Prime Minister Anthony Albanese received a serious backlash from the US government this week at the United Nations press conference on his proposed ‘Digital Duty of Care’ bill. The US criticized the new social media regulations and has sought exemption in the proposed law to grant users control in ‘opting out’ of their algorithmic feed. President Donald Trump has intervened with the new Australian law and said it would indirectly affect American tech companies and policy. “[It goes against] extraterritorial censorship of protected speech by Americans online,” Mr Trump said. Many countries have followed Australia’s recent social media age ban,…
Author: Millie Black
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an effective tool for measuring predicted data in IVF testing across Australia, helping improve the demands of embryo-selection and its outcomes, according to a new study. Embryo-selection has been increased by AI due to its capacity to detect specific embryo patterns, calculate blastocyst morphology and cycle times, and its ability to review clinical data specific to individual patients, to combat the long-standing difficulties associated with embryo-selection. A study by the Australian Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare found that AI is ten times faster at selecting embryos than a human embryologist. IVF Australia Associate Professor…
A new shark deterrent technology has been developed at the University of Wollongong (UOW) to protect surfers from potential attacks. The technology has found that embedding surfboard fins with ampullae of Lorenzini in gel-filled tubules disrupts the electroreceptors in sharks, preventing possible attacks. RadioU UOW · New shark deterrent technology UOW professor and leader of Surf Flex Lab Marc in het Panhuis said the technology is non-harmful to sharks in an interview on Sunrise. “The field that we are hoping to emit with this … is one to five metres,” Prof. in het Panhuis said. “[The technology] will scare the…
The federal government released its 2026/27 budget plan last night, changing the existing tax reforms to support young people through buying their first home. The plan includes a new ‘Help to Buy Scheme,’ which has reduced the deposit price to a low of 2% for first home buyers. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he intends to level the playing field to make housing more accessible for young people. “I don’t want to see a divided Australia which is divided into Australians who own homes – some multiple homes- and people who simply will never be able to achieve the dream…
An Illawarra musician says the local music industry is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain, with many artists forced to juggle multiple jobs as global competition and structural challenges reshape the sector. Speaking on the University of Wollongong Alumni Stories: From Here On project, UOW alum Dominique Macquire, who performs as Hatsia, told hosts Millie Black and Sophie Wright only a small proportion of artists were able to work in music full-time. “The days where artists are just doing music full-time are rare; a small percentage are in that state,” Macquire said. “Many artists now have multiple artistic jobs, like songwriting…
Two journalists, Wollongong central station, an unresolved murder, and a cacophony of street secrets where only the well-worn carpets of Piccadilly Centre know the answer. On 29 January 1966, Wilhemena Kruger was brutally left disfigured and bound in the Piccadilly Centre underground carpark. What remained in the morning was a violent tableau of an innocent woman mutilated without a trace of her killer. It is a story that still lingers in the cold corridors of Piccadilly Centre and has become a case collecting dust in the filing cabinet of the Wollongong police station. On a buzzing, sunny day, we set…
The works of Indigenous artists and authors have been showcased at Wollongong Art Gallery this week in the hope to better connect the community to culture and recognise the brutality of Australia’s history. The Indigenous exhibition included the book launch for ‘Dreaming Inside’, inviting audiences to hear the stories of Indigenous juvenile incarceration in Australia. Indigenous rights activist and author Thomas Mayo said that despite the heartbreak of Australia’s history, there is still hope for moving forward. “Hope is a stream of energy that can be exchanged and shared,” Mr Mayo said. “There’s so many opportunities to help your friends,…
Research has found that Australian women are seeking more guidance from the internet than medical professionals when exploring contraceptive options and the potential risks. UOW pre-medicine student Summer Leonard said there ws no study module that covers the affects of contraception on women, and it was often left to personal experience and research. “It is such an important issue that affects so many women,” Miss Leonard said. “We need to be educated on how to intervene earlier before it’s too late.” A study conducted by Gynecology and Obstetrics found that women who took oral contraception were more likely to develop…
UOW has provided women’s self-defense classes to empower female students and teach them prevention strategies to support their safety. The National Student Safety Survey (NSSS) 2021 report collected data from 38 universities and found that one in six or 16.1 per cent of students had been sexually harassed, since starting university and that one in 20 or 4.5 per cent had experienced sexual assault. PhD psychologist and martial arts instructor, Sally Lai has taught Krav Maga for 15 years and has fostered a safe group for women to feel empowered and confident so that they can respond to potentially violent…
Illawarra residents are questioning the efficiency and environmental impacts of an estimated $10 billion dollar wind farm project, off Wollongong beaches. Independent candidate for Wollongong Council Suzanne de Vive said solar panels are a faster and more effective solution to power the community, than the offshore wind farms. “Australia is the sunniest continent on earth,” Ms de Vive said. “Why push offshore wind farms when rooftop solar can be deployed faster, at lower costs, and without risking our marine ecosystems? “If Australia’s major highways had solar-covered cycleways, they could generate approximately 25 TWh of electricity annually, enough to power 5…