Everybody Be Cool: Using Community Spaces to Manage Heatwaves

Coming into summer, how can we look after people who can’t stay cool in their own home during a heatwave? Greater Melbourne’s Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy funded a project called ‘Creating a Network of Safe Spaces for Extreme Heat Events’ to examine the activation of community buildings for vulnerable people within the Greater Melbourne Region.

The Therapeutic Odyssey of Psilocybin and MDMA: A Return to Roots

Australia’s recent decision to reschedule MDMA and psilocybin for therapeutic use represents a seismic shift in drug policy. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved the prescription of these substances for specific psychiatric conditions, acknowledging their potential therapeutic benefits and enabling their use in a controlled medical context.

The Future of Pain Management Drugs: Moving away from opioids

By Tejaswini Divanji, Master of Science (Pharmaceutical Sciences) student at Monash University Everyone knows what pain feels like, even though our individual scales for it might be different. But what exactly is pain? Understanding and addressing pain is one of the oldest challenges of medicine. Broadly, pain is an unpleasant sensation; a warning signal that […]

Growing Beyond Earth

As humans increasingly explore space, we will want – and need – to bring plants with us. Plants are critical for keeping space travellers healthy on long missions: exploring deep space, on long stints on the ISS, or setting up a base on the Moon or Mars. Researchers are testing various crops and equipment to figure out how to do this without using a lot of extra hardware or power.

Gusts in the Headwind

While we cannot directly observe them, every galaxy has its own halo of dark matter, on which familiar, visible matter hangs. Our solar system orbits the centre of our galaxy, while Earth orbits the Sun. As we do this, our motion through the Milky Way’s halo of dark matter creates the Headwind Effect. Dr Grace Lawrence asked whether this Headwind exhibits “gusts” of higher intensity.