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Stamp duty is holding us back from moving homes – we’ve worked out how much

By Nick Garvin

This article is part of The Conversations series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. If just one state of Australia, New South Wales, scrapped its stamp duty on real-estate...

Outrage is a key performance indicator for Peter Dutton, the ‘bad cop’ of politics. But what does he value?

By Judith Brett

Lech Blaine and Peter Dutton are both from Queensland, where the political culture is tough and masculine and politics south of the border always good for a spot of confected outrage. So Blaine, author of Quarterly...

Smart meters haven’t delivered the promised benefits to electricity users. Here’s a way to fix the problems

By Ali Pourmousavi Kani Et Al

Billions of dollars are being spent worldwide to modernise electricity grids with smart meters. These meters promise to save households money by making it easier for us to understand and manage our energy use. However, our...

Online wellness content: 3 ways to tell evidence-based health information from pseudoscience

By Michelle Cohen

I drink borax! proclaims the smiling TikToker. Holding up a box of the laundry additive, she rhymes off a list of its supposed health benefits: Balances testosterone and estrogen. Its a powerhouse...

Emissions impossible? How the transport sector can help make the 2050 net-zero goal a reality

By Osman Alp Et Al

Meeting Canadas ambitious net-zero emissions target by 2050 necessitates significant technological, behavioural and systemic changes in the transportation sector, a major contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG)...

Evangelical bestsellers reveal diverse — and sometimes dangerous — ideas about morality

By Christopher Douglas

The bestselling evangelical Christian fiction of the 21st century couldnt be more morally different from itself. For example, William Paul Youngs 2007 novel The Shack is about the kidnapping, abuse and murder of a...

What does Québec want? Politicians should heed what voters have repeatedly told them

By Charles Berthelet

Questions about what Québec wants have shaped Canadian politics for decades. Its now been 30 years since Jacques Parizeau led the Parti Québécois to a majority victory in 1994. The threat of...

Almost 50% of adult South Africans are overweight or obese. Poverty and poor nutrition are largely to blame

By Thokozani Simelane

Malnutrition, in all its forms, includes undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight and obesity. South Africa has undergone a nutritional transition over the past 30...

Snakebites: we thought we’d created a winning new antivenom but then it flopped. Why that turned out to be a good thing

By Christoffer Vinther Sørensen Et Al

Snakebites kill over 100,000 people each year, and hundreds of thousands of survivors are left with long-term disabilities such as amputations. Africa, Asia and Latin America are the regions most heavily affected. The...

Economists say Australia shouldn’t try to transition to net zero by aping the mammoth US Inflation Reduction Act

By Peter Martin1

Australias top economists are pressing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese not to ape US President Joe Bidens think big approach to clean energy. Bidens so-called Inflation Reduction Act dubbed the largest climate...

Gut microbiome: meet Roseburia intestinalis — the energy-producing bacterium that helps us fight against disease

By Conor Meehan

The hundreds of species of microorganisms that comprise the microbiome all have different, unique roles. One of the important functions that takes place in the gut is the production of short-chain fatty acids. These...

Levelling up is not working as promised – our research shows why

By Abigail Taylor Et Al

The UK parliament has heard findings that levelling up arguably the Conservatives flagship policy agenda is beset by critical delays. In a report published on March 15, the public accounts committee, parliaments...

Tapeworm larvae found in man’s brain – how did they get there?

By John Worthington

We have all found ourselves in a place we would rather not be, a school reunion, the never-ending work meeting or a distant relatives wedding reception. In such situations, it is often a good option to make the best of it....

Michael Gove’s extremism definition: four things about his announcement that make no sense

By Chris Allen3

The UK government has unveiled its new definition of extremism, but has raised more questions than it has answered in the process. Extremism is now defined as the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on...

Ukraine war: ten years after Putin annexed Crimea, Russia’s grip on the peninsula looks shaky

By Stefan Wolff

It is ten years since Russia illegally annexed Crimea on March 18 2014. Subsequent efforts to firmly integrate the peninsula into the Russian Federation, however, have been far from the success story that the Kremlin often...

Fuel poverty in England is probably 2.5 times higher than government statistics show

By Torran Semple Et Al

The cap set on how much UK energy suppliers can charge for domestic gas and electricity is set to fall by 15% from April 1 2024. Despite this, prices remain shockingly high. The average household energy bill in 2023 was...

Ravenser Odd: the medieval city Yorkshire lost to the sea

By Steve Simmons

April 1 2024 marks the 725th anniversary of King Edward I granting royal charters to two settlements in the north of England: Kingston upon Hull and Ravenser Odd. The first, of course, is better known as Hull, the city...

Child health is in crisis in the UK – here’s what needs to change

By Katie Harron

A new report from the Academy of Medical Sciences highlights the appalling decline in child health and a need for urgent action. In recent years, child vaccination rates have fallen well below World Health Organization...

The mystery of consciousness shows there may be a limit to what science alone can achieve

By Philip Goff

The progress of science in the last 400 years is mind-blowing. Who would have thought wed be able to trace the history of our universe to its origins 14 billion years ago? Science has increased the length and the quality...

Undersea cables for Africa’s internet retrace history and leave digital gaps as they connect continents

By Jess Auerbach Jahajeeah

Large parts of west and central Africa, as well as some countries in the south of the continent, were left without internet services on 14 March because of failures on four of the fibre optic cables that run below the...

Jury convicts father who bought the gun used in son’s Michigan mass shooting

By Thaddeus Hoffmeister

In a case of what prosecutors described as gross negligence, a Michigan jury convicted James Crumbley on charges of involuntary manslaughter for his role in his sons deadly rampage at Oxford High School nearly three years...

How ‘Dune’ became a beacon for the fledgling environmental movement

By Devin Griffiths

Dune, widely considered one of the best sci-fi novels of all time, continues to influence how writers, artists and inventors envision the future. Of course, there are Denis Villeneuves visually stunning films, Dune:...

Trump wouldn’t be the first presidential candidate to campaign from a prison cell

By Thomas Doherty

The first trial ever of a former president, the so-called hush money case against former president and likely GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, is scheduled to begin with jury selection in New York on March 25, 2024,...

Did Biden really steal the election? Students learn how to debunk conspiracy theories in this course

By David Cason

Title of course: Debunking conspiracy theories What prompted the idea for the course? I am interested in how people internalize or learn about political beliefs they go on to adopt. This interest coincided with my...

Pacemaker powered by light eliminates need for batteries and allows the heart to function more naturally − new research

By Pengju Li

By harnessing light, my colleagues and I designed a wireless, ultrathin pacemaker that operates like a solar panel. This design not only eliminates the need for batteries but also minimizes disruptions to the hearts...

What is the ‘great replacement theory’? A scholar of race relations explains

By Rodney Coates

The great replacement theory, whose origins date back to the late 19th century, argues that Jews and some Western elites are conspiring to replace white Americans and Europeans with people of non-European descent,...

Israel’s army exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox are part of a bigger challenge: The Jewish state is divided over the Jewish religion

By Michael Brenner

Just when you think nothing can surprise you anymore in Israeli politics, someone always comes along with a new twist. This time it was Yitzhak Yosef, one of Israels two chief rabbis. In response to debates over whether...

Why do airlines charge so much for checked bags? This obscure rule helps explain why

By Jay L. Zagorsky

Five out of the six biggest U.S. airlines have raised their checked bag fees since January 2024. Take American Airlines. In 2023, it cost US$30 to check a standard bag in with the airline; today, as of March 2024, it...

How meth became an epidemic in America, and what’s happening now that it’s faded from the headlines

By William Garriott

Rural America has long suffered from an epidemic of methamphetamine use, which accounts for thousands of drug overdoses and deaths every year. William Garriott, an anthropologist at Drake University, explored meths...

There’s an extra $1 billion on the table for NT schools. This could change lives if spent well

By Ruth Wallace Et Al

The federal and Northern Territory governments have just made a historic funding announcement of about A$1 billion for schools in the territory. This includes an extra $737.7 million from the federal government and an...

Ultra-fast fashion is a disturbing trend undermining efforts to make the whole industry more sustainable

By Taylor Brydges

Since the 1990s, fast fashion has enabled everyday people to buy the latest catwalk trends. But the sheer volume of garments being whipped up, sold and soon discarded is contributing to a global sustainability...

Love, loss and tears – but also laughter: Belvoir’s compelling and skilful staging of Holding the Man

By Huw Griffiths

Walking through Chippendale on my way to Sydneys Belvoir Street Theatre, where this production of Holding the Man is playing, I pass by the York Theatre. This was the theatre where, in 1985, Timothy Conigrave, author of...

Lost in translation: the geopolitical risks of declining foreign language learning in Australia and NZ

By Geoffrey Miller Et Al

As the 2024 academic year begins in Australia and New Zealand, optimism over the state of foreign language learning at universities is in short supply. Languages have taken a post-pandemic battering. In 2023 alone, New...

What is minoxidil, the anti-balding hair growth treatment? Here’s what the science says

By Jacinta L. Johnson Et Al

Hair loss (also known as alopecia) often affects the scalp but can occur anywhere on the body. Its very common and usually nothing to worry about; about half of Australian men show signs of visible baldness at age 50 and...

Housing policies need to fully consider market dynamics to move beyond ‘tall and sprawl’ cities

By Dawn Parker

The federal Task Force for Housing and Climate recently released its final recommendations for solving Canadas housing crisis. The Blueprint for More and Better Housing contains suggestions for adding new affordable and...

In France, abortion rights and hijab bans highlight a double standard on women’s rights

By Roshan Arah Jahangeer

The French parliament recently voted in favour of enshrining the right to abortion into the countrys constitution. While crowds celebrated outside, the slogan my body my choice was projected onto the Eiffel Tower in giant...

Could ADHD drugs reduce the risk of early death? Unpacking the findings from a new Swedish study

By Hassan Vally

For many, a diagnosis of ADHD, whether in childhood or adulthood, is life changing. It means finally having an explanation for these challenges, and opens up the opportunity for treatment, including medication. Although...

Meet the kowari: a pint-sized predator on the fast track to extinction

By Katherine Moseby Et Al

Australia is home to more than 350 species of native mammals, 87% of which are found nowhere else on Earth. But with 39 of these species already extinct and a further 110 listed as threatened, theres every chance many will...

What washing machine settings can I use to make my clothes last longer?

By Alessandra Sutti Et Al

Orbiting 400 kilometres above Earths surface, the astronauts on the International Space Station live a pretty normal social life, if not for one thing: they happily wear their unwashed clothes for days and weeks at a time....

Debate: The amorality of ‘Oppenheimer’

By Paul Ham

As part of the research for Hiroshima Nagasaki: The Real Story of the Atomic Bombings and Their Aftermath, published in 2013 by Penguin Random House (UK) and Pan Macmillan (US), author Paul Ham interviewed 80 survivors of...

Ukraine recap: Russian election special – and the winner will be … Vladimir Putin

By Jonathan Este

Russian voters have been heading to the polls this week. But it would be misleading to say they were voting to choose a president. Thats already been done for them itll be Vladimir Putin. If there had ever been any...

Mike Tyson is getting back in the ring at 58 – what could go wrong?

By Stephen Hughes

If at 58, I were to agree to a boxing match with a person half my age, much alarm would be caused. My daughters would burst into tears, my partner would have strong words, and my students would have final confirmation that...

Is it ethical to watch AI pornography?

By Chantal Gautier

If youre in your 20s and 30s, you probably watch pornography. Millennials and gen Z are watching more pornography than any other age group and are also more likely than any other demographic to experiment with AI...

Ukraine war: a warning for Kyiv’s western allies from the failed Polish uprising of 1830-31

By Gervase Phillips

It has been reported that the US president, Joe Biden, has managed to scrape together US$300 million (235 million) as an emergency measure to supply the Ukraine military with at least some ammunition as it struggles to...

How news organisations decide whether a photo is ‘too edited’

By Andrew Pearsall

In the era of artificial intelligence and accessible photo editing, you cant believe everything you see online. One exception, of course, is (usually) if its published by a reputable news source. The foundation of...

Ghostbots: AI versions of deceased loved ones could be a serious threat to mental health

By Nigel Mulligan

We all experience loss and grief. Imagine, though, that you dont need to say goodbye to your loved ones. That you can recreate them virtually so you can have conversations and find out how theyre feeling. For Kim...

For-profit nursing homes are cutting corners on safety and draining resources with financial shenanigans − especially at midsize chains that dodge public scrutiny

By Sean Campbell1 Et Al

The care at Landmark of Louisville Rehabilitation and Nursing was abysmal when state inspectors filed their survey report of the Kentucky facility on July 3, 2021. Residents wandered the halls in a facility that can...

Proteins in milk and blood could one day let doctors detect breast cancer earlier – and save lives

By Danielle Whitham

Doctors may someday be able to use bodily fluids to noninvasively detect breast cancer in patients earlier than is possible now. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the U.S. and is...

Robo-advisers are here – the pros and cons of using AI in investing

By Laurence Jones

Artificial intelligence (AI) is shaking up the way we invest our money. Gone are the days when complex tools were reserved for the wealthy or financial institutions. AI-powered robo-advisers, such as Betterment and...

Be wary of the ‘vibes’: positive investor sentiment doesn’t necessarily match the true value of stocks

By Jedrzej Bialkowski

Global stock prices dropped across the board late last year, by between 10% and 15% in a matter of weeks. Fears of a recession took hold after a series of interest rate increases, stubborn inflation and geopolitical...

Half the world will vote in 2024, but how many elections will be fair?

This year has been widely proclaimed to be the year of elections, with national elections expected in at least 64 countries. This means that half of the worlds population will have the opportunity to change their...

S. Korean Regulator Probes Netflix, Wavve Over Subscription Cancellation Terms

08:30 AM| Business

South Koreas antitrust regulator is conducting an on-site inspection of Netflix and Wavve, two over-the-top streaming platforms. The investigation centers on suspicions that these platforms have failed to notify users of...

Top Stories

Narendra Modi’s economy isn’t booming for India’s unemployed youth

By Ian Hall - 08:56 AM| Insights & Views Economy

India will soon hold the biggest election ever conducted, starting on April 19 and running through early June. Almost 950 million registered voters will be able to cast ballots to elect the 543 members of the Lok Sabha,...

Something felt ‘off’ – how AI messed with our human research, and what we learned

By Alexandra Gibson Et Al - 08:57 AM| Insights & Views Technology

All levels of research are being changed by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Dont have time to read that journal article? AI-powered tools such as TLDRthis will summarise it for you. Struggling to find relevant...

Why is toddler milk so popular? Follow the money

By Jennifer McCann Et Al - 08:57 AM| Insights & Views Business Economy

Toddler milk is popular and becoming more so. Just over a third of Australian toddlers drink it. Parents spend hundreds of millions of dollars on it globally. Around the world, toddler milk makes up nearly half of total...

What the Boeing whistleblower’s death reveals about exposing corporate wrongdoing in North America

By Thomas Stuart Et Al - 08:58 AM| Insights & Views Business Law

A former Boeing employee who raised concerns about the companys safety and production standards was found dead on March 9 before he could provide his final deposition in an ongoing lawsuit against Boeing. John Barnett died...

Attempts to ban TikTok reveal the hypocrisy of politicians already struggling to relate to voters

By Aidan Moir - 09:01 AM| Insights & Views Politics Technology

TikTok has been under review due to national security concerns by the Canadian federal government since September 2023. This was reported the day after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a bill potentially...

Elon Musk’s brain implant company offers an intriguing glimpse of an internet connecting human minds

By Simon Marvin Et Al - 09:02 AM| Business Technology

Elon Musks company called Neuralink, launched in 2016, aims to implant a piece of technology in peoples brains that would allow them to control a computer or phone by thought alone. This is otherwise known as a...

Econotimes Series

Economy

Budget 2024: experts react to the UK government’s last roll of the economic dice ahead of a general election

The spring budget of 2024 was widely seen as a chance for UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to inject some economic optimism into British politics ahead of a general election. Would he or wouldnt he cut income tax? (He wouldnt.)...

From micro to macro, Andrew Leigh’s accessible history covers the economic essentials – and an epic rap battle

Andrew Leighs The Shortest History of Economics is the latest in a series of such histories, mostly focused on particular countries. It begins with a striking mini-history of household lighting, focusing on the amount...

Taxes aren’t just about money – they shape how we think about each other

Taxes raising them, cutting them, creating them are useful political tools in an election year (as Chancellor Jeremy Hunts decision to cut national insurance shows). But they are always pertinent, even if some people...

Interest rates are expected to drop but trying to out-think the market won’t guarantee getting a good deal

With most economists expecting interest rates to start falling later this year, prospective home buyers might be weighing up whether to buy now for fear of strong competition for stock, or waiting until repayments are...

Wendy’s won’t be introducing surge pricing, but it’s nothing new to many industries

The recent controversy over Wendys pricing strategies is a perfect example of how online word-of-mouth can distort marketing communications and create confusion for consumers. Wendys new president and CEO Kirk Tanner...

Politics

Crypto Voters Lean Donald Trump in 2024 Election Poll: Paradigm Survey

A Paradigm survey reveals that US voters who own cryptocurrency show a tilt towards Donald Trump, with 48% supporting him compared to 39% for Joe Biden. The poll, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies with 1,000...

3 things to watch for in Russia’s presidential election – other than Putin’s win, that is

Russians will vote in a presidential election from March 15-17, 2024, and are all but guaranteed to hand Vladimir Putin a comfortable victory, paving the way for him to remain in power until at least 2030. While the...

Ireland referendums: what went wrong for the government and why double defeat draws a line under a decade of constitutional reform

Ireland, more than any other EU country, has a long and colourful history of referendums. Another chapter in that history has played out in the form of resounding defeats for two government proposals aimed at modernising...

Artdocfest is a crucial outpost of free expression on Russia’s doorstep

On the day of the funeral of Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putins most prominent opponent, the biggest festival of documentary film in the former Soviet countries opened in Latvia with a minutes silence. Artdocfest Rigas...

A beginner’s guide to the taxes you’ll hear about this election season

National insurance, income tax, VAT, capital gains tax, inheritance tax… its easy to get confused about the many different ways we contribute to the cost of running the country. The budget announcement is the key...

Science

Our survey of the sky is uncovering the secrets of how planets are born

When we look out to the stars, it is typically not a yearning for the distant depths of outer space that drives us. When we are looking out there, we are truly looking back at ourselves. We try to understand our place in...

Archeoastronomy uses the rare times and places of previous total solar eclipses to help us measure history

Total solar eclipses have fascinated and terrified people for centuries. Today, we know that total solar eclipses like the upcoming eclipse on April 8 are caused by a cosmic coincidence when the moon comes between the...

Spacesuits need a major upgrade for the next phase of exploration

Humans have long dreamed of setting foot on the Moon and other planetary bodies such as Mars. Since the 1960s, space travellers have donned suits designed to protect them from the vacuum of space and stepped out into the...

The brightest object in the universe is a black hole that eats a star a day

Scientists have no reported evidence of the true conditions in Hell, perhaps because no one has ever returned to tell the tale. Hell has been imagined as a supremely uncomfortable place, hot and hostile to bodily forms of...

The brain is the most complicated object in the universe. This is the story of scientists’ quest to decode it – and read people’s minds

In the middle of 2023, a study conducted by the HuthLab at the University of Texas sent shockwaves through the realms of neuroscience and technology. For the first time, the thoughts and impressions of people unable to...

Technology

Ford Plans $25K Electric Pickup, SUV to Counter Chinese EV Influence

Ford shifts its focus to affordable electric vehicles, announcing plans for a new platform. CEO Jim Farley highlights the importance of competitiveness amidst Chinese rivals. Ford CEO Jim Farley Warns of Chinese...

Shiba Inu Eyes 10% Dip Before Surge, Boasts $16.42B Cap Amid Volatility

Shiba Inu (SHIB) anticipates a potential 10% price correction for a liquidity sweep, even as it demonstrates remarkable market resilience with a $16.42 billion capitalization amid fluctuating trading conditions. Shiba...

Grab's Game-Changer: Crypto Payments Launch in Asia's Premier Super App

In a landmark move, Grab, the leading super app in Asia, has announced its partnership with Triple-A to introduce cryptocurrency payments, marking a significant milestone in digital finance within the region. Grab...

Rivian Joins Tesla's Supercharger Network, Boosting Electric Vehicle Accessibility

Rivian, the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has integrated its vehicles into Teslas Supercharger network, adding to the accessibility of charging stations for EV owners. This move follows Fords recent inclusion in...

Binance Targets Insider Trading, Offers $5M Reward for Whistleblowers in BOME Case

In response to allegations of insider trading involving the BOME token listing, Binance has set a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the identification of perpetrators, reinforcing its commitment to...
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