Science + Technology – Views and Research – The Conversation

A cute animated creature running on a treadmill

A cute animated creature running on a treadmill

Meta wants people to use ‘AI agents’ to do daily tasks for them. Here’s why that’s a problem

Bushfire season is fast approaching. A new satellite tool can help communities better prepare

A man standing in a paddock, watching a bushfire burn in the distance.

A man standing in a paddock, watching a bushfire burn in the distance.

How sugar from outer space became one of the backbones of life on Earth

Steam rising from rocky water amid mountains

Steam rising from rocky water amid mountains

Almost everyone naturally turns left when walking – and we still have no idea why

Pedestrians are crossing the road from one side to the other

Pedestrians are crossing the road from one side to the other

One giant clam contains a month-by-month diary of the Great Barrier Reef’s climate 200 years ago

A dome telescope on top of a hill, the sky above illuminated with stars and yellow, blue and red light.

A dome telescope on top of a hill, the sky above illuminated with stars and yellow, blue and red light.

Even the best telescopes have blind spots. This fix can help us build better maps of the universe

AI often leaves out minority languages – but some communities are turning it into a lifeline

Small children play on a sunny sandy beach.

Small children play on a sunny sandy beach.

Deepfakes are distorting this year’s Victorian election. We found out who’s most susceptible to them

Woman's abstract fragmented face collage on blue background.

Woman's abstract fragmented face collage on blue background.

Australia’s legacy systems were already a cyber risk. AI agents are raising the stakes

Old computers

Old computers

An AI model has found a new ‘CRISPR-like’ biological system. Here’s what it means for science

Man sitting in front of computer monitors showing text and biological imagery

Man sitting in front of computer monitors showing text and biological imagery

All science and technology articles

New research

A city with high tides spilling over a seawall

A city with high tides spilling over a seawall

Cities across the world are sinking because of groundwater depletion. But the process can be reversed

Earlier volcano warnings could mean more false alarms – but they could also save lives

More than 2 million Indigenous people lived in Australia in 1788: new research

Painting of an Indigenous gathering

Painting of an Indigenous gathering

Was there really a female king in ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago? New study says yes

Close-up of inscriptions in a rough sand coloured surface.

Close-up of inscriptions in a rough sand coloured surface.

Australia’s vast Nullarbor Plain hides deep caves that can teach us about alien worlds

An orange landscape with a series of holes receding into the distance.

An orange landscape with a series of holes receding into the distance.

More new research

Technology

A woman at night looking at her phone that's plugged in by her bed.

A woman at night looking at her phone that's plugged in by her bed.

Is it safe to charge your phone overnight?

Could an ‘Australian AI’ protect us from being hacked? Cybersecurity isn’t that simple

A map of Australia on a digital background

A map of Australia on a digital background

What does the OpenAI Medicare hack reveal about Australia’s cyber security?

A steel vault door in high contrast lighting.

A steel vault door in high contrast lighting.

Worried about your car being hacked? You should be – no matter where it was made

Two people in a car looking at the dashboard screen

Two people in a car looking at the dashboard screen

Decoding data centres

What does a good data centre future look like? And how do we get there?

Stacked 3D blocks with rockets in the background

Stacked 3D blocks with rockets in the background

Data centres have existed for decades. So why are they so controversial now?

3D blocks and building cranes on a textured background

3D blocks and building cranes on a textured background

Are data centres actually noisy, and is this bad for our health?

3D blocks with concentric circles at the base on a textured background

3D blocks with concentric circles at the base on a textured background

Unsustainable – or manageable? We don’t yet know how data centres will impact Australia’s environment

Stacked 3D blocks with water and smoke coming out the edges

Stacked 3D blocks with water and smoke coming out the edges

Read the full series

Artificial intelligence

Artwork with apocalyptic themes with smoke in the background and a person looking on at the devastation.

Artwork with apocalyptic themes with smoke in the background and a person looking on at the devastation.

How would AI actually kill all humans? Here are the top 5 scenarios

Calls for global regulation of AI are growing. What exactly could it look like?

A 3D rendering of the globe, with landmasses in blue light and connected by digital data points.

A 3D rendering of the globe, with landmasses in blue light and connected by digital data points.

OpenAI claims another huge mathematical result amid fights over credit, ethics and privacy

A swirl of lines and dots

A swirl of lines and dots

An opt-out system for AI companies to access creative works doesn’t gel with Australia’s copyright laws. Here’s why

A woman's face digitally edited to appear as if it's dissolving.

A woman's face digitally edited to appear as if it's dissolving.

Expert life advice

A group of women in floppy sun hats having a good time at a water park.

A group of women in floppy sun hats having a good time at a water park.

In a culture obsessed with staying young, we ignore the many benefits of ageing

Why does laundry get smelly if it stays wet? A textile scientist explains how to fix it

Close-up of wet laundry in a front-loading washing machine.

Close-up of wet laundry in a front-loading washing machine.

Why does microwaving fish smell so bad?

A man holds his nose while standing in a staff kitchen.

A man holds his nose while standing in a staff kitchen.

Are jumping castles safe? An amusement ride safety expert explains

An inflatable castle on a grassy field

An inflatable castle on a grassy field

Explore the universe

An illustration of a bright red dot with a shining light in its centre against a black sky.

An illustration of a bright red dot with a shining light in its centre against a black sky.

The universe is full of strange ‘little red dots’. A new study shines light on their real nature

China is launching a Moon mission to find water ice. It’s unlike anything NASA has done

NASA’s new space telescope will tackle some of the universe’s biggest mysteries

Illustration of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope against the background of Hubble's 25th anniversary image.

Illustration of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope against the background of Hubble's 25th anniversary image.

Galactic archaeologists find stars in the Milky Way came from another galaxy 12 billion years ago

Two galaxies in the night sky, merging into one.

Two galaxies in the night sky, merging into one.

There are already 16,000 satellites in Earth’s orbit. How will we manage the next 100,000?

Curious Kids

Curious Kids: does music affect how plants grow?

A person playing violin to plants in a lab.

A person playing violin to plants in a lab.

Curious Kids: can spiders swim?

A light brown spider on water.

A light brown spider on water.

Curious Kids: if our eyes see upside down, how does the brain flip the picture?

A happy child hangs upside down on monkey bars.

A happy child hangs upside down on monkey bars.

Curious Kids: If you scoop a bucket of water out of the ocean, does it get lower?

A blue bucket and spade on a beach.

A blue bucket and spade on a beach.

More Curious Kids articles

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