Open access science

Researchers can’t progress their work without access to very expensive scientific journals but the rebellion against the publishers and their fees has begun.

Four things you get wrong about quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics has some startling implications, but they’re not as weird as many people’s misconceptions about it.

Curiouser and curiouser!

Modern science tends to ignore outsiders but reductionist science is not the only way of knowing things and more attention should be paid to ancient knowledge, new ideas and ‘thinking outside the box’.

Eyes on the prize

Solving sustainability problems, protecting healthcare providers from COVID-19, and using technology to train next-gen pilots are among the achievements of award-winning STEM innovators recognised at the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Size matters – in science

Newspapers, university students and senior executives tend to focus on the headlines and ignore sample sizes when making judgements about new research findings, so researchers and scientists should be careful about misleading others when publicising their findings.

Action at a distance

The fascinating story of the ways philosophy have turned into physics and reality has been reframed as information.

The art of engineering

Could the interface between art and science be more than just a source of inspiration and instead be used to unlock new scientific approaches?

The morals of mind-reading

Mind reading is no longer the preserve of psychologists and charlatans, but the ability of machines to tap into our thoughts will open a new slew of legal issues.

Welcome to the world’s next supercontinent

Just in case you were running out of things to worry about, researchers are now predicting the Pacific Ocean is going to disappear – but not for another 230 million years or so.

The human element

Policy conversations about critical technology usually downplay the human elements of knowledge and ingenuity which make the machines come alive.

Why science works

People love to find patterns in nature and science remains the best way of deciding which ones are true, and which are self-deception.

Rebooting research…again

Labor’s Education Minister Jason Clare has kicked off what could be a major reset of university research funding in Australia.