UNSW top Aussie uni on global ranking amid overall decline
Groundbreaking research in solar cell technology has catapulted the University of NSW into first place nationally on the 2025 edition of the world's best universities.
Four Australian universities made the top 100 in the Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR), with Australian National University joining UNSW, Melbourne and Sydney, which all made the grade last year. However, the picture more broadly is one of decline.
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Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Maps reveal 'obstacle course' for migrating whales
Whales are forced to pick through a maze of hazards on their annual voyages north, including shark nets and busy shipping routes, mapping suggests. Whale-watching season is in full swing along Australia's east and west coasts as the underwater giants make the long trek to warmer waters. Humpbacks spend winter breeding in warm tropical waters before returning to southern Antarctica during summer to feed. Yet world-first interactive maps from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and more than 50 global research groups reveal a "dangerous and sometimes fatal obstacle course" for whales migrating through Australian waters. The publicly available maps overlay whale migration routes with shipping, fishing, climate and other information to better understand whale journeys. Global lead of the fund's protecting whales and dolphins initiative, Chris Johnson, said ship strikes, fishing gear, underwater noise, plastic pollution and climate change all posed hazards for the giant marine mammals. "Ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear and shark nets are a growing concern on Australia's east coast, especially during humpback whale migration season," Mr Johnson said. The geographic information could help inform speed restrictions and vessel re-routing to minimise collisions, he said. A better understanding of whale migration patterns could also help the design of no-take zones and marine parks protected from fishing. "This platform transforms decades of science into a tool for action - showing when, where and how to protect whales in a rapidly changing ocean," Mr Johnson said. The maps have been released ahead of a major United Nations ocean conference in France in June, with greater protections for critical marine habitats top of the agenda. Securing the 60 country ratifications needed to lock in the all-important high seas biodiversity agreement would lay the foundation to safeguard 30 per cent of the world's oceans in marine sanctuaries by 2030. High temperatures and marine heatwaves are also influencing whale migration cues, with sightings on NSW's far south coast as early as March thought to have been linked to climatic changes in the Antarctic depleting food stocks. Krill, the tiny crustaceans baleen whales feed on, have been declining in some regions as their sea ice habitats shrink. Mr Johnson said patchy prey availability was potentially behind shifting migration patterns but there were still many unknowns and more research was needed. Healthy whale populations support the well-being of the entire ocean, with whales found to fertilise oceans and help boost phytoplankton production, which captures carbon dioxide and generates oxygen. "Thriving and healthy whale populations benefit nature and people," Mr Johnson said.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Maps reveal 'obstacle course' for migrating whales
Whales are forced to pick through a maze of hazards on their annual voyages north, including shark nets and busy shipping routes, mapping suggests. Whale-watching season is in full swing along Australia's east and west coasts as the underwater giants make the long trek to warmer waters. Humpbacks spend winter breeding in warm tropical waters before returning to southern Antarctica during summer to feed. Yet world-first interactive maps from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and more than 50 global research groups reveal a "dangerous and sometimes fatal obstacle course" for whales migrating through Australian waters. The publicly available maps overlay whale migration routes with shipping, fishing, climate and other information to better understand whale journeys. Global lead of the fund's protecting whales and dolphins initiative, Chris Johnson, said ship strikes, fishing gear, underwater noise, plastic pollution and climate change all posed hazards for the giant marine mammals. "Ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear and shark nets are a growing concern on Australia's east coast, especially during humpback whale migration season," Mr Johnson said. The geographic information could help inform speed restrictions and vessel re-routing to minimise collisions, he said. A better understanding of whale migration patterns could also help the design of no-take zones and marine parks protected from fishing. "This platform transforms decades of science into a tool for action - showing when, where and how to protect whales in a rapidly changing ocean," Mr Johnson said. The maps have been released ahead of a major United Nations ocean conference in France in June, with greater protections for critical marine habitats top of the agenda. Securing the 60 country ratifications needed to lock in the all-important high seas biodiversity agreement would lay the foundation to safeguard 30 per cent of the world's oceans in marine sanctuaries by 2030. High temperatures and marine heatwaves are also influencing whale migration cues, with sightings on NSW's far south coast as early as March thought to have been linked to climatic changes in the Antarctic depleting food stocks. Krill, the tiny crustaceans baleen whales feed on, have been declining in some regions as their sea ice habitats shrink. Mr Johnson said patchy prey availability was potentially behind shifting migration patterns but there were still many unknowns and more research was needed. Healthy whale populations support the well-being of the entire ocean, with whales found to fertilise oceans and help boost phytoplankton production, which captures carbon dioxide and generates oxygen. "Thriving and healthy whale populations benefit nature and people," Mr Johnson said.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Ask Fuzzy: Who was Sister Elizabeth Kenny?
In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast:
