Troy Oakes

We Found Spectacular Australian Plant Fossils From 30 Million Years Ago

The Australian continent is now geologically stable. But volcanic rocks, lava flows, and a contemporary landscape dotted with extinct volcanoes show this wasn’t always the case. Between 40 and 20 million years ago — during the Eocene to Miocene epochs — there was widespread volcano activity across eastern Australia. In places such as western Victoria ...

Troy Oakes

A silicified fern fossil.

The Secret Sauce of Coles’ and Woolworths’ Profits: High-Tech Surveillance and Control

Coles and Woolworths, the supermarket chains that together control almost two-thirds of the Australian grocery market, are facing unprecedented scrutiny. One recent inquiry, commissioned by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and led by former Australian Consumer and Competition Commission chair Allan Fels, found the pair engaged in unfair pricing practices; an ongoing Senate inquiry ...

Troy Oakes

Dairy shelves at a supermarket.

AI Is Everywhere — Including Countless Applications You’ve Likely Never Heard Of

Artificial intelligence (AI) is seemingly everywhere. Currently, generative AI, in particular — tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT, Gemini (previously Bard), and others — is at the peak of hype. But as an academic discipline, this technology has been around for much longer than just the last couple of years. When it comes to real-world applications, many ...

Troy Oakes

Alzheimer’s May Have Once Spread From Person to Person

An article published this week in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine documents what is believed to be the first evidence that Alzheimer’s disease can be transmitted from person to person. The finding arose from long-term follow up of patients who received human growth hormone (hGH) that was taken from brain tissue of deceased donors. Preparations ...

Troy Oakes

PET scan of Alzheimer's.

How Much Weight Do You Actually Need to Lose?

If you’re one of the one in three Australians whose New Year’s resolution involved losing weight, be working toward it. But type “setting a weight loss goal” into any online search engine, and you’ll likely be left with more questions than answers. Sure, the many weight loss apps and calculators available will make setting this ...

Troy Oakes

Using a treadmill.