Sydney Morning Herald: Australia’s chief scientist, astronomer Penny Sackett, surprised the scientific community last Friday by announcing her resignation effective 4 March—just halfway through her five-year tenure. Pundits have suggested that her resignation may be in protest over the government’s decision to delay an emissions-trading scheme that she is known to support, or that it reflects rumored tensions between her and science minister Kim Carr. Sackett’s official statement simply said that she is “standing down for personal and professional reasons.”
The finding that the Saturnian moon may host layers of icy slush instead of a global ocean could change how planetary scientists think about other icy moons as well.
Modeling the shapes of tree branches, neurons, and blood vessels is a thorny problem, but researchers have just discovered that much of the math has already been done.
January 29, 2026 12:52 PM
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