Social media helps make cultural icons a new target for terrorism
Social media is making it easier for extremists to recruit individuals to commit cultural attacks.
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Analysis and Comment
Expert panel: metadata retention report
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) today released its report on the government’s proposed metadata retention laws. The report makes a number of recommendations to revise…
Reddit tackles ‘revenge porn’ and celebrity nudes
Reddit's new policy to remove unsolicited nude photos is a step in the right direction to prevent celebrity nude photos and revenge porn from appearing on its site.
The words that make a successful research grant application
A look at how grant applications to Australia's two largest science funding bodies have changed over the years.
Let’s call it: 30 years of above average temperatures means the climate has changed
If you're always above average, it's probably time to redefine what's normal. The new normal for Earth's climate is systematically rising temperatures.
Do Russia’s flying Bears really pose a risk to civilian air traffic?
When military aircraft fly invisible to civilian flights it could represent a disaster waiting to happen.
Technology as a social lifeline for kids with Asperger’s
Technology is often maligned as being a negative influence on young people. But technology can help children on the autism spectrum to engage and socialise with others.
Machines master classic video games without being told the rules
Tech companies are investing big in artificial intelligence research that allows machines to learn things from scratch, with no pre-programmed rules. So what's the potential for this new technology?
Behavioural study shows that rats know how to repay a favour
Altruistic behaviour is not just for humans, lab rat behaviour test shows.
What makes a popular science video on YouTube
Everyone's looking for an audience for their videos on YouTube, and there are plenty of science videos out there. But not all are popular so what makes one more interesting than another?
NASA missions may re-elevate Pluto and Ceres from dwarf planets to full-on planet status
With increasing knowledge and familiarity, we'll no longer be able to identify meaningful criteria to keep these good planets down.
The LHC is back and it’s ready to probe the limits of matter
The Large Hadron Collider is ramping up to probe even deeper into the fundamental constituents of matter.
Could research into oxytocin and alcohol lead to a ‘sobriety pill’?
Imagine a pill that nullified some of the nasty effects of alcohol. A new study looking at oxytocin suggests such a pill might be possible.
Eye tracking is the next frontier of human-computer interaction
Eye tracking devices sound a lot more like expensive pieces of scientific research equipment than joysticks – yet if the latest announcements about the latest Assassin’s Creed game are anything to go by…
It’s not ‘what’ but ‘who’ you connect with in metadata retention
The Australian government's meta data retention bill cares more about who you connect with than what services you may use. Yet many such online services may also be out of its reach.
The next generation of antibiotics might be right under our feet
The next generation of antibiotics and pharmaceuticals could come from the bacteria living in the soil.
The role of social media as cyclones batter Australia
Emergency services are using social media to help spread warnings as two tropical cyclones batter Australia. It can also help them with relief efforts once the worst of the severe weather has passed.
Upgrade to core HTTP protocol promises speedier, easier web
The web has moved on since 1991, now HTTP has been updated too.
Malware infecting hard disk firmware remained hidden for 15 years – but who’s responsible?
Mystery malware capable of hiding itself in a hard drives' internal electronics has been revealed, having spread worldwide for more than a decade.
Indigenous science series
Stories from the sky: astronomy in Indigenous knowledge
Indigenous Australian practices, developed and honed over thousands of years, weave science with storytelling. In this Indigenous science series, we’ll look at different aspects of First Australians' traditional…
Exo-Earth series
Exo-Earths and the search for life elsewhere: a brief history
The criteria for life on other planets is the focus of the 4th Australian Exoplanet Workshop, hosted by the University of Southern Queensland this week. The first in this series on exoplanets looks at…
Understanding research
The 10 stuff-ups we all make when interpreting research
UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH: What do we actually mean by research and how does it help inform our understanding of things? Understanding what’s being said in any new research can be challenging and there are…
Columnists
Editors’ Picks
Mars One
‘I could sow the seeds of a new civilisation’: Mars One hopeful’s vision of a stellar future
I have always been in awe of the night sky, trying to comprehend the vastness of space and the countless wonders it contains. But I have always felt a certain dissatisfaction with only being able to see…
Science of love
Happy Valentine’s Day? Depends how you invest in your relationship
If you think our romantic relationships are based on the passions of the heart and the melding of minds – both beyond explanation or reason – then think again. People in love might seem preoccupied, emotional…
Space exploration
From Mercury to Pluto: the year ahead in planetary exploration
2015 is already shaping up to be a big year in astronomy and planetary exploration, with the best yet to come. Here are some highlights to keep your eye on throughout the year. Opportunity January 25 marked…
Climate change debate
Overcoming the social barriers to climate consensus
It can be tempting to think that people who disagree with you are mad, bad or simply stupid. However, not only are such judgements usually wrong, but telling people that they are stupid is unlikely to…
Meteor showers
Nature’s fireworks: the best meteor showers coming in 2015
Watching meteors in the night sky can be fun, although typically you only see a few flashes an hour. But there are certain times of the year when you can see many more – events known as meteor showers…
AI only for good
Artificial Intelligence should benefit society, not create threats
Some of the biggest players in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have joined together calling for any research to focus on the benefits we can reap from AI “while avoiding potential pitfalls”. Research into…
Fighter plans
Hacking the secrets of Australia’s Joint Strike Fighter
Design details of Australia’s new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) have been stolen by Chinese spies, according to reports this week, although it’s not clear whether the information was highly classified…
Physics
Let there be light! Celebrating the theory of electromagnetism
It’s hard to imagine life without mobile phones, radio and television. Yet the discovery of the electromagnetic waves that underpin such technologies grew out of an abstract theory that’s 150 years old…
Tick tick tock
An extra second on the clock: why moving from astronomic to atomic time is a tricky business
Most people would feel they can count on one day comprising the same number of hours, minutes and seconds as the next. But this isn’t always the case – June 30 will be a second longer in 2015 with the…
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- Happy Valentine’s Day? Depends how you invest in your relationship
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- Seven myths about scientists debunked
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