The Best Australian Science Writing Seri Series

Should we alter animals' DNA to save them from extinction? What secrets will old ice reveal to us about the Earth's deep past? How is the world's most expensive — and explosive — substance made? Great science writing offers fascinating insights into our surrounding environments, inspires awe at the wonders of the natural world, and also seeks to understand and address some of the biggest problems of our time. Science writing encompasses the vastness of the universe and all the diverse life forms within it. Stories abound in both the microscopic and the astronomical, from the scientists trying to reverse-engineer brain circuitry to the largest radio telescope of its kind on Earth which could help us detect alien life. This much-loved anthology — now in its thirteenth year — selects the most thought-provoking, poignant and dazzling science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets and scientists. With a foreword by scientist and engineer Professor Mary O'Kane AC, The Best Australian Science Writing 2023 covers another remarkable year filled with watershed moments in science. INCLUDES THE SHORTLISTED ENTRIES FOR THE 2023 UNSW PRESS BRAGG PRIZE FOR SCIENCE WRITING, AND THE 2022 STUDENT PRIZE—WINNING ESSAY. CONTRIBUTORS: Jo Chandler Angus Dalton Nicky Phillips Jacinta Bowler Helen Sullivan Heather Taylor-Johnson Sara Webb Meredi Ortega Drew Rooke Amalyah Hart Alice Klein Lauren Fuge Zoe Kean Miki Perkins Bianca Nogrady Rebecca Giggs Alice Gorman Belinda Smith and Alan Weedon Felicity Plunkett Clare Watson Fiona McMillan-Webster Euan Ritchie Paul Biegler Tabitha Carvan Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli Jane McCredie Elizabeth Finkel Smriti Mallapaty Anne Casey Jackson Ryan Carl Smith

Good science writing makes us feel. It makes us delight in the discovery of a black hole munching on a star, laugh at the image of aliens puzzling over golf balls on the Moon, wonder at the mystery of the Spanish influenza's deadly rampage, grieve for baby shearwater chicks dying with plastic-filled stomachs, rage at the loss of the Great Barrier Reef and cheer for the clitoris' long-overdue scientific debut. This ninth edition of The Best Australian Science Writing showcases the most powerful, insightful and brilliant essays and poetry from Australian writers and scientists. It roams the length and breadth of science, revealing how a ceramic artist is helping to save the handfish, what is so dangerous about the hype around artificial intelligence and whether too much exercise is bad for the heart. It makes us think, feel and hopefully act.

This popular yearly anthology gives a snapshot of the very best science writing Australia has to offer, including everything from the most esoteric philosophical questions about ourselves and the universe, through to practical questions about the environment in which we live. Now in its eighth year, The Best Australian Science Writing 2018 draws on the knowledge and insight of Australia's brightest authors, journalists, and scientists to challenge perceptions of the world we think we know. This year's selection includes the best of Australia's science writing talent: Jo Chandler, Andrew Leigh, Michael Slezak, Elizabeth Finkel, Bianca Nogrady, Ashley Hay, Joel Werner, Margaret Wertheim, and many more.

The annual collection—now in its tenth year—celebrating the finest voices in Australian science writing. Can fish feel pain? Does it matter if a dingo is different from a dog? Is there life in a glob of subterranean snot? Science tackles some unexpected questions. At a time when the world is buffeted by the effects of a pandemic, climate change, and accelerating technology, the fruits of scientific labour and enquiry have never been more in demand. Who better to navigate us through these unprecedented days than Australia's best science writers? Now in its tenth year, this much-loved anthology selects the most riveting, poignant, and entertaining science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets, and scientists. In their expert hands such ordinary objects as milk and sticky tape become imbued with new meaning, while the furthest reaches of our universe are made more familiar and comprehensible. With a foreword from Nobel laureate and immunologist Peter C Doherty, this collection brings fresh perspective to the world you thought you knew.

What can a microbial gravesite on a moon teach us? Why are scientists risking their lives to safeguard a seed bank? How does a virus detective story show us why we need to be vigilant about the next disease outbreak? Great science writing compels us to pay attention to parts of the world often unseen, from a dusty gold mine which could help answer one of the biggest questions in astrophysics to a delightful date with the misunderstood blobfish. This acclaimed anthology— now in its twelfth year— selects the most riveting, entertaining, poignant, and fascinating science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets, and scientists. With a foreword by health broadcaster and commentator Dr. Norman Swan, this collection covers another remarkable year, not only filled with seismic moments in science, but also shining a light on important work that would otherwise be overlooked.

Is there life in the clouds of Venus? How could Indigenous burning practices stave off catastrophic bushfires? What do horseshoe bats, raccoon dogs, and pet cats have to do with the global pandemic? Science writing tells the stories of life and human endeavour in all its marvellous—often messy—complexity. Now in its eleventh year—and with a foreword by Australia's Chief Scientist, the renowned physicist Cathy Foley—The Best Australian Science Writing 2021 is a collection that showcases the nation's best science writing. New voices join prominent science writers and journalists, taking us to the depths of the ocean, the fuels of the future, and to the Ryugu asteroid and back. The collection also brings us straight to the heart of complex ethical dilemmas and the calamitous crises challenging scientists and writers alike. Includes the shortlisted entries for the 2021 UNSW Press Bragg Prize and the 2020 UNSW Press Bragg Student Prize winning essay.