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The countdown is on. In just a few hours, NASA will launch Artemis II – the first crewed mission to the Moon since 1972. It won’t be boots on the lunar surface just yet. The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft will slingshot in a loop around the Moon, testing the path for the eventual Moon landing in 2028.
Amid global disruption here on Earth, it’s still a historic event for space exploration: the first time a female astronaut, a Black astronaut, and a non-US astronaut (a Canadian) will visit the Moon system. It will also be the farthest from Earth humans have ever travelled.
Even though this NASA mission might feel like a faraway concern, Australia is playing a crucial role – just as we did during the Apollo era.
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Signe Dean
Science + Technology Editor
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Tristan Moss, UNSW Sydney
Ground stations in Australia are crucial for contacting the astronauts travelling to the Moon.
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Amin Saikal, Australian National University; The University of Western Australia; Victoria University
Iran’s regime was structured to withstand attacks from more powerful foes. It’s also resolved to deny the US and Israel a victory at all costs.
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Tama Leaver, Curtin University
A new code for children’s online privacy is currently open for consultation. Here’s what it contains.
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Guy Curtis, The University of Western Australia
A new study shows most university students who copy from AI are also plagiarising in other ways.
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Damien O'Meara, RMIT University; Lisa French, RMIT University; Liz Giuffre, University of Technology Sydney; Oscar Bloomfield, Deakin University; Rachel Williamson, University of Canterbury; Steven Roberts, Monash University
This month’s streaming lineup is full of bold and provocative conversation starters.
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Bec Kavanagh, The University of Melbourne
Alex Preston has admitted to using AI to write a New York Times Book Review. He has not only embarrassed himself, but broken the trust of his readers.
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Richard Baka, Victoria University; H. Björn Galjaardt, The University of Queensland; Tracy Taylor, RMIT University
It sounds crazy – hosting Olympic rowing and canoeing on a river home to crocodiles. Yet that’s what is likely to happen in Brisbane in 2032.
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Rebecca McKetin, UNSW Sydney; Shalini Arunogiri, Monash University
If approved, mirtazapine would be the first prescription medicine for people with methamphetamine dependency.
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Lyndall Bryant, Queensland University of Technology; Amanda Bull, Queensland University of Technology; Elizabeth Streten, Queensland University of Technology; Fiona Cheung, Queensland University of Technology; Morgan O'Neill, Queensland University of Technology
Home builders with fixed price contracts can only absorb so much cost pressure. Research shows which builders were already at most risk, even before the war started.
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Niusha Shafiabady, Australian Catholic University; Theresa Dicke, Australian Catholic University
This new wave of AI short dramas is absurdly addictive. Understanding the psychology is the first step towards breaking the spell.
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Politics + Society
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Nicole Townsend, UNSW Sydney
As it stands, the power to commit Australian troops to war is with the executive government. But many think it should be done with parliamentary vote.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
In the first national address since 2020, he encouraged Australians to 'do their part'.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
In a Wednesday address, Martin Parkinson said the focus on migration numbers misses the more immediate questions about how migrants can apply their skills.
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Health + Medicine
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Jane Tiller, Monash University
If you had your appendix out recently, does your insurer need to know? Different rules apply depending on the type of insurance. Here’s what you need to know.
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Business + Economy
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Vibhu Arya, University of Technology Sydney; Wen Helena Li, University of Technology Sydney
From October, there’ll be no nasty surprise charges when you pay by card. But some shoppers may have to pay more than they do today – here’s why.
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Environment + Energy
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Adam Hartland, Lincoln University, New Zealand
Two million people drink water from the Waikato. But the river is degrading as pollution and invasive clams spread faster than monitoring protocols can detect.
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David Bowman, University of Tasmania
After almost 60 years, scientists have been able to prove an influential theory that wet eucalypt forest regrowth is more fire prone.
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Jemma Geoghegan, University of Otago; Nigel French, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
Bird flu is spreading globally and getting closer to New Zealand. Its arrival may be a matter of when, not if – and the risks are significant.
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Science + Technology
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Domenico Vicinanza, Anglia Ruskin University
Sustained lunar exploration remains a challenge for modern democracies.
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Mohiuddin Ahmed, Adelaide University
New anti-scam measures passed federal parliament more than a year ago. So why aren’t they in force? And what can people do to protect themselves in the meantime?
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Signe Dean, The Conversation
From wombat and mozzie surveillance to deciphering climate history and spotting star explosions, citizen scientists are instrumental in contributing knowledge.
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Books + Ideas
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Peter Tregear, The University of Melbourne
Opera singer, producer and librettist Caitlin Vincent explores big questions about her art form in Opera Wars – a lively book bristling with ideas.
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Is it time to have more EV trucks on our roads?
“I read this article with great interest. It makes a persuasive case for the growing technical and commercial readiness of electric heavy vehicles. However, the article completely overlooked a critical constraint on the large‑scale deployment of electric heavy vehicles in Australia: the capacity of the existing road network to accommodate them.
Austroads (the association of Australian and New Zealand transport agencies) recently published a report which explains that many low- and zero-emission heavy vehicles are heavier than their diesel equivalents due to battery mass. These higher loads have worrying implications for pavement life, bridges and structures, particularly on networks that were designed and funded on the basis of historical mass limits and traffic assumptions.
There is a real risk that the infrastructure impacts of electric trucks will be borne disproportionately by road agencies and, ultimately, taxpayers, rather than being transparently managed as part of decarbonisation.
None of this is an argument against electric heavy vehicles. On the contrary, the Austroads work is intended to support their introduction. But it does underscore that vehicle readiness does not equate to network readiness.”
Amy Naulls, Austroads
We'd love to hear from you. You can email us with your thoughts on our stories and each day we'll publish an edited selection.
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