Are the West's sanctions against Russia actually working?
By Christopher Michaelsen
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 2022, the United States, the European Union and other countries swiftly imposed a mix of wide-ranging diplomatic and economic sanctions.
Russia was excluded from...
3 ways 'bossware' surveillance technology is turning back the management clock
By Dale Tweedie Et Al
If youre reading this during work hours, theres a chance your boss knows about it. The market for bossware digital tools that enable managers to keep tabs on what workers are up to is reportedly booming.
News reports...
Earth harbours 20,000,000,000,000,000 ants – and they weigh more than wild birds and mammals combined
By Mark Wong Et Al
Have you ever wondered exactly how many ants live on Earth? Possibly not, but its certainly a question weve asked ourselves.
Our research published today provides an approximate answer. We conservatively estimate our...
For the first time, robots on Mars found meteorite impact craters by sensing seismic shock waves
By Katarina Miljkovic
Since 2018, NASAs InSight mission to Mars has recorded seismic waves from more than 1,300 marsquakes in its quest to probe the internal structure of the red planet. The solar panels of the car-sized robotic lander have...
Bollywood film 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' paints an ambivalent picture of sex workers' rights
By Rajeshwari Nandkumar
Earlier this year, the Bollywood film Gangubai Kathiawadi grabbed headlines for its bold portrayal of sex work in India.
The film, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, has been widely viewed on Netflix and...
The Tadamon Massacre: Two researchers secretly investigate mass murders in Syria
By Mohamad Moustafa Alabsi
In early 2019, at an international academic conference in Paris, a Syrian political activist approached a scholar of mass violence affiliated with the NIOD Institute of War, Holocaust Genocide Studies (University of...
Biden again indicates that US will defend Taiwan 'militarily' – does this constitute a change in policy?
By Meredith Oyen
President Joe Biden has not for the first time suggested that the U.S. would intervene militarily should China attempt an invasion of Taiwan.
What did Biden say and why was it significant?
In an exchange on 60...
South Africa’s farm exports are an economic lifeline – with weak spots
By Wandile Sihlobo
International trade has been at the core of South Africas agricultural progress since the early 2000s. Since 1994, the country has excelled in opening up new markets, as evidenced by several free trade agreements with...
Why does nature create patterns? A physicist explains the molecular-level processes behind crystals, stripes and basalt columns
By Maxim Lavrentovich
Why does nature always create a pattern? Saloni G., age 16, Alwar, Rajasthan, India
The reason patterns often appear in nature is simple: The same basic physical or chemical processes occur in many patterned...
The Ethereum merge could kick off a transformation in crypto's battered reputation
By Jean-Philippe Serbera
Cryptocurrencies might still be a very long way from their highs of 2021, but some of the major ones have staged some decent recoveries in the past couple of months. Notably ether (ETH), the second largest cryptocurrency...
With family doctors heading for the exits, addressing the crisis in primary care is key to easing pressure on emergency rooms
By Colleen Grady
The Ford governments recently released plan to ease pressure on Ontario emergency rooms makes no mention of the mass exodus of physicians from family practice. With that omission, the provinces Plan to Stay Open ignores...
If your landlord wants to increase your rent, here are your rights
By Brendan Grigg
Inflation is pushing up interest rates. Interest rates are pushing up mortgage costs. Theres talk of a rental supply crisis. This means theres a good chance your landlord wants to increase your rent.
So what are your...
Canterbury ratepayers risk paying the price twice if Tarras airport takes off
By Ilan Noy
This week saw the 12th anniversary of the first major Canterbury earthquake on September 4 2010. Since that event and the catastrophic aftershock of February 22 2011, the Canterbury economy has proved quite resilient. So...
4 strategies for hiring refugees successfully
By Robin Pesch Et Al
Over five million Ukrainians have fled their country, and more than 68,000 have made it to Canada. If they havent already, most will begin seeking employment in their new countries soon. In the face of this, its important...
Queen Elizabeth II: the end of the 'new Elizabethan age'
By Laura Clancy1
When Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952, Britain was just seven years out of the second world war. Rebuilding work was still ongoing, and rationing key products such as sugar, eggs, cheese and meat would...
'The entire industry is based on hunches': is Australian publishing an art, a science or a gamble?
By Katherine Day
Jason Epstein was the publisher and editor of authors such as Norman Mailer, Vladimir Nabokov, Philip Roth and Gore Vidal. In his 2001 book, Book Business, he described how the once-relaxed Random House where authors...
Better COVID vaccines are on the way. What do they do? And what technology might we see in future?
By Paul Griffin1
Regulators in Australia and the United States last week approved Omicron-specific boosters, following approval in the United Kingdom in mid-August.
In Australia, a Moderna Omicron booster has been provisionally approved...
Only South Africa's elite benefits from black economic empowerment -- and COVID-19 proved it
By Casper Lӧtter
More than two decades ago the South African government put in place a policy designed to redress racial imbalances in the countrys economy. But, as I suggest in a recent paper, the policy known as broad-based black...
Rent crisis? Average rents are increasing less than you might think
By Ben Phillips
You wouldnt know it from the pages of our daily newspapers, but the rate of growth in rents has been pretty modest.
Not everywhere, not for everyone, but for most Australians who rent.
According to the most recent...
Five problems that could slow supplies of food, computers, cars and other goods this winter
By Sarah Schiffling Et Al
The pandemic highlighted how interconnected the world is right now. Multiple bottlenecks have disrupted global supply chains the networks of people, companies and modes of transport that order and manufacture goods and...
Pakistan floods: what role did climate change play?
By Ben Clarke Et Al
Pakistan is experiencing the most devastating and widespread floods in its history, with the countrys climate minister saying waters have reached across a third of the nation.
The growing tally of impacts is dire. More...
How the Premier League's wealth funded a revolution in training technology
By Jonathan Taylor
The English Premier League (EPL) celebrates its 30th season this year, and much has changed since the leagues inception in 1992. For many long-time fans, the period may well be defined by the influx of money into the...
Cost of living: four ways to stop banks and companies using complex maths against you
By Craig Anderson
The cost of living crisis is dominating headlines at the moment. With so much conflicting information flying around, it can be hard to work out what is the best way to look after your household finances.
Banks, energy...
Online reviews are broken – here's how to fix them
By Vasilis Katos
Its a crime story fit for the digital era. It was recently reported that a number of restaurants in New York had been targeted by internet scammers threatening to leave unfavourable one-star reviews unless they received...
As countries ranging from Indonesia to Mexico aim to attract digital nomads, locals say 'not so fast'
By Rachael A. Woldoff Et Al
Should your community welcome digital nomads individuals who work remotely, allowing them freedom to bounce from country to country?
Our research has found that workers are eager to embrace the flexibility of not being...
Why Gorbachev’s legacy still threatens Putin
By Robert Horvath
Little remains of the legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader and one of the greatest reformers in Russian history.
In the name of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), Gorbachev dismantled...
Good news – there's a clean energy gold rush under way
By Bjorn Sturmberg
This week, the Australian Energy Market Operator warned gaps in electricity supply are likely within three years.
The reason? Coal plants are quitting the market earlier than expected, as well as becoming less reliable....
The simple reason a viral math equation stumped the internet
By Egan J Chernoff Et Al
For about a decade now, mathematicians and mathematics educators have been weighing in on a particular debate rooted in school mathematics that shows no signs of abating.
The debate, covered by Slate, Popular Mechanics,...
Want to get more women to start their own businesses? Here's what it takes
By Melodi Botha
Globally, men are twice as likely as women to start a business. Most research into how to start a business has been focused on men. Not much has looked at why women are not fully represented among entrepreneurs or how to...
Foreign banks are absent in Nigeria. We tracked down why
By Lilac Nachum Et Al
Privately owned Nigerian banks hold 94% of Nigerian banking assets. Only one other country in the world Israel has a higher share of ownership by local banks. The share of banking assets is the most reliable way to...
FBI's Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit reveals how Trump may have compromised national security – a legal expert answers 5 key questions
By Clark D. Cunningham
1. What is a search warrant affidavit?
Lets start with a search warrant, which is a court order authorizing government agents to enter property without an owners permission to search for evidence of a crime. The warrant...
Will the UK experience blackouts? Three scenarios for this coming winter
By David Jenkins1
The UK could experience its first large scale blackout in decades this winter, if gas shortages combine with particularly cold weather. Thats according to the governments reasonable worst case scenario, a warning which was...
Why tech companies must address emissions caused by streaming and scrolling
By Doug Specht
Technology companies have been having a difficult year. The increased cost of living is turning people away from streaming, cryptocurrencies are faltering, Amazon has raised its prime membership costs, as has Twitter for...
Why clean, affordable water should not be in the hands of private companies targeting profit – new research
By Kate Bayliss
Englands water companies have come in for some heavy criticism this summer. An extremely dry July has led to drought status being declared in many areas, while 3 billion litres of water are lost through leakage every...
A £15 national minimum wage won't tackle the cost of living crisis — an economist explains why
By Kerry L. Papps
Since it was introduced 23 years ago, the national minimum wage has raised the incomes of millions of Britons and reduced inequality.
Everyone loves it. For Labour politicians its a tool to reduce inequality, while for...
A new US data privacy bill aims to give you more control over information gathered by websites, social media platforms and all other businesses
By Anne Toomey McKenna
Data privacy in the U.S. is, in many ways, a legal void. While there are limited protections for health and financial data, the cradle of the worlds largest tech companies, like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Meta (Facebook),...
Tiredness can change how generous you are – new research
By Laura Boubert
What determines how generous a person you are? Could it be how much money you have? How kind you are? Or maybe it comes down to your values. These all seem reasonable assumptions, but a new study from Berkeley University...
Chemical imbalance theory of depression: clearing up some misconceptions
By Mark Horowitz Et Al
The scale of the response to our recent study finding that there was no support for the idea that low serotonin causes depression the so-called chemical imbalance theory of depression was enormous. Our paper is one of...
China property crisis: why the housing market is collapsing – and the risks to the wider economy
By Zhirong Ou
China has been trimming interest rates recently in contrast to other major economies as it tries to stem the economic effects of its zero-COVID policy and address a growing property crisis. The countrys traditionally...
How Québec's Bill 21 could be vanquished by a rarely used Charter provision
By Kerri Anne Froc
This November, the Québec Court of Appeal will hear an appeal of Hak v. Attorney General of Québec on the constitutionality of Bill 21, which prohibits public service workers from wearing religious...
Yoga versus democracy? What survey data says about spiritual Americans' political behavior
By Evan Stewart Et Al
As the United States gets less religious, is it also getting more selfish?
Historically, religious Americans have been civically engaged. Through churches and other faith-based organizations, congregants volunteer,...
Lunar mining and Moon land claims fall into a gray area of international law, but negotiations are underway to avoid conflict and damage to spacecraft
By Michelle L.D. Hanlon
Its been 50 years since humans last visited the Moon, and even robotic missions have been few and far between. But the Earths only natural satellite is about to get crowded.
At least six countries and a flurry of...
Six benefits that the metaverse offers to colleges and universities
By Nir Kshetri
Even though its unclear what exactly the metaverse is and whether it even exists, colleges and universities have jumped onto the metaverse bandwagon. They have augmented in-person and remote video learning with features...
The road to new fuel efficiency rules is filled with potholes. Here's how Australia can avoid them
By Robin Smit1 Et Al
Last week, federal Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen officially put fuel efficiency standards on the national agenda, saying the measure would reduce transport emissions and encourage electric vehicle uptake.
Fuel...
In a climate crisis, how do we treat businesses that profit from carbon pollution?
By Alistair Woodward
Introducing the New Zealand governments first Emissions Reduction Plan in June, climate change minister James Shaw observed:
The climate crisis is no longer something happening elsewhere, to someone else, in the...
The Big Four oilsands companies' influence threatens Alberta democracy, argues political scientist
By Robert (Bob) Ascah
Over the past five years, ownership of oilsands production has become hyperconcentrated in four companies: Cenovus Energy, Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL), Imperial Oil Limited and Suncor Energy.
These four...
A professor in India lost her job over a bikini photo on Instagram. What does this say about misogyny?
By Deeplina Banerjee
News recently broke that last year, an assistant professor in Kolkata one of the more liberal cities in India was allegedly forced to resign after posting a photo in a bathing suit on her social media.
While the...
South Africa's nuclear sector has failed its test: the Koeberg nuclear plant life extension
By Harald Winkler Et Al
South Africas only nuclear power plant, Koeberg, has frequently been in the news in 2022, all for the wrong reasons.
Its operating licence expires in 2024, and its continued operation thereafter depends on critical...
Inflation: why it's very unlikely to get back below 2% for years to come
By Alexander Tziamalis
Inflation in the UK and eurozone is still getting worse. UK prices rose a whopping 10.1% in July compared to a year earlier, while those in the eurozone went up 8.9% breaking longstanding records in both places. Contrast...
Crimea: Ukraine uses new tactics to attempt to take back strategic territory from Russia
By Christoph Bluth
Russian president Vladimir Putin has reportedly replaced the commander of his Black Sea fleet just three days after an attack on the Russian Saki airbase in Crimea, as Ukraines military strategy shifts towards regaining...
