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TuneFm is UNE's student radio station. With a 40+ year history, the station is Australia’s oldest university broadcaster.

Once declared biologically dead, the Thames River

Once declared biologically dead, the Thames River flows as much with life as with water these days, and the first report on its health in 60 years is hopeful news. Around 115 species of fish live in the river—providing food for not one, not two, but three species of shark which swim above a river bottom where seahorses and eels can also be found. It's also home to both grey and harbour seals.

“As top predators, (seals) are a great indicator of ecological health, so they tell us how the Thames is doing,” said conservation biologist Thea Cox. “People think the Thames is dead because it is brown, but the Thames is full of life—the water quality has improved so much.”

The “State of the Thames” report highlights the gradual work in the reduction of pressure on life in the river over the last 60 years when pollution and sewage decimated it.

To look at the full report of the "State of the Thames", see: https://www.zsl.org/sites/default/files/ZSL_TheStateoftheThamesReport_Nov2021.pdf

We’ve all watched a honeybee fly past us and lan

We’ve all watched a honeybee fly past us and land on a nearby flower. But how does she know what she’s looking for? 🐝

Bees’ reliance on flower resources such as nectar and pollen has led them to be effective learners of flower signals. They must be able to tell which flowers in their environment will provide a reward and which will not. If they didn’t know the difference, they would waste time searching for nectar in the wrong flowers.

Bees can quickly and effectively learn to discriminate between flowers of slightly different shapes – a bit like how humans can expertly tell faces apart; we have more similarities than one might think!

See more about our little friends' brains here: https://www.tunefm.net/2021/12/02/just-like-how-humans-recognise-faces-bees-are-born-with-an-innate-ability-to-find-and-remember-flowers/

Scientists warn, without good biosecurity measures

Scientists warn, without good biosecurity measures 'alien organisms' on Earth may become a reality stranger than fiction.

Space biosecurity concerns itself with both the transfer of organisms from Earth to space (forward contamination) and vice-versa (backward contamination). While the research points out that at present the risk of alien organisms surviving the journey is low, it's not impossible.

Dr Cassey said: "Risks that have low probability of occurrence, but have the potential for extreme consequences, are at the heart of biosecurity management. Because when things go wrong, they go really wrong."
To address the risks of invasive species from space travel, the authors suggest the emerging field of 'invasion science', which deals with the causes and consequences of introducing organisms into new environments, could offer valuable learnings. This includes the fact that insular systems such as islands, lakes, and remote habitats, are most vulnerable to invasion threats.

Further insights that could be applied include protocols for early detection, hazard assessment, rapid response and containment procedures currently used in response to invasive species threats.

Read more: https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biab115/6413826

You probably don’t realise it when you’re list

You probably don’t realise it when you’re listening to your favourite song, but music has an incredibly powerful effect on the human brain! 🎵🎶🎵

Singing, playing an instrument or listening to music have all been shown to activate numerous areas of the brain that control speech, movement and cognition, memory and emotion, sometimes simultaneously! Research also suggests that music can physically increase brain matter, which could help the brain repair itself.

More intriguing is the impact that music can have even in cases where the brain may not be functioning as it should. For example, studies show that for people with Alzheimer’s, music can often spark a reaction, helping patients access memories that were previously lost. Patients who have suffered brain damage and lost the ability to speak can still sing when music is played.

Given the powerful effect that music has on the brain, researchers are investigating whether it can be used to treat many different neurological conditions – such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease or brain injury. One such treatment currently being investigated for use is neurologic music therapy, involving assisting patients to manage symptoms and function better in their daily life. Therapy sessions use musical or rhythmical exercises to help patients regain functional skills.

More on the power of music HERE: https://www.tunefm.net/2021/11/30/why-researchers-are-turning-to-music-as-a-possible-treatment-for-stroke-brain-injuries-and-even-parkinsons/

Following on from serving up 'Apple Crumble', Lime

Following on from serving up 'Apple Crumble', Lime Cordiale & Idris Elba have released a new single 'What's Not To Like'. Both tracks will feature on their upcoming mini-album Cordi Elba, out 14th of January! This news goes hand with the rescheduling of their national tour to April/May in 2022.

Recorded in Sydney earlier this year while the Thor/Luther/The Wire star was in town shooting a project, Elba describes it as "a song about finding who you really are and not chasing who you think people want you to be. It is a driver's seat singer classic."

Take a listen to What's Not To Like now, also available on most music streaming services! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAWOPqOx7vg

Image Credit: Tim Swallow

University students are no stranger to procrastina

University students are no stranger to procrastination - new research from the University of Otago has found that if you want someone to help you out with something, shorter deadlines (or none at all!) are best.

Specifying longer deadlines removes the urgency to act, and due to inattentiveness or simply a short memory, people tend to put off tasks until the last minute. When provided with a one week deadline, or none at all, the participants responded far quicker to the survey.

This could be resolved by self-imposed deadlines for short bursts of tasks that need to be done in weeks or month's time, inspiring more productivity from week to week rather than forgetting about a faraway date.

Find out about the study here: https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/otago834751.html

How do you beat procrastination? Tell us below! 👇👇👇

What was the last game you played? Was it cooperat

What was the last game you played? Was it cooperative? Competitive, or maybe even on your own? 🎮

Play is important for the development of complex social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills. It provides young individuals with a safe space to practice new behaviors - this is true of most animals, but only us humans use rule-based games.

The kinds of games people play (competitive or cooperative) may depend on their background. In a new study, researchers from Germany and Australia screened historical data to answer the question whether cultures play games that correspond to how cooperative they are.

Games reflect aspects of human culture, and one such example is how competitive or cooperative said cultures may be - for instance, there was a strong link between competitive games and Germany. In socially hierarchical cultures, or those with differences in status and wealth, competitive games are played frequently. In egalitarian cultures, or those with little or no differences in status and wealth, games tend to be more cooperative.

For more on this interesting study, see https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0259746

You might already know that axolotls are nature's

You might already know that axolotls are nature's champs at regenerating limbs, but did you know that us humans have a similar potential?

The ability of limb regeneration is thanks to a type of white blood cell, a macrophage. Without them, regeneration won't take place, and instead the axolotl forms a scar that acts as a barrier (just the same as it would for a mammal such as ourselves!), as investigated by scientist James Godwin in 2013.

Now, in a study that builds on his earlier research, Godwin has identified the origin of regeneration in axolotls as the liver - and this info could be applicable to humans, too! This finding paves the way for regenerative medicine therapies in humans - where growing a limb might be a bit ambitious (though eventually maybe possible), these therapies can play a part in treatments for heart, lung and kidney disease, and burns too!

You can read more about these cool findings here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2021.750587/full

Any long term human presence on Mars - that includ

Any long term human presence on Mars - that includes colonization, research, visit or travel — relies on a stable atmosphere that doesn’t fry us with radiation, but it isn't impossible.

Scientists are suggesting that we protect humans on Mars from deadly atmospheric conditions by jumpstarting the planet’s magnetic field. “For a long-term human presence on Mars to be established, serious thought would need to be given to terraforming the planet,” the team wrote. “One major requirement for such terraforming is having the protection of a planetary magnetic field which Mars currently does not have.”

So just how much of a magnetic field would be needed to protect Mars - and us? The force needed to deflect solar wind is around the same as a regular fridge magnet.
But they’d need to generate it over the entire planet; it would certainly take a massive amount of resources, but the idea of life on Mars becomes more and more real every day.

Dylan Alcott’s Ability Fest is set to return to

Dylan Alcott’s Ability Fest is set to return to Melbourne this week, on the 27th of November, marking the first time the event will have taken place in over two years.

Headlining the festival, filling spaces left by Cub Sport and Sumner are synth-pop duo Confidence Man and R&E upstart KYE. Other acts set to appear on the day include Alex The Astronaut, Illy, Nina Las Vegas and What So Not, as well as a DJ set from Peking Duk.

The annual event, spearheaded by Paralympic gold medalist Dylan Alcott, is branded as “Australia’s most accessible music festival”, with the site fitted with elevated viewing platforms, pathways, quiet zones, a designated sensory area, companion ticketing, ramps and Auslan interpreters for every act.

Second release tickets are still available from the festival’s website, with all funds earned from the event going directly to the Dylan Alcott Foundation: https://www.abilityfest.com.au/

Researchers have used a virtual-reality environmen

Researchers have used a virtual-reality environment to understand the impact anxiety has on the brain and how brain regions interact with one another to shape behaviour.

Imagine you are in a meadow picking flowers; some flowers are safe, while others have a bee inside that will sting you. How would you react - how would your brain have you react? This is the exact reality that researchers created to understand the impact of anxiety on the mind.

"The results tell us that anxiety disorders might be more than a lack of awareness of the environment or ignorance of safety, but rather that individuals suffering from an anxiety disorder cannot control their feelings and behavior even if they wanted to", stated Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience. This allows us more depth in the understanding of anxiety disorders and how they change the brain.

For more info on this interesting research on the way our brains shape behaviour, see: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-02775-x

To access UNE's counselling and/or crisis support services, go to https://www.une.edu.au/current-students/support/student-support/une-wellness-centre/urgent-help

An expansion of the marine protections around the

An expansion of the marine protections around the Galápagos Islands by 23,000 square miles has been announced, increasing the area by nearly 15 million acres. From this creation comes a protected underwater super-highway stretching from the Galapagos to Costa Rica.

This acts as a refuge for a variety of endangered migratory animals, such as hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, rays, tuna and sea turtles. It is set to connect with Cocos Islands National Park, a World Heritage Site situated off the coast of Costa Rica. This sanctuary expands the reserve by 45%, with a fleet ready to protect the area from threats such as industrial fishing.

Photo Credit - Gálapagos Conservancy

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