Why driverless vehicles should not be given unchecked access to our cities

Potential costs are rarely mentioned in the rhetoric about autonomous vehicles, much of which is highly optimistic, but universal or widespread access to the city by autonomous vehicles could result in detrimental health and environmental outcomes.

7 steps to success for women in science

From the ‘maternal wall’ to the ‘boys’ club’ and beyond the glass ceiling, a group of geo-scientists have unearthed the reasons behind the lack of female advancement in their own sector.

Huawei ban part of global move to set limits on Chinese influence

Banning two big telcos tells Beijing that its drive to gain strategic and economic advantage through the next wave of internet technologies can’t happen in a way that undercuts Australians’ national security.

Getting it right: The most complex space telescope ever built

The Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionised astronomy and produced images of space that have captured the public’s imagination like no other telescope. But as Hubble approaches its 30th birthday, its successor is waiting in the wings.

What were you thinking?

We are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence for important decisions but we don’t know how those decisions are being made. We urgently need Explainable AI.

First Buccaneer satellite mission declared a success

A satellite jointly developed by UNSW Canberra Space and Defence Science and Technology (DST) has been operating on-orbit successfully for more than nine months, performing a range of experiments as part of a mission that is paving the way for small spacecraft development in Australia.

3.4 billion year old WA fossils resemble modern bacteria

International scientists have shown that 3.4 billion year old tiny fossils from Western Australia’s Strelley Pool formation are chemically similar to modern bacteria.

Rage against the machine?

Is humanity sowing the seeds of its own destruction by creating ever more ‘intelligent’ machines? Max Thomas wrestles with the thorny issues of defining sentience and the threat of automating war.

How will artificial intelligence shape humanity’s future?

In his new book 2062: The World that AI Made, UNSW artificial intelligence expert Toby Walsh urges us to choose wisely as we define the effects on our lives of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

A quiet Sunday night discovering a super-massive black hole

The story of how a small team of researchers from Australian universities found the ‘hungry monster’ – one of the most exciting discoveries in astronomy this year.

Australia’s space agency needs certainty

The Australian Space Agency, led by Dr Megan Clark AC, officially opened for business at the start of July. How will it help develop the fledgling domestic space industry?

Blood moon: lunar eclipse myths from around the world

Last evening, six of Earth’s seven continents saw the longest lunar eclipse this century. From fake kings and celestial jaguars, Daniel Brown explores the many myths behind the “blood moon”, and why this evocative phrase is a thorn in the side of science.