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Confused or playing for time? 3 possible reasons NZ is taking so long to make a call on AUKUS

New Zealand governments have been actively exploring the option of joining pillar two of AUKUS for over a year now. But according to foreign...

latest 9

The Conversation

Robert G. Patman

Sleep wrinkles are real. Here’s how they leave their mark

You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re...

latest 5

The Conversation

Yousuf Mohammed

Wearable devices can now harvest our brain data. Australia needs urgent privacy reforms

Recent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body...

latest 20

The Conversation

Edward Musole

A brief history of found footage video art – and where Macklemore’s Hind’s Hall fits in

Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched...

latest 6

The Conversation

Kim Munro

High Court dismisses key challenge to indefinite immigration detention. What does it mean?

The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where...

latest 5

The Conversation

Sara Dehm

How can we measure the size of Australia’s illegal cannabis market – and the billions in taxes that might flow from legalising it?

At the end of this month, a senate inquiry by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee is due to hand down its report on a bill...

latest 5

The Conversation

Jenny Williams

Sky-high vanity: constructing the world’s tallest buildings creates high emissions

Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of...

latest 2

The Conversation

James Helal

No more bad accents, stereotypes or cringe: why the rise of multilingual TV is good news for everyone

As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking...

latest 9

The Conversation

César Albarrán-Torres

Feral horses in Australia’s high country are damaging peatlands, decreasing carbon stores

Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their...

latest 7

The Conversation

Sarah Treby

Yes, spending on health is growing, but new research shows we’re getting more for it

Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and...

latest 10

The Conversation

John Goss

Friday essay: our culture sees women’s bodies as faulty machines, but there are other birthing possibilities

I did not think particularly deeply about birth until the prospect of my own labour was on the horizon. I asked my grandmother, then in her...

latest 9

The Conversation

Holly High

We looked at over 166,000 psychiatric records. Over half showed people were admitted against their will

Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia....

latest 9

The Conversation

Amy Corderoy

Women in rich countries are having fewer kids, or none at all. What’s going on?

A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in 2023. With the exception of a...

latest 8

The Conversation

Leah Ruppanner

Andrew Tate’s extreme views about women are infiltrating Australian schools. We need a zero-tolerance response

Earlier this week, two students were expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in creating a spreadsheet that ranked girls...

latest 7

The Conversation

Stephanie Wescott

Hind’s Hall is Macklemore’s bold new pro-Palestine anthem. What might it actually achieve?

This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Catherine Strong

Supercharged thunderstorms: have we underestimated how climate change drives extreme rain and floods?

In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about...

yesterday 40

The Conversation

Andrew Dowdy

Not all ultra-processed foods are bad for your health, whatever you might have heard

In recent years, there’s been increasing hype about the potential health risks associated with so-called “ultra-processed” foods. But new...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Gary Sacks

Should we fight climate change by re-engineering life itself?

Life has transformed our world over billions of years, turning a dead rock into the lush, fertile planet we know today. But human activity is...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Jonathan Symons

Our cities are widening the divide between the well-off and the rest. How can we turn this damaging trend around?

The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically,...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Somwrita Sarkar

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is controversial, but is historical accuracy more important than awareness?

This month, the much-anticipated television adaptation of The Tattooist of Auschwitz premiered on Australian streaming platform Stan. Before its...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Jan Lanicek

Australia can have a future for the gas industry, or meet its climate commitments – but not both

Gas is back – if it ever went away. Yesterday, the Albanese government doubled down on gas with the release of its Future Gas Industry policy....

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Samantha Hepburn

‘We do not want to be like Russia’: a first-hand account of Georgia’s fight for democracy

On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Danica Jenkins

Grattan on Friday: Like the famous budget tree, Chalmers can change the story to suit the season

Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time...

yesterday 8

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Our research shows higher carbon emissions increase costs for Australian businesses

Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Adam G. Arian

Technically accomplished, sonically subversive and fiercely independent, I’ll remember Steve Albini for his rare humility

The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the late...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Samantha Bennett

‘City deals’ are coming to NZ – let’s make sure they’re not ‘city back-room deals’

As local and regional councils struggle with inadequate infrastructure and unsustainable costs, New Zealand will be hearing a lot more about the...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Tom Baker

AI companions can relieve loneliness – but here are 4 red flags to watch for in your chatbot ‘friend’

It’s been seven years since the launch of Replika, an artificially intelligent chatbot designed to be a friend to human users. Despite early...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Dan Weijers

Heat is coming for our crops. We have to make them ready

Australia’s vital agriculture sector will be hit hard by steadily rising global temperatures. Our climate is already prone to droughts and...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Mohan Singh

Paris in spring, Bali in winter. How ‘bucket lists’ help cancer patients handle life and death

In the 2007 film The Bucket List Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two main characters who respond to their terminal cancer diagnoses by...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Leah Williams Veazey

Photos are everywhere. What makes a good one?

We upload some 3 billion images online each day. We make most of these photos on smartphones and use these devices to document everything from gym...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

T.j. Thomson

Australia’s Eurovision entry this year is the first to sing in First Nations language: meet Electric Fields

The act representing Australia at this year’s Eurovision contest has sadly not qualified for the grand final. Yet for Zaachariaha Fielding and...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Myfany Turpin

Shankari Chandran’s Safe Haven, a gripping and persuasive novel of asylum seekers, reads like an open wound

There have been many Australian publications about refugees and asylum seekers. Many are memoir or reportage. Perhaps the best known is Behrooz...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Jen Webb

Yes, Australia’s big supermarkets have been price gouging. But fixing the problem won’t be easy

A much-awaited report into Coles and Woolworths has found what many customers have long believed – Australia’s big supermarkets engage in price...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Bree Hurst

Many people are feeling ecological grief. How can we help those whose work puts them at risk?

We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and...

previous day 60

The Conversation

Anna Cooke

Iran’s anti-American message is finding receptive ears in the Muslim world. This doesn’t bode well for the region

Iran’s leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires on Gaza, every US veto of a...

previous day 50

The Conversation

Shahram Akbarzadeh

Senate report on lobbying passes the buck on improving transparency or legislation

Lobbying is at the heart of government. Who has access to and influence over key government officials shapes the decisions governments make – and...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Joo-Cheong Tham

How is China being taught at Australian universities? And why does this matter? Here’s what our research found

As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Minglu Chen

The government wanted to avoid an inquiry into its deportation bill. Given the findings, it’s easy to see why

The Albanese government wanted to avoid an inquiry into its migration amendment bill. The report, handed down yesterday by a senate committee that...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Daniel Ghezelbash

Saving the Mary River turtle: how the people of Tiaro rallied behind an iconic species

Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically...

previous day 30

The Conversation

Mariana Campbell

Neuroaffirming care values the strengths and differences of autistic people, those with ADHD or other profiles. Here’s how

We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Josephine Barbaro

Why are algorithms called algorithms? A brief history of the Persian polymath you’ve likely never heard of

Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you...

previous day 80

The Conversation

Debbie Passey

Politics with Michelle Grattan: James Paterson on prospects for passage of the government’s deportation bill

Next week the government will again next try to get its legislation through to deal with non-citizens who won’t cooperate with efforts to deport...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Gas is good until 2050 and beyond, under Albanese gas strategy

The Albanese government is talking up the crucial role of gas as a transition fuel “through to 2050 and beyond”. In a gas strategy to be released...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

A Sydney council has banned books with same-sex parents from its libraries. But since when did councils ban books?

Western Sydney’s Cumberland city council has banned all books depicting same-sex parents in its eight public libraries, citing concerns over the...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Sarah Mokrzycki

A ‘conservation conundrum’ – when rat control to conserve one species threatens another

When pest rats and mice decimate populations of native species, pest control is a no-brainer. But what if baiting rats protects threatened...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Victoria Florence Sperring

Yes, adults can develop food allergies. Here are 4 types you need to know about

If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Clare Collins

Martha isn’t Baby Reindeer’s biggest villain. So why is she painted as such?

Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Alex Simpson

First Nations imprisonment is already at a record high. Unless government policy changes, it will only get worse

This article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Thalia Anthony

An outsider on the inside: how Ans Westra created New Zealand’s ‘national photo album’

They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of what it means to be a...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Paul Moon

Coalition demands amendments to government’s deportation bill, as crucial High Court judgement set for Friday

The Coalition is demanding extensive amendments to the government’s legislation targeting non-citizens who refuse to co-operate with their removal....

tuesday 10

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

How does the drug abemaciclib treat breast cancer?

The anti-cancer drug abemaciclib (also known as Vernezio) has this month been added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to treat...

tuesday 40

The Conversation

Sarah Diepstraten

Grand designs? Why many Australian architects say their career makes them unhappy

For years there have been suggestions of widespread poor wellbeing among architects. In many ways this is not surprising. It’s well established...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Naomi Stead

Curious Kids: what stops meteors hitting Earth and hurting people?

How does Earth stop meteors from hitting Earth and hurting people? –Asher, 6 years 11 months, New South Wales Alright, let’s embark on a meteor...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Sara Webb

Iran is gaining credibility in the Muslim world and feeling emboldened. This doesn’t bode well for the region

Iran’s leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires on Gaza, every US veto of a...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Shahram Akbarzadeh

How a filmmaker, a pile of old shells and a bunch of amateurs are bringing our oyster reefs back

Around Australia, hundreds of people are coming together to help a once-prized, but decimated and largely forgotten marine ecosystem. They’re...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Dominic Mcafee

Expelling students for bad behaviour seems like the obvious solution, but is it really a good idea?

Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. The two were part of...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Linda J. Graham

A story of trauma, hope and regaining control, Nayika: A Dancing Girl is soul-stirring dance theatre

The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Vanita Yadav

Albanese government to invest $566 million for ‘generational’ mapping to promote resource exploration

The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

If the RBA’s right, interest rates may not fall for another year. Here’s why – and what it means for next week’s budget

The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year – and quite possibly none before the next federal election,...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Peter Martin

‘Eye watering’ spending, growing debt make up surprisingly generous Victorian state budget

The Victorian budget offered more of the same on Tuesday, with the only change being how the budget papers were packaged. The usual shrink wrap was...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

David Hayward

From pride rounds to rainbow guernseys, sports can be smarter when it comes to diversity and inclusion

Professional sports organisations regularly promote and develop initiatives to support diversity, equity and inclusion. While sport has the power...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Rory Mulcahy

‘Groundhog Day’: 40 years of Australian government responses to domestic violence reveal a bumpy road to change

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared a “national crisis” of domestic violence following an alarming spike in killings of women and a wave...

tuesday 60

The Conversation

Zora Simic

This group rid one Australian river of its privet problem – and strengthened community along the way

Privet is a popular garden hedge. It grows quickly and responds well to being pruned. But in natural areas, privet is a problem. Like 72% of weeds...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Sonia Graham

Making merry: how we brought Melbourne’s Merri Creek back from pollution, neglect and weeds

I met with a friend for a walk beside Merri Creek, in inner Melbourne. She had lived in the area for a few years, and as we walked beside the...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

Judy Bush

Exploitation, brutality and misery: how the opium trade shaped the modern world

In the final pages of Smoke and Ashes: Opium’s Hidden Histories, Amitav Ghosh volunteers a startling confession. Though he had spent many years...

tuesday 10

The Conversation

Kevin Foster

Terminal lucidity: why do loved ones with dementia sometimes ‘come back’ before death?

Dementia is often described as “the long goodbye”. Although the person is still alive, dementia slowly and irreversibly chips away at their...

tuesday 10

The Conversation

Yen Ying Lim

Australian artists only earn $23,200 a year from their art – and are key financial investors in keeping the industry afloat

Arts companies and individual artists in Australia are supported by government arts agencies, philanthropists, industry bodies, private donors and...

tuesday 20

The Conversation

David Throsby

Crisis of faith: why Australian women have so little trust in religious institutions

The Albanese government is weighing up the costs of delivering an election promise to protect religious people from discrimination in Commonwealth...

tuesday 1

The Conversation

Kate Gleeson

How the fast-track law could expose future NZ governments to expensive trade disputes

Resources Minister Shane Jones has reportedly asked officials for advice on whether oil and gas companies could be offered “bonds” as compensation...

tuesday 3

The Conversation

Jane Kelsey

UK Tories perform badly at local elections; Labor still narrowly ahead in Australian polls

I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, at...

06.05.2024 20

The Conversation

Adrian Beaumont

Hundreds of cities have achieved zero road deaths in a year. Here’s how they did it

It’s National Road Safety Week and it comes on the back of a year in which 1,286 people died on Australian roads. The rising road toll – up 8.2%...

06.05.2024 40

The Conversation

Matthew Mclaughlin

What does the new Commonwealth Prac Payment mean for students? Will it do enough to end ‘placement poverty’?

The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those...

06.05.2024 30

The Conversation

Deanna Grant-Smith

Curious Kids: why do trees have bark?

Why do trees have bark? Julien, age 6, Melbourne. This is a great question, Julien. We are so familiar with bark on trees, that most of us just...

06.05.2024 10

The Conversation

Gregory Moore

Surgery is the default treatment for ACL injuries in Australia. But it’s not the only way

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament in the knee. It runs from the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) and helps...

06.05.2024 20

The Conversation

Anthony Nasser

The Australian public service is letting Indigenous people down. How do we fix it?

For years, First Nations people have been telling governments they want to be listened to. In particular, they want more ownership of the programs...

06.05.2024 30

The Conversation

Jenny Stewart

QANTAS has finally settled its ‘ghost flights’ lawsuit for $120 million. What’s next?

Last August, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal proceedings against Qantas. The consumer watchdog accused the...

06.05.2024 10

The Conversation

Michael Adams

Can I take your order – and your data? The hidden reason retailers are replacing staff with AI bots

You might have seen viral videos of Wendy’s drive-thru customers in the United States ordering their fast food from the firm’s generative AI bot...

06.05.2024 20

The Conversation

Cameron Shackell

The steamiest movie of the year has almost no sex in it. How did Challengers do it?

At the crux of the critical response to Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers is one word: “sexy”. The film charts a love triangle between...

06.05.2024 3

The Conversation

Alison Taylor

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