POLL RESULT
A little less than half of you are convinced by the new evidence that suggests drug addiction is a disease, whereas 38% of you think this is not the case. 20% of you are not sure either way and are sitting on the fence. View the full results and add your comments.
NEW POLL: Do you think Terminator-style eye lenses will go on the market in your lifetime? Have your say.
TOP NEWS
 | An unusual gamma-ray burst exploded into life on Christmas Day last year, and two teams of astronomers have offered different explanations for what caused it. |  | River Murray Turtle embryos can adjust their developmental rate so that all the eggs in a clutch can hatch around the same time, a new study has found. |  | The world's oldest evidence of deep sea fishing has been discovered by an Australian research team, showing that our regional ancestors mastered the skill some 42,000 years ago. |  | A contact lens displaying emails and text messages before your eyes could soon become a reality after successful animal trials by scientists in the U.S.
|  | The world's most advanced biosecurity lab has raised its curtain in Geelong, Australia.
|  | Dark matter must have a mass greater than 40 giga-electronvolts, say scientists who claim to have set the strongest limit yet on the mass of dark matter.
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SOUTH AUSTRALIA IN FOCUS Don’t miss our special COSMOS guide exploring the science, innovation and engineering developments in South Australia, a state brimming with capacity in R&D, training and careers. Rich in mineral wealth, SA has a strong focus on engineering, IT, food science, environment, mining, defence and astronomy. This 7-page special looks at career success stories, key technology areas, green initiatives, hot topics and more, mapping the best the festival state has to offer. Click here for more details.
IN FOCUS  by Wilson da Silva WHAT DO YOU ASK a man who walked on the Moon 42 years ago, and has never been able to live it down? All because he happened to be the first human being to set foot on another world? This is the thought that had me brooding as I nursed a glass of red wine and peered across the vast hall of men and women in business attire who shuffled to and fro, anxious to enter the Parkside Ballroom at the Sydney Convention Centre in Darling Harbour, where Neil Armstrong would be making one of his few public orations. The 81-year-old space veteran had come to Australia to mark the 125th anniversary of the CPA Australia, the professional accounting association. He has a soft spot for accountants: his father, Stephen, had worked all his life as a county auditor for the state government in Ohio.
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RMIT’s associate degrees are two year qualifications that will to fast-track into a relevant degree or a cutting edge career. You can advance into a range of RMIT degrees including: Engineering (including aerospace, automotive, civil, mechanical, network and electrical/electronic), Biomedical science, IT, Food Science, Biotechnology, Applied Science. Come to the information session on Monday 19 December and speak face-to-face with RMIT reps about your study options. Visit the website for details.
THIS WEEK'S FEATURES
 | The health and social impacts of drug abuse - especially socially acceptable ones such as nicotine and alcohol - kill millions each year. Can a new generation of lifestyle vaccines halt the epidemic? |
THIS WEEK'S BLOGS
 | Inspired by a straightforward zoological discovery that could save the fishing industry millions of dollars, our new intern Jen reflects on ‘simple science’.
|  | In her first week as a COSMOS intern Jude Dineley ruminates on echolocation in bats and how as humans, we would like to replicate their impressive skills in acoustic technology.
|  | There’s so much we can achieve, if we just put our minds to it.
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THIS WEEK'S PROFILES
 | Meningococcal is infamous for the speed at which it progresses - sometimes towards death - but Sapna Thoduka has figured out a diagnostic method that can work in 15 minutes. |  | How the marine biologist who can invent his own underwater video equipment is making a difference in the industry. |
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS
 | From Kepler's first prediction of the transit in 1631 to how Venus is helping us search for Earth-like planets in other solar systems today, this book provides fascinating insights into the lives of the scientists involved. |  | Sitting in the economy class of a jumbo jet gives you the very faintest inkling of what it might be like for astronauts in space, as this ferociously funny book details. |
Curtin Top-ranked for Earth Sciences Research – ERA results. In the Federal Government Excellence in Research for Australia 2010 survey of Australian Higher Education Institutions, Curtin was one of only six Australian Universities awarded the highest possible ranking of 5 for the Earth Sciences discipline overall, indicating “outstanding performance well above world standard”. More info here.
| Poll Do you think drug addiction is a disease? Yes, the scientific evidence is there 42% No, I'm still not convinced 38% Maybe, I'm undecided on the issue 20% |
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