Tiny robots and AI algorithms could help to craft material solutions for cleaner environments
By Mahshid Ahmadi
Many human activities release pollutants into the air, water and soil. These harmful chemicals threaten the health of both people and the ecosystem. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes an...
TikTok ban goes to the court: 5 essential reads on the case and its consequences
By Eric Smalley Et Al
TikTok headed to court on Sept. 16, 2024, in a bid to overturn a law that would force the video app to divorce from its China-based parent company or be banned in the U.S.
During the appearance before a panel of judges...
The internet is worse than it used to be. How did we get here, and can we go back?
By Marc Cheong Et Al
When it comes to our experience of the internet, the times, they are a-changin, as Bob Dylan would say. You cant quite recall how, but the internet certainly feels different these days.
To some, it is less fun and less...
New data reveals rates of family violence among those who died by suicide
By Kate Fitz-Gibbon Et Al
Domestic, family and sexual violence is rightly recognised as a national crisis.
While the evidence base has built significantly in recent years, one important missing piece of the puzzle is how these forms of violence...
Global powers are grappling with ‘responsible’ use of military AI
By Zena Assaad Et Al
Last week, some 2,000 government officials and experts from around the world met for the REAIM (Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain) summit in Seoul, South Korea. This was the second event of its...
The second assassination attempt on Donald Trump in 64 days is a troubling turn of events
By Jack L. Rozdilsky
On the afternoon of Sept. 15, Donald Trump was playing golf at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., when he was the target of an alleged second assassination attempt. Secret Service agents opened...
Mexico’s First Female President Faces the Legacy of a Media Giant
By Jessica Wax-Edwards
Andrés Manuel López Obrador (more commonly known by his initials, Amlo) will step down from Mexicos presidency on September 30, making way for his protégée and the countrys first female...
Governments need to focus on AI’s real impact, not get caught up in the hype generated by Big Tech
By David Weitzner
Statistics Canada recently released a detailed report estimating which professions are likely to be affected by artificial intelligence in the next few years.
It concludes with an optimistic message for education and...
Unlocking China: South Africa's Agricultural Trade Opportunities
By Wandile Sihlobo
South Africas agricultural sector has more than doubled in value and volume terms since 1994. This success has been linked to international trade. Exports now account for roughly half (in value terms) of the annual...
Potential Air Canada pilot strike: Key FAQs and why the anger at pilots is misplaced
By Geraint Harvey1
Air Canada could suspend operations next week as pilots prepare to go on strike, an action that could affect 110,000 passengers a day according to the airline.
Negotiations between Air Canada and its pilots over a new...
‘The data on extreme human ageing is rotten from the inside out’ – Ig Nobel winner Saul Justin Newman
By Saul Justin Newman
From the swimming habits of dead trout to the revelation that some mammals can breathe through their backsides, a group of leading leftfield scientists have been taking their bows at the Massachusetts Institute of...
Ofsted report cards could give parents the information they actually want about schools
By Colin Diamond
A number of changes are taking place at Ofsted, which inspects early years providers, schools, colleges, training and apprenticeships in England on behalf of the Department for Education.
The most striking, and...
The Rings of Power: season two is a vast improvement – and a meditation on the dangerous allure of AI
By Stuart Lee
At the beginning of J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins attempts to describe how he feels about his unnatural lifespan, extended by his ownership of one of the magical rings. He likens it to too little...
The keys to managing chemotherapy: exercise, nutrition and mental health
By Liam Humphreys
Following the news of her cancer diagnosis in March 2024, Catherine, Princess of Wales recently released a personal update about her treatment, expressing relief that her course of chemotherapy was now...
Violence at the Kenya-Ethiopia border: what’s driving insecurity in the region
By Oscar Gakuo Mwangi
Communal conflict is endemic in the vast arid region on both sides of the Kenya-Ethiopia border. Fresh alarm has been sparked in both countries following a kidnapping and armed attacks on police and civilians in Kenyas...
Creative life after death − or yes, you can control spinoffs from beyond the grave
By Naomi Cahn Et Al
Michael Crichton, the creator of ER and author of Jurassic Park, died in 2008. So why is his estate suing Warner Bros. now?
It turns out that when Crichton agreed to develop the ER series, he kept the right to approve ...
Wild ginseng is declining, but small-scale ‘diggers’ aren’t the main threat to this native plant − and they can help save it
By Justine Law
Across Appalachia, September marks the start of ginseng season, when thousands of people roam the hills searching for hard-to-reach patches of this highly prized plant.
Many people know ginseng as an ingredient in...
Voters’ ‘moral flexibility’ helps them defend politicians’ misinformation − if they believe the inaccurate info speaks to a larger truth
By Minjae Kim
Many voters are willing to accept misinformation from political leaders even when they know its factually inaccurate. According to our research, voters often recognize when their parties claims are not based on objective...
At 60, the Sun hasn’t set – but the tabloid’s light is fading
By Adrian Bingham
The British public believe it is time for a new newspaper, born of the age we live in. That is why the Sun rises brightly today.
So declared the front page of the Sun on September 15 1964. Sixty years ago, this headline...
Who is in fuel poverty? The government has no idea as it moves to cut winter fuel payments
By Brenda Boardman
Energy is an unusual commodity as it imposes running costs and capital expenditure. The main way to permanently reduce running costs is to spend money on more efficient use of energy: better insulated homes, more modern...
Some pensioners are pretty well off. But how many can afford to lose the winter fuel payment?
By Jonquil Lowe
The governments plan to restrict pensioners winter fuel payment to households getting pension credit has been easily if grudgingly passed by parliament. This was despite a strong case for delaying the move to explore...
NHS report: why higher pay for health workers could lead to a more efficient and effective system
By Nick Krachler Et Al
A comprehensive review of the UK National Health Services performance has diagnosed the NHS as being in a critical condition. While also emphasising its strong vital signs, the report, by surgeon and former Labour minister...
Two former federal departmental heads breached public service code 25 times in Robodebt scandal
By Michelle Grattan
Two former federal departmental secretaries and another ten bureaucrats involved in the Robodebt scandal have been found to have breached the Public Service Code of Conduct a total of 97 times.
Kathryn Campbell and...
Are you ready for it? What a Taylor Swift endorsement means for Kamala Harris
By Emma Shortis
As the US Presidential debate wrapped up on Wednesday, commentators and journalists regrouped and drew breath.
But then, enter Taylor Swift. The pop superstar posted her endorsement of the Kamala Harris and Tim Walz...
A billionaire and an engineer have completed the first private spacewalk. But this isn’t just a vanity project
By Gail Iles
Two astronauts have carried out the first-ever commercial spacewalk, using new less-bulky spacesuits designed by SpaceX.
Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman (who also funded the mission) and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis...
The psychology of retirement: why do so many athletes struggle to call time?
By Sarah Tillott Et Al
Think back to when you met someone for the first time. One of the first questions you asked, or were asked, was likely: what do you do for work?
Its a polite, innocuous and socially ingrained way of getting to know more...
Can AI talk us out of conspiracy theory rabbit holes?
By Dana McKay Et Al
New research published in Science shows that for some people who believe in conspiracy theories, a fact-based conversation with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot can pull them out of the rabbit hole. Better yet, it...
$84bn lost to housing tax lurks? That would go a long way towards ending the housing crisis
By Alan Morris
Australias deep housing crisis is causing enduring and widespread harm. A key impact is that it is increasing inequality.
The children of parents who have paid off their mortgage and have disposal income are far more...
The skyscraper-sized tsunami that vibrated through the entire planet and no one saw
By Stephen Hicks Et Al
Earthquake scientists detected an unusual signal on monitoring stations used to detect seismic activity during September 2023. We saw it on sensors everywhere, from the Arctic to Antarctica.
We were baffled the signal...
Cosmology is at a tipping point – we may be on the verge of discovering new physics
By Andreea Font
For the past few years, a series of controversies have rocked the well-established field of cosmology. In a nutshell, the predictions of the standard model of the universe appear to be at odds with some recent...
Central banks should be independent of government. But our research shows they are under political pressure
By Igor Goncharov Et Al
In 2023, central banks, which manage the monetary policy of a country, faced unprecedented financial losses the US Federal Reserve alone reported a record US$114.3 billion (86 billion) operating loss.
Losses like this...
Ukraine recap: big challenges ahead of winter for Zelensky as European far-right push Russian agenda
By Rachael Jolley
Its not long to winter, and this is going to be another tough one for Ukrainians. The war continues, but allied support is fraying. This week Antony Blinken, US secretary of state, and British foreign secretary David Lammy...
East is East, West is West − and Turkey is looking to forge its own BRICS path between the two
By Jorge Heine
Turkey tends to march to its own drum in international affairs.
Take the United Nations vote on Dec. 14, 2022, when the bodys General Assembly approved a resolution in favor of a New International Economic Order. Some...
Kamala Harris is riding another wave of support following her debate with Donald Trump
By Ronald W. Pruessen
Political commentators and flash polls are close to unanimous in declaring Vice President Kamala Harris the victor in her first presidential debate against Donald Trump.
Those wondering if she could sustain the...
Why Canada needs a national disability strategy
By Olaf Kraus de Camargo
At some point in our lives, many of us will experience disability, whether through illness, injury or the natural process of aging.
Advances in medical science have allowed us to live longer lives, but this often means...
YouTuber Nikocado Avocado’s extreme weight-loss hoax isn’t admirable – it’s fatness being exploited for engagement
By Emma Beckett
US internet personality Nikocado Avocado (Nicholas Perry) recently shocked the internet when he revealed his weight loss of 250 pounds (110kg).
Perry had been posting mukbang content, which involves eating large amounts...
Making fuels from plastics in Newaygo, Michigan, would be controversial – here’s why
By Anne McNeil Et Al
Humans generate a lot of plastic waste more than 400 million metric tons a year.
To bring this fact a bit closer to home, the U.S. produced an average of 0.75 pounds (0.34 kilograms) of plastic waste per person each...
With China seeking AI dominance, Taiwan’s efforts to slow neighbor’s access to advanced chips needs support from the West
By Min-Yen Chiang Et Al
Tensions between China, Taiwan and the U.S. arent limited to aerial military maneuvers and drills on the high seas. The shadow conflict is also playing out in the technological arena.
One of the central drivers of the...
Slow mining could be a solution to overconsumption in an increasingly fast-paced world
By Deborah Johnson Et Al
A fast approach to business characterized by overconsumption across supply chains has become almost ubiqutous in recent years.
Fast fashion is one of the most polluting industries globally, often relying on synthetic...
From runways to film: the untold story of trailblazing First Nations fashion designer Stephen FitzGerald
By Treena Clark
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and/or images of deceased people.
In August, I attended the Darwin Aboriginal Arts Fair to witness First Nations designers and...
Has AI hacked the operating system of human civilisation? Yuval Noah Harari sounds a warning
By Darius von Guttner Sporzyns
Just as artificial intelligence (AI) models are trained on vast data sets to learn and predict, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow have trained us to expect disruptive ideas...
Local papers are central to our democracy. We must do more to bring them out of crisis
By Kristy Hess
This is the second piece in a series on the Future of Australian media. You can read the first piece in the series here.
Australians who are unaware of stories about social disorder and crime gripping Alice Springs must...
Apple’s iPhone 16 launch shows AI is shaking up the tech giant’s core market
By Lewis Endlar
As someone who helped set up one of the first iPhones back in late 2007 on live TV, I found the launch of the first iteration of Apples smartphone an exciting time. At the launch in June of that year, a grinning Steve Jobs...
What remains of ‘Operation Car Wash’, Brazil’s historic anti-corruption probe?
By Manoel Gehrke Et Al
Ten years ago, in March 2014, prosecutors in the Brazilian city of Curitiba transformed a money laundering investigation into a historic anti-corruption probe known as Operação Lava Jato (Operation Car Wash)....
Is America ready to elect a Black woman president?
By Emma Shortis
Its the big question that has loomed over Kamala Harris presidential campaign from the start: is the United States ready for a Black woman president?
I get asked this almost every time I speak about American politics....
91% of Australian teens have a phone – but many are not keeping their identity and location secure
By Yeslam Al-Saggaf Et Al
Most Australian teenagers have their own smartphone. According to a 2023 survey, 91% of young people between 14 and 17 owned a phone.
At the same time, there is huge community concern about young people being exposed to...
Murdoch to Musk: how global media power has shifted from the moguls to the big tech bros
By Matthew Ricketson Et Al
Until recently, Elon Musk was just a wildly successful electric car tycoon and space pioneer. Sure, he was erratic and outspoken, but his global influence was contained and seemingly under control.
But add the ownership...
How the oil and gas industry influences higher education
By Emily Eaton Et Al
As the climate crisis gets worse, global fossil fuel production is growing and oil and gas companies are making record profits.
While the powerful influence of the fossil fuel industrys lobbying on climate policy is...
Treasurer distances himself from his former boss’ Reserve Bank attack
By Michelle Grattan
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has distanced himself from the strident attack his one-time boss Wayne Swan launched on the Reserve Bank, which the former treasurer accused of putting economic dogma over rational...
The Boeing Starliner has returned to Earth without its crew – a former astronaut details what that means for NASA, Boeing and the astronauts still up in space
By Michael E. Fossum
Boeings crew transport space capsule, the Starliner, returned to Earth without its two-person crew right after midnight Eastern time on Sept. 7, 2024. Its remotely piloted return marked the end of a fraught test flight to...
