Why online platforms banning Trump won't stop — or even slow down — his cause

By Bronwyn Carlson

Last week Twitter permanently suspended US President Donald Trump in the wake of his supporters violent storming of Capitol Hill. Trump was also suspended from Facebook and Instagram indefinitely. Heads quickly turned...

Why the alt-right believes another American Revolution is coming

By Clare Corbould Et Al

The alt-right, QAnon, paramilitary and Donald Trump-supporting mob that stormed the US Capitol on January 6 claimed they were only doing what the so-called founding fathers of the US had done in 1776: overthrowing an...

Americans around the world were part of the largest voter turnout in U.S. history

By Angela Norwood

Americans abroad, like those in the United States, are transfixed by U.S. President-elect Joe Bidens high-stakes inauguration on Jan. 20. It will be unusual and somewhat surreal, to say the least, to see an incoming...

In the rush for coronavirus information, unreviewed scientific papers are being publicized

By Alice Fleerackers Et Al

COVID-19 has not only upended our personal lives, it has dramatically changed scientific research. In response to the rapid spread of the virus, scientists around the world have had to find new ways to collaborate and...

Americans have unrealistic expectations for a COVID-19 vaccine

By Matt Motta

Many Americans appear to be experiencing cautious optimism about the role that vaccines could play in ending the pandemic. But recent public opinion research suggests that 29% to 37% of Americans plan to refuse a COVID-19...

How explainable artificial intelligence can help humans innovate

By Forest Agostinelli

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has created computers that can drive cars, synthesize chemical compounds, fold proteins and detect high-energy particles at a superhuman level. However, these AI algorithms...

What is a protein? A biologist explains

By Nathan Ahlgren

Editors note: Nathan Ahlgren is a professor of biology at Clark University. In this interview, he explains exactly what proteins are, how they are made, and the wide variety of functions they perform in the human...

How to avoid scams when buying a pet online

By Jack Mark Whittaker

For many people, the pandemic has been a lonely experience. Because of this, it might be tempting to go on the internet and look for a new animal companion. Whether it is a puppy, kitten or even an exotic bird, animal...

Oxford scientists: how we developed our COVID-19 vaccine in record time

By Tonia Thomas Et Al

The pandemic is only a year old, but we already have multiple vaccines available to fight COVID-19 including the vaccine developed by the team were part of at the University of Oxford. With our partner AstraZeneca, we...

The Oxford vaccine has unique advantages, as does Pfizer's. Using both is Australia's best strategy

By Kylie Quinn Et Al

On Sunday, federal Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said most Australians will be offered a vaccine from Oxford-AstraZeneca. Australia currently has agreements in place to receive 53.8 million doses of the...

Despite being permanently banned, Trump's prolific Twitter record lives on

By Audrey Courty

For years, US President Donald Trump pushed the limits of Twitters content policies, raising pressure on the platform to exercise tougher moderation. Ultimately, the violent siege of the US Capitol forced Twitters hand...

Why the flag of South Vietnam flew at US Capitol siege

By Long T. Bui

The violent mob that laid siege to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 carried symbols expressing the purpose of their insurrectionist campaign to derail Joe Bidens electoral certification. Alongside American flags, anti-Semitic...

Artificial intelligence can deepen social inequality. Here are 5 ways to help prevent this

By Tiberio Caetano Et Al

From Google searches and dating sites to detecting credit card fraud, artificial intelligence (AI) keeps finding new ways to creep into our lives. But can we trust the algorithms that drive it? As humans, we make...

Social media seized the narrative in Uganda's election. Why this was good for democracy

By Geoffrey Ssenoga

For months, Ugandans have witnessed a vicious presidential election campaign without precedent. While the incumbent, Yoweri Museveni, has enjoyed free rein on the campaign trail, his youthful main opponent Robert...

Russian Cosmism: a national mythology against transhumanism

By Juliette Faure

Cosmism, a complex intellectual movement that blends Orthodox theology with scientific forecasting, emerged almost 150 years ago and is once again on the rise in Russia. Part of the countrys elite holds Cosmism as a...

Facebook antitrust battle escalates tensions between government, Big Tech

By Jeremy Shtern Et Al

Facebook made news this week by blocking U.S. President Donald Trump from posting to its platform. A seperate power struggle between government and Big Tech that will be far more consequential in the long term is unfolding...

Business debt: hidden advantage for giant firms means economy has been K-shaped for decades

By Sandy Brian Hager Et Al

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, it seemed like the day of reckoning for over-stretched corporate borrowers was finally at hand. For years, pundits and policymakers had been warning about a dangerous build-up of the...

Why resistance is common in antibiotics, but rare in vaccines

By Celia Souque Et Al

Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide problem to the extent that there is a grave risk that common infections will soon become untreatable. Meanwhile, vaccines developed nearly a century ago still protect us from deadly...

Gaming has benefits and perils – parents can help kids by playing with them

By Katie Headrick Taylor

As the pandemic forced many Americans to hunker down at home, the video game industry saw record spending and profits in 2020. Interacting with other people through gaming became, for some players, essential for social...

Thought the U.S. Capitol attack couldn’t happen? Think again: The insurrection threat isn’t over

By Jack L. Rozdilsky

In a dark and surreal moment in American history, on the afternoon of Jan. 6, a group of Americans staged a violent protest by assaulting their own capitol building. In this short-lived riot attempt, four lives were lost,...

How does the 25th Amendment work, and can it be used to remove Trump from office after US Capitol attack?

By Stephanie Newbold

A day after President Donald Trump incited supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office, saying This...

Physical activity is good for your concentration – here's why

By Simon Cooper

Whether its during the post-lunch slump or just one of those days, we all struggle to concentrate on what were doing sometimes, whether thats at work, school, or home. Being able to concentrate on what were doing would...

Health crisis: up to a billion tonnes of waste potentially burned in the open every year

By Costas Velis Et Al

As much as one billion tonnes of waste could be burned in open and uncontrolled fires around the world each year, according to one estimate close to half of all the municipal solid waste generated on Earth. But even if...

Bitcoin: why the price has exploded – and where it goes from here

By Andrew Urquhart

Bitcoin achieved a remarkable rise in 2020 in spite of many things that would normally make investors wary, including US-China tensions, Brexit and, of course, an international pandemic. From a year-low on the daily charts...

Hong Kong: China crackdown is likely to boost migration to UK

By Peter Walsh

In recent weeks, dozens of pro-democracy activists and politicians in Hong Kong have been arrested for allegedly trying to overthrow the citys government. Most recently, on January 6, 53 people were detained under the...

Did Donald Trump ease tensions with North Korea?

By Marianne Péron-Doise

Throughout his 2020 campaign, Trump emphasized that President Obama left him a very dangerous situation with North Korea, one that could have even led to war. According to him, he was instrumental in cooling down the...

Jack Ma: China's spat with billionaire is part of bigger push to control big tech – Silicon Valley could be next

By Mark Greeven

Chinese tech billionaire Jack Ma has allegedly fallen out with the Beijing government. Several recent articles reported that Ma offended the Chinese authorities by delivering a speech in Shanghai in October criticising...

Legalizing marijuana, once a pipe dream on Capitol Hill, takes an important step forward

By Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

In early December, the House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or the MORE Act. The bill sought to decriminalize marijuana nationally by removing cannabis from the...

Voting in Georgia runoff went better than June's disastrous primary, but trouble still lingers

By Adrienne Jones

The balance of power in the U.S. Senate and with it ease or hardship for President-elect Joe Bidens plans for the nation has come down to Tuesdays runoff election for both of Georgias Senate seats. It took place under...

Why is Bitcoin's price at an all-time high? And how is its value determined?

By Jason Potts Et Al

Bitcoin continues to trade close to its all-time high reached this month. Its price is now around US $34,000 up about 77% over the past month and 305% over the past year. First launched in 2009 as a digital currency,...

Trump's last stand: how the dramatic endgame for the 2020 US election will play out in Congress

By John Hart

This week, the US Congress will put the finishing touches to the chaotic, protracted 2020 US presidential election. A joint session of the House and Senate will assemble at 1pm on January 6 (5am AEDT/7am NZDT on January...

Reopen recreation spaces after COVID-19 for the good of the public, not the individual

By Bruce Erickson

As we struggle through various phases of COVID-19 restrictions, we are all looking towards what will be a long and tentative process of reopening. Yet the lessons from our first reopening strategies last spring make it...

What to feed ducks – according to science

By Ronald Jan Corbee Et Al

The simple things in life sometimes bring the greatest joy like feeding the ducks at your local pond. The next time you pay your feathered friends a visit, consider introducing some variety into the food you give them....

Exhausted by 2020? Here are 5 steps to recover and feel more rested throughout 2021

By Peter A. Heslin

For most of us, 2020 was an exhausting year. The COVID-19 pandemic heralded draining physical health concerns, social isolation, job dislocation, uncertainty about the future and related mental health issues. Although...

The legitimacy of the US Supreme Court put to the test of its conservatism

By Blandine Chelini-Pont Et Al

The outcome of the 2020 US presidential election is no longer in doubt: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won, taking 306 Electoral College votes, well above the 270-vote threshold ironically, the same number that Donald Trump...

Why Trump's Senate supporters can't overturn Electoral College results they don't like – here's how the law actually works

By Donald Brand

On Jan. 6, the United States Congress will gather in a joint session to tally the votes of the Electoral College, which cast its ballots in state capitols last month. In his role as president of the Senate, Vice President...

Can a future ban on gas-powered cars work? An economist explains

By Amitrajeet A. Batabyal

The U.S. transportation sector is one of the largest contributors of carbon dioxide, the potent driver of climate change. Transportation accounts for about 28% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and, since 1990,...

World economy in 2021: here's who will win and who will lose

By Steve Schifferes

The coronavirus has crippled the world economy. Global GDP suffered its sharpest drop since the end of the second world war in 2020, millions were unemployed or furloughed, and governments pumped trillions of dollars into...

How the pandemic will shape the workplace trends of 2021

By Dave Cook

The economist John Maynard Keynes predicted in 1930 that the amount we work would gradually shrink to as little as 15 hours a week as technology made us more productive. Not only did this not happen, but we also began to...

Fact check US: Will the senatorial election in Georgia determine Biden's presidency?

By Jerome Viala-Gaudefroy

The victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 US presidential election is now official. On December 14 the Electoral College confirmed the state-by-state results, giving a clear majority of 306 votes to Biden and...

Are the US and Iran headed for a military showdown before Trump leaves office?

By Clive Williams

Tensions are running high in the Middle East in the waning days of the Trump administration. Over the weekend, Irans foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, claimed Israeli agents were planning to attack US forces in...

China enters 2021 a stronger, more influential power — and Australia may feel the squeeze even more

By James Laurenceson

Great power competition in the Asia-Pacific region has been building for years. But COVID-19 has turbo-charged the shifts taking place and China is finishing 2020 in a significantly stronger position compared with the US...

Sure, interest rates are negative, but so are some prices, and when you look around, they're everywhere

By Peter Martin1

On December 10, it finally happened. Instead of demanding an interest payment from the government in return for lending it money, a group of investors offered to pay the government in order to lend it money. Naturally...

Post-Brexit trade deal: the gaps worth noting

By David Phinnemore

Plenty of political spin has already been applied to the post-Brexit UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement. This not only glosses over much of the detail, but it can also be decidedly misleading. For example, Boris...

How coronavirus made 2020 the year of the electric bike

By Ashley Cooper Et Al

Walking and cycling gained a higher profile than ever in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. Governments around the world encouraged individuals to go on foot or take their bikes where possible instead of using crowded...

Bzzz, slap! How to treat insect bites (home remedies included)

By Cameron Webb

Its the holidays and were spending more time outdoors. This means were exposed to the more annoying and painful aspects of summer insect bites and stings. There are plenty of products at the local pharmacy to treat...

Vaccines may soon make travel possible again. But how quickly will it return — and will it be forever changed?

By Joseph M. Cheer Et Al

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the global tourism industry to a screeching halt in 2020. With vaccines starting to be rolled out, there is hope international travel can resume soon, but exactly when and how is the...

Whether slow or fast, here's how your metabolism influences how many calories you burn each day

By Terezie Tolar-Peterson

Its a common dieters lament: Ugh, my metabolism is so slow, Im never going to lose any weight. When people talk about a fast or slow metabolism, what theyre really getting at is how many calories their body burns as...

Instagram's redesign shifts toward shopping – here's how that can be harmful

By Nazanin Andalibi

Recently, when I opened Instagram, I noticed that the usual spot for checking notifications is now a Shop tab. The Instagram blog post announcing the redesign said that the change will support small businesses and connect...

How to outsmart your COVID-19 fears and boost your mood in 2021

By Laurel Mellin

After a year of toxic stress ignited by so much fear and uncertainty, now is a good time to reset, pay attention to your mental health and develop some healthy ways to manage the pressures going forward. Brain science...