Music collectors seek out rare albums not available on streaming

By Marina Eckersley

As of the third quarter of 2019, music streaming giant Spotify had 113 million paid subscribers worldwide but its still missing some famous albums that many listeners feel they cant live without. And in todays digital...

Legal win doesn't mean Ontario student associations are in the clear

By David Said

The Ontario governments so-called Student Choice Initiative was recently declared unlawful following a court challenge launched by the Canadian Federation of Students and the York Federation of Students. The Ontario...

Chronic pain, a silent yet devastating disease in the workplace

By Guillaume Soenen

Back, neck, wrist or neuropathic pain, sciatica, restless-legs syndrome… In France, one person out of three suffers from chronic pain. According to academic research, 15 to 20% of the adult population suffers from...

Antibiotic resistance is an even greater challenge in remote Indigenous communities

By Asha Bowen Et Al

Antibiotic-resistant infections already cause at least 700,000 deaths globally every year. Although the phenomenon is most concerning for serious infections people are admitted to hospital with, antibiotic resistance...

How our screen stories of the future went from flying cars to a darker version of now

By Aaron Burton

Fans of Ridley Scotts 1982 masterpiece Blade Runner returned to cinemas last month for an unusual milestone: history catching up with science fiction. Blade Runner opens in Los Angeles, in November 2019. Furnaces burst...

The problem with transport models is political abuse, not their use in planning

By Eric Keys Et Al

This is the second article in a series to mark the 50th anniversary of the landmark Melbourne Transportation Plan. Transport models are often singled out as a barrier to providing more sustainable and equitable...

Greenwashing? Why wildlife TV is finally engaging with the climate emergency

By Jean-Baptiste Gouyon

The BBCs new wildlife television series featuring David Attenborough, Seven Worlds, One Planet, marks a drastic departure from previous programmes. For the first time, the presenter can be heard repeatedly uttering the...

Social deprivation linked to changes in eating styles in early childhood

By Alice Kininmonth Et Al

Childhood obesity rates are high in the UK, but not all children are affected equally a familys wealth makes a big difference to a childs risk. Rates of overweight and obesity among children are twice as high in the...

Payday lenders have embraced installment loans to evade regulations – but they may be even worse

By Paige Marta Skiba Et Al

Installment loans seem like a kinder, gentler version of their predatory cousin, the payday loan. But for consumers, they may be even more harmful. Use of the installment loan, in which a consumer borrows a lump sum and...

Election 2019: what's at play in Northern Ireland?

By James Pow

Northern Ireland is well known for its deep divisions. But as the 2019 general election approaches its five main political parties are united on at least one thing strong opposition to the Brexit deal negotiated by Boris...

How to design a forest fit to heal the planet

By Heather Plumpton

Reforestation has enormous potential as a cheap and natural way of sucking heat-absorbing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and restoring the degraded natural world, while supporting local livelihoods at the same time....

How randomised trials became big in development economics

By Seán Mfundza Muller Et Al

The 2019 Nobel Prize in economics was awarded to three researchers for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty, one which has transformed development economics. What are randomised experiments? And why...

Job losses expected as NZ's broadcasting sector faces biggest overhaul in a decade

By Merja Myllylahti

New Zealands broadcasting sector, both public and commercial, is facing the biggest structural upheaval in a decade. The latest report on New Zealand media ownership, compiled by the Journalism, Media and Democracy...

Litigation is the real reason financial reports are becoming harder to read

By Mark Humphery-Jenner

Westpac can expect a bumper turnout of shareholders at its annual general meeting in Sydney on Thursday, many of them angry at its alleged role in facilitating child exploitation in the Philippines, its 23 million alleged...

Finally, your electricity bill looks set to fall. Here's how much you could save

By Tim Nelson Et Al

Household electricity bills in Australia have increased sharply in the past decade. But new official figures show they are projected to fall markedly - in some cases by 20%. In-house modelling we conducted at the...

What is sodium lauryl sulfate and is it safe to use?

By Yousuf Mohammed

If youve ever Googled the causes of a skin complaint or damaged hair, chances are someone on the internet has pointed the finger at SLS, or sodium lauryl (or laureth) sulfate, a common ingredient in beauty products,...

Science needs true diversity to succeed -- and Australian astronomy shows how we can get it

By Lisa Kewley

Australian astronomy punches well above its weight, in terms of the research it leads and the facilities it houses. We have made remarkable discoveries in the past year alone. Our scientists have recently narrowed down...

How minority governments can influence foreign policy

By Adam Chapnick Et Al

When Stephen Harpers government was defeated in 2015, we tried to figure out what drove its thinking on foreign policy. We did so by comparing the governments approach to a variety of international issues before and after...

The story behind the world's first private refugee sponsorship program

By David Pfrimmer

Forty years ago, an estimated three million Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Vietnamese and ethnic Chinese people fled their homes following the Indochina wars. Hundreds of thousands died. Many suffered brutal repression. Many...

The digital economy's environmental footprint is threatening the planet

By Raynold Wonder Alorse

Modern society has given significant attention to the promises of the digital economy over the past decade. But it has given little attention to its negative environmental footprint. Our smartphones rely on rare earth...

Pop culture: restoring Namibia's forgotten resistance music

By Henning Melber

There is a rich history of 20th century music in Namibia that was suppressed and all but erased by political forces. Now an archive project called Stolen Moments Namibian Music History Untold is restoring it to the public...

A useful guide for CEOs on how to make ethical decisions in business

By Kenneth Amaeshi

Chief executive officers (CEOs), like ordinary citizens, are driven by their values and convictions. These may not necessarily be just good for business. Examples abound. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, speaks strongly for the...

Kenya's tax on digital trade and services: what's known and not known

By Mercy Muendo

Kenya will start levying new tax on digital markets under a new law signed by the president early in November. The Finance Act seeks to broaden the Income Tax Act net to include income accruing through a digital market...

Global and historical lessons on how land reforms have unfolded

By Ben Cousins

What can South Africa learn about land reforms from wider global and historical experiences in the 20th century? Most land reforms have involved transferring rights of ownership from wealthy landlords to poor, small-scale...

Flash flooding is a serious threat in the UK – here's how scientists are tackling its prediction

By Christopher J White Et Al

Its becoming a familiar scene on the news: sodden British people wading through streets up to their knees in flood water. From Stirling to Sheffield, many parts of the UK in 2019 felt the impact of severe surface water...

How do you know when it's time to break up? Here's the research

By Veronica Lamarche

Christmas may be a time of giving, but its also a peak time for break-ups. Facing the prospect of spending yet another festive season with their romantic partner, many people start having doubts about their relationship in...

How to spot fake news this election

By Amy Binns

The 2019 UK election campaign has been particularly dispiriting for anyone who cares about the truth. Even established parties have proven they are not above using tricks to manipulate the news. Meanwhile, politicians are...

Brexit Britain: was Jane Austen an original little Englander?

By Thomas McLean

In revealing the charms and follies of genteel English society, Jane Austen has few competitors. Yet as Britain limps towards Brexit, I cant help wondering why there are no foreigners in her major fiction. Many thousands...

American influence could take the hit as Putin, Zelenskiy try to make peace in Donbass

By Erik C. Nisbet Et Al

President Vladimir Putin of Russia and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, are set to meet Dec. 9 as part of efforts to end conflict in the separatist-controlled territories of Donbass. Zelenskiys electoral...

Why the US military usually punishes misconduct but police often close ranks

By Dwight Stirling

Many U.S. military members publicly disavowed President Trumps decision to pardon Edward Gallagher, the former SEAL commando convicted of killing a teenage detainee in Iraq in 2017. Gallaghers alleged war crimes were...

What makes Christmas movies so popular

By S. Brent Rodriguez-Plate

If you are one of those people who will settle in this evening with a hot cup of apple cider to watch a holiday movie, you are not alone. Holiday movies have become firmly embedded in Americans winter celebrations. The...

Hypnobirthing: can using self-hypnosis techniques reduce pain during childbirth?

By Kenneth Finlayson

The latest celebrity-endorsed health trend is the bizarre-sounding practice of hypnobirthing. Backed by the likes of Gisele Bundchen, Jessica Alba and, reportedly, Kate Middleton, women are using self-hypnosis to help them...

What would Russia prefer to happen in the UK election?

By Alexander Titov

The UK election comes against the background of one of the worst periods in Russian-British relations since the end of the Cold War. Badly shaken by the 2006 poisoning of the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in...

Emails outside working hours: are they against employment law?

By Darius Whelan

It is common for many employees to send, read and reply to work emails at all hours of the day and night, including weekends. This change in work culture developed in recent decades and has accelerated with the advent of...

This small German town took back the power – and went fully renewable

By Bertie Russell

The case for ambitious and transformative environmental policy is being made with increasing fervour and a series of Green New Deals a reference to Roosevelts economic reform programme in the 1930s have been proposed...

China's failed gene-edited baby experiment proves we're not ready for human embryo modification

By Dimitri Perrin Et Al

More than a year ago, the world was shocked by Chinese biophysicist He Jiankuis attempt to use CRISPR technology to modify human embryos and make them resistant to HIV, which led to the birth of twins Lulu and...

British Columbia's vaping crackdown could offer a roadmap for the rest of the world

By Christopher Labos

In Canada, the government of British Columbia is cracking down on vaping products. The plan is to reduce nicotine content, limit access to flavoured pods, mandate plain packaging with health warnings and raise the tax on...

Economic democracy: why handing power back to the people will fix our broken system

By Andrew Cumbers

Behind the superficial froth of the UK election campaign, the competing parties are offering fundamentally different visions of the economy, who controls it and who benefits from it. The Conservatives and, to some extent,...

South African Airways is in business rescue: what it means, and what next

By Marius Pretorius

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken the decision to put South African Airways, the cash-strapped national flag carrier, into voluntary business rescue. Caroline Southey from the Conversation Africa asked...

'Stop-and-frisk' can work, under careful supervision

By Henry F. Fradella Et Al

In mid-November, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg apologized publicly for his backing of a practice intended to reduce violent crime that had for years been criticized as racially biased. I realize back then I...

A global downturn looks likely, yet it's being totally ignored in the UK election

By Peter Bloom

For all the marked policy differences between the different parties in the UK election, they share a common blindspot. They all seem to assume that the UK is the sole determiner of its economic fate. There is nothing in...

Manchester City v Manchester United: a battle for ideological dominance

By Simon Chadwick

The Manchester derby is always a key clash in the Premier League calendar and all eyes will be on the Etihad Stadium when City take on United, as the two footballing giants face-off for the first time this season. Yet the...

Hong Kong: when the citizen-birds rebel

By Frédéric Keck

Over the past year, a number of nations around the world have been the scene of tumultuous popular protests, including Lebanon, Algeria, Bolivia, Chile and even France. While the protests in Hong Kong bear some...

To stop a tech apocalypse we need ethics and the arts

By Sara James Et Al

If recent television shows are anything to go by, were a little concerned about the consequences of technological development. Dystopian narratives abound. Black Mirror projects the negative consequences of social...

Why Americans are staying put, instead of moving to a new city or state

By Thomas Cooke

The story of America is one of moving. A total of 13.6% of Americans today were born in another country, and most of us are descended from immigrants. This story of migration also includes moving within the country....

GDP update: spending dips and saving soars as we stash rather than spend our tax cuts

By Peter Martin1

Australians saved rather than spent most of the budget tax cuts, almost doubling the proportion of household income saved, leaving spending languishing. The September quarter national accounts show that in the first...

Fingerprint login would be a more secure defence for our data, if we used it properly

By Nalin Asanka Gamagedara Ar

Our electronic devices store a plethora of sensitive information. To protect this information, device operating systems such as Apples iOS and Android have locking mechanisms. These require user authentication before...

The top ranking education systems in the world aren't there by accident. Here's how Australia can climb up

By Julie Sonnemann

The latest OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results show a long-term decline in reading, maths and science skills for Australian students. In 2018, Australian 15 years olds performed more than...

Global emissions to hit 36.8 billion tonnes, beating last year's record high

By Pep Canadell Et Al

Global emissions for 2019 are predicted to hit 36.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), setting yet another all-time record. This disturbing result means emissions have grown by 62% since international climate...

Love it or hate it, Tesla's Cybertruck is revolutionary

By Michael D. Mehta

With a collective gasp and puzzled looks, the world was recently introduced to Teslas newest vehicle. The so-called Cybertruck is an angular, stainless steel, all-electric pickup truck that quickly became...