We built a tiny electronic nose that can beat a mouse at its own game
Small, high-speed odour sensors are a step towards robots with a sense of smell. …
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Life / Culture
A new campaign rewards young gamers on Roblox for engaging with the US election. What does it mean for global politics?
The globally popular virtual gaming platform has now become a place for young people to engage with politics in the real world – including registering to vote. …
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Australia is axing a $7bn military satellite project, leaving defence comms potentially vulnerable
Reports claim the government is cancelling the JP9102 project by Lockheed Martin, meant to deliver an “uncrackable” comms network for the Australian military. …
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Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s social media posts have had a ‘sudden boost’ since July, new research reveals
The findings raise suspicions as to whether Musk has tweaked the X’s algorithm to increase the reach of his posts in advance of the US presidential election. …
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Ancient mud reveals Australia’s burning history over the past 130,000 years – and shows a way through our fiery future
Indigenous land management in southeastern Australia halved forest shrub cover 6,000 years ago, reducing high-intensity bushfires …
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Deaths linked to chatbots show we must urgently revisit what counts as ‘high-risk’ AI
Chatbot personas can offer emotional support and companionship, but they also pose high risks to vulnerable users. …
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Not too big, not too small: why modern humans are the ideal size for speed
What do the world’s fastest creatures on land, sea and air all have in common? My colleagues and I have taken a key step towards solving this mystery. …
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Collisions between planes and birds follow seasonal patterns and overlap with breeding and migration – new research
Collisions between birds and planes peak at the end of the breeding season when fledglings join flocks. For these young birds, avoiding foreign objects in the flight path may be a learned behaviour. …
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Australia’s new digital ID scheme falls short of global privacy standards. Here’s how it can be fixed
Australia’s Trust Exchange system offers greater convenience and security for everyday transactions. But the government must make sure it protects Australians’ privacy. …
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What is AI superintelligence? Could it destroy humanity? And is it really almost here?
AI systems more intelligent than humans in some ways already exist – but general-purpose superhuman intelligence is probably still a long way off. …
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