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A child lying in bed and using their phone.

Google is rolling out its Gemini AI chatbot to kids under 13. It’s a risky move

A whale tail with the Sydney skyline in the background at sunset.

Hidden connections of more than 100 migratory marine species revealed in interactive map

A young man with a beard and glasses sitting on a couch gazing intently at the computer on his lap. His hands are steepled in front of his face.

Some Reddit users just love to disagree, new AI-powered troll-spotting algorithm finds

Forest home of ‘polar dinosaurs’ 120 million years ago in southern Australia recreated in detail for the first time
Artwork of a dinosaur roaming through a primeval forest with ferns and conifer trees.
For 100 years, we have marvelled at planetariums. Here’s a brief history of how humans brought the stars indoors
People stand in a dark room looking up at a ceiling with swirling purple nebulas.
Humans regularly crossed the Pyrenees during the Ice Age – here’s what they took with them
Pyrenean glacier and mountains
More than 50 years after trying to reach Venus, a failed Soviet spacecraft is about to return to Earth
A memorial postage stamp featuring a spacecraft.
Meta’s new AI chatbot is yet another tool for harvesting data to potentially sell you stuff
Woman by a window with dark city lights on her phone engaged in something.
Avoiding AI is hard – but our freedom to opt out must be protected
A person holding up a placard with "AI" crossed out.
Can a wooden spoon really stop a pot from boiling over? Here’s the science
Can a wooden spoon really stop a pot from boiling over? Here’s the science
What is a ‘smart city’ and why should we care? It’s not just a buzzword
Nighttime aerial view of a busy colourful intersection in Seoul, with vivid colours and a sense of bustling life.
Latest science and technology articles

New research

‘Super antibodies’ for snake toxins: how a dangerous DIY experiment helped scientists make a new antivenom
A man holds the open head of a Coastal Taipan over a pee jar with a membrane across the open top and a liquid (venom) at the bottom of the jar.
How does consciousness work? Duelling scientists tested two big theories but found no winner
Illustration showing a black silhouette of a head in profile against a red background.
1 billion years ago, a meteorite struck Scotland and influenced life on Earth
A dramatic eroded cliff in the foreground with a small white lighthouse perched in the distance.
Echidna ancestors lived watery lifestyles like platypuses 100 million years ago – new study
A platypus swimming in the wild.
More new research

Expert life advice

Why do dogs eat poo? A canine scientist explains
A black german shepherd puppy eats something from the grass while looking guilty at the camera.
Is there a best way to peel a boiled egg? A food scientist explains
Close-up of a perfect boiled egg with a bite taken out of it.
The ocean can look deceptively calm – until it isn’t. Here’s what ‘hazardous surf’ really means
Two swimmers stand on the edge of Bronte baths next to a large frothy wave.
Happy dogs make happy humans, and 9 other reasons science says dogs need to chew
Small brown dog chewing on a small bone.
More life hacks

Scientific misconduct series

Medical tools against a red background.

Flawed medical studies can end up in doctors’ advice. We developed a tool to stop it

Show your working: how the ‘open science’ movement tackles scientific misconduct
Open sign in a window in red and blue neon light.
Reliable science takes time. But the current system rewards speed
Red and white road sign in the countryside instructing people to slow down.
Academic publishing is a multibillion-dollar industry. It’s not always good for science
Top view of books with colourful covers opened on their side.
Peer review is meant to prevent scientific misconduct. But it has its own problems
Collage of lots of eyes looking at a person.
More on scientific misconduct

Artificial intelligence

Three figures of the same woman are shown against a plain blue background, progressively transforming from minimally glitched to heavily glitched.

AI systems are built on English – but not the kind most of the world speaks

A weird phrase is plaguing scientific papers – and we traced it back to a glitch in AI training data
A construction of lab equipment and plants
AI-generated images can exploit how your mind works − here’s why they fool you and how to spot them
AI-generated images can exploit how your mind works − here’s why they fool you and how to spot them
Tools like Apple’s photo Clean Up are yet another nail in the coffin for being able to trust our eyes
Photo of a city square with people highlighted in iridescent colours.
ChatGPT just passed the Turing test. But that doesn’t mean AI is now as smart as humans
A digital collage featuring a vintage illustration of a head with two anonymous hands pulling on strings, against a background of an old machine.
More on artificial intelligence

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Explore the universe

A red semi circle in space interwoven with a spiral pattern.

Twinkling star reveals the shocking secrets of turbulent plasma in our cosmic neighbourhood

Astronomers listened to the ‘music’ of flickering stars – and discovered an unexpected feature
Illustration of a fiery star floating in space
The best space telescope you never heard of just shut down

Laura Nicole Driessen, University of Sydney

Photo of the Milky Way at night.
Cosmic dark energy may be weakening, astronomers say, raising questions about the fate of the universe

Rossana Ruggeri, Queensland University of Technology

Timelapse photo showing star trails in the night sky above a large telescope building.
You’ve heard of the Big Bang. Now astronomers have discovered the Big Wheel – here’s why it’s significant

Themiya Nanayakkara, Swinburne University of Technology

A large orange galaxy with spiral arms and smaller galaxies around it.
More on astronomy

Curious Kids

Academic experts answer real questions from real kids.

A blue bucket and spade on a beach.

Curious Kids: If you scoop a bucket of water out of the ocean, does it get lower?

Curious Kids: if heat rises, why does it get colder in the mountains?

James Renwick, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Silhuette of Ama Dablam - a mountain in the eastern Himalaya
Curious Kids: what was the biggest dinosaur that ever lived?

Nic Rawlence, University of Otago

Dinosaurs with a volcano in the background
Why is the sky blue?

Daniel Freedman, University of Wisconsin-Stout

Blue sky with white puffy clouds on a bright sunny day.
Curious Kids: What does the edge of the universe look like?

Sara Webb, Swinburne University of Technology

A person at night looking up at the Milky Way.
More Curious Kids articles

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Most read this week

1.
AI can’t do your Christmas shopping just yet – but next year might be different

Jon Whittle, Data61

AI can’t do your Christmas shopping just yet – but next year might be different

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