More and more examples of indiscriminate surveillance are coming to light. What can we do about it?
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Driverless cars are the future, right? Wait. While things would be simple if our roads were 100% driverless, getting there is anything but. And planning for roads shared by robots and humans is hard.
A recent massive distributed denial-of-service attack by compromised Internet of Things devices highlights a growing cyber security threat.
A new study suggests that the pleasure of getting an angry reaction is the biggest predictor of online trolling behaviour – meaning that the best way to fight back is just to ignore them.
P hacking is manipulating data and research methods to achieve statistical signifiance. And it could be why so many research papers are false.
This year marks the 30th birthday of .au domains. We’ve come a long way but there’s big change ahead.
Auto-translation software has been pretty frustrating to use. But news of vast improvements to Google’s translation software raises the prospect that websites will soon be browsable in any language.
When lives are at stake, there’s no time for secrecy. Just publish the code.
There’s a disturbing history of solar flares taking out the technology we depend on. As tech becomes more and more vital, knowing what is happening in space is growing ever more crucial.
Hundreds of images of thousands of galaxies have given astronomers one of the most detailed galaxy studies ever compiled.
Freezing light in mid-air isn’t just the realm of Star Wars, as new research shows. But what do you do with the light once it’s trapped? One option is to use it to develop new forms of computers.
New relaxed rules mean we’re likely to see even more drones in the sky. Australian law offers little protection to people who might find their homes and gardens being spied on as a result.
A US report has cast doubt on a range of techniques commonly used to secure criminal convictions, such as identification using bite marks, hair strands or footwear.
Soil is more than just dirt. It’s a complex ecosystem and if it’s healthy your plants will be happier.
Facebook has already proved it can increase the number of people who vote in elections. But what if it tries to influence how they vote?
How an ancient Aboriginal memory technique may uncover the meaning behind archaeological sites across the globe are revealed in a new book, The Memory Code.
Whatever happens next in new space race will happen quickly. The opportunity is there for Australia to be involved, but it won’t be there for long.
When is a galah not a galah? That depends on which scientific name is attached to the Australian bird. There’s been some confusion over this, which DNA testing has finally solved.
Bad Pharma author Ben Goldacre about how bad research hurts us all
The Conversation, CC BY36.4 MB (download)
Darren Saunders speaks with Bad Pharma author Ben Goldacre about bad medical research reporting, and how greater transparency in research practices could improve public trust in science and medicine.
New DNA research working with Indigenous Australians is answering many of the questions about when and where the First Australians emerged many thousands of years ago.
The rules on armed conflict on Earth are a major source of restraint on military operations. But the rules on the use of weapons in outer space are far from clear. We need to change that.
Apple’s smartwatch promises to optimise our productivity and competitiveness. But can the new Breathe app for the watch help us to relax and make us mindful?
A new study of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake shows boulders from rockfalls fell much further than in earlier quakes that happened before humans arrived and changed the landscape.
Rich rewards are on offer to people who can help private companies develop software to exploit vulnerabilities in technology such as smartphones. It might be legal but is it ethical?
We can’t predict or prevent tsunamis you can improve your chances of staying safe by understanding the risk, being prepared and acting quickly when disaster strikes.