The Galactica AI model was trained on scientific knowledge – but it spat out alarmingly plausible nonsense
By Aaron Snoswell Et Al
Earlier this month, Meta announced new AI software called Galactica: a large language model that can store, combine and reason about scientific knowledge.
Launched with a public online demo, Galactica lasted only three...
Headwear and hegemony: how ‘turban tossing’ protests are threatening Iran’s ruling clergy
By Negar Partow
The ongoing protests in Iran over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the countrys Guidance Patrol (or morality police) have made world headlines. But there is another form of protest that has...
Networks and money: the inside story of how the teals won Australia's six richest electorates
By Amy Nethery
For many voters despairing about the gridlock and lack of integrity in Australian politics in recent years, the success of the teal independents in the May 2022 federal election was an exhilarating moment. They won six...
As more biometric data is collected in schools, parents need to ask these 10 questions
By Teresa Swist Et Al
A Sydney high school recently introduced fingerprint technology to help narrow down students who were vandalising school toilets.
Under the plan, students needed to to scan their fingerprints to get access to the...
Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy: The same old starry-eyed thinking about Asian trade
By David Webster
Canadas new Indo-Pacific strategy, announced with much fanfare by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, marks a welcome return of common sense in place of the illusions that have dominated Canadas approach to Asia...
We built an algorithm that predicts the length of court sentences – could AI play a role in the justice system?
By Andrew Lensen Et Al
The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to its deployment in courtrooms overseas. In China, robot judges decide on small claim cases, while in some Malaysian courts, AI has been used to recommend...
When hosting mega-events like FIFA, cities market themselves at the expense of the most vulnerable
By David Roberts2
Few events capture the attention of the globe like the Mens FIFA World Cup in 2018, the event boasted a viewership of 3.5 billion people. Yet, despite the enormous popularity of the World Cup, host cities and countries...
Coalitions, kingmakers and a Rugby World Cup: the calculations already influencing next year’s NZ election
By Grant Duncan
Sometimes it feels as if election year has begun already.
Winston Peters has declared New Zealand First wont join a governing coalition with Labour after the 2023 election. He wants to win back those who abandoned him...
James Webb: telescope uncovers chemical secrets of distant world – paving the way for studying Earth-like planets
By Joanna Barstow
Since the first planet orbiting a star other than the Sun was discovered in 1995, we have realised that planets and planetary systems are more diverse than we ever imagined. Such distant worlds exoplanets give us the...
Stripping carbon from the atmosphere might be needed to avoid dangerous warming – but it remains a deeply uncertain prospect
By Jonathan Symons Et Al
Australias latest State of the Climate Report offers grim reading. As if recent floods werent bad enough, the report warns of worsening fire seasons, more drought years and, when rain comes, more intense downpours. It begs...
Groceries delivered in 60 minutes: it's on the cards but just not yet
By Flavio Macau
From the food replicator in Star Trek to Dumbledore summoning food in Hogwarts banquet hall, we love the idea of instant food on demand.
This week, Australian supermarket giant Coles appealed to that love by announcing...
Amazon's resuscitation of Neighbours: can Aussie TV become good friends with streaming?
By Tessa Dwyer Et Al
Many were shocked by the announcement last Friday that Australian soap opera Neighbours would return to screens in 2023, courtesy of a new deal between production house Fremantle Australia and multinational digital...
Working prisoners are entitled to employment and safety standards just like anybody else
By Jordan House
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) recently ended its longstanding relationship with the meatpacking company, Wallace Beef.
This means that federal prisoners incarcerated in the Joyceville Institution near...
Why bullying in politics is a matter of democracy
By Rebecca Dobson Phillips
Dominic Raab, the UKs deputy prime minister, has become the latest figure in the government to be accused of bullying. Bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct are always serious matters. They can harm a victims...
How we used ancient coins to show a 'fake' Roman emperor was real
By Paul Pearson
All that was previously known about the supposed Roman emperor Sponsian was gleaned from a handful of gold coins that have been regarded as forgeries for over 150 years.
Accordingly, Sponsian has been dismissed as...
Ukraine war: EU parliament names Russia a 'state sponsor of terrorism' – but it won't stop the missiles
By Scott Lucas
The EU parliament has declared Russia to be a state sponsor of terrorism. The largely symbolic resolution, which passed by a 494-58 vote on November 23, has no particular real-world consequences, but reflects MEPs...
Al-Shabaab: sensational media reports about Kenyan terror attacks keep kids out of school
By Joseph-Simon Goerlach Et Al
Sensational reporting on terror attacks in Kenya is keeping children out of school, with dire consequences for their education and their futures.
That is the conclusion we came to in a recent paper that examines how...
A hydrogen pipeline is being built between Barcelona and Marseille – but can it help in the transition to cleaner energy?
By Tomás Gómez-Acebo
In 1874, Jules Verne wrote in his novel The Mysterious Island:
I believe that one day water will be a fuel, that the hydrogen and oxygen which constitute it, used alone or together, will provide an inexhaustible...
Geo-tracking apps: how are parent-child relations bearing up?
By Yann Bruna
Geo-tracking apps such as Find My Kids, Google Family Link and Apples FindMy are fast growing in popularity, handing parents unprecedented powers to monitor their offspring. But how are the latter experiencing what...
Elon Musk's Twitter takeover has disrupted the Christchurch Call – NZ needs to rethink its digital strategy
By Markus Luczak-Roesch
Elon Musks takeover of Twitter as the new sole private owner has delivered plenty of material for memes. Ironically, much of the debate about Twitter is still happening on the platform itself, sometimes with Musk jumping...
Eyewitness misidentification is the leading cause of known wrongful convictions
By Joanna Pozzulo Et Al
Blackstones ratio, developed by jurist William Blackstone, states that: Better that ten guilty persons escape than one innocent suffer.
David Milgaard, Leighton Hay and Steven Truscott have all been wrongfully convicted...
Elon Musk's Twitter Blue fiasco: Governments need to better regulate how companies use trademarks
By Alexandra Mogyoros
Until recently, Twitters blue checkmark logo was (for better or worse) a trusted mark of authenticity. But under the façade of democratizing the platform, Elon Musk allowed the blue checkmark to be purchased by...
Ukraine war: Why the missile incident in Poland is a warning of things to come
By Émile Lambert-Deslandes
Since the beginning of November, Russia has engaged in its largest ever missile strike against Ukraines infrastructure. On Nov. 15, 2022, two civilians were killed by a stray missile in Przewodów, on Polands...
Spending too much money? Tempted by sales? These ways to 'hack' your psychology can help
By Adrian R. Camilleri
Its late November, which means the holiday sales period has well and truly begun. If you havent already seen your spending go up, the possibility is looming.
And you probably have some concerns about spending your money...
Think Trump is done for? Think again
By Victoria Cooper1
The key analysis from the US midterms coverage over the past two weeks have been that the so-called red wave turned out to be a ripple and that the Republican Party underperformed. Former President Donald Trump, the theory...
Why do I sprain my ankle so often? And how can I cut the risk of it happening again?
By Gordon Waddington
Are you one of those people who seems to be forever spraining their ankle?
To some extent, ankle sprains are part and parcel of being active.
But if its happening again and again, heres what may be going on and how...
The criminal justice system is retraumatizing victims of violent crime
By Jeffrey Bradley
In a split moment, violence can change our lives. We could become a target of violence in our home, school, workplace and community. You might be slapped, punched, stabbed or shot, resulting in serious injuries, trauma or...
How to make 5G less expensive
By Florian Kaltenberger
The 5th generation of mobile communications, 5G has arrived and it has brought us mostly higher throughputs and helped operators to satisfy the ever-increasing demand for mobile data traffic. This first wave of 5G uses the...
Elon Musk's 'hardcore' management style: a case study in what not to do
By Libby (Elizabeth) Sander
As a case study in how to implement organisational change, Elon Musks actions at Twitter will go down as the gold standard in what not to do.
Among other things, the evidence shows successful organisational change...
Elon Musk's buyout of Twitter has placed its user-generated archives in danger
By Ian Milligan
Twitter is in disarray. This is troubling for a platform that comprises no small part of the historical record of today.
While only used by a percentage of Americans (some 23 per cent in 2022) and Canadians (42 per cent...
5 ways for Canada to tackle Chinese interference after the Trudeau-Xi showdown
By Margaret McCuaig-Johnston
In April 2021, Conservative MP Kenny Chiu was so concerned about potential Chinese interference in Canadas political system that he proposed a Foreign Influence Registry Act similar to those in the United States and...
Why we feel like Christmas comes around more quickly each year
By Ruth Ogden
Think back to your childhood. December was the longest of months. It might have been filled with rehearsing school nativity performances, writing up your wishlist and savouring the mornings advent calendar chocolate. But...
Why UK universities are going on strike
By Heather Connolly
Universities in the UK are striking on 24, 25 and 30 November 2022, with action short of a strike beginning on 23 November. Around 70,000 university staff across 150 universities are taking industrial action, following a...
Smart meters show your energy use but here’s how you can actually save money
By David Glew
Soaring energy prices are squeezing homes and businesses across the UK and Europe, prompting leaders to implement support measures such as the UKs Energy Price Guarantee. Yet it is often unclear to a consumer how much they...
The era of the megalopolis: how the world's cities are merging
By James Cheshire Et Al
On November 15 2022, a baby girl named Vinice Mabansag, born at Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila, Philippines, became symbolically the eight billionth person in the world. Of those 8 billion people, 60% live...
A Republican bubble? How pollsters and pundits got the US midterms so wrong
By Anthony Pickles
During the month leading up to the US midterm elections, talk of a commanding Republican victory went from a red wave to a red tsunami. The Republicans were on for the win. The polls and gambling markets, or so-called...
Student loan cancellation got blocked. Now what? 3 questions answered
By William Chittenden
When the Biden administration announced in August 2022 that it was canceling up to $20,000 in student loan debt per borrower, it said the idea was to provide families with breathing room as they prepare to start repaying...
Disenchanted: Disney attempts to break stereotypes of motherhood only to reinforce them
By Vanessa Marr
Mothers in fairy tales have a way of being absent, typically through untimely deaths (think Cinderella, Snow White or Beauty and the Beast) or thanks to storylines that position them as background characters. Disneys...
Banksy in Ukraine: how his defiant new works offer hope
By Rachel Kerr
Art, in all its forms, has always been a powerful means of representing, resisting and remembering war. And the Russo-Ukrainian War is no different, with artists responding powerfully to Russian aggression through an...
Strikes: how do they work?
By Holly Smith
The UK has seen an autumn of strikes. Workers on the railways, at London Underground and at Royal Mail have been among those taking action. This looks set to continue through the winter, with doctors, nurses, teachers and...
How Made.com went from a pandemic-era business superstar to a failed company in just 18 months
By John Wood
Formed in 2011, Made.com offered affordable high-end furniture online with the ambition to one day rival Swedish furniture giant Ikea. Fast forward 11 years and the British brand, which excelled during the pandemic and was...
Christmas may be safe, but three-year port dispute shows the IR system is full of holes
By Shae McCrystal
Australias industrial relations umpire has delayed industrial action that would have crippled Australias ports in the lead-up to Christmas.
But the dispute in which it has intervened one that has dragged on since 2019 ...
How satellites, radar and drones are tracking meteorites and aiding Earth's asteroid defence
By Hadrien Devillepoix
On July 31 2013 a constellation of US defence satellites saw a streak of light over South Australia as a rock from outer space burned through Earths atmosphere on its way to crash into the ground below.
The impact...
Thinking of breaking up with Twitter? Here’s the right way to do it
By Daniel Angus Et Al
After a few chaotic weeks its clear Elon Musk is intent on taking Twitter in a direction thats at odds with the prevailing cultures of the diverse users who call it home.
Musk has now begun reinstating high-profile...
Suicide risk is high for military and emergency workers – but support for their families and peers is missing
By Henry Bowen
Suicide is a complex issue that impacts 425,000 Australians every year. Thats because up to 135 people are directly or indirectly impacted by each suicide death.
Military and emergency services personnel (such as those...
Scientists need help to save nature. With a smartphone and these 8 tips, we can get our kids on the case
By Judy Friedlander Et Al
Citizen science is touted as a way for the general public to contribute to producing new knowledge. But citizen science volunteers dont always represent a broad cross-section of society. Rather, theyre often white, male,...
What Elon Musk's destruction of Twitter tells us about the future of social media
By Blayne Haggart
Elon Musks purchase of Twitter has been a fast-moving disaster. It has also created a tangible problem for journalists, politicians, activists and academic scholars: Where do we talk to each other if or when Twitter...
Saving Main Street: Local businesses need community support to stay afloat
By Sarah Tranum
Main Street businesses that survived COVID-19 restrictions are now navigating a pandemic recovery where predicted changes in the retail industry have been accelerated by five to 10 years.
The ability to adapt to these...
Personalised learning is billed as the 'future' of schooling: what is it and could it work?
By Maya Gunawardena
It is not uncommon for kids to complain about school, but studies show significant numbers of Australian students are actually disengaged with their education.
A 2017 Grattan Institute report found as many as 40% are...
Government debt won't necessarily burden future generations – but austerity will
By Nicola Mulkeen
In his autumn budget statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said that the Conservatives dont leave debts for the next generation. As such, he vowed to halve government borrowing over the next five years.
This promise is key...
