Hi there. It's Thursday, June 23, and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.
Let's start here: There's been an Australian computing breakthrough
An Australian company has made a significant breakthrough in the race to create ultra-powerful quantum computers.
In a world first, its quantum computer has been able to mimic nature using a chip which integrates all of the components of a classical computer chip, but at the atomic scale.
Lead researcher Michelle Simmons AO from the University of New South Wales start-up Silicon Quantum Computing told RN Breakfast's Patricia Karvelas that the technology had a huge number of possible uses, including allowing the design of new materials, such as new types of drugs and molecules which could help boost food supply.
"We really had to design things with atomic precision. We're the only group in the world that can do that," she said.
"That really allows us to try to and mimic nature and understand how nature works, so that we can design new materials that didn't exist before and understand some things that we've never been able to make, like high-temperature superconductors."
Here's the team that made it all possible:
Today we heard a lot about wages
Earlier this week, Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe warned that pay rises above 3.5 per cent — which is half the 7 per cent inflation forecast by the end of the year — could force the RBA to go harder on interest rates, and would prolong high inflation.
"3.5 per cent is kind of the anchoring point that I want people to keep in mind," Dr Lowe said in his speech.
Sally McManus, the secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, criticised those comments today, saying the RBA was out of touch and living in "boomer fantasy land" if it thought workers could afford real cuts to their wages.
The union boss said Dr Lowe changed his tune in his speech about wages on Tuesday.
"He was the one who said that so long as wages keep up with inflation and productivity, they're not inflationary," she told RN Breakfast.
The RBA's view on wages growth — that workers might need to take a real wage cut to prevent high inflation — was backed by Employment Minister Tony Burke.
News you may have missed
- A parliamentary inquiry into sexual assault and harassment within WA's fly-in fly-out mining industry has found women have been subjected to "an appalling range of behaviours". The report detailed stories of several women being sexually assaulted and it found sexual harassment remained prevalent in the industry. The report makes 24 recommendations, including overhauling reporting and training in the sector
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The trial of a man who pleaded not guilty to raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has been postponed until October. ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum had said that publicity and social media commentary around the case had meant the man's right to the presumption of innocence had been overlooked
Here's what Australia has been searching for online
- Sri Lanka. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said his nation's debt-laden economy has "completely collapsed" after months of shortages of food, fuel and electricity. He told parliament Sri Lanka was "facing a far more serious situation" beyond just those shortages
- The NBA draft. The National Basketball Association's annual draft is on Friday morning (Australian time), with the Orlando Magic to take first pick of the best new talent, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith Jr and Chet Holmgren are the names to watch out for — the three freshmen are considered to be the top players available
One more thing: Look who won Best in Show!
Sounds the trumpets, because a very good boy named Trumpet just won the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in the US.
Just look at this magnificent specimen:
The first bloodhound to ever win the show, Trumpet beat out a French bulldog called Winston to claim the Best in Show trophy.
Great effort, Winston.
You're up to date!
We'll be back tomorrow after re-watching 2000's Best In Show.
ABC/wires
