Sciences & Technology
Under the Microscope
How Australia’s ancient forests became an arid zone
Studying the genetic relationships between desert plants is helping Dr Rachael Fowler to understand how they evolved in Australia’s arid zone, once dense forest
From sand to superposition: A key step towards a powerful silicon quantum computer
A major obstacle to quantum computing has been overcome by modifying a common industrial method to create large arrays of single atoms in a silicon chip
New genomic toolkit set to boost Australian crop industry
Scientists are in a battle to keep the world’s food supply dependable, and new research into crop genomes is helping to lead the way
A bit of bling helps insects dazzle their predators
Beyond just looking stunning, shininess may help insects confuse predators to avoid being eaten
Opinion
We don’t just need more engineers, we need next-gen engineers
Our profession’s future is not just about training more and more recruits to fill the shortage, we also need to focus on the qualities of our next-gen engineers
On the Road to Gundag(AI): Ensuring rural communities benefit from the AI revolution
AI is already used throughout rural communities from precision agriculture to self-driving trucks. But we need to help regional small businesses benefit from AI while avoiding the harmful aspects
Ethics, privacy and the perils of 'deepfake geography'
Geospatial AI could transform healthcare and disaster management, but we need comprehensive guidelines and laws to mitigate misinformation and safeguard users
Analysis
Banning kids from social media? There’s a better way
The Australian government’s plan to ban kids from social media overestimates the tech available to limit access and overlooks the benefits
How science is making the sci-fi ‘tractor beam’ a reality
A new way of pulling particles with light may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but it’s real and has the potential to make biopsies less invasive