Photos are everywhere. What makes a good one?
By T.J. Thomson
We upload some 3 billion images online each day. We make most of these photos on smartphones and use these devices to document everything from gym progress and our loved ones to a memorable meal.
But what makes a...
Paris in spring, Bali in winter. How ‘bucket lists’ help cancer patients handle life and death
By Leah Williams Veazey Et Al
In the 2007 film The Bucket List Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two main characters who respond to their terminal cancer diagnoses by rejecting experimental treatment. Instead, they go on a range of energetic,...
Heat is coming for our crops. We have to make them ready
By Mohan Singh Et Al
Australias vital agriculture sector will be hit hard by steadily rising global temperatures. Our climate is already prone to droughts and floods. Climate change is expected to supercharge this, causing sudden flash...
Debunking myths about community housing: What governments and the public should know
By Yushu Zhu Et Al
Canadas Housing Plan is pledging an ambitious multilateral approach to build more housing, faster and cheaper, for diverse groups.
It includes noteworthy new funding programs and policies to preserve and expand...
New faith schools in England could soon allocate all their places on religious grounds
By Stephen Gorard
The government has proposed dropping the cap on faith admissions for new and existing free faith schools in England. This would mean that oversubscribed faith schools in this category those established as new academies,...
Lebanon: far-right group ‘Soldiers of God’ is exploiting the country’s unsettled past to stir sectarian tensions
By Mohamad El Kari
Since the start of the war in Gaza, Israel, Hezbollah and other armed groups in Lebanon have exchanged almost 5,000 attacks across the border. Lebanon is being pulled into a war it cannot afford. But the countrys weak...
Paris 2024 Olympics: How the Games are being used to marginalize the most vulnerable
By Umer Hussain Et Al
Athletes from around the world are gearing up for the 2024 Summer Olympics that are being held in Paris this year. While the Games are often billed as a beacon of global unity, they have historically marginalized the most...
South Africa’s plan to move away from coal: 8 steps to make it succeed
By Ricardo Amansure
The South African governments Just Energy Transition Implementation Plan was launched in November 2023. It is a roadmap guiding the country away from reliance on coal-fired power towards renewable energy alternatives by...
AstraZeneca’s COVID vaccine withdrawn – right to the end it was the victim of misinformation
By Michael Head
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was a critical part of the COVID-19 pandemic response. However, on May 7 2024, the European Commission announced the vaccine is no longer authorised for use.
This EU announcement was...
US drone warfare faces questions of legitimacy, study of military chaplains shows
By Paul Lushenko Et Al
Are drone strikes legitimate, meaning on sound moral and legal footing? How people perceive the legitimacy of U.S. drone strikes firing missiles from remotely piloted aircraft at terrorist and insurgent leaders is...
What America’s first board game can teach us about the aspirations of a young nation
By Matthew Wynn Sivils
Board games are booming: In 2023 alone, the industry topped US$16.8 billion and is projected to reach $40.1 billion by 2032.
Classics like Scrabble are being refreshed and transformed, while newer inventions such as...
Gas is good until 2050 and beyond, under Albanese gas strategy
By Michelle Grattan
The Albanese government is talking up the crucial role of gas as a transition fuel through to 2050 and beyond.
In a gas strategy to be released on Thursday, the government envisages the fuels uses would change over...
Can science explain why couples break up? The mathematical anatomy of a fall
By José-Manuel Rey Et Al
French director Justine Triets Anatomy of a Fall, winner of the 2023 Oscar for best original script, reconstructs a fatal fall in order to dissect the collapse of the romantic relationship between the films leading couple,...
Water cremation: sustainable body disposal is coming to Scotland – here are the benefits
By Georgina Robinson
Already a popular option in the US, and famously chosen by Archbishop Desmond Tutu who died in 2021, alkaline hydrolysis a sustainable method of disposing the body after death is set to be regulated in...
Flavoured vapes may produce many harmful chemicals when e-liquids are heated – new research
By Donal O'Shea
Vaping has become widely adopted as an alternative to traditional smoking. The latest figures show 4.5 million people in the UK regularly use e-cigarettes. However, there are many concerning unknowns about vapings long...
Ukraine war: Putin is using Russian children to promote his version of history on Victory Day
By Jennifer Mathers Et Al
On May 9, Russia celebrates Victory Day, commemorating the Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.
Few people who watch international news coverage of Victory Day parades and events realise that Russias...
Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections
By Gabriele Abels
Ahead of the European parliament elections in June, Germany has lowered the age limit on participation to 16. This makes it the largest of just a handful of states in the EU to allow people under the age of 18 to vote....
South Africa will be president of the G20 in 2025: two much-needed reforms it should drive
By Danny Bradlow
South Africa will play an important international role in 2025 as president of the G20. The G20 is a group of 19 countries as well as the African Union and the European Union. Between them they represent 85% of global...
Senate report on lobbying passes the buck on improving transparency or legislation
By Joo-Cheong Tham
Lobbying is at the heart of government. Who has access to and influence over key government officials shapes the decisions governments make and how they make them.
The ability to influence government is certainly...
Yes, Australia’s big supermarkets have been price gouging
By Bree Hurst Et Al
A much-awaited report into Coles and Woolworths has found what many customers have long believed Australias big supermarkets engage in price gouging.
What started as a simple Senate inquiry into grocery prices and...
How is China being taught at Australian universities?
By Minglu Chen Et Al
As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of China as this will help foster better...
Why are algorithms called algorithms? A brief history of the Persian polymath you’ve likely never heard of
By Debbie Passey
Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without...
Could Biden stop Netanyahu’s plans? A national security expert looks at Israel’s attack on Rafah
By Gregory F. Treverton
Israel entered Rafah, a city that marks Gazas southern border crossing with Egypt, on May 7, 2024, launching a military offensive that the U.S. and others have cautioned Israel not to pursue.
President Joe Biden warned...
Latin America: several countries look to combat gang violence by fighting fire with fire
By Amalendu Misra
Gangs have an enduring presence in Latin America. They have existed as power brokers, illicit economic actors and spoilers in the developmental processes of several countries. And yet, despite their power and influence,...
War in Gaza has plunged Israel’s tourism industry into a crisis it will struggle to recover from
By Samuel Scanlon
On a warm evening in April 2023, I sat outside a café in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalems Old City and enjoyed a drink with friends. An exuberant American tourist sat at the table next to us and excitedly told us...
Future pandemics will have the same human causes as ancient outbreaks
By Ron Barrett
The last pandemic was bad, but COVID-19 is only one of many infectious diseases that emerged since the turn of this century.
Since 2000, the world has experienced 15 novel Ebola epidemics, the global spread of a...
US Supreme Court upended decades of precedent in 2022 by allowing voters to vote with gerrymandered maps instead of fixing the congressional districts first
By Sam D. Hayes
For the 2022 midterm elections, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Alabama to use congressional districts that violated the law and diluted the voting power of Black citizens.
A 5-4 vote by the Supreme Court in February...
Minimum wage for South African farm workers: study shows 2013 hike helped reduce poverty even though compliance was poor
By Ihsaan Bassier Et Al
Minimum wage policies are typically aimed at reducing poverty. Yet there is little direct evidence of this effect, especially in developing countries. And none for South Africa.
In a recent paper, we consider the...
Reducing energy demand and improving efficiency will help prevent the next gas crisis
By Louis Fletcher
Gas prices have relaxed, Europe has come out of the winter with record gas storage levels and a surfeit of liquefied natural gas is set to reach the shores of Europe over the coming years. Many commentators are hopeful...
Gaza war: as ceasefire talks break down the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate
By Sarah Schiffling Et Al
As Gaza ceasefire talks hang in the balance, Israel has launched its assault on Rafah in the south of the strip, despite the remaining presence of nearly a million Palestinian civilians in the city. The Israel Defense...
If using LinkedIn makes you feel like an imposter at work, here’s how to cope
By Sebastian Oliver
When it comes to professional social media, LinkedIn, with its billion-plus members, stands unrivalled. The platform for career updates, networking and job searches has effectively become a requirement in the professional...
Cycling: The untapped potential for improving our health (and the climate)
By Kévin Jean Et Al
When the French government recently announced a plan to cut state spending by 10 billion euros, the budget for ecology, development and sustainable mobility was first on the chopping block, with cuts totalling 2.2 billion...
If the RBA’s right, interest rates may not fall for another year. Here’s why.
By Peter Martin1
The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May.
Thats a big change compared to just three months ago. Back...
How does the drug abemaciclib treat breast cancer?
By Sarah Diepstraten Et Al
The anti-cancer drug abemaciclib (also known as Vernezio) has this month been added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to treat certain types of breast cancer.
This significantly reduces the cost of...
Iran is gaining credibility in the Muslim world and feeling emboldened
By Shahram Akbarzadeh
Irans leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires on Gaza, every US veto of a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution, and every arrest of an anti-war...
Can I take your order – and your data?
By Cameron Shackell
You might have seen viral videos of Wendys drive-thru customers in the United States ordering their fast food from the firms generative AI bot Wendys FreshAI. Most show a very human-like transaction punctuated with cries...
Starliner: Boeing prepares to launch its first crewed spacecraft as it chases after SpaceX
By Gareth Dorrian
Boeings CST-100 Starliner is scheduled to make its first flight into space with astronauts on May 6, 2024. This flight and a few others will take place take under contract with Nasa, as part of a programme to transport...
Supporting ‘democracy’ is hard for many who feel government and the economy are failing them
By Matthew Wilson
Americans, it seems, can both value the idea of democracy and not support it in practice.
Since 2016, academics and journalists have expressed concerns that formerly secure democracies are becoming less democratic....
Global auditions are changing the ‘K’ in K-pop
By Tae Yeon Eom
K-pop giant JYP Entertainment recently launched VCHA, an all-female idol group composed entirely of members from Canada and the United States, who had passed auditions held in North America. The band says its members...
To make AI safe, governments must regulate data collection
By Wendy H. Wong
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced a $2.4-billion investment in artificial intelligence. Part of the funding will create an AI Safety Institute. But what is AI safety?
Many countries, including...
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at 200: Revolutionary work of art has spawned two centuries of joy, goodwill and propaganda
By Ted Olson
In early 1824, 30 members of Viennas music community sent a letter to Ludwig van Beethoven petitioning the great composer to reconsider his plans to premiere his latest work in Berlin and instead debut the symphony in...
Boeing’s Starliner is about to launch − if successful, the test represents an important milestone for commercial spaceflight
By Wendy Whitman Cobb
If all goes well late on May 6, 2024, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will blast off into space on Boeings Starliner spacecraft. Launching from the Kennedy Space Center, this last crucial test for Starliner...
Healthy teeth are wondrous and priceless – a dentist explains why and how best to protect them
By Samer Zaky
At an auction in England in 2011, one of John Lennons teeth sold for just over US$31,000.
How much are your teeth worth?
Teeth are amazing little miracles. They light up our smiles, we use them to speak and we chew...
Radical Optimism is Dua Lipa’s philosophy for dealing with life’s chaos – but radical openness is a better approach
By Joshua Forstenzer
In a teaser video for her third album, Radical Optimism, Dua Lipa explained that every track has that through-the-struggle-you-are-going-to-make-it optimistic feeling.
She has also said that the album taps into the pure...
The UK has become the world’s fourth largest exporter, but can it maintain this momentum?
By Ibiyemi Omeihe
UK business is beaming with pride with the recent news of the countrys emergence as the fourth largest exporter in the world based on the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report. The UK jumped three...
Where is the legal line between celebrity worship and stalking?
By Alexandros Antoniou
Falling under the spell of a celebrity crush is a common part of adolescence. But in the age of social media and unprecedented access to our idols, admiration can morph into harm.
In April, a woman was jailed for...
What to expect from the next generation of chatbots: OpenAI’s GPT-5 and Meta’s Llama-3
By Abdul Sadka
Recently, there has been a flurry of publicity about the planned upgrades to OpenAIs ChatGPT AI-powered chatbot and Metas Llama system, which powers the companys chatbots across Facebook and Instagram.
The technology...
US student Gaza protests: five things that have been missed
By Robert P. Jackson
Coverage of the recent student encampments at more than 50 universities across the United States has focused on confrontations between opposing groups of protesters or between protesters and police.
The spectacle of...
How much time should you spend sitting versus standing? New research reveals the perfect mix for optimal health
By Christian Brakenridge
People have a pretty intuitive sense of what is healthy standing is better than sitting, exercise is great for overall health and getting good sleep is imperative.
However, if exercise in the evening may disrupt our...
Will Solomon Islands’ new leader stay close to China?
By Priestley Habru Et Al
Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament.
The result is a mixed bag for former prime...
