February's global temperature spike is a wake-up call
Mar 16, 2016 04:47 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Global temperatures for February showed a disturbing and unprecedented upward spike. It was 1.35℃ warmer than the average February during the usual baseline period of 1951-1980, according to NASA data. This is the...
Education can't be for ‘the public good’ if universities ignore rural life
Mar 16, 2016 04:46 am UTC| Insights & Views
Education can and should change peoples lives. Education systems ought to operate with the public good in mind. But for many South Africans, this is not the case. I would suggest that part of the reason post-colonial and...
Is it piracy? How students access academic resources
Mar 16, 2016 04:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Law
Academic textbooks are expensive and the cost of textbooks globally has continued to rise alarmingly even as other educational resources have become relatively cheaper. For students, open educational resources should make...
Big win for small business in government embrace of competition 'effects test'
Mar 16, 2016 04:44 am UTC| Insights & Views
In a major victory for small business and the Nationals over big business, the government has agreed to write an effects test into competition policy. It will make it easier to stop large businesses exploiting their...

Double vision: why Netflix wants you to watch an extra screen
Mar 16, 2016 04:44 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology
Netflix announced last month that it will launch a second screen experience within its app, allowing subscribers to view additional information related to the program they are watching. This functionality will be...
The two-year wait for Hazelwood mine fire charges shows the system needs to change
Mar 16, 2016 04:42 am UTC| Insights & Views Law
Victorias Environmental Protection Authority has brought charges against four companies over the Hazelwood coal mine fire, which burned for 45 days in February and March 2014, blanketing the nearby town of Morwell in...

Explainer: what is the ECB 'bazooka' and will it spur a eurozone recovery?
Mar 15, 2016 23:00 pm UTC| Insights & Views Central Banks
The European Central Bank has introduced a slate of new measures to try and bolster growth in the eurozone. Some have referred to Mario Draghi, the ECB president, as bringing out his bazooka. Faced with the threat of...