Power and progress

In their latest book, Nobel laureates Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson challenge the assumption that technology inevitably drives social welfare, contending that strong institutions and deliberate policy directions are just as important in shaping better outcomes.

Alien opinions

The discovery of alien life seems closer than ever – just as it has for the last 100 years – so what do astrobiologists, terrestrial biologists and physicists think about the possibility of extraterrestrial life being discovered?

The demise of dark energy

One of the biggest mysteries in science – dark energy – doesn’t actually exist, according to researchers looking to solve the riddle of how the Universe is expanding.

Tyger, tyger, burning bright

Ginger cats and their long-suffering owners around the world can rejoice – the genetic basis of their distinctive coat colour has finally been worked out, more than 110 years after it was first proposed.

Body power

A QUT-led research team has developed an ultra-thin, flexible film that could power next-generation wearable devices using body heat, eliminating the need for batteries. This technology could also be used to cool electronic chips, helping smartphones and computers run more efficiently.

Mapping the world with AI

Geospatial AI could transform healthcare and disaster management, but we need comprehensive guidelines and laws to mitigate misinformation and safeguard users.

Do you trust technology?

A new study highlights key challenges and tensions in research ethics, particularly in light of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and calls for the adoption of new research ethics policies.

Not to be

The famous Infinite Monkey Theorem claims that a chimpanzee randomly pressing keys on a typewriter would eventually type out the complete works of Shakespeare. It’s a very interesting theory – except it isn’t true.

Time for a national research office?

Australia needs an office of national research, to make the greatest use of our intellectual resources in building our defences, strengthening our economy and supporting our society.

The ups and downs of graphene

Graphene has been hailed as the key to any number of new inventions over the last 20 years, and while the construction of a space elevator remains as impossible as ever, it is being used in an increasing number of more mundane applications.

Smooth operator

Recent measurements of the distribution of matter in the universe appear to contradict the predictions of the standard model of cosmology, for decades our best understanding of how the universe works.

The quest for “green” ammonia

A new way of making ammonia by harnessing the unique power of liquid metal could lead to significant cuts in carbon emissions caused by production of the widely-used chemical.