Pursuit
Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
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War and trauma: Learning the lessons
From from a cup of tea behind the lines, to sophisticated psychological therapies, we are still working to improve treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Health & Wellbeing
From jail cell to emergency room: Too many injuries after release from prison
People released from Australian prisons who have both mental illness and substance use problems are at twelve times the risk of suffering serious injury compared to the general community
Engineering & Technology
The limits of modelling: Knowing we don’t know
Modelling the impact of mine developments on groundwater is critical for protecting ecosystems and agriculture, but it can go astray if we don’t recognise that all models lack certainty
Sinkholes: What on earth’s happening?
It might seem as if sinkholes are opening up everywhere around us, but scientists say it’s down to a mix of factors, from geology to human behaviour.
Raw chicken linked to paralysis in dogs
University of Melbourne vets have found a link between eating raw chicken and a paralysing condition in dogs, advising owners to stick with regular dog food.
When the pain is the practitioner
A new University of Melbourne study shows a small element of the chiropractic profession accounts for a worryingly high number of complaints.
Your grandchildren may retire before we have gender equality in science
University of Melbourne research has found the gender gap for women working in STEMM could remain for generations without intervention.
War and trauma: Learning the lessons
Recognition and treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the military has come a long way. A University of Melbourne expert looks at the past and future
From jail cell to emergency room: Too many injuries after release from prison
University of Melbourne research finds those released from Australian prisons who have mental illness & substance use problems are more likely to suffer injury.
Health & Wellbeing
Australia’s flesh-eating bug outbreak needs urgent research
A localised epidemic in temperate Australia of the rare tropical Buruli ulcer has exposed a major gap in scientific knowledge that needs filling – now
Legal Affairs
Does it matter that strikes against Syria violate international law?
The air strikes in Syria by the US, UK and France after suspected chemical weapon attacks on civilians violate the UN Charter and international law - but does it matter?
Engineering & Technology
Clever socks connecting remote patients and physios
New ‘smart socks’ are helping physiotherapists better diagnose and treat injuries, particularly in remote patients
Science Matters
Quantum boost for medical imaging
Physicists have demonstrated how, using light, a diamond layer and quantum mechanics, they could potentially “light up” our molecular insides for more powerful MRIs
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Sciences & Technology
Science Matters
The mind behind prize winning science
Professor Jacques Miller’s pioneering immunology research has been recognised with a prestigious Japan Prize, and some say it also deserves a Nobel Prize
Engineering & Technology
Sensing a serious problem
New wearable technology can help people working in physically demanding jobs in harsh environments monitor their own wellbeing, and potentially, save lives
Science Matters
The genes that turn malaria into a killer
A small group of proteins are associated with the most severe strains of malarial infection and their discovery is a step towards a vaccine against the deadliest forms of the disease
Engineering & Technology
Data privacy and power
We need to rein-in data harvesting with more user control and simply less data collection
Go Figure
Will water ever be worth more than oil?
Is water a commodity or a right? Cape Town could be the first of many cities around the world to experience the reality of water demand far outstripping supply
Environment
Engineering & Technology
New fixes for old traffic problems
Bringing transport systems into the 21st century means connecting all elements of the network – from the vehicles to the traffic lights, and even the pavements
Engineering & Technology
Does it pay to improve your home's efficiency?
The vast majority of Melbourne’s housing stock is wasting energy and money; new research reveals how long it will take homeowners to pay off an efficiency retrofit
Science Matters
The First Fleet and Australia’s unforgiving weather
Passengers onboard the First Fleet received a harsh introduction to their new home’s climate before they even landed. Their diaries and letters reveal just how hard it was
Design
How to prevent cities from drying up
The South African city of Cape Town, home to more than four million people, is set to run out of water in a matter of weeks. It is a crisis that threatens to be repeated globally.
Design
When land is worth more to you than its price
Governments the world over can compulsorily acquire land, often for infrastructure. But just paying the market price is poor compensation for people losing their homes. We need a rethink.
Science Matters
The threatened species in our urban jungle
Far from being a biodiversity wasteland, urban environments are home to some of Australia’s most threatened species
Politics & Society
Eavesdrop on Experts
Sorting fact from fiction in a post-truth world
When social media micro-targeting is shaping political views, and ‘alternative facts’ abound, is there any hope for democracy?
PodcastLegal Affairs
Banning cricket cheats: How long is long enough?
Banning Steve Smith and David Warner for 12 months is a serious statement from Cricket Australia
Legal Affairs
Data security in the spotlight
New legislation means you should, in certain instances, be notified if your data is breached. But will it really keep your personal details safe?
Legal Affairs
Keeping tabs on the tech giants
Tech giants like Google and Facebook are increasingly coming under scrutiny from competition authorities around the world. Including here in Australia
Legal Affairs
No country, no rights, no hope
The legal no-man’s land inhabited by stateless people like the Rohingya is a major human rights issue, which urgently requires more attention
Arts & Culture
Music, Arts & Screen
Vanitas: An app to die for
The Webby Award-nominated, immersive art app that explores the themes of death and transience through vanitas, flowers and your favourite cemetery
Humanities
Birth of the holiday road trip
The Easter break exodus across Australia reminds us of a time when the open road was king
Humanities
No laughing matter: The Death of Stalin and Putin’s anxieties
Russia’s ban on the movie reveals how much the Kremlin fears losing its grip on power
Music, Arts & Screen
Your personal audio tour of the Louvre Abu Dhabi
The new Louvre Abu Dhabi showcases hundreds of works of art and culture from around the world - here’s your personal audio tour of some of the most fascinating objects
Eavesdrop on Experts
The secret history of stone
Cultural geographer Tim Edensor is passionate about place. His career has taken him from the Taj Mahal to industrial ruins in England’s north, and now to Melbourne and its stone buildings.
PodcastMusic, Arts & Screen
Why documentaries matter in an era of fake news
‘Look me in the Eye’ on SBS and programs like it blur the line between reality TV and traditional documentary, prompting ethical questions
Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
When the pain is the practitioner
A new study shows a small element of the chiropractic profession accounts for a worryingly high number of complaints, making it more complained about than either osteopathy or physiotherapy
Health & Wellbeing
Who should own research data?
The Cambridge Analytica/Facebook scandal and fallout is a good reason to ask whether research participants should start owning their own data
Health & Wellbeing
Tuberculosis – still a major killer
Researchers for first time show the significant burden of tuberculosis on adolescents and young adults, a group often ignored in disease control efforts
Health & Wellbeing
The long-term benefits of controlling your asthma
Asthma sufferers can modify their risk of developing serious lung conditions in later life by controlling their asthma as an adult
Health & Wellbeing
Boys with asthma risk more broken bones
Asthma is associated with childhood fractures for boys, but not girls, underlining the importance of bone health education
Education
Education
Tech savvy teaching of critical thinking
One of the key aims of universities is to arm students with critical thinking skills, but many are failing. Could technology be the answer?
Engineering & Technology
Breaking next-gen scientists out of the lab
Fewer exams, add a language, and ‘dip a toe in the arts’ are all part of encouraging tomorrow’s scientists to innovate in the real world
Learning & Teaching
Move over Shakespeare – what students can learn from studying videogames
Are videogames the missing element in the English curriculum?
Learning & Teaching
Can you really Google your way through a medical degree?
A surprising number of university students are turning to sources like Wikipedia for their studies
Health & Wellbeing
The digital dissection of the human body
Understanding human anatomy is key for medical practice, now a new tool, An@tomedia, allows for the digital dissection of our insides
The Policy Shop
Is Australia failing to educate?
Australian high school students are up to two school years behind their peers in the world’s best performing countries - how can policy help arrest this decline?
Podcast
Business & Economics
Legal Affairs
Why are corporate penalties for cartels so low in Australia?
A new report confirms that companies breaking competition laws here typically receive much lower fines than those handed down elsewhere. So how do we keep price fixers in check?
Inside Business
Treating depression to economically empower mothers
How a simple talking therapy empowers women with perinatal depression to make better economic decisions
Inside Business
When flexible working makes life harder
Flexible hours may seem like the solution for balancing work and home life, but do they always deliver?
Inside Business
Keeping robot finance fair
Some think that removing humans from financial transactions may help prevent moral failures, but technology isn’t necessarily ethical
Inside Business
The Australians stuck below the poverty line
While most Australians who encounter poverty only do so for a short period, new research shows more people experience persistent poverty than previously thought