Australians’ data could be exposed in e-waste

Australians’ data and critical infrastructure is under threat from careless e-waste disposal, which could have ā€œcatastrophicā€ consequences for national security, an expert says. Thousands of tonnes of old phones and other devices from Australian workplaces are...[Read More]

ā€˜Someone’s watching you’: TikTok warning for families

Australians have been warned to do their homework before downloading TikTok as concerns grow over security fears. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil will soon receive a review into privacy, political censorship, and disinformation on the Chinese-owned social media...[Read More]

Pollution sensing backpacks to help kids breathe easier

Hundreds of Melbourne children will set off on their school commutes wearing specially designed backpacks to monitor air pollution in the city’s asthma-prone inner west. The ā€œBreathe Melbourneā€ study, enlisting more than 300 students and a dozen teachers from six...[Read More]

New device able to detect cancer cells without surgery

Sydney researchers have developed a new device that can detect cancer cells from blood samples, allowing patients to avoid invasive biopsy surgery. Cancer is a leading cause of illness and death in Australia, with more than 150,000 around the country every year. People...[Read More]

Potential new MS treatment on the way as rates spike

More than 30,000 Australians living with multiple sclerosis could get access to a potential new treatment as experts say a breakthrough may be on the horizon. Researchers at the University of Adelaide will use genetically modified mice to test whether proteins can be...[Read More]

Government outlines plan to overhaul cyber security

CYBER SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS What are the key problems? * The Medibank and Optus hacks showed the vulnerability of personal information held by corporations to cyber attacks. * Intelligence agencies are also concerned about a rise in state-sponsored cyber crime. * ASIO...[Read More]

High-tech foundry to forge quantum computers bit by bit

Australian quantum pioneers are determined they won’t be left behind in the race to attract talent and solve complex problems with new tools. The University of Sydney announced on Tuesday it will establish a Future Qubit Foundry in the Sydney Nanoscience Hub, where...[Read More]

Parliament House ā€˜particular interest’ to cyber hackers

Parliament House is of ā€œparticular interestā€ to malicious hackers, with constant attempts being made to breach network security, an inquiry has heard. Department of Parliamentary Services chief information officer James Lawson on Monday declined to disclose at the...[Read More]

One giant leap for agriculture as farmers look to space

Nestled deep in the industrial and commercial centre of a major metropolitan city, a vertical farm has sprouted indoors and its backers are reaching for the stars. Researchers based in Melbourne’s Docklands are working with the space agency NASA to design plants that...[Read More]

Drug study seeks to combat ovarian cancer chemotherapy

Treatment for ovarian cancer could come in the shape of small tablets in the future after researchers in Queensland were awarded a grant to investigate alternative approaches to tackling the disease. Ovarian cancer affected an estimated 1300 Australian women in 2022...[Read More]

Glowing material may cut out internal stitches

A new glowing medical material is being touted as a promising alternative to mesh implants and internal stitches. Researchers at Melbourne’s RMIT University developed the antimicrobial suture material using a combination of iodine and tiny nanoparticles called carbon...[Read More]

Good vibrations help extend battery life

A nanomaterial exposed to high-frequency sound waves could be the key to extending the life span of mobile phone batteries to almost a decade. Researchers at Melbourne’s RMIT university believe MXene can be an alternative to extensively used lithium for batteries in...[Read More]

Aussies miss out on new medicine frontier

Many Australians are missing out on a new frontier in medicine, prompting experts to call for more to be done to improve equity in healthcare. Precision medicine personalises treatment by taking into account a patient’s genetic make-up, their environment and...[Read More]

New light therapy shoots down superbugs

A new light therapy can kill off some of the worst antibiotic-resistant superbugs in what South Australian researchers say will be a game changer for millions worldwide. The therapy, developed by the University of South Australia, has been found to significantly...[Read More]

New year, new job? Beware of scammers

Jobseekers are being urged to watch out for scammers, with new Scamwatch figures revealing Australians lost over $8.7 million to recruitment scams in 2022. The ACCC’s Scamwatch is warning young people in particular, to protect their personal information when applying...[Read More]