Robots can run faster than elite human sprinters, but are they really athletes?
A humanoid robot running 100 metres in 9.39 seconds sounds extraordinary. At this week’s World…
FDA approves breakthrough pancreatic cancer drug – an oncologist explains how daraxonrasib nearly doubles survival
For a long time, the likelihood of surviving pancreatic cancer has been extremely low. For…
Africa’s herbarium collections are a scientific treasure. They need to be digitised before more biodiversity is lost
Universities and biodiversity institutes have hidden treasures: their collections of pressed plant specimens. These are…
Airport runway collisions and near-misses are happening more frequently, 22 years of data show
Four close calls on Sydney Airport runways in as many weeks have put air traffic…
‘Male’ and ‘female’ plugs and connectors – gendered language for the ends of garden hoses, electrical cords and pipe fittings sparks debate
Hopefully to mean “I hope”; singular “they”; “primary bedroom” instead of “master bedroom” – all…
Lactose intolerance is actually the human norm – but racism, the US government and business interests have made it into a condition
Lactose intolerance makes drinking milk or eating ice cream a literal pain. For some people,…
Can you teach yourself to detect AI writing? Maybe
AI is quietly reshaping writing. It’s not just that prose is changing — the very…
Data centres and democratic decline could lead to more water conflict in the future
Transboundary waters — rivers, lakes and aquifers residing in more than one country — are…
When to trust the experts? Follow these guidelines to evaluate science on any topic
When should we trust the evidence and the experts who interpret it for us? A…
The ‘wonder material’ graphene can be made using a kitchen blender, a mobile phone and a newspaper
There is something slightly ridiculous about using a kitchen blender to make graphene. This is,…