issue 3 : alien

10 September 2022

This issue is about exploring all things exotic, unfamiliar, unknown. Dive into the column and feature articles by our talented writers below!

AI and a notion of 'artificial humanity'

By Mia Horsfall

We still consider AI as other (or 'alien') to us, but ideal utility would be gained from toeing the precarious line between humanity and machine.

Believing in aliens... A science?

By Juulke Castelijn

I wasn’t expecting to be persuaded of the existence of life beyond the confines of Earth.

Belly bugs: the aliens that live in our gut

By Lily McCann

In this issue we explore how microbes influence our health and emotions, and what this means for our concept of identity.

Death of the Scientific Hero

By Clarisse Sawyer

How do we teach scientific history without promoting historical bigots?

Existing in an Alien World: Navigating Neurodiversity in a System Built for Someone Else

By Hazel Theophania

Autism isn’t some inscrutable mystery - we’re people, and learning how we operate will help dismantle the barriers built up around us.

Hope, Humanity and the Starry Night Sky

By Andrew Lim

This second feature in the ‘Science in the Age of Politics’ series considers the importance of the stars, and scientific diplomacy, amidst rising global tensions.

In conversation with Paul Beuchat

By Renee Papaluca

I caught up with Paul Beuchat to learn more about his research journey and his potentially ‘alien’ methods of teaching.

Love and Aliens

By Gavin Choong

The First Nations’ perspectives are profound, and must be recognised by the Australian legal system.

Mighty Microscopic Warriors!

By Gaurika Loomba

Equipped with a plethora of signalling chemicals and cells with different features, our heroic immune system fights wars daily without us realising it.

Illustrated by Aisyah Mohammad Sulhanuddin

Space exploration in Antartica

By Ashleigh Hallinan

What makes Antarctica special when it comes to meteorite discovery?

The Ethics of Space Travel

By Monica Blasioli

Being the beginning of research into the impacts of space travel, can turning space travel into monopoly truly be justified?

issue 3 : alien

AI and a notion of 'artificial humanity'

By Mia Horsfall

We still consider AI as other (or 'alien') to us, but ideal utility would be gained from toeing the precarious line between humanity and machine.

Believing in aliens... A science?

By Juulke Castelijn

I wasn’t expecting to be persuaded of the existence of life beyond the confines of Earth.

Belly bugs: the aliens that live in our gut

By Lily McCann

In this issue we explore how microbes influence our health and emotions, and what this means for our concept of identity.

Death of the Scientific Hero

By Clarisse Sawyer

How do we teach scientific history without promoting historical bigots?

Existing in an Alien World: Navigating Neurodiversity in a System Built for Someone Else

By Hazel Theophania

Autism isn’t some inscrutable mystery - we’re people, and learning how we operate will help dismantle the barriers built up around us.

Hope, Humanity and the Starry Night Sky

By Andrew Lim

This second feature in the ‘Science in the Age of Politics’ series considers the importance of the stars, and scientific diplomacy, amidst rising global tensions.

In conversation with Paul Beuchat

By Renee Papaluca

I caught up with Paul Beuchat to learn more about his research journey and his potentially ‘alien’ methods of teaching.

Love and Aliens

By Gavin Choong

The First Nations’ perspectives are profound, and must be recognised by the Australian legal system.

Mighty Microscopic Warriors!

By Gaurika Loomba

Equipped with a plethora of signalling chemicals and cells with different features, our heroic immune system fights wars daily without us realising it.

Space exploration in Antartica

By Ashleigh Hallinan

What makes Antarctica special when it comes to meteorite discovery?

The Ethics of Space Travel

By Monica Blasioli

Being the beginning of research into the impacts of space travel, can turning space travel into monopoly truly be justified?

Waving Hello to the Aliens

By Reah Shetty

Our interaction with the idea of aliens has evolved. The question is how far have we come and how far will we go?