the conversation
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Are They Making Bread? Why Do Cats Knead?
“Kneading” is when cats massage an object with the front paws, which extend and retract, one paw at a time. This massaging action, named for its resemblance to kneading dough, is repeated rhythmically. You may have spotted your cat kneading and wondered how on Earth they developed such a behaviour. So, why do cat’s knead?…
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How FTX Australia Was Able to Get Away With Claiming It Was ‘ASIC-Licenced’
When cryptocurrency exchange FTX Group collapsed in the Bahamas last month, its local subsidiaries FTX Australia Pty Ltd and FTX Express Pty Ltd fell over too. The Australian companies were placed into administration on November 11 and within days the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) had suspended the Australian financial service licence FTX Australia…
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The Internet Is Broke, so How Do We Fix It?
If the debate about Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter tells us anything, it’s that people – including those in governments – don’t understand how the World Wide Web works. We know that the algorithms Twitter uses to recommend content can guide people to develop more extreme views, but what is considered extreme has changed since…
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Sea Urchins: ‘Melbourne Is Better Than Sydney’
While crown-of-thorns starfish on the Great Barrier Reef have long been ecological villains in the popular imagination, sea urchins have mostly crawled under the national radar – until now. Long-spined sea urchins (Centrostephanus rodgersii) have invaded Tasmania and Victoria from their historical range in New South Wales. Where it occurs, this species dominates near-shore reefs…