The perils of facial recognition technology

Activists, politicians, academics and even police forces are expressing serious concerns over the impact facial recognition could have on a political culture based on rights and democracy.

Taking back our online privacy

An entire industry exists to profile your life from your online data – everything from your shopping habits to your political views and medical conditions – and the results can cause genuine harm.

Becoming a STEM-inist

When PhD candidate Amy Shepherd began her career in science, she didn’t dream that within a few years she’d be rubbing shoulders with Nobel Prize winners but still wondering where all the women are.

What’s the next big thing in science?

As National Science Week celebrates scientific discovery across Australia, we ask what’s likely to be the ‘next big thing’ in some of the most exciting fields of science research.

5G isn’t going to harm our health

Should we be concerned about the health effects of 5G? The short answer is no – there’s no substantiated evidence that the electromagnetic energy used by mobile telecommunications causes harm.

Nature inspires visionary research

Insects are inspiring University of South Australia researchers to create new technology based on their extraordinary vision.

New database highlights women in STEM

Australian women in STEM will be more visible thanks to a new resource showcasing the depth of talent of those working in the field.

Young people’s love-hate relationship with technology

Researchers have examined how young people on three continents think about digital technology and discovered their reaction after living without their phones for a week.

Schools should help students navigate the rise of ‘smart’ technologies

A UNSW Sydney academic is calling for changes to the education system so that the workers of the future can thrive in a new age of artificial intelligence technology.

Fudged research erodes public trust in experts

Lapses in academic integrity by students and researchers remain relatively rare, but they corrode trust in all academic qualifications and publications.

Will smart machines strip humans’ social skills?

After liberating us from “uncreative”, routine work and rote repetition, digital automation promises to relieve us of creativity and sociality itself – of the decisions that embody and reproduce our social and political commitments.

Space 2069

Much has been achieved in space since the first manned moon landing half a century ago, but what new ‘giant leap’ will we all be talking about 50 years from now?