Award-winning director Madeleine Hetherton-Miau’s latest offering is an evocative and hard-hitting documentary with a strong message. Mozart’s Sister investigates the life of Maria Anna Mozart, the older sister of the more famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. By Diane Charleson, Australian Catholic University.
In his sci-fi film Inception (2010), Christophe Nolan imagined his protagonist slipping into other people’s dreams and even shaping their contents. But what if this story wasn’t so far away from real life? By Başak Türker, Institut du Cerveau (ICM) et Delphine Oudiette, Inserm.
For many people, especially those leaning left, Donald Trump’s disqualifications to be president seem obvious. Why did so many people vote for Trump again, they wonder, and how did he win not just the Electoral College vote this time but the popular vote as well? By Alex Hinton, Rutgers University - Newark.
On election eve in the United States, the presidential race is deadlocked. The polls are exceptionally close across the country and in all the swing states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin in the industrial midwest; Nevada and Arizona in the west; and Georgia and North Carolina in the south. By Bruce Wolpe, University of Sydney.
By Emma Shortis, RMIT University and Matthew Ricketson, Deakin University.
The promise of a long, healthy, happy existence living an active, community-based lifestyle under warm, sunny skies may be within reach. In fact, it could be on your table. By Marco Romagnoli, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).
What does it mean to be a reader in Jane Austen’s novels? And what does it mean to read them? Susan Allen Ford, longtime editor of the Jane Austen Society of North America’s journals, confesses to perhaps 25 years of fascination with her subject. By Gillian Dooley, Flinders University.
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He lived and died more than 2,000 years ago but Hannibal is remembered as one of history’s most formidable military commanders and as “Rome’s greatest enemy”. By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Australian Catholic University.
OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy envisions a world in which artificial intelligence bots can be made into subject matter experts that are “deeply passionate, great at teaching, infinitely patient and fluent in all of the world’s languages.” Through this vision, the bots would be available to “personally tutor all 8 billion of us on demand.”
In May 2024, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sparked a firestorm by referencing the 2013 movie “Her” to highlight the novelty of the latest iteration of ChatGPT. By Rizwan Virk, Arizona State University.
My first encounter came as a medical student. Under high magnification, I examined a colleague’s iris, the coloured part of their eye encircling the pupil. By Hessom Razavi, The University of Western Australia.
New scientific understanding and engineering techniques have always impressed and frightened. No doubt they will continue to. OpenAI recently announced that it anticipates “superintelligence” – AI surpassing human abilities – this decade. It is accordingly building a new team, and devoting 20% of its computing resources to ensuring that the behaviour of such AI systems will be aligned with human values. By Anthony Grayling, Northeastern University London and Brian Ball, Northeastern University London.
Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast, male or female, in history. She won her first world championship all-around gold medal in 2013 and has not lost an all-around competition since. By Vaughan Cruickshank, University of Tasmania; Brendon Hyndman, Charles Sturt University, and Carla Valerio, Southern Cross University.
Back in 2005 ~ before the rise of social media or smart phones, let alone blockchain, metadata and OpenAI ~ computer scientist and entrepreneur Ray Kurzweil published a breathlessly prophetic account of what he called “the singularity”. By Charles Barbour, Western Sydney University.
While promoting her role in the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway hit “Wicked,” singer Ariana Grande made a podcast appearance that left many of her fans befuddled and concerned. By Lydia Kruse, Purdue University.
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Sometime around 100 AD, the Roman lawyer and aristocrat Pliny sent a letter to his third wife, Calpurnia – who was staying in a different part of Italy – to express how much he loved and missed her... By Konstantine Panegyres, The University of Melbourne.
OpenAI will be removing access to one of its ChatGPT voices, following objections by actor Scarlett Johansson that it sounds “eerily similar” to her own. By Elizabeth Englezos, Griffith University.
We upload some 3 billion images online each day. We make most of these photos on smartphones and use these devices to document everything from gym progress and our loved ones to a memorable meal. By T. J Thompson, RMIT University.
Taylor Swift album drops have become cultural moments – whether or not you are a fan of her music. Each album in the Swift catalogue seeks to open up new themes, discussion, sounds and ideas, while retaining a sense of familiarity that doesn’t alienate fans. By Samuel Murray, University of Liverpool.
Australians are nervous about AI. Efforts are underway to put their minds at ease: advisory committees, consultations and regulations. By Leah Henrickson, The University of Queensland; Catriona Mills, The University of Queensland; David Tang, The University of Queensland, and Maggie Nolan, The University of Queensland.
Last week, USA Today/Gannett posted a job ad for a Taylor Swift reporter, seeking an experienced journalist and content creator to “capture the music and cultural impact of Taylor Swift”. By Kate Pattison, RMIT University.
When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such as Christian Louboutin have cemented our association of the colour red with power and wealth. By Panizza Allmark, Edith Cowan University.
Have you ever entered a gallery, cathedral or grand old ballroom and drawn breath with surprise? Usually, it is opulence, vastness or one stunning painting or sculpture that evokes this response — think Michelangelo’s David, or Chartres Cathedral or the hall of mirrors at Versailles. By Mary Voice, The University of Melbourne.
Dechen, 40, grew up in Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. Her native language was Mangdip, also known as Nyenkha, as her parents are originally from central Bhutan. She went to schools in the city, where the curriculum was predominantly taught in Dzongkha, the national language, and English. By Tashi Dema, University of New England.
In 1889, the Syndicat du Commerce des Vins de Champagne produced a pamphlet promoting champagne at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, claiming that Dom Pérignon, procurator of the Benedictine Abbey of Hautvillers from 1668, was the “inventor”, “creator” or discoverer" of sparkling champagne. By Garritt C Van Dyk, University of Newcastle.
English Heritage is now selling what it calls “the best thing since sliced bread” at 13 of its sites ~ brown bread ice cream, inspired by a Georgian recipe. The announcement of the flavour mentions several more outlandish Georgian flavours trialled by English Heritage before it landed on brown bread, such as Parmesan and cucumber. By Lindsay Middleton, University of Glasgow.