Latest Story
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The risks and rewards of recursive self‑improvement
James McDermott | July 19, 2026The idea of recursive self-improvement dates back decades but AI models could soon be capable of designing progressively better versions of themselves with untold social and economic consequences.
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What killed Simonetta Vespucci?
Paolo Pozzilli | July 19, 2026Botticelli’s muse Simonetta Vespucci died at just 23 in 1476, and while tuberculosis has long been blamed for her death, analysis of her changing appearance in a succession of paintings suggest another cause may be to blame.
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Talking with the chatbot about poetry
Krupa Shandilya | July 19, 2026Large Language Models have proved remarkably adept at translating language, but human intermediaries are still required to capture the full nuance of literary works.
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It’s the end of the world as we know it
Juliana Tappe Ortiz | July 18, 2026Over the centuries, political leaders have often invoked fears of decline and collapse, and many of today’s tech moguls and political populists also view the world through a lens of civilisational crisis and impending catastrophe.
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Who were the ‘sea peoples’?
Open Forum | July 18, 2026The infamous “Sea Peoples” who ravaged the eastern Mediterranean at the end of the Bronze Age were named by a French Egyptologist at the end of the 19th century but their true origins remain shrouded in mystery.
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Smoking falls to historic low but challenges remain
Open Forum | July 18, 2026The percentage of Australians who smoke has fallen once again, but while the country’s comprehensive tobacco control measures are delivering results, the widespread availability of illegal imports and vapes continues to pose a health hazard.
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Taylor’s twin dilemma
Michelle Grattan | July 17, 2026After ousting Sussan Ley as Liberal Leader, Angus Taylor has struggled to restore Liberal fortunes in the face of a rampant One Nation and the feeling that the Liberals’ time has passed.
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Keeping tabs on the Taliban
Binaifer Nowrojee | July 17, 2026Since the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of allied troops in August 2021, it has issued more than 100 edicts targeting women and girls, and Australia should raise its latest edict on child marriages with the International Court of Justice.
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Gen Z’s revolt against AI
Siobhan Lyons | July 17, 2026The tech CEOs who will profit from it argue the dominance of AI is inevitable, but the vocal gen Z backlash against AI and its threat to their education, jobs and culture are a reminder that alternatives to an AI-saturated future are still possible.
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Albanese sets out vision of AI
Rita Matulionyte | July 16, 2026In a major speech at the University of Sydney, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has laid out how his government plans to manage artificial intelligence and ensure the rapidly advancing technology works in Australia’s interest.
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The price of salt
Amber Williams | July 16, 2026Irrigating farmland tends to increase salinity can stunt growth, reduce yields and leave plants less able to cope with other challenges such as drought and extreme heat.
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The ACSC could regulate Australian cybersecurity
Natalie Treloar | July 16, 2026The government should move beyond awareness campaigns and advisory guidance toward a mature regulatory model that treats cybersecurity as a matter of public safety and national resilience and empowering the ACSC as a cybersecurity regulator would be a significant step towards achieving this.
