Nikon disqualifies the winner of its prestigious science competition for using AI after microscopy experts questioned the accuracy of the clip on social media.
Are we in the Anthropocene Epoch? Scientists can’t decideWhile the Anthropocene is a term most of us are well aware of, it is not an official geological epoch.Now a group of scientists has reignited the push to get it formally recognised.
‘Something we’ve never seen before’: The risk of AI bioweaponsAI companies say their tools could be used to make biological weaponry.These are the threats and what can be done to mitigate them.
Scientists probe connection between deadly frog disease and coal wastewaterA study on the impact of chytrid fungus disease in Royal National Park frogs raises questions about regulation of coalmine wastewater.
Video captures ranger’s joyful tears on finding rare night parrot chickNew video captures a sighting of the elusive bird in its grassy home in the remote Great Sandy Desert during the day.
Six volcanoes erupt within days in Indonesia in rare eventAt least six volcanoes erupt across Indonesia within days of each other.For residents nearby there’s no escaping the fallout.
Government considers smart glasses ban for public servantsSmart glasses could be prohibited in Commonwealth workplaces as the government consults on new rules for Australia’s growing AI sector.
Tiny cells and creatures dazzle in microscopic video competitionStunning scenes of the world through microscopes have been put on display by the Nikon Small World In Motion competition winners.
BookTok influences what you read, even if you aren’t on social mediaBookTok is said to have cut out the step between author and reader.But what does that mean through the filter of a social media algorithm?
Extreme heat, fires and floods mark record hot monthClimate data has been released confirming August 2026 as the hottest month on record after heatwaves and severe drought dominated Western Europe’s warmest summer.
Fossil bones and tools from mysterious ancient human unearthed in ChinaA rare combination of tools and fossils found in a Chinese cave could help scientists learn more about our mysterious extinct cousins, the Denisovans.
Anthropic researcher says some developers believe AI ‘could kill us all’A researcher for AI developer Anthropic has quit the company and is calling on the industry to slow down.
Meta’s internal research about body image issues tells us something about AIMandating disclosure rather than trusting the AI companies behind the technology could save them from their own worse impulses.
And maybe it’ll save us, too.
Germany’s Isar rocket launches from arctic Norway and reaches orbitGermany’s Isar Aerospace launches a rocket into orbit from Norway as Europe races to boost its ability to send satellites into space.
Vicious friends and buried undies win at 2026 Ig Nobel prizesEach year, the Ig Nobel prizes celebrate research that makes you laugh, then makes you think.This year’s winners include an “underwear index”, a cumbersome kissing definition and why we want friends that will happily stab someone in the eye.
‘This could be it’: Dark matter detector finds hint of unknown particleA single flash of energy spotted by the world’s most sensitive dark matter detector has scientists excited they may have found hints of the elusive substance that permeates the universe.
Government has no plans to ban smart glasses imports, attorney-general saysThe federal government unveils a draft of sweeping new privacy laws designed to bolster protections including the “right to erasure” as well as address risks related to artificial intelligence.
Google changes US maps to Lake America from Lake OntarioAfter US President Donald Trump’s executive order changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America, Google updates its US-based maps.
Have we got dark energy wrong? NASA’s new telescope may help us find outNASA’s latest space telescope may up-end our entire model of the cosmos by taking a closer look at a shadowy phenomenon dubbed “dark energy”.
‘Pretty overwhelming’: The 23 species in Australia hit by bird flu so farBird flu has quickly spread around Australia.
Hidden in the numbers are more than 20 distinct species of birds and mammals that have fallen to the disease.
Topic:Explainer
It was a spy satellite, now NASA’s new telescope is set to head into spaceNASA is due to launch its latest space telescope, a repurposed spy satellite which will accompany the James Webb Space Telescope.So what is it, and why is it being used?.
