Ellen Phiddian

3 days ago | abc.net.au | Ellen Phiddian

Researchers trained an artificial intelligence model on carbon-dated Dead Sea Scrolls, and used it to predict more accurate dates for the ancient texts. They found several of the scrolls were older than previously thought, and may have found the first-known examples of biblical texts that have survived from the time the work was first composed. Analysing scripts and images with artificial intelligence may help to accurately date more artefacts when other techniques like carbon dating can't work.

5 days ago | abc.net.au | Ellen Phiddian

It's a fun fact pulled out at parties by every space nerd on the block — our Milky Way galaxy is going to crash into our nearest neighbour (the Andromeda galaxy) in 5 billion years. But forecasts of the impending "Milkomeda" mega-galaxy may be exaggerated. According to a new study, published in Nature Astronomy, there's a close to 50 per cent chance they won't collide at all. Even if they did collide, it would probably take much longer — more like 10 billion years.

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Ellen Phiddian

Astronomers have detected a mystery stellar object which emitted pulses of light for two minutes every 44 minutes. A handful of objects like this have been found before, but this is the first to emit both radio waves and X-rays. Researchers expect to learn more about these objects as future telescope observations are made, possibly opening up new ways to understand matter and nuclear fusion.

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Ellen Phiddian

Researchers have developed a contact lens that can convert infrared light, which is normally invisible to our eyes, into visible light. Because infrared light can pass through our eyelids, study participants wearing the contact lenses could see with their eyes shut. The contact lenses can only give the wearer blurry infrared "sight", but the researchers say they're working on increasing resolution for uses like night vision. Many people have wished for night vision on a dark walk home.

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Ellen Phiddian

Humpback whales are on the move again. At this time of year, the whales travel up the eastern and western sides of Australia, treating viewers on the coast to a show. They're migrating from cold, krill-rich southern waters to spend their winters in the warmer seas north of the continent, which are the whales' breeding grounds. You may even see mums with newborn humpbacks on the northern route well before they reach the tropics, according to a new study.