Why I like ScienceAlert

ScienceAlert is “the first and only website to cover the whole of Australasian science and to present its announced research outcomes to the public for free”. Australian science news, that might be an ‘enough said’ moment; but actually I find ScienceAlert ‘s choice and flow of stories excellent regardless of the local focus.

At a time when mainstream media is both ignoring science and sourcing much of what it does publish from overseas, it is increasingly important to have a local, quality source of science news. I find ScienceAlert is filling that niche very nicely – and for free.

Besides providing the latest news from Australasian universities and research institutions, the service provides quality feature articles and opinions from qualified local scientific and science writers. So where did ScienceAlert come from?

ScienceAlert partners Julian Cribb and Chris Cassella recognized that more and more people get their science news online. However, the science news presented on traditional news websites is profiled to appeal to a general audience and is dominated by stories from the United States and Great Britain, the main sources of English-language science news.

Their aim in setting up ScienceAlert was to both publicise Australasian scientific outcomes more widely and to encourage Australasian research institutions and funding agencies to share more of their achievements by providing a free outlet for them to do so.

Take a look at the ScienceAlert website at www.sciencealert.com.au (just don’t confuse them with a quite different American offering with a similar name) or follow their excellent Twitter feed.