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Editor's note
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We hear a lot about the potential for algorithms to take over the world, but what effect are these bits of code having right now? In our new series Algorithms at Work, we explore the impact these formulas are having on marketing and banking, and how to ensure ethics are also a mathematical objective.
And to support more coverage like this, please get behind the brave souls jumping off a skyscraper this Friday in support of The Conversation. It’s all thanks to one of our most innovative supporters, the AMP Foundation, who will enable some of our biggest fans to ride a zipline between two of Sydney’s tallest buildings.
But in order to jump, our brave volunteers need your help. First, click here and meet our zippers - then, click on who you would like to support and donate. All funds will go towards bolstering our science and technology coverage. And from everyone at The Conversation, thank you!
Finally, a correction to yesterday’s special edition newsletter on the government’s new energy policy, which stated that the plan is tipped to save the average household $115 a week in electricity bills. The actual forecast is $115 a year - apologies if we got your hopes up.
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Top story
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We need to build algorithms that act ethically.
BEST-BACKGROUNDS/Shutterstock
Lachlan McCalman, Data61
Creating an ethical machine learning system is no simple task, but maths can help.
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Environment + Energy
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Michael Hopkin, The Conversation; Madeleine De Gabriele, The Conversation; Wes Mountain, The Conversation
The National Energy Guarantee promises to make electricity supply more reliable, cheaper and less polluting.
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David Blowers, Grattan Institute
The new policy will put the onus on electricity retailers to cut emissions while guaranteeing reliability. And while the scheme isn't perfect, it offers a rare opportunity for bipartisanship.
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Wayne Iwan Lee Davies, University of Western Australia; Shaun Collin, University of Western Australia
Animals that evolved in cold parts of the world usually have lighter skin. If a light-skinned animal has blood vessels close to the surface of their ear skin, this will make the ears look pink.
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Brendan Wintle, University of Melbourne; Sarah Bekessy, RMIT University
The outgoing Threatened Species Commissioner has downplayed the importance of land clearing as a threat to Australia's plants and animals. But it's the biggest threat, and magnifies the others too.
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Science + Technology
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David Glance, University of Western Australia
KRACK can only be used in certain circumstances, and there are some steps you can take to keep your internet traffic safe.
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Politics + Society
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Julian Savulescu, University of Oxford
The assisted dying bill in Victoria – complex and significant – is engendering less heated debate than marriage equality although both tap into some of our most fundamental fears and motivations.
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Amy Maguire, University of Newcastle; Georgia Monaghan, University of Newcastle
Australia's Human Rights Council election provides an ideal opportunity for it to show leadership and commitment on issues such as refugee flows and the death penalty.
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Cities
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Melanie Davern, RMIT University; Carl Higgs, RMIT University; Claire Boulange, RMIT University; Lucy Gunn, RMIT University; Rebecca Roberts, RMIT University
Traditionally, new communities first get hard infrastructure – schools, hospitals, transport – and 'soft' social infrastructure comes later. Liveability and public health suffer as a result.
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Health + Medicine
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Peter Sivey, RMIT University
The government's latest changes to private health insurance won't affect the cost of premiums.
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Sarah Baracz, Macquarie University; Femke Buisman-Pijlman, University of Adelaide
The "love hormone" system starts to develop in the womb and is important in helping us deal with stress.
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Arts + Culture
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Molly Mckew, University of Melbourne
The share house may be taken for granted now, but before the late 1960s it was hard for women to live independently of families or husbands. For some, communal housing was life-changing.
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Sasha Grishin, Australian National University
Gerhard Richter - one of the giants of post-war German art - is elusive, enigmatic and seemingly impossible to pin down. The first retrospective exhibition of his work in Australia is a brilliant and challenging event.
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Business + Economy
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Gary Mortimer, Queensland University of Technology
Craft beer is exploding in popularity, but it's big corporations that are taking the bulk of the market.
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Carol T Kulik, University of South Australia
Employers who cater for their ageing workforce will get better staff productivity and engagement levels
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Saurav Dutta, Curtin University
On balance, computers may make better judges of risk than people.
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Columnists
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Featured jobs
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University of Melbourne — Parkville, Victoria
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Edith Cowan University — Mount Lawley, Western Australia
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RMIT University — Melbourne, Victoria
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La Trobe University — Bundoora, Victoria
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Featured events
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Melbourne Business School, 200 Leicester St, Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, 3053, Australia — Australia New Zealand School of Government
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Monash Conference Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia — Monash University
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Basement, 400 Kent St , Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia — CQUniversity Australia
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Level 12, Tower 2, Collins Square, 727 Collins Street, Docklands, Victoria, 3008, Australia — Deakin University
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