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Just before totality on a total lunar eclipse. Flickr/John Johnson

Explainer: what is a lunar eclipse?

At least twice a year, Earth comes between the sun and the moon. The result is a lunar eclipse, where we see the splendid sight of Earth’s shadow falling across the moon. Lunar eclipses are wonderful to…
Conspiracy theories are so hard to debunk because they use science. Flickr/dexterd

The ironclad logic of conspiracy theories and how to break it

As the United Nations warns of the dire consequences of global warming, the commitment of the current Australian government to the reality of climate change remains unclear, with a history of disturbingly…
Moving government services online assumes everyone is plugged into the internet. But who’s left out? Flickr/Patrick Finnegan

The digital divide is narrowing but more needs to be done

The ease of buying shoes or managing our banking over a mobile phone connected to the internet has changed our expectations regarding accessible services. But not everyone is connected to the internet…
This fan finds a signal during an AFL match at the MCG - but it’s not always easy for fans on the smartphone at many stadiums. AAP Image/Joe Castro

Game on for a digital revolution in sport stadiums

It’s the middle of finals season with tens of thousands of fans turning out at stadiums to cheer their teams to victory. Many fans at these and other sporting events already turn to digital technology…
Oh no – not that mistake again. Flickr/Alex Proimos

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…
The Bulldogs beat the Pathers in the preliminary final - but can the underdogs do it again in this weekend’s NRL Grand Final against the Rabbitohs? AAP Image/Action Photographics, Grant Trouville

Number crunching the odds on the NRL Grand Final

When the final siren sounds at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday night either the South Sydney Rabbitohs or Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs will be crowned as 2014 National Rugby League (NRL) Premiers…
Australians have circumvented geo-blocking restrictions to subscribe to Netflix. Denys Prykhodov/Shutterstock.com

Unlocking the geoblock: Australians embrace VPNs

In recent months there have been many reports of Australians covertly signing up for the US streaming service Netflix, using fake postcodes and software workarounds to fool its geo-blocking system. One…
The need for caution when any anomaly is revealed in new research. Flickr/Adam Gerard

How myths and tabloids feed on anomalies in science

UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH: What do we actually mean by research and how does it help inform our understanding of things? What if research throws up a result that calls for a new way of thinking? How do we…
Patterns of emergence are all around us. Feliciano Guimarães/Flickr

Emergence: the remarkable simplicity of complexity

From the fractal patterns of snowflakes to cellular lifeforms, our universe is full of complex phenomena – but how does this complexity arise? “Emergence” describes the ability of individual components…
Women ask why there aren’t more women in lists of top scientists. Katrina Cole

Women scientists get vocal about top billing on Twitter

A steady infiltration of scientists onto Twitter has accompanied the growing recognition that a social media presence is just as important as taking the podium at a conference. Social media is leading…
Upgrade rage - what to do when things go wrong? Flickr/Nicola Albertini

Windows 9, iOS8 – the balance between bugs and upgrades

In the tech world there is a dynamic tension between needing to get products to market before the competition and the need to take enough time to make those products completely defect-free and user friendly…
Things can and do go wrong when some announcements are mad ahead of time. Flickr/Narshada

The risks of blowing your own trumpet too soon on research

UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH: What do we actually mean by research and how does it help inform our understanding of things? Today a cautionary tale of why you should be careful of some new announcements made…
Say hello to the new Ello. Ello

Say Ello to the new privacy debate on social media

Ello is new social networking space on the web that is receiving a lot of attention of late – so much that it’s caused a few problems with the website out of action from time to time. Ello’s new popularity…
Apple computers could be at risk from the latest Bash bug. Flickr/Oliver

Shell shocked – but what should you do about the Bash bug?

A serious security flaw has been discovered in a ubiquitous utility program present on a wide variety of important computer systems, including many Unix-based servers and Macintosh desktop computers. “Shell…
Sydney fans had much to celebrate after beating Hawthorn in the 2012 AFL Grand at the MCG in Melbourne.Can the Swans do it again this year? AAP Image/Joe Castro

Who will be the weakest link on AFL Grand Final day?

Hawthorn has recovered after a rough patch this season, with key players shaking off injuries and its tenacious coach returning after a health scare. So why have the Hawks earned their spot on Saturday’s…
A US Chinook similar to the one involved in the gun battle of Takur Ghar. Flickr/The U S Army

Bad space weather may have caused fatal Afghan gun battle

Three American soldiers* may have died in Afghanistan’s battle of Takur Ghar because of disruptions caused by plasma bubbles – a form of space weather – according to a new study. Space weather is normally…
Looking for proof? No such thing in most research. Flickr/Paul Mazumdar

Where’s the proof in science? There is none

UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH: What do we actually mean by research and how does it help inform our understanding of things? Those people looking for proof to come from any research in science will be sadly disappointed…
Android and Apple looking to expand into new markets in India and China. Flickr/Aidan

Apple and Google make changes in the battle for new markets

Has Google finally decided to take total control of its Android destiny with the release of its Android One operating system? Aimed at “emerging markets”, such as India, Google will operate the smartphone…
An example of unidirectional cause and effect: bad weather means umbrella sales rise, but buying umbrellas won’t make it rain. Mariusz Olszewski/Flickr

Clearing up confusion between correlation and causation

UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH: What do we actually mean by research and how does it help inform our understanding of things? Today we look at the dangers of making a link between unrelated results. Here’s an…