The Milky Way is girdled by a gargantuan necropolis of ancient dead stars bigger than the galaxy itself. — BILLIONS OF black holes and neutron stars must have formed since our galaxy was born — but where they ended up is a mystery. A new study reveals where they lie, and that this previously hidden galactic boneyard is three times tall height of the Milky Way itself. What’s more…

Quantum computing will render most modern cryptography futile. And while it may be years away, experts are already preparing for that day. — IS THERE A THREAT that quantum computing will make financial transactions — or military and corporate secrets — crackable by cyber-attacks? Yes, the threat is real, according to a panel of experts convened by the Sydney Quantum Academy, a joint venture between four Sydney universities and the state government of…

For innovation, overnight success is often decades in the making: a keystone of which almost always comes from basic science at universities. — JUST ABOUT EVERY technology that becomes a global success, triggering disruptive changes in industry and society, began in a university and took years to ripen. Often, the bigger the success, the longer it may have gestated. Take the Internet: first established between universities in the late 1960s, but not widely…

At the dawn of the computer age, Australians developed a 2.5 tonne behemoth named CSIRAC — now recognised as one of the grandfathers of modern computers. — IN NOVEMBER 1949, CSIRO scientists in Sydney independently created what is now recognised as only the fourth digital stored program computer in the world: CSIRAC. It came hot on the heels of other first-generation computers created in the UK and the US only a year earlier.

Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionise the world — in things both small, and very large. — FEW PROBLEMS in transport engineering are as complex as managing a busy port. Take Fremantle Ports in Western Australia: it juggles 12,500 trucks, 400 train paths and up to 15,000 containers each week, making the efficient flow of cargo critical. This requires a wickedly intricate orchestration of all moving parts…

A confluence of government, academia and industry has emerged, determined that Australia does not miss out on quantum technologies. — AUSTRALIA’S BURGEONING quantum industry is booming, thanks to decades of investment in basic science, solid research excellence and global recognition of the technological innovation and deep talent within the country. This was the upshot of Quantum Australia 2023, the country’s preeminent conference of the sector, which brought together more than…

Rising sea levels, coupled with the natural variability of coral reefs, is creating new uncertainty in international law, with geopolitical implications. — CORAL REEF islands and their reefs — found across in the Indo-Pacific — naturally grow and shrink due to complex biological and physical processes that have yet to be fully understood. Now, climate change is disrupting them further, leading to new uncertainties for legal maritime zones and small island states.

Previously unknown effect makes compact, ultra-fast control of spin qubits in quantum computers possible. — AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS have discovered a new way of precisely controlling single electrons nestled in quantum dots that run logic gates. What’s more, the new mechanism is less bulky and requires fewer parts — which could prove essential to making large-scale silicon quantum computers a reality.

Processed foods lack protein, so the body compensates by overeating, study shows. — A YEAR-LONG STUDY of the dietary habits of 9,341 Australians has backed growing evidence that highly processed and refined foods are the leading contributor of rising obesity rates in the Western world. The study in the journal Obesity conducted by the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, was based on…