Climate-driven species on the move are changing (almost) everything
From luxuries like champagne to the very livelihoods of fishing communities in the developing world – the climate-driven shifts in species will affect us all.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Analysis and Comment
Explainer: why the High Court ruled Bob Day’s election to the Senate invalid
The key takeaway from the Bob Day case is that courts interpret the eligibility requirements for election strictly.
Squeezed by gravity: how tides affect the groundwater under our feet
We know the tides affect the oceans, but it also affects groundwater. If we can understand how, then we can better protect this precious resource.
There are many ways to treat jellyfish stings – peeing on them isn’t one
If you're confused about how best to treat a jellyfish sting, you're not alone. Even the experts disagree. So, here's the best advice we have.
Print your own masterpieces and digital pens – the brave new world of the museum
Do you fancy a virtual stroll through the Musee D'Orsay or printing your very own Vermeer? Technology is transforming museums in a myriad of ways.
The latest suspected chemical attack in Syria brings destruction – and deception
The use of chemical weapons will put even more pressure on fragile peace talks.
Tropical Cyclone Debbie has blown a hole in the winter vegetable supply
Sydney, Melbourne and many other areas can expect to pay more for veg from next month, after widespread crop losses in Bowen, a major source of winter vegetables such as tomatoes, beans and capsicum.
How one family used pokies and politics to extract a fortune from Tasmanians
In Tasmania, a changing cast of actors has colluded to grant extreme riches to a single family, extracted in large part from the state’s most disadvantaged citizens.
How do we restore the public’s faith in transport planning?
Politicised transport projects that flout proper process lead to hostility between residents and governments, and give planners a bad name.
Paradoxes of probability and other statistical strangeness
Sometimes statistics and probability can produce unexpected or counter-intuitive results. If we're hoping to use numbers to make good decisions, we should be wary of the traps.
Whole body vibration: a genuine therapy or just another ‘weight loss’ fad?
Whole body vibration therapy is undertaken by standing, sitting, lying or doing exercises on specifically designed equipment that oscillates at relatively high frequencies.
Gogglebox and what it tells us about English in Australia
Cult TV show Gogglebox is more than light entertainment: it shows the diverse reality of Australian English, going beyond stereotypes about what Australians sound like.
How to split the good from the bad in online reviews and ratings
Online ratings and reviews may seem like a good way to see what other consumers think of a product but they can be to simplistic and misleading, research shows.
How science can help cities prepare for attacks on metro systems
The St Petersburg attack shows how engineering and psychology can help optimise how people are evacuated in a disaster.
A Rock & Roll Writers Festival brings a much-needed spark to Australia’s literary scene
Brisbane's Rock and Roll Writers Festival rubbed musicians and writers up against each other in just the right way.
Stargazing citizens and scientists share the hunger to find Planet 9
To help find Planet 9, you just need a computer and a little astronomy knowledge. Already, 120,000 images have been processed by citizen scientists in just 3 days.
Governments are trapped in a vicious cycle of housing policies and prices
Housing has become integral to our welfare system, so even governments can't afford for prices to decline.
Turkey on the verge of democide as referendum looms
If the 'yes' vote prevails in this month's constitutional referendum, the Turkish people may be in the rare position of democratically approving the death of their own democracy.
Ice age art and ‘jewellery’ found in an Indonesian cave reveal an ancient symbolic culture
Ancient bone and teeth ornaments found in an Indonesian cave advance our knowledge of the culture and traditions of some of the earliest people in our region.
Weighing the risks and benefits of CT scans in childhood
In a recent study of almost 11 million young Australians, we showed those exposed to a CT scan before the age of 20 had a small increase in cancer risk in the years after exposure.
Why do schools want all students to look the same?
By providing a blanket approach to uniform policies, schools risk repressing cultural identity and diversity.
Health-care spending has only a modest effect on lifespan and premature death
Our new meta-analysis, which pooled results from 65 studies, looked at health-care spending by both the private and public sectors including preventive and curative care.
Separation and single parenting: the tribulations of Henry Lawson’s wife
Bertha Lawson alleged that her husband, celebrated poet Henry Lawson, was habitually cruel and drunk.
Alt-unionism: why businesses may be better with the devil they know
A decline in union membership has left a void to be filled by a more chaotic movement - alt-unionism.
Banksy’s Bethlehem hotel is an example of how tourism can be political
Banksy's Walled Off Hotel invites us to consider the value of tourism as a political tool.
How do we stop volunteer emergency service workers quitting?
A new training course designed to help volunteers feel like a key part of the team could help to reduce attrition rates among Australia's estimated 240,000 volunteer emergency service workers.
Research and News
Turnbull delays London appointment
Malcolm Turnbull is believed to have deferred the appointment of a new high commissioner to the UK until at least the end of this year.
Andrew Jaspan resigns as Editor and Executive Director of The Conversation
Joe Skrzynski, acting Chair of The Conversation, announced on Friday that Andrew Jaspan, Editor and Executive Director, is leaving The Conversation.
Youth underemployment at four-decade peak: Brotherhood report
Underemployment among young people is now at its highest in the 40 years since it has been officially counted.
Podcasts
Politics with Michelle Grattan
Talking politics with politicians and experts, from Capital Hill.
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Business Briefing
Brief analysis of what's making news in Business and Economy.
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Change Agents
A podcast series about change and the people who make it happen
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Speaking with…
Ideas and analysis from the sharpest minds in the academic and research world.
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Company tax
Company tax compromise is limited but works for both Turnbull and Xenophon
The government’s company tax deal with Nick Xenophon has given Malcolm Turnbull something to spin between now and the May budget. It’s much less than the government’s A$48 billion plan, but it’s more than…
Business investment is weak, but an unfunded company tax cut won’t fix it
What economists and tax experts think of the company tax cut
Big business doesn’t want to talk about it, but SMEs lose from a company tax cut
Myth busting claims on the impact of the company tax cut
The full story on company tax cuts and your hip pocket
Statistics, probability and risk
Worried about shark attacks or terrorism? Here’s how to think about the real risk of rare events
We naturally overestimate the risk of rare events, like shark attacks or terrorism. But there are things you can do to think more rationally about the real risk.
Energy
Comparing Australia’s electricity charges to other countries shows why competition isn’t working
The charge for retailing electricity in Australia compares poorly other deregulated markets in Europe
Hazelwood power station: from modernist icon to greenhouse pariah
Hazelwood closure: what it means for electricity prices and blackouts
How electric cars can help save the grid
Gas crisis? Energy crisis? The real problem is lack of long-term planning
Grattan on Friday: Turnbull turns to water as power debate fires up
Snowy Hydro gets a boost, but ‘seawater hydro’ could help South Australia
South Australia makes a fresh power play in its bid to end the blackouts
Cities
What’s critical about critical infrastructure?
Critical infrastructure is our means of survival as an urban species. So, we must identify what is critical, for whom and how it might fail us.
Columnists
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“ Newspoll: Labor leads 53-47. High Court rules that Bob Day was invalidly elected
Adrian Beaumont -
“ On Twitter it seemed it was business as usual as Cyclone Debbie raged
Axel Bruns -
Michelle Grattan — “A reasonable question: what will shrunken tax package do for growth, jobs?”
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Alan Duffy — “Taking science out of labs and into mainstream TV is something worth tuning in for”
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Clare Collins — “Did you hear the one about grapefruit melting body fat? It’s not true!”
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Nick Bisley — “North Korea’s leader is not crazy – he is motivated by decidedly rational motives”
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
Bubble talk
What economics has to say about housing bubbles
Economists struggle to agree on when and where housing bubbles occur, but bubbles all have similar characterisitics.
Prenatal health
Explainer: what’s cytomegalovirus and why do pregnant women need to know about it?
We can prevent congenital deafness and intellectual disability due to cytomegalovirus by simple hygiene measures. So, why don't pregnant women know about this?
Income inequality
What did the rich man say to the poor man? Why spatial inequality in Australia is no joke
Not only has income inequality in Australia grown over the past two decades, rich and poor are also more segregated in terms of where they live in the big cities.
April Fools Day
Why are some people more gullible than others?
Why do some people fall for the lamest April Fool's pranks and others see straight through them?
Energy
Hazelwood closure: what it means for electricity prices and blackouts
Victoria will be able to import more electricity to make up for any shortfalls from Hazelwood power station's closure.
Explainer: what is TB and am I at risk of getting it in Australia?
In Australia, there are around 1200 to 1300 cases of tuberculosis each year which means we are among the lowest-risk countries in the world.
Evidence
Dark tourism, Aboriginal imprisonment and the ‘prison tree’ that wasn’t
There is no evidence to support the marketing of an ancient boab in Western Australia as a tree that once held Aboriginal prisoners. The story is a myth that elides the tree's deep significance to Indigenous people.
Greer archives
Friday essay: reading Germaine Greer’s mail
Fifty years of correspondence is stored at the Germaine Greer archive. It ranges across topics as diverse as US politics, grassroots feminism, gardening and Queen Victoria's underpants.
Vaccines
Millions of Australian adults are unvaccinated and it’s increasing disease risk for all of us
Most immunisation campaigns continue to primarily focus on infants and children, but almost 4 million Australian adults are not vaccinated against preventable diseases.
House prices
Vital Signs: if it looks like a bubble and sounds like a bubble…
Australia's central bank is still trying to walk a delicate tightrope.
Income inequality
It’s harder for governments to tax their way out of rising inequality
Analysis shows that rising inequality over the past 20 years makes it harder to increase taxes and makes citizens less willing to pay them.
Facts matter
Trump’s credibility takes a hit as FBI finds no evidence of Obama ‘wiretap’
The absence of any evidence to support Donald Trump's claims is more than just about the president's credibility – it goes to whether we can trust any information from the White House.
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Events
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Solutions for Drug-Resistant Infections (SDRI 2017) conference — The University of Queensland
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Pain Revolution Rural Outreach Tour — University of South Australia
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SETTING UP SYDNEY'S SCHOOL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP — University of Technology Sydney
How we are different
10 reasons
Most Read past week
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- Why are some people more gullible than others?
- What economics has to say about housing bubbles
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