What is ‘model collapse’? An expert explains the rumours about an impending AI doom
Generative AI needs tons of data to learn. It also generates new data. So, what happens when AI starts training on AI-made content? …
Read more
Science/Technology
Meta just closed a vital online research tool. It’s bad news for the fight against misinformation
CrowdTangle helped researchers and journalists track viral online falsehoods. Its closure in a key election year is dangerous …
Read more
Supermoons are boring – here are 5 things in the sky worth your time
What’s so special about a supermoon? Hardly anything. There are better things to observe in the night sky, according to a professional astronomer. …
Read more
Crashes, blackouts and climate tipping points: how can we tell when a system is close to the edge?
New research predicts when noisy systems are approaching precarious “critical points” – and finds that some parts of the brain prefer to work at the edge of instability …
Read more
Satellites are making the night sky brighter – as a launch site, NZ has a duty to combat light pollution
With every satellite placed into orbit, its reflective surface increases the ambient glow of the night sky, which is now 10% brighter than if it were illuminated only by natural sources. …
Read more
The Altar Stone of Stonehenge came from an unexpectedly distant place, new study reveals
The centre of solstice activities at Stonehenge is the Altar Stone – a large sandstone slab of uncertain origins. Our new work has found a match for it all the way in Scotland. …
Read more
The government is developing a new digital ID system. It must first gain the public’s trust
The ghost of the illegal robodebt scheme presents a major challenge. …
Read more
Roblox was just banned in Turkey to ‘protect children’. What’s Australia doing?
The online games platform has nearly 80 million daily users and primarily targets children. However, like many large platforms, it has trouble moderating harmful content. …
Read more
Only 100 years ago the Milky Way was visible from central Paris. Here’s how we can get the night sky back
Light pollution is a relatively new problem. Simple solutions can fix it. …
Read more
Curious Kids: Why do I need to yawn when someone else yawns?
Try to read this article without yawning. …
Read more