Australasian Science: Australia's authority on science since 1938
Online Feature
Privatising the sky: drone delivery promises comfort and speed, but at a cost to workers and communities
Wing
Drone delivery company Wing recently celebrated 100,000 deliveries with an unusual burs
Originally published in The Conversation.
Facebook ads have enabled discrimination based on gender, race and age. We need to know how ‘dark ads’ affect Australians
Social media platforms are transforming how online advertising works and, in turn, raising concerns about new forms of discrimination and predatory marketing.
Today the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society (ADM+S) — a multi-university entity led by RMIT — launched the Australian Ad Observatory. This research project will explore how platforms target Australian users with ads.
Originally published in The Conversation.
Tornado rips through western NSW — what are tornadoes and what do we need to know?
A tornado has swept through central western New South Wales, with the Bureau of Meteorology reporting damage to houses, powerlines and trees around the Clear Creek area, north-east of Bathurst.
Originally published in The Conversation.
Australia's competition watchdog says Google has a monopoly on online advertising — but how does it work?
Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
In the pre-digital world, advertising was largely carried by print media, radio and television.
Originally published in The Conversation.
Male mosquitoes don't want your blood, but they still find you very attractive
Perran Ross, Author provided
The whine of the mosquito is unpleasant and often inescapable outdoors on summer evenings.
Originally published in The Conversation.
Curious Kids: how does our DNA relate to our personality and appearance?
Shutterstock
How does our DNA relate to our personality and appearance? — Emma, age 9, Sydney
Originally published in The Conversation.
Meet the prehistoric eagle that ruled Australian forests 25 million years ago
Jacob Blokland/Flinders University, Author provided
The parched deserts of the South Australian outback were once a rainforest filled with a rich variety of birds and animals.
Originally published in The Conversation.
Closed Facebook groups offer respite for stressed-out women. But running them involves yet more unseen labour
Would you share your most intimate thoughts with strangers?
For many women, during the pandemic and associated lockdowns, closed Facebook groups have been a place to do just that. These groups offer a chance to escape the house virtually and spend time with like-minded souls, sometimes chatting, often venting, and seeking solidarity in virtual sisterhood.
Originally published in The Conversation.
Angela Merkel's career shows why we need more scientists in politics
For 16 years, German chancellor Angela Merkel has guided her country through wave after wave of uncertainty, from the 2008 global financial crisis to Brexit, the imperative to drop fossil fuels, and of course the COVID pandemic.
Originally published in The Conversation.
Australia is no stranger to earthquakes, yet our planning polices have not adapted
Southeastern Australia was yesterday rocked by a magnitude-5.8 earthquake with its epicentre near Mansfield in Victoria’s northeast.
Originally published in The Conversation.
