Explainer: what is VX nerve agent and how does it work?
Malaysian police have identified a chemical the could have led to the death of the North Korean leader's half brother as the deadly VX nerve agent.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Analysis and Comment
Booksellers, the alt-right and Milo Yiannopoulos
Independent booksellers are increasingly seeing their role as, necessarily, an active, educative, political one.
Hairdressers in rural Australia end up being counsellors too
Professionals in rural and regional Australia such as hairdressers, accountants and bank managers often play the role of counsellors too.
VIDEO: Michelle Grattan and Deep Saini on Tony Abbott’s latest throw of the grenade
Tony Abbott gave another jab at Malcolm Turnbull's leadership this week in a speech and in an interview on Sky.
Voters’ dislike of politics makes fixed four-year parliamentary terms look appealing
Australians are likely to vote for longer parliamentary terms. They want fewer elections and are dissatisfied with politics.
Perth’s Museum of Water documents our intimate relationship with a precious resource
The Museum of Water invites people to bring samples of water that is significant to them.
Here’s what must be done to detect, disrupt and deter phoenix activity in Australia
A primary focus on prosecuting those who have committed illegal phoenix activities has not been successful.
Here’s what smart cities do to stay ahead
Smart cities do more than develop products to increase productivity and prosperity. Mayors, CEOs and leaders engage entire communities in shaping the future of cities.
Cutting Sunday penalty rates will hurt young people the most
The Fair Work Commission's latest decision to cut certain Sunday and public holiday penalty rates continues a tradition of undervaluing young workers.
Grattan on Friday: Penalty rates – Shorten’s own goal becomes Turnbull’s political problem
The latest reflection on just how appalling things are in federal politics came this week from former Treasury head Ken Henry.
Friday essay: the revolutionary vision of Jane Austen
This year is the bicentenary of Jane Austen's death and her celebrity continues to grow. But relegating Austen's work to plots about 'whether the heroine gets her man' belittles her achievement.
Our big cities are engines of inequality, so how do we fix that?
Our big cities increase incomes faster than population growth, but most residents miss out on the extra income growth. Creating multiple centres of activity may help make bigger better for everyone.
Do you know what’s in the herbal medicine you’re taking?
In many instances complementary medicines have no added benefit when compared to a placebo, or weak evidence of effectiveness.
The search for extraterrestrial life in the water worlds close to home
There has been much excitement this week about the possibility of water -- and life -- on some newly discovered exoplanets. But we can look closer to home for evidence of ET.
Our power grid is crying out for capacity, but should we open the gas valves?
Rising gas prices and energy security issues have led to calls for more gas to be pumped into our energy system. But we need to balance that with the equally pressing need to limit greenhouse emissions.
Vital Signs: there’s never been a tougher time to be a central banker
There was a fair bit of detail this week about what we can expect from the RBA and US Fed on interest rates going forward.
Politics podcast: Hugh Saddler on Australia’s energy crisis
As politicians debate the causes of South Australia's power failures, separating fact from rhetoric has become difficult.
How do we keep gardening in the face of a changing climate?
Plant species are reacting to climate change by adapting or migrating to better conditions. But this is not an option for gardens, so gardeners will have to be smarter about what they plant and where.
YouTube star PewDiePie rails against ‘the media’, but he’s a part of it too now
YouTube star PewDiePie has recently lashed out at 'the media', but he's as much as part of the media today as any newspaper or website.
Explainer: how Australia decides who is a genuine refugee
The term 'genuine refugee' is thrown around often, yet few know the complicated process of how someone is deemed to be one.
‘I can live with either one’: Palestine, Israel and the two-state solution
What would single and two-state solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian question look like?
In the rooms of power and ordinary people, Bligh’s banking appointment is a masterstroke
Beyond her political savvy, Anna Bligh’s appointment as CEO of the Australian Banking Association brings greater access than a Liberal appointee would.
Research and News
Coalition trails 45-55% and Turnbull’s ratings sink in Newspoll
A disastrous Newspoll showing the Coalition trailing Labor 45-55%, One Nation gaining ground, and Malcolm Turnbull's ratings falling will fuel the alarm and anger in the Coalition.
Tony Abbott says government’s challenge is ‘to be worth voting for’
Tony Abbott thinks the Coalition should cut renewable energy, reduce immigration, and stop all new spending.
Sunday penalty rates cut opens new fight between government and opposition
Hospitality, fast-food, retail and pharmacy workers stand to lose thousands of dollars per year after the Fair Work Commission’s landmark decision to cut penalty rates.
Shorten goes on front foot over 50% renewables ‘target’
Australia could be the 'energy capital of Asia' but instead it is going backwards, Bill Shorten will say in a speech on Thursday.
Podcasts
Politics with Michelle Grattan
Talking politics with politicians and experts, from Capital Hill.
Listen to the podcast
Business Briefing
Brief analysis of what's making news in Business and Economy.
Listen to the podcast
Change Agents
A podcast series about change and the people who make it happen
Listen to the podcast
Speaking with…
Ideas and analysis from the sharpest minds in the academic and research world.
Listen to the podcast
Energy
Our power grid is crying out for capacity, but should we open the gas valves?
Rising gas prices and energy security issues have led to calls for more gas to be pumped into our energy system. But we need to balance that with the equally pressing need to limit greenhouse emissions.
How South Australia can function reliably while moving to 100% renewable power
Labor’s climate policy could remove the need for renewable energy targets
Australia’s electricity market is not agile and innovative enough to keep up
Global clean energy scorecard puts Australia 15th in the world
Want electricity reform? Start by giving power back to the states
Plea to politicians on energy: stop the brawling
Why did energy regulators deliberately turn out the lights in South Australia?
New coal plants wouldn’t be clean, and would cost billions in taxpayer subsidies
FactCheck
FactCheck Q&A: was it four degrees hotter 110,000 years ago?
During a Q&A discussion about climate change, Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie said it was four degrees hotter 110,000 years ago. Is that right?
FactCheck: it’s true – Western Australia has the nation’s highest rate of methamphetamine use
FactCheck: is Australia on track to have the oldest pension age in the developed world?
FactCheck Q&A: is violent crime getting worse in Victoria and do people feel less safe than ever?
FactCheck: is Australia below the international average when it comes to school funding?
Cities
City streets become a living lab that could transform your daily travel
A project set up north of Melbourne's CBD aims to create a living laboratory for developing a highly integrated, smart, multimodal transport system.
WestConnex audit offers another $17b lesson in how not to fund infrastructure
Diminishing city: hope, despair and Whyalla
Australia needs to reboot affordable housing funding, not scrap it
Bush democracy wins out but council mergers continue in Sydney
Rental insecurity: why fixed long-term leases aren’t the answer
Roe 8 fails the tests of responsible 21st-century infrastructure planning
Columnists
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“ Was Ahmed Fahour really worth 100 times more than the posties who deliver the mail?
Mark Beeson -
“ Abbott’s attacks are self-destructive but reinforce the message of division
Michelle Grattan -
Darren Curnoe — “Google ‘stone age women’ and see what pops up. Row on row of women in skimpy clothing”
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Tony Walker — “Set against the importance of China, our relationship with Israel is a sideshow”
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Daryl Adair — “The banner parodied homosexuality as the ‘ultimate’ humiliation for a straight man”
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Simon Chapman — “Even today, the attitude researchers shouldn’t talk to the media still exists”
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
From the archives
FactCheck Q&A: are a lot of cafes and restaurants closing because of Sunday penalty rates?
Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told the Q&A audience last week that a lot of cafes and restaurants are closing because of Sunday penalty rates. Is that supported by the evidence?
From the archives
Viewpoints: should penalty rates be abolished?
With a major review of workplace awards underway, the Federal Government has asked the Fair Work Commission to consider whether penalty rates and other minimum conditions are still relevant. In this Viewpoints…
Oscars
How predictable are the Oscars? More than you might think
If you want to know who's going to win the Oscars, your best bet is the bookmakers.
From the archives
Legalising medicinal cannabis is a leap forward for compassion
A NSW Parliamentary Committee has recommended legalising the use of medical use of marijuana for people with terminal conditions. This is an approach that should be embraced nationally. For some years…
Drug consumption rooms
Why Australia needs drug consumption rooms
With use of drugs such as ice on the rise, drug consumption rooms are now being set up in Europe to provide supervised inhalation.
Company tax
Why small business tax cuts aren’t likely to boost ‘jobs and growth’
Based on evidence, policies which seek to encourage job creation and innovation via a tax cut should preference large or new businesses, rather than small ones.
Electricity
Australia’s electricity market is not agile and innovative enough to keep up
Here's the real problem behind Australia's electricity woes: the rules that govern decisions about what infrastructure to build, and when, are inflexible and outdated.
Sharia
Explainer: what is ‘sharia law’? And does it fit with Western law?
Islam, like Judaism, is a religion of law. The usual Arabic word for Islamic law is sharia (pronounced shar-ee-ah), originally the track leading to a waterhole in the desert. For Muslims, the morally good…
Drug use
‘Ice Wars’ message is overblown and unhelpful
Without doubt, crystal methamphetamine, like many drugs (including alcohol) is capable of causing immense harm. But when facts are distorted to create fear and stigma it helps no one.
Valentine's Day
Roses are red, violets are blue, I’ll stay forever if you scrub out the loo
Men, if you want a great relationship this Valentine's Day, turn on the vacuum.
Job Board
Where experts find jobs
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Deputy Director, Research
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Manager, Graduate Research
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Executive Assistant
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Senior Lecturer in Midwifery
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Events
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The Smartest Places on Earth public lecture — University of Newcastle
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Enterprising Partnerships Talk: Future Industries — University of South Australia
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Capturing Political Animals: A conversation with director Jonah Markowitz — University of Sydney
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Sydney Ideas - Reverberations: the Holocaust, human rights, and the museum — University of Sydney
How we are different
10 reasons
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- Explainer: what is VX nerve agent and how does it work?
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