Anthropocene vs Meghalayan: why geologists are fighting over whether humans are a force of nature
Aug 13, 2018 15:16 pm UTC| Insights & Views
The Earth discovered it was living in a new slice of time called the Meghalayan Age in July 2018. But the announcement by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) confused and angered scientists all around the...
Music hasn't had a defining #MeToo moment ... yet
Aug 13, 2018 15:16 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life
Its now ten months since the #MeToo wave broke over Hollywood, with Harvey Weinstein at its centre. Similar revelations have shaken comedy with Bill Cosby the most notable example and sexism in the political realm has...
Republicans may be panicking over Ohio's special election results
Aug 13, 2018 15:15 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Ohios special election to fill the seat of retiring Republican Congressman Pat Tiberi was too close to call by the morning after the election. Republican Troy Baldersons lead was less than 1 percent ahead of his opponent,...
How 'Big History' can save the world
Aug 13, 2018 15:15 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
The term Big History was coined in the early 1990s by the historian David Christian of Macquarie University. It is nothing if not ambitious, aiming to integrate human history with the deeper history of the universe. The...
Our workplaces are filthy and it's costing us all
Aug 13, 2018 15:14 pm UTC| Insights & Views Business
The typical office desk is home to over 10 million bacteria, 400 times more than a toilet seat. Other studies have revealed people dont wash their hands, and surfaces from taps to elevator buttons are officially...
Why some veterans feel alienated on campus and how universities can help
Aug 13, 2018 15:14 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy
Some veterans say they find campus alienating, dont feel they belong and fail to disclose their military status when they enrol, according to one of the first snapshots of Australian veterans experience of...
Sapphire secrets: they aren't all blue, and mining them requires luck plus labour
Aug 13, 2018 15:13 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
My favourite gem is an occasional series where we ask a scientist to share the fascinating geological and social features of a beautiful rock. Part 1 is here. I first remember seeing sapphires as a teenager in a...
South Africa’s plan to move away from coal: 8 steps to make it succeed
Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects