Ants in your house? Here’s how they get everywhere – even high up in tall buildings

Windy Soemara/Shutterstock Tanya Latty, University of SydneyAnts are among nature’s greatest success stories, with an estimated 22,000 species worldwide. Tropical Australia in particular is a global hotspot for ant diversity. Some researchers believe it could hold some of the richest ant biodiversity on the planet, with an estimated 5,000 species in the tropics alone. But if ants are so successful out in nature, why do they so often turn up in our homes and even upper-level apartments? And what can we do to keep them out? There’s probably an ant near you right now Ants dominate the planet in terms of sheer abundance. At any given moment, there are an estimated 20 quadrillion ants alive — that’s 20 followed by 15 zeros. In fact, for every human being, there are roughly 2.5 million ants. There are about 22,000 ant species worldwide. This one is called the Green tree ant (Oecophylla smaragdina). Tanya LattySo the short answer to “Why are there ants in my house?” is simply this: there are a lot of ants. We live on a planet where ants outnumber us by an almost unimaginable margin. The fact that a few occasionally wander into our homes shouldn’t come as a surprise. Ants work from home (yours, that is) Ants owe much of their success to their highly social nature. Within the colony, some individuals (female queens...

Read More........→March 28, 2025

Melting Antarctic ice will slow the world’s strongest ocean current – and the global consequences are profound

Mongkolchon Akesin, Shutterstock Taimoor Sohail, The University of Melbourne and Bishakhdatta Gayen, The University of MelbourneFlowing clockwise around Antarctica, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the strongest ocean current on the planet. It’s five times stronger than the Gulf Stream and more than 100 times stronger than the Amazon River. It forms part of the global ocean “conveyor belt” connecting the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. The system regulates Earth’s climate and pumps water, heat and nutrients around the globe. But fresh, cool water from melting Antarctic ice is diluting the salty water of the ocean, potentially disrupting the vital ocean current. Our new research suggests the Antarctic Circumpolar Current will be 20% slower by 2050 as the world warms, with far-reaching consequences for life on Earth. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current keeps Antarctica isolated from the rest of the global ocean, and connects the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Sohail, T., et al (2025), Environmental Research Letters., CC BYWhy should we care? The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is like a moat around the icy continent. The current helps to keep warm water at bay, protecting vulnerable ice sheets. It also acts as a barrier to invasive species such as southern bull kelp and any animals hitching a ride on these...

Read More........→March 17, 2025

2025 will see huge advances in quantum computing. So what is a quantum chip and how does it work?

Motion Loop/Shutterstock Muhammad Usman, CSIROIn recent years, the field of quantum computing has been experiencing fast growth, with technological advances and large-scale investments regularly making the news. The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The stakes are high – having quantum computers would mean access to tremendous data processing power compared to what we have today. They won’t replace your normal computer, but having this kind of awesome computing power will provide advances in medicine, chemistry, materials science and other fields. So it’s no surprise that quantum computing is rapidly becoming a global race, and private industry and governments around the world are rushing to build the world’s first full-scale quantum computer. To achieve this, first we need to have stable and scalable quantum processors, or chips. What is a quantum chip? Everyday computers – like your laptop – are classical computers. They store and process information in the form of binary numbers or bits. A single bit can represent either 0 or 1. By contrast, the basic unit of a quantum chip is a qubit. A quantum chip is made up of many qubits. These are typically subatomic particles such as electrons or photons, controlled and manipulated by specially designed electric and...

Read More........→March 11, 2025

Countries Are Breathing the Cleanest Air in Centuries and Offer Lessons to the Rest of Us

An article at Our World in Data recently explored trends in air quality across a selection of high and middle-income countries, and found that not only is the West breathing better air than at perhaps any point since urbanization, but that developing nations likely won’t need 100 years or more to arrive at similar outcomes.Published by Hannah Ritchie, the article focuses on two kinds of gases emitted from industrial activity: sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). Both enter the air we breathe from the burning of fossil fuels—coal in particular—while the latter is emitted mostly from internal combustion engines.Bad air quality is responsible for millions of lost life years worldwide from respiratory problems, cardiovascular issues, and neurological disease—all of which can develop and become exasperated under prolonged exposure to air pollutants.UK sulphur dioxide emissions – credit Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) 2024, CC BY license.As seen in this chart, emissions of SO2 have just dipped under levels seen at the earliest periods of British industrialization. Before this, city and town air quality would have been badly tainted through emissions of wood smoke, so it’s safe to assume that 2022 marked the best British air in many centuries, not just the last two.SO2 enters the ambient air primarily in urban environments...

Read More........→March 06, 2025

What’s the difference between climate and weather models? It all comes down to chaos

Nadia Piet/AIxDESIGN & Archival Images of AI / Better Images of AI , CC BY-SA Andy Hogg, Australian National University; Aidan Heerdegen, Australian National University, and Kelsey Druken, Australian National UniversityWeather forecasts help you decide whether to go for a picnic, hang out your washing or ride your bike to work. They also provide warnings for extreme events, and predictions to optimise our power grid. To achieve this, services such as the Australian Bureau of Meteorology use complex mathematical representations of Earth and its atmosphere – weather and climate models. The same software is also used by scientists to predict our future climate in the coming decades or even centuries. These predictions allow us to plan for, or avoid, the impacts of future climate change. Weather and climate models are highly complex. The Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator, for example, is comprised of millions of lines of computer code. Without climate and weather models we would be flying blind, both for short-term weather events and for our long-term future. But how do they work – and how are they different? The same physical principles Weather is the short-term behaviour of the atmosphere – the temperature on a given day, the wind, whether it’s raining and how much. Climate is about long-term...

Read More........→February 11, 2025

What’s the difference between liquid and powder laundry detergent? It’s not just the obvious

Towfiqu ahamed barbhuiya/Shutterstock Nathan Kilah, University of TasmaniaWhen shopping for a laundry detergent, the array of choices is baffling. All of the products will likely get your laundry somewhat cleaner. But what gets the best outcome for your clothes and your budget? Do you want whiter whites? Do you need enzymes? And what’s the difference between a powder and liquid detergent? As is often the case, knowing more about the chemistry involved will help you answer those questions. What is a detergent? The active ingredients in both laundry powders and liquids are “surfactants”, also known as detergents (hence the product name). These are typically charged or “ionic” molecules that have two distinct parts to their structure. One part interacts well with water and the other interacts with oils. This useful property allows surfactants to lift grease and grime from fabrics and suspend it in the water. Surfactants can also form bubbles. Metal salts dissolved in your water can limit the performance of the surfactants. So-called hard water contains lots of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts which can readily form soap scum. Modern laundry detergents therefore contain phosphates, water softeners and other metal “sequestrants” to stop the formation of soap scum. Phosphates can cause algal blooms in fresh water environments....

Read More........→December 12, 2024

The science of happier dogs: 5 tips to help your canine friends live their best life

Bigzumi/Shutterstock Mia Cobb, The University of MelbourneWhen you hear about “science focused on how dogs can live their best lives with us” it sounds like an imaginary job made up by a child. However, the field of animal welfare science is real and influential. As our most popular animal companion and coworker, dogs are very deserving of scientific attention. In recent years we’ve learned more about how dogs are similar to people, but also how they are distinctly themselves. We often think about how dogs help us – as companions, working as detectors, and keeping us safe and healthy. Dog-centric science helps us think about the world from a four-paw perspective and apply this new knowledge so dogs can enjoy a good life. Here are five tips to keep the tails in your life wagging happily. 1. Let dogs sniff Sniffing makes dogs happier. We tend to forget they live in a smell-based world because we’re so visual. Often taking the dog for a walk is our daily physical activity but we should remember it could be our dogs’ only time out of the home environment. Letting them have a really good sniff of that tree or post is full of satisfying information for them. It’s their nose’s equivalent of us standing at the top of a mountain and enjoying a rich, colour-soaked, sunset view. Dogs live in a world of smells, so it’s important...

Read More........→December 05, 2024

What is 3-phase power? And how do I know if my house needs it?

Asma Aziz, Edith Cowan UniversityIf you’re building, renovating or planning to install a solar battery, your builder or installer might ask whether you’ve considered upgrading from single-phase to three-phase power. This upgrade often comes with a hefty price tag. So what’s the difference between single-phase and three-phase power, and which one will you need? Understanding your electricity needs Each house service connection has a maximum amount of electricity that can be drawn from the grid at any one time before the main fuse blows. The limit varies, according to whether you have single- or three-phase power. The amount is calculated by multiplying a house’s “amps” and “voltage”. An “amp” is a unit of electric current. Most houses in Australia with single-phase connections have a standard capacity of 63 amps. In New South Wales, the standard is 100 amps. However, some older or rural homes in Australia may still have connections of 32 or 40 amps. Then there’s voltage, which is the pressure that pushes the current through your wiring to power your house. Current and voltage values are determined by the local distribution network service provider, the company that owns and operates the poles and wires. Since 2000, the standard voltage in most areas of Australia has been 230 volts. In Western Australia, it’s 240 volts....

Read More........→October 01, 2024

How your parents’ diet before your birth impacts your health

What parents eat before conceiving a child affects their baby’s DNA expression. hndrk/Flickr, CC BY-ND Mel McDowall, University of Adelaide Chromosomes and genes contain the blueprint for your physical characteristics. But your parents’ health and diet before you were conceived can also affect how your genes are expressed – and impact your long-term health. There’s a good explanation for this. What’s known as the “periconception period” covers the final stages of egg and sperm growth, fertilisation and embryo development before implantation into the uterus. During this time, the overall health of the egg, sperm and embryos are highly susceptible to changes in the environment. Both under-nutrition (through deliberate calorie restriction) and over-nutrition (through diets high in calories, fats and sugars) in parents during this time can have major impacts on fertility and the long-term health of children. The impact of under-nutrition A recent study published in Nature Communications provides a good illustration of how this works. It described how mothers’ seasonal dietary changes prior to conception affected epigenetic changes in their children. The study was done in rural Gambia, where there are two distinct seasons – the rainy “hungry season” (low nutrition, protein and energy diets) and the dry “harvest...

Read More........→June 13, 2024

Curious Kids: What happens when you flush a toilet on a plane?

AirP72/Shutterstock Doug Drury, CQUniversity AustraliaWhat happens when you flush a toilet on a plane? –Lily, aged 6, Harcourt Lily this is a great question! It doesn’t work like your toilet at home, which uses gravity to remove waste from our toilets into the sewer system. An aeroplane toilet uses a vacuum system along with a blue chemical that cleans and removes odours every time you flush. A smelly tank The waste and blue cleaning fluid ends up in a storage tank under the floor, in the very back of the cargo hold of the aeroplane. With so many people on the plane using the toilets, you can imagine how big the storage tank is! The system is designed very much like the vacuum cleaners we use around the house to remove dirt and dust from our floors. This dirt and dust ends up in a container that we empty into a garbage bin. Similarly, the aeroplane’s toilets need the vacuum pressure system to move all the waste from the toilet into the plumbing pipe that connects the toilet to the storage tank, and finally into the tank. There is a valve on the storage tank that opens when a toilet is flushed and closes when the toilet is not in use – to prevent odours from leaving the tank. This helps to keep the smell down from so many people using the toilet during a flight. The blue chemical helps to keep the smell down as well. Where...

Read More........→May 08, 2024

Curious Kids: what came first, the chicken or the egg?

Shutterstock/Edited by The Conversation Ellen K. Mather, Flinders UniversityWhat came first, the chicken or the egg? — Grace, age 12, Melbourne Hi Grace! Thanks for this great question. It’s an age-old dilemma that has left many people scratching their heads. From an evolutionary perspective, both answers could be considered true! It all depends on how you interpret the question. The case for the egg When the first vertebrates – that is, the first animals with backbones – came out of the sea to live on land, they faced a challenge. Their eggs, similar to those of modern fish, were covered only in a thin layer called a membrane. The eggs would quickly dry up and die when exposed to air. Some animals such as amphibians (the group that includes frogs and axolotls) solved this problem by simply laying their eggs in water – but this limited how far inland they could travel. It was the early reptiles that evolved a key solution to this problem: an egg with a protective outer shell. The first egg shells would have been soft and leathery like the eggs of a snake or a sea turtle. Hard-shelled eggs, such as those of birds, likely appeared much later. Some of the oldest known hard-shelled eggs appear in the fossil record during the Early Jurassic period, roughly 195 million years ago. Dinosaurs laid these eggs, although reptiles...

Read More........→April 29, 2024