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Academics call for an end to immigration detention
Researchers from universities around Australia are adding their voices to the groundswell of concern about the country’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, demanding #nomoreharm
Health & Wellbeing
The blood test tracking down microscopic cancer DNA
A new blood test for cancer patients identifies microscopic cancer DNA in the blood stream – which can tell us whether chemotherapy is necessary or not
Science Matters
Lifting the lid on quantum computing
Newly developed software for learning quantum computer programming allows students to see inside the ‘black box’ and start using the ‘weird’ physics to solve problems
How music could revolutionise dementia care
An international study, led by the University of Melbourne, is bringing music in as medicine to help treat people with dementia and depression.
What the past can tell us about the future of climate change
The high temperatures of the Last Interglacial warmed our climate. Now a study with University of Melbourne finds out what the past can tell us about the future
Coercion in mental health care: Finding a new way
University of Melbourne researchers have identified practices from around the world that aim to reduce coercion in mental health care settings, for a UN report.
Women and the slowing global population
Around the world, birth rates are slowing to a more sustainable level. And a University of Melbourne expert's report says it’s women that are behind the change.
Lifting the lid on quantum computing
University of Melbourne software for learning quantum computer programming means students can see inside a quantum computer and start using the 'weird' physics.
The blood test tracking down microscopic cancer DNA
A new blood test, co-developed by the University of Melbourne, can identify microscopic cancer DNA – which can tell us whether chemotherapy is necessary or not.
Health & Wellbeing
How can heartburn end up as anaemia?
Research finds a link between some of the most popular heartburn treatments and iron deficiency, which can lead to anaemia
Science Matters
What the past can tell us about the future of climate change
For several millennia during the Last Interglacial period, temperatures were higher than pre-industrial levels and that had an impact on our climate system. But with recent dire forecasts of global warming, what can the past tell us about the future of our climate?
Health & Wellbeing
How can physios motivate us to do more physical activity?
Exercise advice is often an important part of physiotherapy treatment; but when patients are expecting a hands-on therapy instead, how can clinics manage their expectations?
Public Affairs
October surprises and the false hope of the midterms
As Justice Brett Kavanaugh joins the US Supreme Court, many progressives hope the anger over allegations against him will be reflected in the midterm elections, but is it likely?
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Business & Economics
Inside Business
Good policy vs poor politics at Outlook 2018
The 2018 Economic and Social Outlook Conference highlighted widespread concern that politics was failing to deliver the policies the country needs
Inside Business
Taking a clear look at inequality
Income inequality in Australia is relatively stable but there are pockets of disadvantage that need serious attention
Inside Business
Keeping our cities working
Making our biggest cities more efficient, affordable and accessible will raise the living standards of nearly all Australians, but it will also require some compromise
Inside Business
Making the financial industry more like a health service
The unethical conduct in financial services being exposed by Australia’s Royal Commission is the latest wake up call for the industry to refocus on the well being of its customers
Public Affairs
The great honey wars
Australia’s biggest honey company and some of the country’s largest supermarkets are facing accusations of selling ‘fake honey’. Five experts look at the impact of the allegations
Sciences & Technology
Animals, Food & You
What are we doing to our dogs?
Designer dogs, selective breeding, clones and intensive breeding are having unintended effects on the health and wellbeing of man’s best friend - so is our love of pups actually bad for them in the long run?
Science Matters
Sky hopping with Australia’s first space telescope
Innovative design is combining with new, low-cost nano-satellite technology to build Australia’s first space telescope, Skyhopper
Science Matters
A brief history of Quantum
The quantum revolution is coming, and it’s taken some big leaps of thinking from some of the biggest minds of the 20th century to get us to this point
Science Matters
Can you explain Quantum computing?
Quantum computing can be a challenging concept to get your head around - could you explain it?
Science Matters
3D scanning reveals new (but extinct) star fish
Advanced digital imaging has ‘virtually dissected’ the Derwent River Seastar, confirming it as a new but extinct species without harming remaining precious specimens
Science Matters
What has Quantum ever done for me?
Much of quantum computing exists primarily in theory. Quantum sensing, however, is already here
Health & Medicine
Inside Business
We need another revolution in the march to good health
Healthcare in Western nations is at a tipping point as populations age – our biggest hope to manage this challenge is data
Legal Affairs
Coercion in mental health care: Finding a new way
Secluding, physically restraining or overmedicating people experiencing mental health crises still happens, but countries around the world are trialling successful alternatives
Health & Wellbeing
Targeting ovarian cancer
A new discovery will help doctors deliver more targeted treatments for patients with this devastating cancer
Under the Microscope
No room for saviours in global health
Nossal Institute technical advisor, Matt Reeve, grew up in Karachi and has worked around the world, including with drug users in Myanmar and semi-nomadic communities in Kenya
Health & Wellbeing
Football finals and domestic violence
Research shows that instances of domestic violence can spike during big sporting events, and we all need to be more than spectators and call out violent behaviour
Environment
Science Matters
Engineering plants for a sustainable future
Scientists have discovered the genetic master switches for a plant’s body mass production and it brings with it the potential to produce new biomaterials and bioplastics
Science Matters
Protecting our thirsty urban trees from more harsh summers
Urban forests are great for keeping our cities cool, but as temperatures go up they need water to survive - and that’s where redirecting storm water to street trees comes in
Health & Wellbeing
How does Australia manage population growth?
Despite political commentary, Australia’s population policy is about right when it comes to managing ageing, immigration, economic development and the cities and regions
Design
Stuck in the past: Overhauling the governance of Australia’s cities
Australia needs innovative metropolitan governance for our cities in order to effectively tackle increasingly complex global issues – lessons that have already been learnt overseas
Design
Transforming informal settlements
Informal settlements house over a billion people in cities of the Global South; it’s time to maximise their potential as diverse and dynamic neighbourhoods
Science Matters
Is Australia set to follow Europe and North America with an extreme summer?
With no end in sight for the drought, bushfires already causing problems in Eastern Australia and a looming El Niño, the coming Australian summer could be a shocker
Education
Legal Affairs
It’s complicated: Academic freedom and freedom of speech
The right to academic freedom and freedom of speech on campus is a sacred one for universities, but the nature of this responsibility is often complex
Learning & Teaching
Skills education needs action, not more talk
About a quarter of Australians are in vocational education but the current system is flawed and selling us short at a critical time. Here’s how to fix it
Learning & Teaching
What school is best for your child?
Choosing the right school for your family can be daunting, but keeping a few simple tips in mind can help
Learning & Teaching
Financial anxiety widespread among university students
A major study of university students finds many are worried about their finances, struggling to combine work and study, and significant numbers are skipping necessities like meals
Learning & Teaching
Finding what really works in education
Using data and reason, rather than intuition, to decide where to invest the large sums spent globally on education, would make a huge difference to the learning outcomes of many students
Politics & Society
Eavesdrop on Experts
Why investigative journalism matters more than ever
The man who led the Boston Globe’s famous investigation into sexual abuse in the city’s Catholic Church, on why he remains optimistic about the future of investigative journalism
PodcastPublic Affairs
Searching for Democracy 2.0 without losing Democracy 1.0
Reimagining and safeguarding democracy, while charting a course between alarmism and complacency, requires new ways of thinking
Public Affairs
US Midterms: What you need to know
Historically, US midterms are not kind to the incumbent - but these elections could make the last two years of President Trump’s first term very different from his first two years
Public Affairs
Brazil elections: Is democracy itself on the ballot?
Years of turmoil and a chaotic campaign period mean the South American country’s political future is uncertain
Learning & Teaching
What do Gen X and Gen Y worry about most? Climate change.
Climate change is their number one cause for concern and they aren’t impressed by government efforts to tackle environmental challenges
Inside Business
Keeping our cities working
Making our biggest cities more efficient, affordable and accessible will raise the living standards of nearly all Australians, but it will also require some compromise
Arts & Culture
Music, Arts & Screen
How music could revolutionise dementia care
A new global study, led by the University of Melbourne, is bringing music in as medicine to treat people with dementia and depression
Eavesdrop on Experts
Celebrating synths
Synthesizers - those influencers of rock, pop and avant-garde music - are the stars of the Grainger Museum’s latest exhibition
PodcastUnder the Microscope
Turning the orchestral tide
Young musicians from the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will embark on their first international tour to Singapore and Shanghai. Among the works will be the world-premiere of Tide by composer and arranger Alice Humphries...but she won’t be there to see it
Public Affairs
Australia’s friendly history
Before governments stepped in to provide welfare, friendly societies provided vital financial and social support to many Australian communities
Health & Wellbeing
Nanette, self-deprecation and when not to use it
Hannah Gadsby has shone a light on the dark side of Australians’ fondness for self-deprecation