Sci tech news and stories

Boost your brainpower by reading up on these exciting science stories.

a hand drawn map of Melbourne city grid
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How poo shapes a city (and other scatalogical stories)

What do Melbourne’s laneways, the Spotswood Pumping Station at Scienceworks, and termite mounds all have in common?

A painting of a large amphibian poking its head out of water that is covered in petal
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Victoria's new state fossil emblem: Koolasuchus cleelandi

After 11,563 votes, the 125-million-year-old monster amphibian has been confirmed as Victoria’s fossil emblem.

a closeup of a cute mouse
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Resurrected: native Australian mouse back from extinction

Once lost, now found. 

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Letter from a Tasmanian Tiger

Ever wonder about the life of a museum specimen?

A bat flying low over water
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Bats: the flying mammals in dire need of a PR manager

Separating fact from folklore 

a platypus perched on a log
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The platypus: a unique and vulnerable Australian

What can we do to help the platypus?

a closeup of a small orange coloured spider with big eyes pointing of its legs
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Nemo found: new species of dancing peacock spider named

Meet the newest dancing peacock spider, Maratus nemo.

3D imagery of an eye shaped caldera
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A Lord of the Rings-like marine landscape revealed in Australia’s Christmas Island Territory

Take a dive into a Lord of the Rings-inspired seascape.

A large, smooth surfaced black rock.
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Eleven incredible meteorites

The Murchison is just one of many strange and storied space rocks held by Museums Victoria. Here are 10 others—as well as one which disappeared.

A fearsome, two-legged dinosaur with strong, grasping arms.
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Who wielded the Otway Claw?

Meet Victoria’s top Cretaceous predator—a dinosaur that would have eaten Velociraptor for breakfast.

Strap-snouted Brown Snake, Pseudonaja aspidorhyncha.
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Eight myths about snakes

Some common misconceptions, and what you can do to keep snakes out of your yard.

H.L. White egg collection, tray of Magpie eggs.
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The colour of birds' eggs

The aesthetic qualities of a bird egg can tell you a lot about the species that laid it.

Southern Blue-ringed Octopus
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Blue-ringed Octopus

Small but deadly, this animal runs rings around the competition.

Wombat poo
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The science of poo

Poo is truly fascinating stuff.

pink diamond
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How do diamonds get their colours?

And what's so special about the pink ones?

Finished reconstruction of extinct Australian megafauna, Palorchestes.
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Australia's megafauna

Australia’s megafauna were unique, and included giant marsupials, huge flightless birds and giant reptiles.

Centipede
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Do centipedes really have 100 legs?

Counting the feet on these ancient invertebrates.

The RRS James Clark Ross
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The Larsen-C Benthos expedition

What lurks beneath the Antarctic ice? Museums Victoria's Mel Mackenzie is one of the lucky scientists on a voyage south to find out.

Pluto
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Planet or dwarf planet?

A group of astronomers are trying to reclassify Pluto as full 'planet'.

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Skynotes

Our monthly newsletter on where to find the brightest planets in Melbourne.

Lightning strike behind trees
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Catching Lightning

A fulgurite that took microseconds to form, a moment to break and over 50 years to reassemble.

an amalgamation of different types of colourful plastic
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Our addiction to plastic

Lifting the lid on plastic: the good, the bad and the ugly.

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The doyenne of dinosaur discovery

Melissa Lowery has a rare talent for finding dinosaurs.

an underwater photo of a diver swimming alongside a fish
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Jan Watson: diving into the unknown

One of Australia’s first scientific divers, Dr Jan Watson used her tenacity, skill, and passion to realise her underwater ambitions.

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