Australasian Science — May-June 2017

MAY/JUNE 2017 | | 3

CONTENTS

17

22

25

34

FEATURES

14 Will Enhanced Soldiers Fight a Just War?
Technologies may be able to enhance a soldier’s strength, endurance,
stress tolerance and cognitive ability, but could they reduce their
moral capacity to follow the laws of armed conflict?

17 Neural Interfaces: From Disability to Enhancement
Neuroprosthetic arms, mind-controlled exoskeletons and brain–
computer interfaces are already enabling the disabled, but what
happens when these and other devices become mainstream consumer
products that blur the lines between enhanced human and machine?

20 The Wild West of Robot Law
Robots remain a law unto themselves, with legal frontiers including
issues such as liability, copyright and even the taxing of robots much
like the human workers they are replacing.

22 Quantum Satellite Micius Challenges Einstein
Quantum cryptography experiments onboard a new Chinese Earth
satellite foreshadow secret communications on a global scale with
security guaranteed by the laws of physics.

25 How We Sense Time
Our sense of time is critical to our everyday experience, from
consciousness to movement and learning.

28 Speed Bumps Slow Electric Vehicles
How much can electric vehicles reduce Australia’s carbon emissions,
and what are the factors limiting the transition from Australia’s fleet
of conventional combustion engines?

32 Why Personal Data Breaches Are a Growing

Problem

While most people whose online data have been compromised report

little or no financial consequences, the overall cost runs into trillions

of dollars even before the loss of trust in e-commerce is factored in.

34 Why Do Whale Sharks Get So Big?
Whale sharks have evolved to become the world’s largest fish as a
consequence of feeding on vast amounts of tiny prey in the cold
ocean depths.

36 The Illegal Wildlife Trade as a Source of New Alien

Species

The illegal wildlife trade is increasing the likelihood that foreign

reptiles will become established in the wild – with consequences for

both biodiversity and human health.

38 The Future of Frogs in the Face of Fire
The increasing risk of bushfires due to climate change is escalating the
risk of extinction for frogs in Australia’s south-east.