THE TRUTH ABOUT: 18 | History Defined

Climate change is putting the squeeze on the world’s grapegrowers: new research

This year, the European summer has been sweltering. It is unprecedented in many ways, marked by extreme heat, drought and record-breaking fires. Across the continent, fires have consumed hundreds of homes and demanded the evacuation of thousands of people.

The Conversation · Sep 16

Is the nuclear non-proliferation pact a model for regulating runaway AI?

The potential existential threat of artificial intelligence has leapt into the headlines after a departing safety researcher at AI corporation Anthropic posted on social media he believed there was more than a one-in-ten chance AI could kill everyone.

The Conversation · Sep 16

Naomi Klein’s new book calls out end times fascism. What is this – and what’s the role of big tech?

“A moment of reckoning has arrived for the West,” reads a recent recruitment ad for Palantir, a Silicon Valley firm that increasingly provides data-driven “intelligence” for intelligence, police and military agencies – as well as blue-chip corporations and non-profits. “On the factory floor, in the operating room, across the battlefield,”…

The Conversation · Sep 16

How does the menopause drug Veoza work? And how is it different to hormone therapy?

Hot flushes and night sweats – collectively called vasomotor symptoms – are among the most common and disruptive symptoms of menopause. They affect almost 40% of women in the lead up to menopause, known as perimenopause.

The Conversation · Sep 15

Is pasta a type of noodle? The surprisingly serious debate over two beloved carbs

Certain taxonomic debates resurface time and again.

The Conversation · Sep 15

Australia’s data centre build-out carries risks for the economy – and inflation

Australia is in the middle of a data centre construction boom. Driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and growing demand for digital services, global technology companies are expected to invest up to A$150 billion in Australian data centres by 2030.

The Conversation · Sep 15

Bird flu has claimed its first Australian sea lion and dolphin. How does the virus get into these animals?

A rare Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) on Kangaroo Island has been confirmed to have died from highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu. The sea lion had recently been attacked by a shark, weakening it. Testing revealed the cause of death was the virus. Another dead sea lion is being tested.

The Conversation · Sep 15

How would One Nation’s immigration plan affect the labour market and economy?

One Nation this week promised to tighten visa rules and cut immigration to “net negative” for three years, in a suite of policies it said would help reduce pressure on housing and essential services. It also vowed to further restrict the ability of migrants to bring family members to Australia.

The Conversation · Sep 15

Trump’s thumbs-up to Irish reunification breaks with precedent, but evokes earlier age of White House support

Donald Trump is a Republican and self-avowed nationalist. That, apparently, is true in an Irish sense, too – even if those terms have very different meanings across the Atlantic.

The Conversation · Sep 15

How bacteria hijack viruses to shuffle their own DNA

When you think of viruses, you probably think of flu-like symptoms and quarantines. Humankind has suffered from viral diseases ranging from smallpox to COVID-19, hantavirus and Ebola since the dawn of recorded history.

The Conversation · Sep 15