Natalie Parletta, PhD - Freelance Science Writer

Cosmos Magazine

Global analysis finds daylight plant respiration over-estimated by 25%

Eddy Covariance sounds like a rockabilly singer. But it turns out this is the name given to measuring patterns of ecosystem carbon exchange

Cosmos Magazine

Fat frenzy: did an early taste for bone marrow fuel hominin brain development?

Four million years ago, our hominin ancestors’ appetite for fat could be what delivered the energy needed to develop big brains and evolve into modern humans, anthropologists suggest.

Cosmos Magazine

Revealed: what caused Indonesia’s devastating earthquake

The catastrophic tsunami that killed more than 2000 people in Palu, Indonesia, in September 2018 occurred as a culmination of unusual seismic events, report two papers published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Health Agenda Magazine

Stem cell therapy: Hoax or hope?

The curative potential of stem cell therapy has gained popularity – but in some cases, humans have become the guinea pigs of unproven and costly treatments. And the side effects could be serious.

Cosmos Magazine

Planes can intensify rain and snow

Airborne planes can increase precipitation from clouds by around 10-fold, and under certain conditions can increase rain and snow storms over airports as planes pass through clouds during take-off or landing.

Cosmos Magazine

Newborns can isolate words from speech

Babies are born with the ability to pick out distinct words from continuous speech, according to a study published in the journal Developmental Science.

Cosmos Magazine

Excess insulin is toxic to placental cells, study finds

While investigating possible causes of unexplained pregnancy loss, US researchers have discovered that insulin is toxic to first trimester placental cells.

Cosmos Magazine

We see contrast because our eyes are always moving

The ability to see contrast is an important visual function, particularly when we are walking down stairs, driving at night or looking for things in bad light.

Cosmos Magazine

Poor sleep magnifies brain’s response to pain

Exploring the well-known link between sleep and pain, a new study has found for the first time that sleep impacts on areas of the brain that control pain.

Cosmos Magazine

Exercise does help prevent depression, research shows

An international study of the genetics of 300,000 people has confirmed that physical activity can help prevent depression, and provided some solid evidence that it works the other way.

Cosmos Magazine

Spying around corners just got a lot easier

Objects that are out of sight could now be captured with an ordinary digital camera, according to new research published in the journal Nature.

Cosmos Magazine

UV light may help birds navigate forests

It’s not only beauty that varies with the eye of the beholder. Unlike humans, birds can detect ultraviolet (UV) light – and it may help them navigate forests by enhancing the contrast of the foliage

Cosmos Magazine

Is anything private in the digital age?

Most of us think we have control over our online privacy with the security settings of social platforms – and some less trusting people opt out of social media altogether.

Cosmos Magazine

Feeding the planet: a call for radical action

A report released in The Lancet heralds the launch of a concerted effort to generate urgently needed solutions for feeding our growing population

Cosmos Magazine

Chips off the old block: most potatoes suffer depression

A large proportion of the world’s potato crops are suffering from severe depression, according to researchers.

Cosmos Magazine

Ag science gets the feminine touch

Fiona Simson’s election as the first female president of the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) in 2016 reflects the revolution under way in agricultural science.

Cosmos Magazine

Rice is a major source of arsenic exposure

Researchers have verified that rice – grown and cooked in water – is a key food source of inorganic arsenic.

Cosmos Magazine

Barbecued meat: avoid char and limit drips to reduce cancer risk

Barbecue-cooked meat represents a significant cancer risk, according to Danish researchers.

Cosmos Magazine

The physics of fried rice

Mechanical engineers have revealed the extraordinary complexities involved in cooking perfect fried rice. Making an authentic stir-requires quickly tossing ingredients in a wok over extremely high temperatures up to 1200 degrees Celsius

Cosmos Magazine

Major study finds smaller role for genes in ageing

A surprising new study combined family trees from over 400 million people and discovered that genes play a considerably smaller role than previously thought in how long people live.

The Refresh

Human training for happier dogs

I should have known when she yanked me off of my feet, face first into the mud as we walked to the car. I was leaving a dog sanctuary on Cockatoo Lane in South Australian countryside with my new adopted dog, Gemma.