Pursuit
Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
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When Australia’s first Environment Ambassador helped save Antarctica from mining
Australia has had a special Ambassador for the Environment since 1989, and without that first appointment, Antarctica might’ve been open to commercial mining
Legal Affairs
Three ways to avoid mega projects going way over budget
Big projects are almost always over budget, but in Australia they too often have massive cost blowouts. There are ways to fix this.
Science Matters
Victoria’s new habitat law fails to protect a tiny endangered species
A critically endangered wingless stonefly in Australia could face extinction after the government went against scientific advice
I’ve seen war and beyond the horror lies a shared humanity
Being a humanitarian worker in conflict exposes you to the worst and best of humanity says University of Melbourne expert on International Women's Day.
Dodging disease and death in the first US presidential debate
A University of Melbourne expert says the first US presidential debate didn’t have a winner but was a testimony to dire political discourse without compassion.
A corrupt contest - how sport is fighting the fixers
As corruption becomes increasingly commonplace in sport, how much can fans trust what they see from the grandstand or on TV?
What you need to know about new treatments for children with peanut allergies
Three in 100 Aussie kids have a peanut allergy. New University of Melbourne research is investigating the benefits of new treatments and their value for money.
Three ways to avoid mega projects going way over budget
Big projects are almost always over budget, but in Australia the cost often blows out hugely. There are ways to fix this says a University of Melbourne expert
When Australia’s first Environment Ambassador helped save Antarctica from mining
An excerpt from Climate Politics in Oceania, from Melbourne University Press, describes the role Australia's Environment Ambassador played in saving Antarctica
Health & Wellbeing
Could your GP prescribe a Parkrun instead of a pill?
‘Social prescribing’ is a growing area where health professionals connect patients to non-medical services and activities to benefit their wellbeing
Science Matters
Once just a speck of light, now revealed as the biggest known galaxy in the early Universe
Detailed pictures of one of the first galaxies show growth in the early Universe was much faster than first thought
Humanities
Australia’s media isn’t accurately reporting all sides of the Murray-Darling Basin debate
A lack of balance in media reporting may have harmed public perception of environmental water allocations in the Murray-Darling – and Indigenous custodians barely get a look in
Go Figure
Why is there a shortage of oestrogen patches in Australia… again?
Many people rely on hormone replacement therapy during menopause or gender-affirming hormone therapy – but the recurring national shortages of patches look set to continue
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Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
Is menopause bad for your mental health?
A new Lancet series challenges the long-held view that links menopause and poor mental health – finding no evidence of a universal or uniform increase in risk
Health & Wellbeing
People with experience of mental health conditions should be paid to help others
The expertise of people with lived experience of mental health conditions should be employed to help turbocharge system-wide reform
Health & Wellbeing
A hearing aid could extend your brain function by years
New research shows hearing aids can stabilise cognitive function for at least three years for older adults with hearing loss
Health & Medicine
A new monitoring tool is making vaccine rollouts safer
Researchers are using large datasets to investigate rare vaccine side effects and respond to community concerns faster
Health & Wellbeing
The key to young-onset bowel cancer may be gut bacteria
We don’t yet understand why rates of bowel cancer have doubled in young people, but new research finds DNA damage caused by gut bacteria may be part of the puzzle
Politics & Society
Legal Affairs
I’ve seen war and beyond the horror lies a shared humanity
Being a humanitarian worker in conflict zones exposes you to the worst and best of humanity, showing us there’s more that unites us than divides us
Design
‘Forcing’ workers into the office misses the point
In 2024, there is still a place for physical workspaces – but employers need to think carefully about when and how to use them
Legal Affairs
The Facebook trick online gambling is using to target Australians
New research has found some overseas online casinos are illegally targeting Australians using Facebook ads – and it’s a big problem
Humanities
A new Australia Day for everyone
26 January is a divisive and illogical date to celebrate our country. An alternative date acknowledges Indigenous history while also reflecting modern Australia
Legal Affairs
How does the International Court of Justice differ from the International Criminal Court?
The Hague has two international courts that deal with genocide, but they have very different remits
Humanities
Local responses to global nomads
From Bali to Barcelona, digital nomads are increasing, but they’re not always welcomed by the local communities who live there
Arts & Culture
Humanities
Lunar New Year is all about food, family, food, peacebuilding and food
Lunar New Year brings people together, but it’s the food that connects them
Engineering & Technology
‘Anti-hero’: A philosophical take on Taylor’s existential authenticity
Taylor Swift fans adore her authenticity, but what does it actually mean to be ‘authentic’ when you are a mega-celebrity in the digital age?
Humanities
‘The Man’: Taylor’s feminism could go so much further
Taylor Swift’s ‘The Man’ promotes the idea of women being given the same standards as men, we should instead focus on not making ‘alpha male’ the standard
Humanities
‘...Ready for it?’: How Taylor is changing modern society
Celebrities – like Taylor Swift – are increasingly lending their fame to socio-political issues, taking their fans with them and blurring the line between celebrity and activism
Legal Affairs
‘Picture to burn’: The law probably won’t protect Taylor (or other women) from deepfakes
Legal redress is hard if you fall victim to an AI-generated pornographic and abusive deepfake
Sciences & Technology
Science Matters
Diverse role models and mentors are helping women in STEM succeed
To mark International Women’s Day, a chemist and a physicist discuss the challenges of careers in male-dominated fields and the women who inspire them
Science Matters
From ‘honey laundering’ to fake free-range: food fraud costs billions
Deception in our food chains is on the rise and often hard to detect. Here are some things consumers can look for, but we still need earlier interventions
Science Matters
Scientists and government agencies are targeting mosquitoes with bacteria
The Wolbachia bacterium prevents mosquitoes from spreading dengue fever – and now a new strain is protecting people in Malaysia
Science Matters
Reptiles are helping us better understand threats to Australia’s biodiversity
A new study explores how bushfires and land clearing are influencing the environmental preferences of some of Australia’s unique reptiles
Science Matters
A biobank freezes Australian species for the future
By freezing the cells of living animals, researchers and museums are working together to safeguard Australia’s wildlife
Science Matters
The breeding trap targeting Melbourne’s growing mozzie problem
A mosquito trap that could significantly reduce egg numbers may be the answer to controlling mosquito-borne diseases – like the Buruli ulcer – in Victoria
Environment
Science Matters
Do you have a chorus of crickets in your backyard? Here’s why
There’s an explosion of crickets and other insects in Melbourne, here’s why we should embrace these swarms as a cycle of nature
Science Matters
Fighting to save our Aussie bees – one bee hotel at a time
Wattle Fellow Clancy Lester is on a mission to save Australia’s native bees by working with Indigenous communities and spreading the word about bee hotels
Health & Wellbeing
We aren’t all equal when it comes to climate vulnerability
A new index measures the social vulnerability of communities in the face of climate change in Australia – and finds inequalities across the country
Science Matters
We are not tracking the impact of half the world’s mines
Global mapping of mining areas using satellite imagery reveals a stunning lack of data on mining activity and impacts
Science Matters
“I’ll never forget the first iceberg we saw”
Animal scientist Dr Kristy DiGiacomo switched goats for penguins when she travelled to Antarctica as part of a global women in STEMM leadership program
Business & Economics
Inside Business
By investing in women now, we will accelerate progress
This year’s International Women’s Day underscores the enormous potential return on investment from backing women
Inside Business
How a First Nations’ approach in marketing is helping to decolonise healthcare
Marketing, traditionally associated with branding and sales, now holds immense potential as a catalyst for social change
Inside Business
It’s time for boards to get serious about impact
While many corporate boards see the need to engage with environmental and social issues, they’re falling short on reforms that put people and the planet first
Inside Business
More Australian adult children are living with their parents longer
Australian parents are waiting longer for an empty nest as their adult children are living under the same roof for longer, finds the annual HILDA survey
Inside Business
Too many Aussies are starting a family and raising their kids in poverty
New research finds that the birth of a first child reduces household income and increases the risk of disadvantage
Inside Business
Vaping is ‘a young person phenomenon’ in Australia
For the first time, the annual HILDA survey has explored who is using vapes and e-cigarettes. And it’s Australia’s young people getting hooked
Education
Engineering & Technology
Australian universities must prioritise Indigenous engineers
Indigenous ingenuity has all the hallmarks that modern engineers strive for – and Australia universities must shift their higher education paradigm
Health & Wellbeing
Three things schoolkids need to succeed
The keys to school readiness are hearing, vision and communication, and early intervention can make all the difference
Learning & Teaching
Blind faith in Australia’s education ‘system’ is failing our kids
To improve Australia’s education system, we need to move away from the idea that the basic features of education are fixed
Learning & Teaching
Do on-screen teachers help or hinder real-life recruitment?
The government’s ‘Be That Teacher’ campaign aims to help address Australia’s teacher shortages, but film and TV stereotypes tell a different story
Inside Business
Changing the cost of some uni degrees didn’t change students’ minds
New research finds that hikes in the cost of some university degrees had limited impact on students’ choices