Australians disagree on how important climate change is: poll

By Michelle Baddeley Et Al

Climate change, the environment and energy policy are all key issues in this election campaign, fuelled by compelling evidence of our accelerating impact on the environment and climate. While voters agree more than you...

Babies and toddlers are living with their mums in prison. We need to look after them better

By Jane Rosemary Walker Et Al

Women are going to prison at a higher rate than ever in Australia. Our tough sentencing policies sent women to prison at twice the rate of England and Wales in 2018. At least one in two imprisoned women in Australia has...

Rape myths like 'stranger danger' challenged by global drug survey

By Alex Aldridge Et Al

Many of the beliefs people hold about rape are downright wrong. For example, women are often told they can avoid sexual assault by monitoring how much alcohol they drink on a night out. Dont leave your drink unattended and...

Could the solution to osteoporosis be in the bile?

By Laura Alejandra Velazquez Villegas

Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease where the bone density and quality are reduced. This disease is associated with substantial pain and disability leading to devastating long-term physical and psychological...

Interactive: Everything you need to know about Adani – from cost, environmental impact and jobs to its possible future

By Madeleine De Gabriele Et Al

Its a 50km long patch in the middle of Queensland thats causing a lot of trouble, but many people couldnt even point it out on a map. Queensland Government - Coordinated Projects Map The Adani Carmichael coal mine has...

Real estate agents targeting tenants is the lowest of the low blows during election 2019

By Danielle Wood

The lowest blow of this election campaign may have come from a firm of real estate agents that abused its position of trust to scare renters about Labors proposed negative gearing changes. If you are one of those...

The Murujuga Mermaid: how rock art in WA sheds light on historic encounters of Australian exploration

By Alistair Paterson Et Al

It is understandable that Captain Cook is a trigger for debates about our national identity and history. However, we often risk being blinded by the legacy of Cook. Around the continent, early encounters with outsiders...

Plastic warms the planet twice as much as aviation – here's how to make it climate-friendly

By Laurie Wright

Were all too aware of the consequences of plastics in the oceans and on land. However, beyond the visible pollution of our once pristine habitats, plastics are having a grave impact on the climate too. Newly published...

Trophy hunting in Africa: the case for viable, sustainable alternatives

By Muchazondida Mkono

For decades, the public has been fed the myth that trophy hunting is absolutely necessary for sustainable conservation in Africa. Some sections of the academy, as well as the hunting lobby, continue to argue that banning...

UK military amnesty for historic prosecutions could breach international human rights law

By Alan Greene

The UKs new defence secretary, Penny Mordaunt, has been quick to stamp her authority on the office by announcing plans to introduce an amnesty on historical prosecutions for UK military veterans. She has also announced her...

Debate: How financial initiatives that tackle global warming can make a real impact

By Céline Louche Et Al

Awareness and concern over climate change and its impacts has risen sharply in recent years. According to a December 2018 survey by Yale University, 73 percent of Americans now say that global warming is real, up 10...

Front-of-pack nutrition labels: 'The parmesan and prosciutto war'

By Serge Hercberg Et Al

In a May 6 press release, the Italian government openly criticised an upcoming report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) intended to provide guiding principles and a framework for front-of-pack nutrition labelling in...

The sounds of orgasms: A study on the sex life of rats informs human sexual behaviour

By Gonzalo R. Quintana Zunino Et Al

Rats have similar physiological reactions to humans when it comes to sex, and perhaps also to orgasm. In fact, a good deal of what we know about what happens in our brains during orgasm comes from the laboratory...

We're developing the world's first vaccine suitable for humans and livestock

By Warimwe Warimwe

If ever there were proof that humans are animals too, its in the diseases that we share with other species. From rabies and Zika to Ebola and bird flu, many deadly diseases around the world can pass between animals and...

Uber drivers strike: Organizing labour in the gig economy

By Arvind Magesan

In recent weeks, Uber is alleged to have lowered wages and raised prices to gain the favour of capital markets ahead of its May 9 Initial Public Offering (IPO), the largest one in years. This alleged change to fee...

The Green New Deal is going global

By Kyla Tienhaara

Its the third period of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs and were trailing, badly. Its time to pull the goalie and send out the top forward line. We dont know if we can actually win, but were going to give it everything...

How the major parties stack up on industrial relations policy

By Sarah Kaine Et Al

Today we kick off a four-part election series on wages, industrial relations, Labor and the union movement ahead of the 2019 federal election. You can read an analysis of Labors living wage policy here. Industrial...

What are the major parties promising on health this election?

By Stephen Duckett

The major parties manifestos for the 2019 federal election present voters with starkly contrasting health policies. These policies are shaped and constrained by the overall themes presented by the party leaders, but have...

On rate-cut Tuesday, here are four reasons why the Reserve Bank shouldn't jump

By Mark Crosby

Every first Tuesday of every month but January the Reserve Bank Board meets to decide whether to adjust interest rates. It announces its decision at 2.30 pm eastern time. It ought to be an easy decision. Officially, the...

El Niño has rapidly become stronger and stranger, according to coral records

By Mandy Freund Et Al

The pattern of El Niño has changed dramatically in recent years, according to the first seasonal record distinguishing different types of El Niño events over the last 400 years. A new category of El...

Move away from a car-dominated city looks radical but it's a sensible plan for a liveable future

By Hussein Dia

More shared spaces, safer streets and fewer cars in the city are all part of a newly released ten-year plan by the City of Melbourne. This evening, Town Hall will consider the ambitious draft transport strategy that would...

Inside the story: The Merger - a sports film as a vehicle for social change

By Craig Batty

Why do we tell stories, and how are they crafted? In a new series, we unpick the work of the writer on both page and screen. Set against the political backdrop of Australias refugee policy and the racism it generates,...

Apocalypse Now turns 40: rediscovering the genesis of a film classic

By Alfio Leotta

The ocean rushes below as suddenly the LOUDSPEAKERS BLARE out Wagners Ride of the Valkyries. So reads the screenplay for the 1979 war movie Apocalypse Now. It describes the sequence in which a squadron of American...

Game of Thrones: teasing hints from Welsh language and legends have been hiding in plain sight

By David Callander Et Al

The events of medieval Britain were a major source of inspiration for the world of Westeros in Game of Thrones. The Wall in the North, for example, was inspired by Hadrians Wall and massacres like the Red Wedding have...

Local radio is plugging gaps in South Africa's mainstream media coverage

By Franz Krüger

Beyond the choreographed photo opportunities and big rallies, there is a local dimension to South Africas election campaign that is going largely unnoticed by the national media. As a result, important insights into...

How Sudan's economic crisis had a role in protests that toppled al-Bashir

By Peter Robert Woodward

The trigger for the demonstrations that brought the downfall of President Omar al-Bashir in April was the trebling of the price of bread last December. It came after a major devaluation of the Sudanese pound in an effort...

State of the states: more preference deals as pre-polling begins

By Chris Aulich Et Al

Our state of the states series takes stock of the key issues, seats and policies affecting the vote in each of Australias states. Well check in with our expert political analysts around the country every week of the...

Addressing food insecurity in the digital age

By Laxmi Pant

In the search for food whether through foraging, hunting or agriculture we are constantly at war with nature. In addition, food is distributed unequally: over 800 million people experience hunger while two billion are...

Why is peace failing in the Philippines?

By Lesley Ann Daniels

With the defeat of the Islamic State in Syria, ISIS fighters are exporting their combat to other parts of the world. One of the places theyre eyeing with interest is the Mindanao region in the southern part of the...

How to increase train use by up to 35% with one simple trick

By David Levinson Et Al

Train riders have to get to stations somehow. This is often referred to as the first mile or last mile problem. There are many technical solutions to help travellers get from home to the station and back, ranging from cars...

How hard is it to say 'no' to drugs?

By Kathryn Daley

I Need to Know is an ongoing series for teens in search of reliable, confidential advice about lifes tricky questions. If youre a teen, send us your questions about sex, drugs, health and relationships and well ask an...

We need to treat borderline personality disorder for what it really is – a response to trauma

By Patrick Walker Et Al

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a highly stigmatised and misunderstood condition. Australians with BPD face considerable barriers to accessing high-quality and affordable care, according to new research published...

Networked hatred - new technology and the rise of the right

By Mark Davis

This is an edited extract of an essay in The New Disruptors, the 64th edition of Griffith Review. Every era is defined by its sustaining myths. Among ours is surely disruption. The book that seeded the mythology,...

A guide to ensure everyone plays by the same military rules in space: the Woomera Manual

By Dale Stephens Et Al

The anti-satellite missile test carried out by India last month was a display of military capability. It told the world that India like China, the United States and Russia before it was now capable of high precision...

Pacific countries score well in media freedom index, but reality is far worse

By David Robie

When Pacific countries reflect on the state of their media today, marking World Press Freedom Day, they know the reality is much worse than the ticks they got from a global media freedom watchdog last month. Five of the...

$20 billion per year. That's how much higher superannuation could take from wages

By Brendan Coates

Stagnant wages are a huge issue in this election campaign. So it is odd that both major parties are hanging onto a policy that will take more out of workers pockets. Lifting compulsory superannuation contributions...

Vital Signs: policies come and policies go, but surely we shouldn't be subsidising inheritances

By Richard Holden

Theres an election on. Half a million of us have already voted. Theres just two weeks to go. With that comes more intense scrutiny of different policies (which is good) and disingenuous claims by those with vested...

Net zero emissions by 2050 or 2025? Depends how you think politics works

By Aled Jones

The UK should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, according to a major new report by the Committee on Climate Change, the governments official advisers. Its an ambitious target, but others say the...

Why restoring accuracy will help journalism win back credibility

By Glenda Daniels

As a journalist and a media academic, I have always assumed that Im a fairly savvy media consumer. I know when something is genuine, and when what Im looking at misinformation, disinformation and propaganda. But, during...

Threats to press freedom are taking on different forms across Africa

By George Ogola

Africa buried two of its journalists in 2018. One was killed in Somalia and the other in the Central African Republic. According to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, 54 journalists were killed around the...

Game of Thrones: Arya Stark is a very modern femme fatale

By Natasha Hodgson

Warning: this article contains spoilers about Game of Thrones, series eight, episode three… The climactic ending to the most recent episode of Game of Thrones, in which Arya Stark appears in the very nick of time...

Huawei: fears in the West are misplaced and could backfire in the long run

By Howard Yu

Western fears of Chinese telcoms giant Huawei infiltrating their technological infrastructure are rooted in fears of Chinas rise. Three of the Five Eyes Network of English-speaking states that share intelligence the US,...

Modern shamans: Financial managers, political pundits and others who help tame life's uncertainty

By Manvir Singh

Aka Manai explains that there are two kinds of people in the world: simata and sikerei. I am a simata. He is a sikerei. Sikerei have undergone transformative experiences and emerged with new abilities: They alone can...

Blockchain can help break the chains of modern slavery, but it is not a complete solution

By Martijn Boersma

Theres a good chance the device on which you are reading this contains cobalt. Its an essential metal for batteries in phones and laptops. Theres also a chance the cobalt was mined by slaves. Almost two-thirds of the...

Indonesia isn't the only country planning new cities. Why not Australia?

By Wendy Steele

The announcement that President Joko Widodos government will move Indonesias capital to another location, due to the severity of human-induced degradation in Jakarta, highlights a key tension for cities today. In the face...

Psst... wanna buy a necklace? Humans have been faking jewellery for thousands of years

By Michelle Langley

Making fake jewels isnt a modern phenomenon its a human behaviour that dates back thousands of years. New research published today suggests that traders 2,000 years ago were producing imitation amber beads, coating...

Facebook videos, targeted texts and Clive Palmer memes: how digital advertising is shaping this election campaign

By Andrew Hughes

This years election will be the first in Australia where the parties will be advertising more on social and digital platforms than traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers and magazines). There are a few key reasons for...

Four ways in which Leonardo da Vinci was ahead of his time

By Hywel Jones Et Al

Leonardo da Vinci is generally recognised as one of the great figures of the Renaissance and one of the greatest ever polymaths. As the world marks the 500th anniversary of his death, its important to look at some of the...

How did the Earth get its water? Asteroid sample gives a surprising answer

By Monica Grady

Water is essential for life on Earth and is one of our most precious natural resources. But considering how our planet formed, it is quite surprising how much water we still have. The Earth aggregated from a cloud of gas...

Asteroid dust brought back to Earth may explain where our water came from with hydrogen clues

By Maitrayee Bose

Oceans cover more than 70% of the Earths surface, and scientists argue that the planets interior also contains a lot of water. But where did all this water come from? I and my postdoc Ziliang Jin analyzed grains of the...