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We need to talk about the bad science being funded
Spectacular failures to replicate key scientific findings have been documented of late, particularly in biology, The Conversation.
All you need for quantum computing at room temperature is some mothballs
Much of the current research on the development of a quantum computer involves work at very low temperatures. The challenge to make them more practical for everyday use is to make them work at room temperature.
The breakthrough here came from the use of some everyday materials, with details published today in Nature Communications.
A typical modern-day computer represents information using a binary number system of discrete bits, represented as either 0 and 1.
Originally published in The Conversation.
How a little mathematics can help create some beautiful music
Since the time of Pythagoras around 500 BCE, music and mathematics have had an intimate and mutually supportive relationship.
Originally published in The Conversation.
Peak Pokémon: Despite its success, Pokémon Go's decline is already under way
Despite the fact that Pokémon Go has become the world’s biggest mobile game, it has already started its certain decline.
Originally published in The Conversation.
Should Tesla's autopilot cars be allowed on public roads following accidents?
Humans are terrible at driving. The US Department of Transport estimates that 94% of crashes are due to the driver.
We drive too fast. We get distracted. We make poor decisions.
If history is anything to go by, more than 1,000 people are likely to die on Australian roads in the next year. Each death is a tragedy for the families and friends of those killed.
Originally published in The Conversation.
How men and women can help reduce gender bias in the workplace
I am a professor and a newly minted pro vice chancellor and I have spent my entire research and working life with male bosses or supervisors. I have never reported to a woman.
This phenomenon is particularly acute in the fields of science, technology engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).
It’s why more than 30 universities, six medical research institutions and four publicly funded research agencies have joined the Science in Australia Gender Equity pilot project (SAGE).
Originally published in The Conversation.
We should encourage boys _and_ girls to reach for the stars
As a child growing up on a farm, I was fascinated by the night sky.
Originally published in The Conversation.
Our ancestors were carnivorous super-predators, so do we really have a choice about eating meat?
The internet abounds with ‘expert advice’ on what we should or shouldn’t eat. High carb or low carb diets? Grains or gluten free eating?
Originally published in The Conversation.
Trying to cut your drinking? There's an app for that
Australia is known to be a nation of drinkers with almost The Conversation.
What's made Pokémon GO such a viral success?
Technology often needs a “killer app” to gain mass market appeal.
For the touch screen, it was the iPhone; for wearables, the Fitbit. Augmented reality games have been around for more than a decade, so what was it about Pokémon GO that allowed it to become a global phenomenon?
We believe it can be attributed to three core social components of the game: the blending of the virtual and the real, geo-location and the success of existing Pokémon culture.
Originally published in The Conversation.
