Pursuit
World-changing research made possible by Melbourne
Welcome to Pursuit, the latest in cutting-edge research and expert commentary by world-leading experts.
More about usScience Matters
Photon teleportation: Less ‘beam me up’, more 007
The recent beaming of light particles between Earth and a satellite is a significant development in the mind-boggling field of quantum physics, but unless you have a laser telescope handy its practical applications are limited
Health & Wellbeing
Child stroke survivors have time on their side
The risk of children suffering a stroke is higher than you think, but new research is showing that with the right treatment the window for recovery is wide open
Inside Business
Why the Channel Ten brand will live on
Despite going into voluntary administration, the brand remains strong and is likely to survive the current turmoil
Re-diversifying our waterways, a garden stake at a time
University of Melbourne researchers are showing that by simply planting wooden garden stakes into rivers they can restore the environment and bring back animals
Australia’s ‘spectacular’ failure in languages
A University of Melbourne expert says more students need to learn a second language to keep up in a rapidly globalising world.
Crises in the EU: What does the future hold?
The European Union is navigating multiple challenges in the face of large debts and rising populism. University of Melbourne experts ask what the future holds.
Photon teleportation: Less ‘beam me up’, more 007
China's recent 'teleportation' of a photon between Earth and a satellite may have applications in quantum computing, says a University of Melbourne physicist.
Designing the right headspace
Many of the spaces used to treat people with mental illness are inappropriate, argues a University of Melbourne expert.
The milk of amnesia: A brief history of anaesthesia
The discovery of anaesthesia paved the way for modern surgical practice but the science continues to evolve, says a University of Melbourne expert.
Design
When building glass breaks dangerously it is a design problem
Incidents in Melbourne of ‘spontaneous’ glass breakage are more about the construction industry forgetting the lessons of the past than ‘cheap’ Chinese imports
Health & Wellbeing
How death by numbers promotes global health
Myanmar relies on its midwives to record causes of death, but like many countries the data is chronically incomplete. Now, with help from technology the midwives are doing accurate autopsies as well as delivering babies.
Humanities
Want to live forever? Here’s how
‘Communicating’ with the dead is closer than you might think, thanks to our online footprints
Animals, Food & You
Are these Australia’s happiest dairy cows?
Watch our video of the University of Melbourne’s robotic dairy, where the cows decide when they’re milked
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Politics & Society
The Policy Shop
Corruption and Australia’s Parliament
The Westminster system of government was founded on the assumption that parliamentarians would operate ethically; but today’s politicians are falling far short of this ideal, says Tony Fitzgerald QC
PodcastLegal Affairs
Should Australia have a Bill of Rights?
When considering the merits or otherwise of a bill of rights in Australia, there is much to learn from America’s constitutional amendments, even if there are newer models elsewhere
Public Affairs
Trump and the decline of the virtuous presidency
Trump’s presidency is directly at odds with the Founding Fathers’ ideals for the office to be one of virtue and dignity
Public Affairs
Crises in the EU: What does the future hold?
The European Union is navigating multiple challenges, including large debts, high youth unemployment and rising populism
The Policy Shop
To quota or not to quota
Women remain under-represented in Australian business and politics, despite the proven benefits of gender diversity
Podcast
Business & Economics
Inside Business
Lack of women in economics ‘bad for business’
Although some of Australia’s finest economic minds are women, they remain under-represented in the discipline’s highest ranks
Inside Business
Australia’s energy trilemma explained
Securing an affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy sector is a huge challenge for policy makers - here's why
Inside Business
The algorithm for accessing child care
How matching theory, the study of supply and demand, could help secure your child a spot in child care
Politics & Society
What comes after the housing boom?
After surging for five years, Australia’s hot property market may finally be cooling. So what happens if house prices fall?
Public Affairs
Why South Korea’s fresh start is good news for Australian business
After months of political scandal that saw South Korea’s former president impeached, a newly elected leader could mean big opportunities for Australia
Inside Business
Picturing the Credit Crunch
A new model provides unique insight into how the global financial crisis unfolded, in the hope of preventing a repeat
Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
The milk of amnesia: A brief history of anaesthesia
Anaesthesia has come a long way from its origins in dentistry in 1840s America, but just how it works remains a medical mystery
Health & Wellbeing
How caffeine helps premature babies breathe easy
Doctors have been using caffeine for pre-term babies since the 1990s, and new research shows the benefits last for years
Health & Wellbeing
Surviving menopause with some (self) kindness
Practising self-compassion can help manage menopausal symptoms
Health & Medicine
Epigenetics: Asking cancer the right question
One of the keys to beating cancer lies beyond our DNA, in understanding how it is regulated
Up Close
Confessions of a professional baby maker
The science behind healthier embryos and better IVF
Podcast
Sciences & Technology
Engineering & Technology
How objects could soon ‘heal’ themselves
A new 3D printed gel that can heal like living tissue, and change form in response to environments, has myriad applications from fixing cracked phone screens to adaptive camouflage
Science Matters
Re-diversifying our waterways, a garden stake at a time
For hundreds of years we’ve cleared the natural debris that builds up in our waterways, wiping out the habitats and ecologies of river animals in the process. Now a low-tech idea is bringing them back.
Engineering & Technology
Ageing in a virtual world
How older technology explorers are making waves in VR
Animals, Food & You
Measuring deliciousness
Our responses to food are more unconscious than you might think, but new technology can really tell what you like and dislike
Engineering & Technology
Nanoclay can stop cladding fires spreading
Researchers have found that treating building cladding with nano-sized particles of clay can prevent cladding fires from spreading, while significantly reducing the heat and smoke from burning
Engineering & Technology
What kind of rear window into encryption do the Five Eyes want?
An international intelligence alliance wants to weaken data encryption for everyone in a bid to stop terrorists, but does it risk leaving us more exposed?
Environment
Design
Q&A: Aspiring to an ecocity future
Urban design, planning, building and maintenance must respond creatively, appropriately and effectively to the relationship between the social and the natural at both the local and global level. But how do the needs of countries differ?
Design
Challenging the vertical sprawl
The towers crowding out the centre of Australian cities are a symptom of failed governance and planning, and it’s threatening any transition to ecocities
Design
Retrofitting suburbia
As cities continue their relentless sprawl, how do we retrofit existing suburbs to move toward a sustainable future?
Eavesdrop on Experts
Podcast: How do we become an ecocity?
Creating ecocities must now be a human priority. Australia, a nation of cities, is well-placed to contribute to this urgent global project
PodcastDesign
Ecocity snapshots from around the world
We hear from global voices about our future in the urban age: how can cities and citizens rebuild our human habitat in relation to living natural systems?
Arts & Culture
Humanities
Rebuilding cultural heritage after disaster
After an earthquake devastated the Philippines, conservators went beyond conventional cultural conservation practices and involved the local community in the restoration of their churches
Under the Microscope
Laura Woodward: The power of public art
The prize-winning kinetic sculptor and artist tells how to balance teaching with art, and making a living from your passion
Music, Arts & Screen
Small pictures, big legacy: The 9 by 5 exhibition then and now
The Victorian College of the Arts is marking one of Australia’s most influential moments in art, the 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition of 1889, which saw some of the country’s best known artists displaying on cigar box lids
Music, Arts & Screen
The myth and magic of Sgt Pepper
As music lovers worldwide mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ most celebrated album, we explore why it has stood the test of time
Humanities
Islands of language enter virtual reality
Thousands of the world’s languages are endangered, but linguists are breathing new life into them with virtual reality technology
Music, Arts & Screen
Jellyfish: Where art meets science
The other-worldly work of Penelope Davis brings art and science together in a commentary about the impact of climate change
Education
Under the Microscope
Struggling in school: Helping every student learn
Dr Shiralee Poed’s concern for students with special needs and behavioural challenges is the key driver for her work in education
Learning & Teaching
Australia’s ‘spectacular’ failure in languages
Despite living in an increasingly interconnected world, the proportion of Australia’s Year 12 students taking a language has plummeted to just 10 per cent
Health & Wellbeing
Bullied school kids left behind in learning
The first large scale study into school bullying and academic achievement finds kids targeted by bullying are well behind in their learning, and the impact is worse on girls
Education
Daring to learn how to learn
A study of over 100,000 online learners finds that learning is a skill in itself that involves being prepared to take a risk, engaging with peers and having an independent streak
Learning & Teaching
Coding in the classroom
Australian schools are about to introduce the new Digital Technologies curriculum