the conversation
-
How You Can Maximise Your Solar System Savings and Slash Power Bills
Soaring electricity prices have made 15% of Aussies think about installing solar panels, a recent survey found. Another 6% were already weighing up the move, on top of the 28% who had panels. With costs falling, the average system size is growing rapidly. Households now typically install 8-10kW solar systems, often with a battery –…
-
Why Was Cleopatra the Most-Viewed Page on Wikipedia in 2022?
At the end of every year, I gather statistics on the most viewed Wikipedia articles of the year. This helps me, a computational social scientist, understand what topics captured the most attention and gives me a chance to reflect on the major public events of the year. I try to use data to determine how…
-
Is It Ethical to Kick a Robot Dog?
Last Saturday night, a young woman out on the town in Brisbane saw a dog-shaped robot trotting towards her and did what many of us might have felt an urge to do: she gave it a solid kick in the head. After all, who hasn’t thought about lashing out at “intelligent” technologies that frustrate us…
-
Is The Sky Actually Blue?
Look up on a clear sunny day and you will see a blue sky. But is this the true colour of the sky? Or is it the only colour of the sky? The answers are a little complicated, but they involve the nature of light, atoms and molecules and some quirky parts of Earth’s atmosphere.…