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EartherEarth Science
Australia Is Ending 2018 With a Record-Breaking Heat Wave
In what’s becoming an annual rite of passage, Australia is in the midst of another record-setting heat wave. It’s less the eye-popping temperatures (though it’s definitely going to be hot, with areas reaching 113 degrees Fahrenheit) and more the relentlessness of the heat and how much of the country is afflicted. Temperatures are already well … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherEarth Science
‘Unprecedented’ Fire Conditions in Northeast Australia Force Hundreds to Evacuate Their Homes
It appears no corner of the planet is safe from wildfires. Queensland, Australia is dealing with a bizarre spate of bush fires in what’s normally the wet season, a setup that’s eerily reminiscent of recent conditions in Northern California. At least 70 fires are burning across the state, the largest of which has scorched more … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
ScienceBiology
Australian Cops Perform CPR on Drowning Kangaroo
I know very little about Australia, aside from the fact that it’s basically a weirder United States with a feral cat problem. But I’m familiar enough to know that Australian police resuscitating a drowning kangaroo with CPR at the beach is about as Australian as it gets. The Agence France-Presse reports that Australian police were … Continued
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Earther
Mesmerizing Deep-Sea ‘Headless Chicken Monster’ Filmed in the Southern Ocean
A mesmerizing deep-sea dancer by the name of Enypniastes eximia is enjoying a moment in the limelight after being filmed in the Southern Ocean off East Antarctica for what officials describe as the first time in that region. The footage of the sea cucumber, which is colloquially referred to as the “headless chicken monster,” comes … Continued
By Catie Keck -
EartherEarth Science
Newly Detected Vibrations Show Earth’s Inner Core Is Solid
Researchers report that they’ve observed seismic waves traversing the Earth’s inner core, allowing them to figure out what it’s like: solid, but softer than previously thought. Scientists predicted that the Earth has a solid inner core and liquid outer core 80 years ago, based on measurements inconsistent with just one single core. The solid core … Continued
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ScienceBiology
New Clues May Explain Why This Fearsome Marsupial Lion Disappeared From Australia
New research suggests it was climate change—not human activity—that caused Thylacoleo carnifex, an Australian marsupial lion, to go extinct. For millions of years, Thylacoleo carnifex ruled the forests of Australia, but this predatory species disappeared around 35,000 to 45,000 years ago. Humans first appeared in Australia around 60,000 years ago, leading scientists to wonder if … Continued
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EartherEarth Science
Newly Discovered Volcanic ‘Lost World’ Is a Haven for Marine Life
Australian scientists have discovered a previously unknown chain of volcanic seamounts near Tasmania. The area appears to be brimming with marine life, including a surprising number of whales who may be using the undersea volcanoes as a navigational tool. The volcanic chain was discovered by scientists from the Australian National University and CSIRO, Australia’s national … Continued
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ScienceBiology
The Devilish (and Dare We Say Brilliant) Way Australia’s Feral Cats Use Fire to Hunt Down Prey
It’s hard to imagine your housecat as a particularly savvy killer. Sure, it may swat at a shoelace dangled in its face, or bunny-kick its favorite fish toy when it’s in, you know, a mood. It may even catch a bug now and then. But your cat probably spends most of the day delicately curled … Continued
Benji Jones -
Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
Teen Apple Fanboy Who Made ‘Hacky Hack Hack’ Folder of Evidence Avoids Jail
An Australian teenager has pled guilty to hacking Apple’s system multiple times in a span of several months, but will not be going to jail. He said he did it because he’s just a huge Apple fanboy. Melbourne news outlet the Age reported that Apple had alerted the FBI after the company detected a breach. … Continued
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ScienceBiology
Cyborg Wallaby Learns to Open Door With Implanted Microchip
It sounds like a B-rated science fiction movie: wallabies implanted with microchips opening their own personal pet doors when they want to come home. But this isn’t an ill-advised sequel to Tank Girl. Researchers in Australia recently implanted a bridled nail-tailed wallaby with a microchip and trained it to use a cat door to find … Continued
Joshua Rapp Learn -
Tech News
Chelsea Manning to Appear in Sydney via Video Feed From Los Angeles After Visa Trouble
Whenever Edward Snowden “appears” at conferences around the world, he does so via livestream video from his home in Russia. And it looks like that’s the future that might be in store for whistleblower Chelsea Manning after she was denied a visa to visit Australia. Manning will have to appear by video link from Los … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech News
Chelsea Manning May Be Banned From Entering Australia: Report
Whistleblower and political activist Chelsea Manning is supposed to start her Australian speaking tour at the Sydney Opera House this Sunday. But that could all change if she isn’t allowed to enter the country. Manning is reportedly facing some trouble getting a visa from the politically turbulent government down under. As the Sydney Morning Herald … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech News
Apple Hacked by Biggest Teen Fan: Report
A teenager in Melbourne, Australia, is facing criminal charges after he reportedly hacked Apple’s secure computer network multiple times. The boy’s lawyer explained to a Children’s Court on Thursday that the teen did it all “because he was such a fan” of Apple, according to Melbourne news outlet the Age. The teen hacker reportedly attends … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
Australia Hopes to Strong-Arm Tech Companies Into Giving Up That Precious Encrypted Data
Last year, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull became the subject of ridicule when he insisted his country’s laws would “prevail” in a war with mathematics to ensure law enforcement’s access to encrypted data. Now we know what the anti-encryption law says, and legislators have apparently changed tactics but learned very little. Like the Department of … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
ScienceBiology
These Australian Birds Learn About Danger by Listening to Their Friends
If you heard a bear roar for the first time but didn’t see the snarling beast, what would you think? Would you be scared? Maybe, but maybe not—the forest is full of strange noises. But what if, at the same time, one of your friends said, “Holy shit, I know all about that clawed monster … Continued
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ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
Here’s What Earth’s Shadow Actually Looks Like
The 21st century’s longest lunar eclipse has passed, eclipse doomsday fever has subsided, and all that’s left are the memories and pictures, which you can find everywhere online. But one image really stood out to us—not because of the way the Moon looked, but because of how it made the Earth look. Australian amateur astronomer … Continued
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Tech News
Sydney Airport Kicks Off Test to Replace IDs With Facial Recognition
This week, some passengers traveling through the international airport in Sydney, Australia will be the first guinea pigs in a program that intends to replace the passport with facial scans. The check-in process may surely become less of a headache, but at what price? Select passengers flying with Qantas Airways will have the chance to … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
ScienceBiology
Bogong Moths Are First Insect Known to Use Earth’s Magnetism to Navigate at Night
Every spring in Australia, millions of bogong moths emerge from their pupae and embark on a 600-mile trip to the Australian Alps, the highest mountain range in Australia. For weeks, the insects rest during the day and take to the skies at night to reach the Alps, where they cram into caves and rest for … Continued
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Tech News
Australia Scraps Plans for National Biometric Crime Database
The Australian government is ending its plans for a national biometric database meant to help police departments track suspects and other persons of interest, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission announced Friday. Surveillance and security company NEC was awarded the contract in 2016, but after a third-party audit found the project had nearly doubled its budget, ACIC … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
Tech Support Scammers Use Victims’ Webcams to Secretly Record ‘Testimonials’ for YouTube
A team of scammers sneakily filmed dozens of Australians by remotely accessing their webcams, then uploaded those videos onto YouTube, according to Australian news outlet ABC. The victims were reportedly lured in through a false tech support operation. One victim, Geoff Sussman, told ABC he looked online for a service that could help him download … Continued