Cyber attacks? Bioterrorism? To ‘Pace the Frontier’ of AI effectively, we must improve our anticipatory thinking
By Simon Blanchette
Anthropic CEO and co-founder Dario Amodei has published an essay entitled We Must Pace the Frontier. He expressed ongoing concerns over the misuse of AI for cyberattacks and bioterrorism and fears that a swarm of AI agents...
1 in 3 uni students experience serious financial hardship. Could concession cards for all help?
By Lucas Walsh
Last week, the peak body for Australian universities called on the federal government to introduce concession cards and further discounts to all domestic uni students. Universities Australia says the measures would ease...
Unsustainable – or manageable? We don’t yet know how data centres will impact Australia’s environment
By Michael Vardon
Australias pipeline of huge data centre projects has raised questions about how much energy and water these giant server farms will use. These questions arent simple to answer because we dont have the data. We cant check...
Europe can’t achieve space sovereignty alone. Here’s why
By Audrey Rouyre
Europes space effort is split across too many national programmes was the blunt diagnosis Andrius Kubilius, the EU Commissioner for Defence and Space made at the recent International Space Summit in Paris. Sovereignty was...
Physicists zoom into the birth of cosmic rainstorms with new CERN study
By Jesse Liu
Every second, particles zip through your body at nearly the speed of light. They rain down from a storm high in the sky, where cosmic rays, a powerful type of interstellar matter, are constantly striking atoms in Earths...
The importance of teaching students what AI can’t do
By Billy J. Stratton
Its disconcerting to envision human thought becoming redundant or deemed inferior due to advancements in artificial intelligence. But for all its ills, AI cannot be ignored or wished away. Its here to stay, and I want my...
Is Europe developing Ukraine war fatigue?
By Jonathan Este
Volodymyr Zelensky is fighting a war on several fronts. Russia is ramping up its missile attacks with almost nightly bombardment of Ukrainian cities. A blockade of Ukraines Black Sea ports is choking its grain exports with...
China is launching a Moon mission to find water ice. It’s unlike anything NASA has done
By Richard de Grijs
How do you explore a place where the Sun never shines? Chinas space programme will soon embark on one of the most innovative lunar exploration missions in recent years. Weve known for nearly two decades that some form of...
World game at war: why some European nations have threatened a World Cup boycott
By David Rowe
A little over a week since the 2026 mens World Cup final, world soccer appears on the brink of war. The main battleground is a proposal from FIFA president Gianni Infantino to sell off a key function of the not-for-profit...
Same sparkle, different story: how lab-grown diamonds are transforming the market
By Jeff Rotman
Youve probably heard the saying a diamond is forever. What if the market for them with its hefty price tags isnt? Back in March, Rio Tinto ended production at its Diavik diamond mine in Canada after 23 years. Earlier...
3 clinical-grade skincare creams you really shouldn’t buy online
By Lauren Cortis
Your social media feed is full of people talking about the holy grail of skincare. Youve Googled, lurked on the Reddit forums and decided its time to try a clinical-grade product. But do you really need a prescription?...
Meta-backed research finds exposure to ‘untrustworthy’ social media is rare. The fine print is less reassuring
By Marian-Andrei Rizoiu
How much of what you see on social media comes from sources that repeatedly post falsehoods? And if that content quietly vanished from your feed, would you believe anything different months later? A new study published...
‘Vibe coding’ is fun and easy, but there’s a major catch
By Salahuddin Azad Et Al
Imagine youve always wanted your own app. Perhaps one that tracks your household budget, organises the family shopping list or reminds you when to water your plants. Until recently, turning that idea into reality would...
How an OpenAI safety test became a real-world cyberattack on the Hugging Face platform
By Simon Blanchette
OpenAIs AI models recently escaped their constraints during an internal cybersecurity evaluation and broke into the production systems of Hugging Face a popular machine learning platform and community used across the AI...
Is Netanyahu’s star waning in Washington? His latest meeting with Trump suggests it may be
By Christian Emery
Appearing increasingly isolated and weakened, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Washington this week, where he had a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump his eighth of the US presidents second term....
Ukraine’s drone strikes are having an impact on Russia — but Russian leaders remain committed to war
By Oleksa Drachewych
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched drone strikes deeper into Russia and Crimea. These strikes, dubbed long-range sanctions by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have predominantly hit notable military...
Vietnam’s population hit the 100 million milestone. Where’s it headed?
By Gilles Pison
The population of Vietnam reached the 100 million mark in 2023. Fifty years ago, in 1976, when it was reunified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the country had fewer than half as many inhabitants (46 million). A...
USA at 250: the Black American struggle for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
By Jenny Woodley
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, there is a tension between those who want to remember an uncomplicated past and those who would remember that freedom is a constant struggle. Its a right that must be...
State of emergency in Crimea as Ukraine focuses pressure on ‘jewel in Putin’s crown’
By Jennifer Mathers
Vladimir Putin has finally acknowledged that Ukraines relentless drone attacks on Russias energy infrastructure are having an effect. Speaking to the ruling United Russia party on June 28, the Russian president confirmed...
Smartphones are helping filmmakers tell the stories the movie industry overlooks
By Victoria Mapplebeck
When my feature documentary Motherboard was released, I was in my late 50s. I had filmed it over 20 years, on five generations of smartphones, documenting the pain, joy and comedy of raising my son Jim alone. When I became...
Trump has made more than $1 billion from crypto in a year. How?
By Marta Khomyn
US President Donald Trump once called cryptocurrency a scam. Its now a major moneymaker for him: his just-released annual financial disclosure shows he made more than US$1 billion from cryptocurrency last year. This news...
AI can be a personal trainer in your pocket – but is it safe?
By Hunter Bennett
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the fitness industry: people can now ask chatbots to write marathon plans, build gym programs and even adjust workouts based on sleep or heart rate data. For many, AI...
In a rebuke to Trump, the Supreme Court rules that birthright citizenship is the law of the land
By Morgan Marietta
The Supreme Court on June 30, 2026, declared that universal birthright citizenship is protected by the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, meaning that nearly all babies born in the United...
Elon Musk is remaking the world, like Henry Ford before him – but more dangerously
By Noel Castree
Elon Musk, briefly the worlds first trillionaire but now a mere billionaire again is a man of exceptions. Hes built not one, but two of the worlds most pioneering technology companies (Tesla and SpaceX). He was talking...
Part II — The listing: NFTs as bottle-stamps, and a vault the family is in no rush to sell
By Sonny Kwon
Part I A Korean Family Spent 34 Years Hoarding Chinese Tea. Now Theyre Putting It on the Blockchain When the son-in-law proposed grafting blockchain onto a centuries-old tea tradition, the tradition pushed back....
A Korean Family Spent 34 Years Hoarding Chinese Tea. Now They're Putting It on the Blockchain.
By Sonny Kwon
Kkikdageo(끽다거·喫茶去)s vault holds what it says is the worlds largest trove of aged puer 120,000 cakes that survived the Cultural Revolution. Its first tokenized batch just went live on a trading platform...
The government is ‘doubling down’ on its social media ban. But bigger penalties for platforms aren’t enough
By Lisa M. Given
The Australian government has announced it is doubling down on social media platforms that arent complying with age restrictions for under-16s. The announcement comes just days after a new study reported more than 85% of...
Economic pessimism has set in – but there are reasons for Australians to be hopeful
By Kate Griffiths
Feeling gloomy about the future? Youre not alone. New data shows economic pessimism is growing in Australia, and the implications reach far beyond the hip pocket. The latest Lowy Institute poll shows a sharp decline in...
Despite its best efforts, Iran won’t be able to toll the Strait of Hormuz. Here’s why
By Jennifer Parker
It follows reports of an Iranian drone attack on a cargo ship trying to transit through the strait. Both the US and Iran have accused each other of breaking the agreed 60-day interim peace deal. Since Iran was attacked by...
How Donald Trump has changed the way diplomacy is done
By Nicholas Westcott
The negotiations to end the US-Iran war, resulting in the signing of a memorandum of understanding on June 17, have been something of an acid test of Donald Trumps approach to diplomacy. What does it tell us? And has this...
Today’s space race could turn fatal if we don’t agree on new rules
By Cassandra Steer
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen had an emotional message before he and three colleagues set off for the Moon earlier this year on the Artemis II mission: We go for all humanity. The successful ten-day lunar flyby mission...
With Iran and the US signing a peace deal, where does that leave Benjamin Netanyahu?
By Martin Kear
The peace deal between the US and Iran calls not just for the cessation of hostilities between the two countries, but also between Israel and Hezbollah. It also calls for Lebanese territorial integrity and sovereignty to...
Spying, Southampton and economic pressure cooker of the ‘richest match in football’
By Dan Plumley
In elite football, competitive advantage is pursued relentlessly. Big clubs invest heavily in performance data and tactical analysis in the pursuit of marginal gains. Yet that desperate search for gains has now led to one...
First Trump, now Putin – all roads lead to Xi Jinping
By Jonathan Este
The red carpet at Beijing Capital International Airport has had something of a workout in recent months. In addition to Donald Trumps visit from May 13-15 and Vladimir Putin over the past couple of days, a parade of world...
This fuel crisis could last for a while. It’s time for a new approach to fuel use - end it
By Peter Newman
Australia is in the middle of a fuel crisis, but the way the state and federal governments have chosen to respond signals a firm commitment to fossil fuels. In a matter of days, Canberra found billions of dollars to make...
Nigeria’s new election law leaves gaps: 5 reforms for free, fair and credible polls
By Emmanuel Remi Aiyede
Nigerias new Electoral Act, passed in February 2026, is a significant attempt to overhaul the countrys electoral framework. The act establishes a dedicated funding framework and requires that election funds be released no...
Why the future of marijuana legalization remains hazy despite high public support
By William Garriott
Thousands of Americans will soon gather to celebrate April 20 or 4/20 the most important day of the year for cannabis enthusiasts. But this year, a cloud of uncertainty will hang over these celebrations. After years of...
Crypto tolls in the Strait of Hormuz shows why bitcoin thrives in times of crisis
By Peter Howson
Bitcoin has long been promised to function as money. In practice, it rarely does. While 99% of transactions are still speculative trading, for as long as bitcoin has been a thing it has been used to skirt governments...
Strait of Hormuz: why even neutral and distant countries like Switzerland can’t escape the fallout
By Nima Shokri
There is often a perception that geographical distance reduces vulnerability an idea that can be particularly appealing in neutral countries with long-standing stable and strong economies. Switzerland is a clear example:...
Trump’s exchange with Pope Leo reflects deep-rooted tensions between the Vatican and the United States: 4 essential reads
By Kalpana Jain
President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, the U.S.-born head of the Catholic Church, had an unusual and acrimonious public exchange over the weekend. In a scathing attack on Truth Social, the social media platform he...
Google promotes ‘teacher approved’ apps for kids. Here’s what parents should know
By Chris Zomer
As school holidays continue around Australia, many parents are looking for educational ways to keep their children entertained. If you own an Android device and have young children, you may find yourself browsing Google...
Food prices are already high in Canada. Will the Iran war make them worse?
By Michael von Massow
Food prices in Canada have been rising at a faster rate than overall inflation for the past several years. In fact, food prices are 30 per cent higher than they were a decade ago. In the face of this pressure, consumers...
How will the Iran war change the Middle East? We asked 5 experts
By Scott Lucas
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran following weeks of US military build-up in the region and threats from US President Donald Trump. In the ensuing weeks, Iran has retaliated by striking US...
What does China’s host bid mean for the High Seas Treaty?
By Philippe Le Billon
Delegates are meeting in New York for the third session of the preparatory commission (PrepCom 3) on the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the High Seas...
Makemation: a Nollywood movie that shows AI in action in Africa
By Tinashe Mushakavanhu
A new feature film, Makemation, is an African coming-of-age story set in a time of artificial intelligence (AI). Makemation was produced by Nigerian AI-developer-turned-filmmaker Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji. As conversations...
The four types of dementia most people don’t know exist
By Clarissa Giebel
What most people think of when they hear the word dementia is memory problems and forgetfulness. But what people often dont know is that dementia can cause many different symptoms affecting speech, behaviour, sleep, motor...
Meta and Google just lost a landmark social media addiction case. A tech law expert explains the fallout
By Rob Nicholls
Social media platforms Instagram and YouTube have a design defect which means they are addictive, a jury in the United States has ruled. The Los Angeles jury took nearly nine days to reach its verdict in the landmark case...
Why did Iran bomb Dubai? A Middle East expert explains the regional alliances at play
By Andrew Thomas2
US-Israeli joint strikes on Iran over the weekend have seen war break out in the region once again and the death of Irans supreme leader. Iran has retaliated with volleys of ballistic missiles and drones targeted at...
The Pentagon strongarmed AI firms before Iran strikes – in dark news for the future of ‘ethical AI’
By Bianca Baggiarini
In the leadup to the weekends US and Israeli attacks on Iran, the US Department of Defense was locked in tense negotiations with artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic over exactly how the Pentagon could use the...
The strikes on Iran show why quitting oil is more important than ever
By Hussein Dia
As Israel and the United States strike Iran, global oil markets are on edge. Oil prices have begun rising even before any disruption to supply. Oil traders are factoring in the possibility the Strait of Hormuz might close....
