes to encourage more…
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Callout for hundreds of women to take part in study to battle endometriosis
Endometriosis is an often painful condition in which tissue similar to that lining the womb grows in other parts of the body. It affects one in nine Australian women and can often lead to problems with fertility. “We’re aiming to get an idea of what happens to women who have severe endometriosis regarding their fertility…
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Go hard, go home: Study finds lockdowns save money in the long run
Modellers, economists and public health experts from the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne have crunched the numbers and found longer lockdowns benefit the economy in the long term. The report comes as the Morrison government urges Australians to live with the virus and get vaccinated to have any hope of opening up…
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One in three young Aussies are unemployed or need more hours
One in three young people are unemployed or underemployed at the end of what an advocate calls “a year beyond imagining” for those trying to join the workforce. New research details the devastating impact of the COVID-19 economic recession on people aged 15 to 24. Youth unemployment hit a 23-year high of 16.4 per cent…
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Should we be concerned about snag in Oxford vaccine trial?
Clinical trials frequently drag on for years and endure plenty of hiccups. In fact, for new vaccines, nine out of 10 trials ultimately fail. That’s why the trials are there; vaccines are hard. But with so many hopes riding on a potential coronavirus vaccine — not to mention billion-dollar deals and economic recovery plans —…
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Can humid weather help keep coronavirus under control?
Everyone from the President to the postie seems to have been speculating about how COVID-19 might be affected by the weather, but finally we have some peer-reviewed science to sink our teeth into. A new study has found an inverse relationship between humidity and reported cases of COVID-19 in Sydney, both as the number of…
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Rivers in the sky – the rare weather event delivering massive rainfall to Australia
Atmospheric rivers, sometimes referred to as cloud bands, are ribbons of water vapour stretching thousands of kilometres from the tropics to southern states, transporting vast quantities of water. “It’s pretty rare to have two of these big cloud bands and atmospheric rivers across the country at the same time,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore…
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Cocaine, vaping use rises in young people, smoking and drinking rates down
The latest national snapshot of household drug use showed one-in-five young adults who didn’t smoke had tried e-cigarettes. In 2016, just over 2.5 per cent of people aged 18–24 were vaping. In 2019, that figure jumped to more than 5 per cent, with the majority saying they tried it out of curiosity. Michael Farrell, director…