Artificial intelligence, nuclear power a costly combo
Powering Australia's growing number of data centres using small nuclear reactors could take decades and cost billions of dollars more than renewable energy.
science and technology
Nvidia faces scrutiny over China chip ties and affair
There are calls for Jensen Huang to step down as Nvidia boss after revelations the tech executive had an affair with a Chinese woman alleged to be a spy.
AI crackdown looms despite government expanding use
Ministers want more of the federal workforce to use AI as part of their job despite wanting to apply national standards to the technology.
US Congress summons Nvidia boss over ‘spy interactions’
An investigation by the tech giant, the FBI and now US Congress into the executive's affair has again put the spotlight on espionage activities by Beijing.
‘Take action’: alert as cyber outages set to intensify
Australians are being warned to get used to compromised cybersecurity as the number of threats soar and outdated technology offers opportunities for hackers.
Flower farmers’ daughter takes on blooming rubbish
A young woman who grew up watching tulips grow in her parents' hot houses has her own blossoming business diverting tonnes of floristry plastic from landfill.
environmental cleanup
environmental issue
environmental pollution
global change
global warming
natural science
nature
research
research and development
science (general)
science and technology
technology (general)
weather
Aussie sun meets US tech in carbon capture experiment
Technology that captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and uses sunlight to release it will be tested in Australia as part of an international partnership.
Mars moon samples Australia-bound in world-first quest
A spacecraft is rocketing towards Mars in a five-year mission bid to find out if life ever existed on the red planet - and Australia is playing a role.
Russia denies second case linked to Siberian plague lab
Russia's health regulator has rejected reports that a second person fell ill following the death of a worker at a plague research laboratory in Siberia.
Moonshot: lunar rover gets ready for launch
The Australian Space Agency has developed its first lunar rover, designed to transmit secrets from the moon back to Earth and never return home.
‘Ghost particle’ hunter wins Nobel physics prize
Francis Halzen has won the Nobel Prize in physics for his ground-breaking work on tiny cosmic particles that scientists consider messengers from the cosmos.
Businesses cry out for help to fight off AI cyber risk
An axed cyber security program should be replaced to help small businesses prepare against the rising threat of scams and cyber attacks, the sector says.
Nobel medicine prize goes to research of brain activity
Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have won the Nobel Prize in medicine for work the Nobel Assembly says has opened a new era in neuroscience.
Climate change raises major disease risks for Australia
Disease-carrying mosquitoes thrive in warmer temperatures, raising concerns over the impacts of climate change and what it means for Australia's tropics.
Highway pay phone rings in national treasure status
A pay phone outside a coastal shopping centre has been heritage listed for its role in keeping Australians connected during catastrophic bushfires.
Hack probed with warnings it’s ‘too late’ to contain AI
How a wayward AI agent broke into a government website, which wasn't disclosed for weeks, will be examined in a sweeping snap inquiry.
Mother whale’s heartbreaking moment with stillborn calf
A heartbreaking interaction between a humpback whale mother and her stillborn calf suggests a deep and little understood maternal connection.
Multimillion-dollar boost to create ‘climate unicorns’
Artificial intelligence firms might be dominating headlines but a $30 million program aims to put renewable energy start-ups in the funding spotlight.
Trump downplays AI risks as ‘things that won’t happen’
Donald Trump has dismissed concerns about AI, saying the US is leading China in the field and "I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI wins".
Cheaper, smarter and tougher: $105m bet on Aussie solar
Twenty Australian solar research projects will attract a record investment to improve the technology and help to lower costs.
Whale feeding a delight for both tourism and science
A collaboration between Australian researchers and tourism operators has unearthed surprising results about the feeding habits of migratory humpback whales.
I’m not human: ChatGPT warns teens about AI attachment
Underage artificial intelligence users will see a different side to OpenAI's chatbot in future, with changes reminding them it cannot be a friend.
AI powers growing threat to Australia’s energy networks
Artificial intelligence is fuelling a surge in sophisticated online attacks and Australia's energy system could be a future target.
AI detection tools miss the mark for student assessment
Using artificial intelligence detection software in universities could risk undermining, rather than protecting, academic integrity.
‘Put people first’: landmark AI probe to set guardrails
The opportunities of artificial intelligence and the risks it poses to humanity will be considered by a royal commission that "puts people first".
Plugged in: watchdogs weigh up laws for uncertain times
Australian consumers are facing 'volatile' conditions, a regulator has warned, and may need stronger protections against harm.
Stranger things: Aussie helps crack cosmic cold case
A team of international scientists have used cutting-edge technology, including a radio telescope in rural Australia, to open a new "cosmic window".
‘Easier to target’: water, power firms face rising risk
Australian utility providers are being warned to tighten their security and isolate vital parts of their operations as disruptive online attacks spread.
AI giant opens Aussie hub to find ‘what’s coming next’
Bushfires, floods and cybersecurity risks will be among the issues probed at an Australian innovation hub opened by a global data centre firm.
Aussie-led solar breakthrough slashes costs
An international research team led by Monash University has developed a world-first solar cell that replaces rare, expensive metals with cheap tin oxide to dramatically lower production costs.
Energy rollercoaster: Australian bills to fall and rise
Australian households can expect lower electricity costs in the coming years, a report says, but they shouldn't get used to them.