Physicists have designed an electrical component that breaks time-reversal symmetry. Not quite the time machine from Hollywood but it should help with communication technology and quantum computing.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Science + Tech – Articles, Analysis, Comment
Displaying 2776 - 2800 of 6524 articles
Life in the human herd is complex, and we are unavoidably inter-dependent when it comes to our health. Population health science looks at the things that cause ill-health in the first place.
What does time really mean? What if you could play with time? And what if we lived in a world without fungi? Some of the questions posed by filmmakers exploring the world of science.
It is hard to know whether metadata retention has been effective or necessary. We can only hope that the debate over accessing and analysing encrypted services is a little more enlightening.
The Romans may not have had a symbol for zero, but bees understand what it means beyond just the simple assumption “there’s nothing there”.
Researchers have discovered male bottlenose dolphins can retain individual vocal labels – or “names” – to help them recognise each other in their social network, much like humans.
Imagine if we could specify our general privacy preferences in our devices, have them check privacy policies when we sign up for apps, and warn us if the agreements overstep.
With these changes, it feels like Apple is finally acknowledging the new type of digital native they’ve created, and considering how to help them live a balanced life.
Important points about volcanoes: location matters, explosiveness can be predicted to an extent, and fast-moving flows of volcanic materials (known as pyroclastic flows) are deadly.
Cyber deterrence is based on outdated ideas developed during the Cold War, but with cyber crime projected to hit US$6 trillion by 2021, cyber security requires new approaches.
Australia’s willingness to include Huawei and ZTE in its 5G mobile infrastructure should be based on a rational analysis of risks. We take a look at current and past court cases brought against them.
Rather than solving any problems, sex bots could be empowerment tools for those who sexually offend against women and children. But more evidence is needed to know for sure.
Same person or different person? Most people are extremely good at recognising faces of people they know well, but not so much strangers. See how well you perform on the tests in this story.
There are many disappointments in the government’s response to Innovation and Science Australia’s report ‘Australia 2030: Prosperity through Innovation’.
Eliminating anonymity is often touted as a solution to hostile online behaviour, but research shows that agreeable people who are more likely to leave positive comments prefer to do it anonymously.
We are often presented with surveys that claim to show how we all think on a certain subject. But how many people do you need to ask for that finding to have have any convincing meaning?
A design process that focuses on adaptation and intelligence is essential to building robots that can handle the challenges of outdoor environments.
Nanotechnology brings together multiple science disciplines to create devices that mimic the refinements of nature. It’s difficult – and exhilarating.
The explainer episode
The Conversation, CC BY67.5 MB (download)
Today on Trust me, I'm An Expert, we're explaining the tricky topics: what is quantum mechanics? What does the research say about lone actor terrorism? And why do people like pimple popping videos?
Brain signals might work like people navigating without a map – and it’s actually more efficient than you think.
A new study of an ancient fossil has found it to be the earliest lizard known, so far. It shows they survived one the greatest mass extinctions on Earth.
The young membership, frequency of elections and relaxed networks in science societies may provide vital positive influence for female promotion in STEM.
Millions of dollars are lost each year by Australian’s caught in romance scams. But one Australian grandmother now faces paying a much higher price: she’s been sentenced to death.
The short answer is that the accent you have depends on the people you grew up with and the history of the place that you live in.
A 400 million year old fossilised fish skull gives us very early and previously unknown clues about how boney fishes evolved into the vertebrates we see today on Earth - including us humans.