This year's Byron Writers Festival witnessed a remarkable lecture from the legendary and much-loved journalist Kerry O'Brien, now a Northern Rivers local, on 'Lessons From History'.

Artificial intelligence usage becoming more prevalent and socially acceptable within our society has helped further endanger the mental wellbeing of an already isolated and disconnected generation.

While Australia’s parliamentarians were frocking up for the Midwinter Ball last week, representatives of the nation’s authors, musicians and artists were in Canberra pleading for assurances that the government would not water down copyright laws, as part of a deal with giant tech firms to build $50bn worth of new data centres across the country.

Desperate to distract attention from the Epstein files, and retain his faltering grip on domestic power, US 'Peace President' Donald Trump has attacked another sovereign country, and murdered its leader, along with numerous others, and Australia's prime minister is apparently fine with that.

This is not a prompt for a reflexive answer, but an invitation to pause and sit with your humanness and meditate on where we find ourselves.

Researchers have used quantum physics and machine learning to quickly and accurately understand a mound of data – a technique, they say, could help extract meaning from gargantuan datasets.

Relocalise Northern Rivers are bringing the community together for a round table discussion to discuss what the future of globalisation and local strength could look like in the future – what are your thoughts?

Ah the promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The disrupter of everything, and now the replacer of musicians. 

Ballina Council has joined Bathurst, Dubbo and the Murray River Council areas to participate in a cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology that aims to identify how people use water across regional NSW. 

In her Echo column last week, Mandy Nolan recommended literature for her daughter, including classics like Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird.