This Month
- Opinion
- Funding
The ‘missing middle’ stopping Australia from being a deep tech force
To see bold ambitions in areas like quantum computing, robotics and AI come to fruition, Australia must match rival countries and grow the “M” of its SMEs.
- Sally-Ann Williams
- Opinion
- Schools
Australia’s science curriculum is not broken
The performance of science students has stopped declining as resources from private publishers became available to teachers. Investing more in what is working will be far more productive than starting from scratch.
- Alan Finkel
- Opinion
- International students
Overseas student tax is a spiky idea that needs the boot
The universities accord went looking for big ideas that build on our reputation as a clever country. This is no time to be dumb.
- Merlin Crossley
November
Why Australian school kids are failing
Australia’s national curriculum could be the very reason why kids are going backwards compared to their peers internationally.
- Julie Hare
- Opinion
- Education
Australia’s curriculum gap is failing science teachers and students
Compared with the best systems, our national science curriculum is far from being world-class, as its creators claim.
- Mailie Ross
Secret letter warned of threat to humanity before Altman ousted
Before being sacked, the OpenAI board had been sent a letter about progress on a mysterious project known as Q*, which could have long-term perilous outcomes.
- Anna Tong, Jeffrey Dastin and Krystal Hu
- Exclusive
- Philanthropy
Rich List family’s $100m gift to change lives via immunology research
The Snow family is already one of Australia’s top philanthropists and it is making another big donation to transform global understanding of the immune system and autoimmune diseases.
- Julie Hare
‘No one wants to be stuck with a dusty old lawyer’
Law students are embracing disruption in the legal profession and turning towards science, technology and engineering degrees to stand out from their peers.
- Maxim Shanahan
How these tiny ‘embryoids’ could improve IVF outcomes
The lab creations can help with the study of embryology and pregnancy, and how they can go wrong. But they pose tricky ethical questions.
- The Economist
October
Big ideas trump commercialisation for new CSIRO boss
Doug Hilton has laid out plans for it to help answer the big questions facing society, while also making some money along the way.
- Updated
- Tess Bennett
- Opinion
- Review
Another scandal dogs a science cheat
Celebrity culture in research can lead to an escalation of exaggerated claims.
- F.D. Flam
Here’s why you should eat your veg first – but chips and bread last
Scientists have discovered the order in which you consume foods can improve blood sugar levels, make you feel fuller and may even help with weight loss.
- Anahad O'Connor
Australian scientists shine new light on dark matter
It might not yet be the answer to life, the universe and everything, but an analysis of international experiments suggests the existence of an unknown particle.
- Jeff Allan
COVID-19 vaccine pioneers win Nobel Prize for Medicine
Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman pioneered the mRNA technology that led to the development of the Moderna and Pfizer inoculations.
- Naomi Kresge and Kati Pohjanpalo
September
- Exclusive
- AI
The new $3b robot factory shooting for the moon
Advanced Navigation, a Sydney deep-tech company backed by Malcolm Turnbull, is scaling up a factory that helps NASA navigate when there’s no GPS.
- John Davidson
How humans will colonise the moon – and when it will happen
While the world was distracted by Putin and Trump, India pulled off a lunar landing. But with six nations and two billionaires eyeing up the opportunities, what will our first off-world settlement look like?
- Boris Starling
August
UK watchdog cracks down on junk carbon offsets
The journal “Science” found most of a potential 89 million carbon offsets issued by forest protection projects did not represent real emissions reductions.
- Natasha White
- Exclusive
- Venture capital
From NFTs to saving the world; Aussie investor targets $100m
An Australian-led VC firm, which counts major European tech company founders, funds and AFL stars among its backers, is tapping the market for €60 million.
- Paul Smith
Why so few women with a STEM degree work in a STEM job
Women are reluctant to enter STEM degrees. Is it any wonder when just 16 per cent end up working in jobs that require a STEM degree?
- Julie Hare
Labor’s carbon policy spurred ‘lots of interest’ for this tech company
What do iron ore miners, cement makers, alumina refiners and lithium producers have in common? They’re all turning to Calix to solve their carbon footprint.
- Peter Ker
