Science + Technology

• Keen to sign up for space tourism? Here are 6 things to consider (besides the price tag)
  Sure, they're billionaires, but the exploits of Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos have undeniably brought space tourism a step closer. That raises tricky legal, ethical and environmental questions.
  Steven Freeland, Professorial Fellow, Bond University / Emeritus Professor of International Law, Western Sydney University, Western Sydney University
• Fossil tooth fractures and microscopic detail of enamel offer new clues about human diet and evolution
  The genus _Paranthropus_ stands out in our human family tree because of their massive back teeth, but new techniques suggest we should throw out the hypothesis they mainly ate hard seeds and nuts.
  Ian Towle, Postdoctoral fellow, University of Otago
• The science of underwater swimming: how staying submerged gives Olympians the winning edge
  Swimming underwater reduces drag so much there are rules against doing it for too long. But the best swimmers make the most of what's allowed.
  Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University
• The sunlight that powers solar panels also damages them. 'Gallium doping' is providing a solution
  The process of manufacturing gallium-doped solar panels was under a patent until last year. It's only now that this method has started to pick up steam.
  Matthew Wright, Postdoctoral Researcher in Photovoltaic Engineering, UNSW
• We've discovered an undersea volcano near Christmas Island that looks like the Eye of Sauron
  Sonar scans of the Indian Ocean floor south of Christmas Island have revealed a Tolkeinesque landscape of towering peaks, ashen uplands and ominous volcanic craters.
  Tim O'Hara, Senior Curator of Marine Invertebrates, Museums Victoria