Pursuit
Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
Welcome to Pursuit
More about usAnimals, Food & You
A question of quinoa
Traditional knowledge from the Andes is inspiring research on quinoa flowering to develop future breeding programs
Health & Wellbeing
Why some women are dying for getting their period
Menstrual taboos have serious implications and consequences on women, with restrictions enforced on a woman’s daily life, impacting her health and freedoms
Public Affairs
Mike Baird: The value of authenticity
The McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership recognises those who’ve driven change though visionary leadership. Former NSW premier Mike Baird says leaders need a broad vision that gets people off the couch and cabinet ministers out of their chairs.
Heroines of mathematics
We asked some of the University of Melbourne's prominent mathematicians to share with us who their favourite maths heroines are and why.
Why that Instagram post may cost you more than you think
We need greater transparency around how our social media data will be used by banks, and how to challenge their decisions say University of Melbourne experts.
Finding the fundamentals of reading
An independent evaluation by University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children's Research Institute finds intensive phonics-based reading interventions can deliver
Decoding cancer cell communication
Professor Elizabeth Vincan at the University of Melbourne identified the genes in an ancient form of cell-to-cell communication, and a new target against cancer
A question of quinoa
Traditional knowledge from the Andean peoples is inspiring University of Melbourne research on quinoa flowering and the development of future breeding programs.
Why some women are dying for getting their period
Menstrual beliefs and taboos can place serious restrictions on a woman’s life, impacting her health and freedoms writes a University of Melbourne expert.
Science Matters
Putting the Universe under the telescope
The 2020s will use increasingly complex technology to ramp up our efforts to understand more about the Universe
Science Matters
Bushfires and storms threaten water supply and much more
Burned forests in steep mountains can be just as hazardous after the rains come and flames have been extinguished. And the risks are increasing, so what can be done?
Public Affairs
How Putin is devising his exit plan
Proposed constitutional reforms significantly weakening the authority of the Russian president suggest Vladimir Putin is considering life as an ex-president - with some caveats
Science Matters
How Australian wildlife live with bushfires - but the price can be high
The massive scale of these bushfires heightens the risk to animal populations and species - and as climate change bites the onus will increasingly be on us to protect and foster our wildlife
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Business & Economics
Engineering & Technology
Why that Instagram post may cost you more than you think
We don’t really know how social media posts are being used or evaluated by banks. We need greater transparency around exactly how our data will be used and the ability to challenge decisions
Inside Business
Improving the finance sector for all Australians
Trust in our financial services has been shaken by scandals, but in a new white paper, FinFuture, researchers show how the system can be reformed to put financial wellbeing front and centre.
Inside Business
Breaking the family chain of joblessness
New research finds children of parents who are both jobless can experience long-term disadvantage, but targeted policy can break the cycle
Inside Business
Care for our financial health
Many Australians stress over their finances, but just like a health problem, the answer is better education, financial health checks, and counselling for those that need it
Inside Business
Why do we say things we later regret?
Experiments show that when we are stressed, exercising or otherwise aroused, we are more prone to say things we shouldn’t. So, to keep a secret, try to stay calm
Environment
Science Matters
How fast the planet warms will be crucial for liveability
A rapid rise in global temperatures would lead to more extremes, whereas a more gradual and stabilised rate of climate change would decrease the temperatures we would experience
Science Matters
How you can help scientists monitor our beaches
Monitoring erosion at our beaches is crucial to formulating strategies to make the coastline more resilient, but it takes a lot of work. Now you can help while enjoying a day at the beach
Science Matters
Iron and Ice: How life survived snowball Earth
Iron-rich rocks deposited by ancient glaciers tell a tale of evolving complex life forms, taking refuge in an oasis of oxygenated seawater
Design
Building equity into architecture
We’ve had qualified women architects in Australia for nearly 120 years, but there is no way that we’ve reached gender parity in the professions
Engineering & Technology
Engineering a smart city
An app that can get you from A to B faster and safer? The technology to transform our burgeoning city transport systems into intelligent networks is already here
Humanities
Canada’s first climate change election
In an election campaign where the threat of climate change loomed large, Canada’s left-leaning parties made big promises that may lead to real change
Arts & Culture
Humanities
I don’t think that word means what you think it means
Words change their meaning over time, but it can be hard to keep up, especially when some words evolve to mean the opposite of their original definition
Humanities
When streaming gets crowded
Video-on-demand streaming services have rapidly shaken up Australian viewing, but the dominance of Netflix and Stan is being challenged
Humanities
The weird world of Christmas traditions
From wrapping presents to decorating a tree, some of the traditions many of us associate with Christmas get their own cultural spin in different countries around the world
Humanities
The remarkable journey of Leonardo’s inscrutable masterpiece
Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, known as the Lady with an Ermine, is one of Poland’s national treasures, but the painting has had an extraordinary history
Humanities
How green is sustainable fashion really?
Can the trend towards buying sustainable fashion really help at a time of climate crisis, or should we simply be buying less clothing?
Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
Being bold in medical research
Professor Fabienne Mackay’s work led to the first new treatment for lupus, an autoimmune disease, in more than 50 years, but there is much more to do and she says researchers need to ask the big questions – and be prepared for surprises
PodcastAnimals, Food & You
How to avoid food poisoning this festive season
Food poisoning is a terrible way to ruin the holidays, but there are some simple steps to help you stay safe and enjoy your favourite foods
Health & Wellbeing
Would you trust AI with your mental health?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now playing a role in mental health care and if we can navigate the ethical and privacy concerns, it may help us keep up with increasing demand
Health & Wellbeing
Preventing the spread of malaria
Scientists have discovered a new drug target to block the world’s deadliest malaria parasite from spreading
Inside Business
Why a blood donation isn’t just for Christmas
While urgent calls for blood donations spike during the holiday season, people need to be reminded to keep donating in order to prevent chronic shortages
Health & Wellbeing
The genetic mutation behind a new autoinflammatory disease
Scientists have discovered a new human autoinflammatory disease that causes repeated episodes of debilitating fever and inflammation
Education
Education
The young and curious: How Science Gallery can break down silos
An innovative longitudinal study will explore and challenge what young people want from their cultural institutions
Learning & Teaching
Australia’s lost students
The alarmingly high number of school-aged Australians detached from education has been largely hidden – until now
Learning & Teaching
Assessing what we value, not valuing what we assess
NAPLAN and PISA are part of a wider approach to schooling and testing that isn’t fit for purpose anymore, and our focus on results can leave us oblivious to the big picture
Learning & Teaching
Finding the fundamentals of reading
An independent evaluation by researchers finds that an intensive phonics-based intervention program for students struggling to read can improve foundational skills
Learning & Teaching
An alternative to ATAR
As students prepare for their end-of-year exams, new research is exploring an alternative to the ATAR that may better recognise student achievement and inspire good learning
Politics & Society
Humanities
Dissecting disruption
When we join the dots on the upheavals of our time it becomes clearer we are in a transformational era and entering a pivotal period – order vs freedom, adaption vs nostalgia
Inside Business
Abuse in sport: bad apples or bad barrels?
There are far too many recent examples of athletes facing abuse in sport. If we don’t change the structure and culture within sport, it will keep happening
Legal Affairs
Is sport wandering offside?
Sports are big on measuring their viewership and revenue, but Australian teenagers are among the least active in the world. At a time when off-field controversies are dominating, how strong is the social license of our sporting bodies?
Public Affairs
The tectonics of the British election
It was a stunning victory for Boris Johnson and the Tories in the UK’s general election, giving the party its biggest seat haul since 1987 – but what does the result tell us about 21st Century politics?
Public Affairs
Party promises and immigration policies
While Brexit looms over the UK’s general election, the main party’s manifestos tell us that this election is likely to be a turning point for immigration policy
Engineering & Technology
What is the law when AI makes the ‘decisions’?
A Federal Court ruling that the Australian government’s ‘Robodebt’ system is unlawful shines a much-needed light on what the law actually says
Sciences & Technology
Science Matters
Getting to know your microbiome better
Research into our gut microbiome – or our ‘second brain’ – has already produced vast amounts of data, but we are only scratching the surface of our own complex ecosystems
Science Matters
A very, very brief history of time
From watching the heavens to discovering waves of light, relativity and entropy, understanding the nature of time has been a major human endeavour
Science Matters
Explaining Melbourne’s crazy but predictable weather
Melbourne’s weather is renowned for its variability, but it is still predictable, explained partly by its position on a large hot continent close to the cold Southern Ocean
Engineering & Technology
It’s time to retire Lena from computer science
Why has a pornographic image been widely used to train computer scientists and their algorithms? And what sort of message does it send to women?
Science Matters
Seeing the power of White Island firsthand
While getting close to the awesome power of nature is a big draw for tourism, the eruption on White Island reminds us of the very real risks