Why data is king

The more people use Facebook or Google, the more data they collect, and the more valuable the platforms become for both consumers and advertisers, but their ever greater power also raises issues of public concern.

We have a Christmas comet

We’re in for a pre-Christmas treat this weekend, as the cosmos entertains us with two equally exciting gifts: the Geminid meteor shower and the interplanetary comet 46P/Wirtanen.

New Australian institute to explore ethical Artificial Intelligence

IAG, CSIRO’s Data61 and The University of Sydney have announced the creation of a new Institute to research the ethics of artificial intelligence and develop systems which will improve, rather than damage, outcomes for people in Australia.

Exploring the ethics of artificial intelligence

Rather than produce piecemeal policies to try to slow the progress of AI, we should concentrate on ensuring that its inevitable impact benefits, rather than damages, society.

Celebrating the superstars of STEM

60 female scientists and technologists have been named Superstars of STEM for 2019 by Science & Technology Australia to highlight the role of women in technology.

The problems with small satellites – and what Australia’s Space Agency can do to help

Australia is part of the global explosion in space industries – including the design and engineering of satellites smaller than a loaf of bread – and Australia’s new space agency can help tackle some of the problems associated with this expansion.

The art of avoiding technological traps

The Federal Government should create an Office of Technology Assessment to provide timely and targeted advice to Ministers, officials and public agencies to ensure they understand the risks, rewards and implications of new technology.

Australia takes a new lead in astronomy research

Australian scientists will lead the design phase of a multi-million-dollar project to help one of the world’s most powerful optical telescopes produce images up to three times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope.

How AI is changing scientific experimentation

There’s plenty of speculation about what artificial intelligence will look like in the future, but ANU researchers are already harnessing its power to investigate quantum interactions.

The encryption deal done, but more work is needed

Australia has a strong history of bipartisanship on national security issues and is much stronger for it. This tradition has held, just about, through the debate on data encryption, but much still remains to be done.

Can we make plastic fantastic?

There’ll be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans by 2050 if we don’t change our ways, but simple ways to turn plastic trash into functional products could help stem the tide.

Are tech companies using data in more ethical ways?

Technology firms generate their huge profits from the vast amounts of data they harvest from their users, so have they really changed their ways to protect user data from abuse in the light of recent scandals? New research suggests that while their rhetoric has changed, the reality has not.