science-and-technology

Keith became the co-founder of Witchsy, a new online marketplace for weird art, alongside Kate Dwyer and Penelope Gazin.

But Keith was not a real person.

He was their very own fake male partner, designed to help them be taken seriously while trying to get their business off the ground.

Ms Dwyer said when she and Ms Gazin were at the idea phase of their business, simply receiving timely responses to emails was difficult. And when they did get emails back, they were often condescending and at times sexist.

On show until October 15, Bug Lab: Little Bugs, Super Powers is a co-production between New Zealand museum Te Papa and special effects company Weta Workshop.

Te Papa entomologist Dr Phil Sirvid said the show was "a celebration of the genius of bugs".

Here's four freaky insect facts from the exhibition.

Dragonflies out-hunt lions

Lions may be kings of the jungle, but they are amateur hunters compared to dragonflies, Dr Sirvid said.

"A lion hunting on its own gets its dinner about one time in five; dragonflies, typically, it's 95 out of 100."

But observations and research show this is generally not the case.

Instead, people tend to make choices based on how food tastes. Typically, the more sugar, salt and fat in the food, the more we will like it.

Genetics, experience and environment also influence our perception of food and the consumption choices we make.

The technology, which was pioneered in the Netherlands, dramatically extends the shelf life of blood components for up to 10 years.

The blood service said it was critical to have a constant supply in field hospitals, but the technique also has huge benefits for rural and remote communities.

In Australia one in three people need blood, but only one in 30 donate it.

For young children, emoji can aid inclusion in aspects of society previously closed to them, such as active participation in increasing knowledge of childhood well-being, and being heard in educational and care settings.

Emoji can also support children's learning in areas of health, well-being, safety and diversity.

These are key aspects of supporting children in becoming knowledgeable, confident and informed citizens, essential aspects of high-quality education.

The National Scientific Statement, released last week, found participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects in Australian schools was declining, with enrolments in these subjects at the lowest level in 20 years.

It also reported that performance in these STEM subjects had slipped and if the decline continued, "Australia may be unable to supply the skills required for the future workforce".

But the effect could be even more significant.

In research recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, our research team shows that the stereotype that a given society has of a first name can influence the way people look.

In eight studies, we found that participants shown ID-style photos of people they'd never met were able to recognise the first name of the depicted person well above the chance level.

"No-one in their daily life within a period of 10 minutes isn't touching something that is made of plastic," said Professor Andrew Holmes, an emeritus professor at the University of Melbourne and a polymer chemist who has developed special plastics for flat screen TVs and solar cells.

It's used in everything from the keyboard or pen you are using, to your glasses or contact lenses, the Teflon on your frying pan, and the banknotes in your wallet. It's in your clothes, phone, car, mattress, and TV screen.

The answer is maybe soon — at least according to them.

Ok. So what's a transhumanist?

Like some scientists, they believe that ageing is a disease, and they are not afraid of taking human evolution into their own hands by harnessing genetic engineering, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.

Sydney-based IT innovation manager and self-described transhumanist Peter Xing says Australians aged in their 20s and 30s could now end up living long enough to live forever.

It is called "longevity escape velocity".

New research by a team at University of Queensland (UQ), led by muscle physiologist Dr Bradely Launikonis, found it was part of a protective mechanism stopping people from damaging themselves in the days following exercise.

In the world-first study, Dr Launikonis's team have mapped muscle fibres from thigh biopsies at three points in the exercise cycle.

"This is the first time this type of imaging has been done in human muscles, everything before that been done in mice and rats," Dr Launikonis said.