This report aims to aid policy making and public discussion based on rigorous estimates of the current contribution of the core sciences. The Office of the Australian Chief Scientist commissioned the Australian Academy of Science to develop two complementary reports on the importance of recent advances in a selection of the sciences in the knowledge...

Under his five year reign as Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb saw funding for science research fall to a 30 year low. But under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, there's some good news for the sector. The Prime Minister says he is keen to see science power the 'ideas boom', which could help underpin Australian innovation...

Clinical evidence has shown that physical exercise during pregnancy may alter brain development and improve cognitive function of offspring. However, the mechanisms through which maternal exercise might promote such effects are not well understood. The present study examined levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and absolute cell numbers in the hippocampal formation and cerebral cortex...

This report explores the impact of the internet, mobile phones, and related technologies on economic development. It shows that potential gains from digital technologies are high, but often remain unrealized and proposes policies to expand connectivity, accelerate complementary reforms in sectors beyond information and communication technology (ICT), and address global coordination problems.

Australia, like all nations, has an over-riding national interest in the development and enforcement of robust international regimes that restrict the creation, deployment and export of weapons of mass destruction. For decades, Australia has been a strong, dedicated contributor to the evolution of control regimes like the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the chemical and biological weapons...