Pursuit
Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
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The art and science of dance
VCA Director Professor Emma Redding wrote the world’s first masters degree in Dance Science, and has spent over two decades teaching and researching in the arts
Health & Wellbeing
A window on memory loss in Alzheimer’s
Using a miniscope to observe the brain in action, researchers find evidence that memory loss in Alzheimer’s may partly be a signalling problem
Humanities
The undoing of Roe v. Wade
The US Supreme Court decision may embolden conservative grassroots activists to continue campaigning to overturn other liberal decisions
The maths and ethics of minimising COVID-19 deaths
A University of Melbourne experts says the government must factor in the maths and ethics of either flattening the curve or an eradication endgame for COVID-19.
Modelling the spread of COVID-19
Forecasting the spread of COVID-19 including undetected cases is difficult but important; a University of Melbourne scientist has an app to track the outlook.
Why do some people believe the Earth is flat?
Although science says the Earth is round, there are some people around who still think it's flat; two University of Melbourne experts look at why.
Feral honeybees key to controlling deadly parasite
To combat the Varroa destructor parasite attacking honeybees, Australia also needs to target feral bee populations, say University of Melbourne and RMIT experts
The art and science of dance
University of Melbourne's Professor Emma Redding wrote the world’s first masters degree in Dance Science – a now growing discipline in the dance profession
How the VCA’s history can help shape Melbourne’s future
As the University of Melbourne's VCA celebrates its 50th anniversary, what lessons can Melbourne’s post-lockdown artists draw from the institution’s history?
Humanities
The making and unmaking of the East-West Link
A new book explores how Melbourne’s multi-billion dollar East-West Link that promised to knit the city together was stymied from the start
Legal Affairs
The rights and wrongs of CHOGM 2022
There’s a disparity between words and action when it comes to the Commonwealth’s record in implementing human rights
Music, Arts & Screen
Sustaining song and spirit
The decade-long Junba Project in the Kimberley has helped revitalise the public song-and-dance tradition, strengthening community spirit and the confidence of young people
Science Matters
The challenge to discover our plant and fungi species
There are still thousands of Australian plant and fungi species to be described and citizen scientists are contributing to recording our biodiversity
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COVID-19
Health & Wellbeing
How fear-appeal advertising works
The research shows that using fear in advertising can be effective in changing behaviour, but it needs to be done well
Inside Business
How Australia’s internal migrants could benefit our regions
For regional Australia to benefit from the latest wave of ‘tree and sea changers’, we need to understand the motivations and skills they’re bringing with them
Learning & Teaching
How COVID lockdowns affected our relationships
COVID-19 forced many of us to stay at home. For some this was a positive, bringing families closer together. But for others, it was lonely and overwhelming
Humanities
The rise of the digital nomad
Nomads have historically been seen as a threat, but several countries around the world are now actively seeking to attract this growing digital legion through new remote work visas
Health & Medicine
Uncovering the triggers of severe COVID-19 in kids
New research finds that proteins in the blood may tell us the triggers of severe COVID-19 in children
Arts & Culture
Music, Arts & Screen
How the VCA’s history can help shape Melbourne’s future
As the VCA celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, what lessons can Melbourne’s post-lockdown artists draw from the institution’s rich history?
Health & Medicine
What if Monet were shorter?
Altering the height of an artist’s eye level changes their perspective – but might this also alter the appeal of their paintings?
Humanities
The hidden stories in Australia’s cultural data
Digitised cultural databases are a treasure house of information that are telling us the missing stories in Australia’s cultural history
Humanities
A nomadic sense of home
Home is often understood as a fixed point in space that’s tied to territory, but nomadic communities remind us that home can be cultivated on the move
Humanities
Miniature Qur’ans and travelling manuscripts
Didar: Stories of Middle Eastern Manuscripts is a new exhibition from the Grimwade Centre bringing together themes of making and cultural knowledge
Music, Arts & Screen
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
There’s no easy answer to writing great plays but part of the magic comes from empathy, experience and all that is wondrous and strange
Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
Sport and that sense of belonging
For young people from disadvantaged families and refugee communities in Australia, participating in sport can help to create pathways to belonging
Health & Wellbeing
The new weapon against malaria’s drug resistance
Over the last 50 years, malaria parasites have developed resistance to seven drugs, but a new way to identify future antimalarials holds promise
Health & Wellbeing
Twins can face unique risks before and just after birth
Twins and other multiple birth babies face a higher risk of infant mortality, underscoring the need for specific healthcare guidelines
Legal Affairs
How to make it ok to record medical appointments
Clear processes are needed for recording medical consultations. New research aims to help patients and providers to record openly
Health & Wellbeing
Taking on blood cancer - actively
Having blood cancer can be overwhelming, but professionally-guided exercise even when unwell is safe and can boost recovery
Sciences & Technology
Animals, Food & You
The biometric data that could predict racehorse injury
Linking existing biometric data has the potential to identify and prevent racehorse injuries before they become catastrophic
Legal Affairs
Is sentience really the debate to have?
While debate over the alleged sentience of the LaMDA chatbot continues, there are bigger questions about AI’s overall lack of transparency
Science Matters
The Australian grasshopper that’s given up sex
A unique ‘matchstick’ grasshopper that’s evolved into an all-female species that doesn’t reproduce through sex gives us fascinating insights into evolution
Legal Affairs
The AI pretenders
As artificial intelligence advances, should we be concerned about robots and virtual bots pretending to be human or human like?
Science Matters
Q&A: Seeing a ‘cosmic monster’
Scientists have captured the first direct images of a giant black hole at the centre of the Milky Way - but what does it tell us?
Science Matters
What ancient pollen tells us about future climate change
Pollen preserved in rocks for more than 56 million years reconstruct Earth’s major climatic transition that caused mass plant migration
Politics & Society
Legal Affairs
Why the war in Ukraine is so hard to stop
The real cause of Russia’s invasion is the special position that Ukraine occupies in Russia’s post-imperial identity politics
Legal Affairs
Reimagining age equality at work
There’s an ambivalence in age discrimination law. Now, age equality needs a voice to ensure a more equal future in the workplace
Health & Wellbeing
The online hate for Amber Heard
A US jury has now ruled in favour of Johnny Depp, but social media had already judged Amber Heard for not being the ‘right kind’ of victim
Health & Wellbeing
Big dreams of Country and culture
A deep engagement with culture can help foster meaningful connections between educators and Indigenous young people
Legal Affairs
Overturning history
This month could see the US Supreme Court overturn the 50-year-old Roe v. Wade precedent which gave American women control over their fertility, bodies and lives
Environment
Animals, Food & You
Australia’s new government must tackle food insecurity
Australia needs to boost its capacity to weather shocks to our food security. And that’s why we need a Minister for Food
Health & Wellbeing
No butts about stopping tobacco damaging the environment
On this World No Tobacco Day, we remember another victim of the tobacco industry – the environment
Science Matters
Disconnect: Climate change and the Australian election
Climate change is one of the top issues for the majority of Australian voters, so why are the major parties ignoring it ahead of the election?
Design
Mapping climate policy
Climate policy across Australia is fragmented, but researchers are aiming to use big data to make better sense of it
Learning & Teaching
Australians more concerned about climate change than COVID-19
The top concern for most Australians is the impact of climate change and the environment
Legal Affairs
Our window is closing on a liveable future
The latest UN climate report finds that in the absence of ambitious action on climate change, the worst is yet to come for human populations
Education
Learning & Teaching
Game on for collaborative learning
Video games, collaborative tasks and explicit instruction are helping neurodiverse children learn crucial social skills
Learning & Teaching
Australians more concerned about climate change than COVID-19
The top concern for most Australians is the impact of climate change and the environment
Learning & Teaching
Is EQ more important than ever?
As we ask students to become more globally competent, the need to develop social and emotional skills – or emotional intelligence – is more essential than ever
Learning & Teaching
Nurturing nature in schools for enhanced learning
New research shows that engagement with nature can help enhance attention and memory in school children which are critical for learning
Learning & Teaching
Crafting your work to increase job satisfaction
By enabling staff to take greater control over their work while meeting company goals, job crafting helps drive greater employee engagement, wellbeing and retention
Business & Economics
Inside Business
A family breakup is a poverty trap for women
A woman’s risk of falling into poverty doubles after a separation – we need better policy to help single mothers into work
Animals, Food & You
Australia’s risky food supply chains
Australia can’t rely on industry and charities to feed people during disasters - government must lead in food security
Inside Business
How we’ve changed in 20 years
The HILDA Survey is into its 20th year and shows a changing and generally well-functioning society but also reveals the pressure points
Inside Business
Every Sherlock needs a Watson (or two)
Creatives often need colleagues to be catalysts, but how can organisations identify and foster these catalysts – and can too much become cataclysmic?
Inside Business
What’s the impact of self-control on our lives?
Greater self-control is associated with improved life outcomes including health and satisfaction
Inside Business
A third of Australians under chronic time stress
The HILDA survey suggests that not having enough time is a significant social problem with ramifications for health and wellbeing