How Asian immigrants to the U.S. resisted pressures to assimilate, creating a vibrant American suburbia
By Bianca Mabute-Louie
This article is adapted from UNASSIMILABLE: An Asian Diasporic Manifesto for the 21st Century by Bianca Mabute-Louie (HarperCollins, January 2025). I grew up in San Gabriel Valley also referred to as SGV or the 626. SGV...
What to do if your partner wants to speak to your baby in a language you don’t understand
By Una Cunningham
Finding out you and your partner are expecting a baby throws many discussions that might have once been hypothetical into stark relief. This certainly may be the case if your partner speaks another language beyond the one...
The heart is symbol of love – things weren’t always like that
By Michelle Spear
Valentines Day is all about the hearts: heart-shaped chocolates, cards, balloons and even pizza. But the heart hasnt always just been a symbol of romance. Across cultures and centuries, the heart has been revered as the...
How to cope with romantic rejection – a psychologist’s advice
By Veronica Lamarche
Has a romantic partner, or someone you had a crush on, ever hurt your feelings? Youre far from alone. Very few people can boast a 100% success rate when it comes to attracting love interests. And even for those who have...
Can the president really kill off the penny – and should he?
By Jay L. Zagorsky
In the middle of Super Bowl LIX, President Donald Trump posted on social media that he was getting rid of the penny. Since the lowly penny in 2024 cost about 3.7 cents to make meaning the government loses money on every...
Decentralised social media offers an alternative to big tech platforms like X and Meta. How does it work? Podcast
By Gemma Ware1
When Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, many users looked for alternatives, fuelling a wave of online migration from the social media platform. Musk says hes using Twitter, now named X, to champion free speech and that...
USAID’s freeze has thrust the entire global aid system into uncertainty
By Borja Santos Porras
The Trump administrations decision to suspend USAID workers for 90 days and pause most of its international aid work has rocked the foundations of the global aid system. The move, which has sparked outrage in the...
Power to the people: a new book reveals the true story of how Australian democracy works
By Amanda Dunn
When I was a child, I lived in a very politically engaged household. My parents were always talking politics, and my dad in particular was often growling at the television when the face of someone he disagreed with...
Here’s why some people still evade public transport fares – even when they’re 50 cents
By Milad Haghani Et Al
Public transport in Queensland now costs just 50 cents. Yet in the first six months of the trial, its been revealed that thousands of commuters were fined for fare evasion. More than 3,000 people received fines of A$322...
Heads vs tails? A simple coin flip can be enough to change how we treat others
By Eliane Deschrijver Et Al
Imagine you are asked to give a small amount of money to a stranger. Its not your money, so it doesnt cost you anything. Youre just deciding how much they get. But first, a pair of coins is flipped one for you and one for...
Inflation is heating up again, putting pressure on Trump to cool it on tariffs
By Jason Reed
Inflation figures released on Feb. 12, 2025, will come as a disappointment to Americans who hoped President Donald Trump would be true to his word on bringing down prices on Day One. It will also put pressure on the new...
Why federal courts are unlikely to save democracy from Trump’s and Musk’s attacks
By Maya Sen
State governments, community groups, advocacy nonprofits and regular Americans have filed a large and growing number of federal lawsuits opposing President Donald Trumps barrage of executive orders and policy statements....
How Valentine’s Day was transformed by the Industrial Revolution and ‘manufactured intimacy’
By Christopher Ferguson
When we think of Valentines Day, chubby Cupids, hearts and roses generally come to mind, not industrial processes like mass production and the division of labor. Yet the latter were essential to the holidays history. As a...
Do parties win elections because of their leaders, or in spite of them? History shows it’s a bit of both
By Pandanus Petter Et Al
The upcoming federal election will see the incumbent Labor prime minister, Anthony Albanese, face off against Liberal opposition leader, Peter Dutton. Well likely see a strong focus on the personal qualities and...
The Paris AI summit marks a tipping point on the technology’s safety and sustainability
By Robert Diab
United States Vice President JD Vance made headlines this week by refusing to sign a declaration at a global summit in Paris on artificial intelligence. In his first appearance on the world stage, Vance made clear that the...
Why ‘low carbon’ roses are flown around the world
By Will de Freitas
As you read this, planes full of roses are heading from east Africa and South America to almost every corner of the world. If you buy someone a rose this Valentines Day, it may be in the air right now or perhaps in a...
Kendrick Lamar’s big Super Bowl moment
By Christina L. Myers
In the September 2024 NFL ad announcing Kendrick Lamar as the halftime performer at Super Bowl 59, the 37-year-old rapper stands before a colossal American flag, feeding footballs into a machine that launches the balls to...
Trump’s push to shut down USAID shows how international development is all about strategic interests
By Nelson Duenas
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is on the verge of being shut down by United States President Donald Trumps administration. On Feb. 4, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the agency would be...
Current cultural citizens: the importance of creating spaces in art galleries for young people
By Naomi Zouwer Et Al
Galleries and art museums can be intimidating and alienating even for adults. Imagine it from a childs point of view. Stern security guards in uniforms stationed the doors, bags checked, snacks banned and people hushed....
Habitat restoration is a long-haul job. Here are 3 groups that have endured
By Nigel Tucker
TREAT volunteers planting trees TREAT Like ferns and the tides, community conservation groups come and go. Many achieve their goal. Volunteers restore a local wetland or protect a patch of urban bush and then hang up the...
The transformation of Jordan Mailata: from rugby league in Sydney to a second NFL Super Bowl
By Justin Keogh Et Al
Jordan Mailata is an Australian-born NFL star who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles as an offensive left tackle. This position favours very tall, heavy and strong athletes who also possess good footwork, agility and...
Do investment tax breaks work? A new study finds the evidence is ‘mixed at best’
By Kerrie Sadiq Et Al
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released a discussion paper this week on investment tax breaks. The study looks at whether tax incentives, such as instant asset write-offs for utes, boost business investment. Business...
A new school year can see friendships change – this is tough on kids, but parents can help
By Karyn Healy
The start of the school year means new classes, routines, after-school activities and sometimes even a new school. This can be a really exciting time for kids, but these changes can also disrupt existing friendships....
Trump’s Gaza and Ukraine plans come under the spotlight
By Jonathan Este
Steve Bannon may no longer be in Donald Trumps inner circle, but the newly reinstated US president appears to be adhering to a dictum the conservative disrupter-in-chief outlined back in 2018 as he reflected on his role in...
Fines for term-time holidays are at record levels – this will further erode trust between parents and schools
By Charlotte Haines Lyon
Recently released government statistics show a record number of fines were given to parents for their childrens absence from school in 2023-24 in England. Of the 487,344 fines issued, 91% were for unauthorised family...
Gaza: we analysed a year of satellite images to map the scale of agricultural destruction
By Lina Eklund Et Al
The ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas makes provisions for the passage of food and humanitarian aid into Gaza. This support is much needed given that Gazas agricultural system has been severely damaged over the...
The hidden truth about migrant deaths at the Canada-U.S. border
By Julie Young Et Al
The return of Donald Trump as United States president has sparked new security measures along the Canada-U.S. border. After Trump threatened to slap tariffs on Canadian imports if irregular migration and illegal drugs were...
Donald Trump’s tariff wallop demonstrates the brute power of an imperial presidency
By Daniel Drache Et Al
As promised, United States President Donald Trump has imposed punishing tariffs on all exports from Canada and Mexico, leading to retaliatory tariffs from Canada. Canadas closest ally has torn up the Canada-U.S.-Mexico...
Podcasts have helped sway many young American men to the right. The same may well happen in Australia
By Raffaele F Ciriello Et Al
The 2024 US presidential election saw a historic shift to the right, driven by the largest swing of young male voters in two decades. Analysts attribute this partly to podcasters like Joe Rogan, whose unfiltered,...
KiwiSaver shakeup: private asset investment has risks that could outweigh the rewards
By Aaron Gilbert
New Zealands superannuation is no longer enough to live on for the countrys retirees. Research has found people need hundreds of thousands in savings to live a comfortable life after work. But the KiwiSaver scheme,...
Online performance reviews: How technology has changed manners and etiquette
By George Kassar
As we settle into the new year, one meeting often weighs heavily on the minds of employees: the performance appraisal review. For some, its a time of validation and recognition, while for others, it brings a mix of...
How political polarization informed Mexico’s protests against femicide
By Arturo Tejeda Torres
Between 2015 and 2024, more than 8,000 women were killed in Mexico because of their gender. These crimes are referred to as femicides and, unlike homicides, are not the consequence of private or personal disputes. Instead,...
Students cheating with generative AI reflects a revenue-driven post-secondary sector
By Salmaan Khan
The higher education sector continues to grapple with the advent of generative artificial intelligence (genAI), with much of the concern focused on ethical issues around student misconduct. GenAI models such as ChatGPT...
Lake beds are rich environmental records — studying them reveals much about a place’s history
By Hamid Ghanbari Et Al
Canada has more lakes than any other country in the world, with a huge diversity of lake sizes, depths, shapes, water chemistries, underlying geologies and hydrologies (the waters that flow in and out of them). Sediments...
Syrian regime change: How rebel victories often lead to unstable, non-inclusive governments
By Sally Sharif
Syrias rebel leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has defended his decision to fill his cabinet with wartime loyalists and delay constitutional and electoral processes, describing these moves as pragmatic necessities for the countrys...
Sudan war: ethnic divisions are being used to cover up army failures – peace scholar
By Jan Pospisil
Sudans civil war has devastated the country and strained relations with neighbouring South Sudan. Events in January 2025 have stirred up xenophobic feelings in Sudan and outrage in its southern neighbour, heightening the...
Education in Zimbabwe has lost its value: study asks young people how they feel about that
By Kristina Pikovskaia
Education, especially higher education, is a step towards adulthood and a foundation for the future. But what happens when education loses its value as a way to climb the social ladder? What if a degree is no guarantee of...
Burkina Faso’s nature reserves are worth protecting – but people have to be part of the plan
By Razak Kiribou
Burkina Faso is a west African dryland country known for its diverse ecosystems, including savannas, forests and wetlands. Large herbivores like elephant, giraffe and hippopotamus, and predators like lions, leopards and...
Albanese will pitch to blue collar men with heavy warnings on Dutton’s workplace policies
By Michelle Grattan
Anthony Albanese has outlined his pitch to improve his and his governments standing among men, as he insists he can hold onto majority government at the election to be held in April or May. In a wide-ranging interview on...
Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico amp up the risk of a broader trade war
By Markus Wagner
Its official. On February 1, US President Donald Trump will introduce a sweeping set of new 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. China will also face new tariffs of 10%. During the presidential campaign, Trump...
Can aching joints really predict the weather? Exploring the science behind the stormy debate
By Michelle Spear
For centuries, people have claimed that their aching joints can predict changes in the weather, often reporting increased discomfort before rain or cold fronts. Given the scale and duration, there is a sense of legitimacy...
DeepSeek claims to have cured AI’s environmental headache. The Jevons paradox suggests it might make things worse
By Peter Howson
AI burns through a lot of resources. And thanks to a paradox first identified way back in the 1860s, even a more energy-efficient AI is likely to simply mean more energy is used in the long run. For most users, large...
Leonardo da Vinci’s incredible studies of human anatomy still don’t get the recognition they deserve
By Michael Carroll
Wikimedia, CC BY-SA The mere mention of Leonardo da Vinci evokes genius. We know him as a polymath whose interests spanned astronomy, geology, hydrology, engineering and physics. As a painter, his Mona Lisa and Last Supper...
What happened in the German parliament and why is the far right hailing it as a ‘historic’ moment?
By Ed Turner
A vote in Germanys national parliament (Bundestag) has led to fears that the firewall supposedly separating mainstream political parties and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been blown apart. Until now,...
AI gives nonprogrammers a boost in writing computer code
By Leo Porter Et Al
What do you think there are more of: professional computer programmers or computer users who do a little programming? Its the second group. There are millions of so-called end-user programmers. Theyre not going into a...
One of the largest searches for alien life started 30 years ago. Its legacy lives on today
By Phil Edwards
In February 1995, a small research organisation known as the SETI Institute launched what was then the most comprehensive search for an answer to a centuries-old question: are we alone in the universe? This Sunday marks...
5 years after COVID began, outstanding fines mean marginalised Australians are still paying the highest price
By Shelley J. Walker Et Al
January 25 marked five years since the first COVID case was recorded in Australia. Many of us have tried to move on quickly from the pandemic, putting lockdowns and restrictions far behind us. But for some Australians,...
From breakbeats to the dance floor: How hip-hop and house revolutionized music and culture
By Joycelyn Wilson
Producers Fast Eddie and Joe Smooth mix at DJ International Studios in Chicago in 1990. Innovation was at the forefront of house and hip-hop. Raymond Boyd/Getty Images There was a time when artists representing two of...
Watch shows together, talk about them and have dance parties: how to rebalance screen use after the holidays
By Jennifer Stokes
As January lingers on, families may find themselves struggling with what a friend of mine has labelled the electronic nanny. Children have been out of their normal routines for weeks during the holidays. Some are still yet...
Canada’s electric vehicle industry is facing existential threats — here’s how it can still flourish
By Charles Conteh Et Al
The electric vehicle (EV) industry has been one of the most defining technological trends of the past decade, transforming the automotive sector while fuelling advancements in manufacturing. Yet after billions of taxpayer...