Why large dogs age faster than small ones, and other October research highlights

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• Couple clear 4,000 hectares of pests; vanished Australian animals return

  Ecologists Rebecca West and Reece Pedler led eradication efforts to remove rabbits, feral cats, and foxes from Sturt National Park in north-western New South Wales. Operating under the collaborative Wild Deserts project, the initiative returned six locally extinct mammal species to revive degraded desert soils and vegetation dynamics. These restored populations are now expanding into broader landscapes where introduced predator numbers remain actively suppressed.

  3 min read
• SLAC researchers find proof of altermagnetism, a new magnetic phase

  Experiments on manganese telluride have resolved a decades-old physics limitation by confirming a magnetic state first proposed in 2022. The discovery verifies that materials can combine alternating electron spins with behaviors usually reserved for conventional ferromagnets. This fundamental breakthrough paves the way for new hardware architectures in data storage and quantum engineering.

  6 min read
• Slow loris feared extinct since 1930s rediscovered; over 90 found in Indonesia

  Wildlife rescue teams tracking nocturnal primates across Bangka island over a decade have confirmed a viable population remains despite heavy human encroachment. Encounters occurred largely in residential areas and plantations, revealing severe displacement while providing critical biological data. Conservationists now warn that long-term survival hinges on addressing major habitat loss driven by regional agriculture and resource extraction.

  3 min read