Pursuit
Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
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Women’s participation is crucial to fight climate change
For a sustainable future we need to bring women and girls to the forefront of the fight against climate change - a shift from the most affected by climate disasters to key players in energy transition
Go Figure
Q&A: Victoria’s monster mosquito explosion
Do you feel like a personal donor to a rising number of blood-sucking mosquitoes this Australian spring? You’re not alone
Humanities
Conserving the world’s oldest processional dragon
For the last year, Grimwade Conservation Services has been conserving Loong 龍, the oldest intact Imperial processional dragon in the world
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.
More fires as our air gets thirstier
We face an increased forest fire risk –for at least an extra 30 days per year– without urgent climate action finds new University of Melbourne-led research
Women’s participation is crucial to fight climate change
For a sustainable future, we need to bring women and girls to the forefront of the fight against climate change, says a University of Melbourne expert
Q&A: Victoria’s monster mosquito explosion
Do you feel like a personal donor to a rising number of blood-sucking mosquitoes this Australian spring? You’re not alone, say University of Melbourne experts.
Design
Planning floodproof cities
Our natural environments must be prioritised and understood when designing infrastructure for modern cities. The 2022 flooding in Seoul is a devastating example
Engineering & Technology
The sound of your internet history
Humans are increasingly connected through a technological frenzy of social media. Exhibitions at Science Gallery’s SWARM explore the legacy we leave behind online
Health & Wellbeing
The environmental impact of healthcare
We cannot lead healthy lives if we live in an ailing world and the healthcare sector can do more to help address climate change
Legal Affairs
Rebuilding Victoria’s forgotten integrity institution
Victorian voters rank public integrity as a key problem in the upcoming election, but how can integrity and public trust be restored?
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COVID-19
Health & Wellbeing
It’s time to drop COVID-19 vaccine mandates
Vaccine mandates helped to save lives but COVID-19 variants mean they can no longer justified and are hampering the health system
Health & Medicine
The COVID-19 vaccine difference between men and women
New research finds there is a sex difference when it comes to the effectiveness and side effects of COVID-19 vaccines
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
Health & Medicine
Grasping COVID-19’s long neurological tail
As parts of the world emerge from lockdown, psychiatrists and neurologists warn that we need to know more about the long-lasting neurological and neuropsychiatric impacts of COVID-19
Humanities
Our government must trust the experts
The pandemic saw a rise in anti-expert sentiment, including from government, but does the public really distrust the advice of experts?
Sciences & Technology
Science Matters
The fiery curse of conservation
Land-use legislation has driven catastrophic bushfires in southeast Australia. Now is the time for Aboriginal people with the knowledge and desire to return their Country to health
Science Matters
Understanding how a cell becomes a person - with maths
There are trillions of cells in the human body, and researchers are developing new mathematics to understand how they work
Science Matters
Young people are mapping viable futures
Around the world young people are facing multiple challenges and we can learn from their increasingly interconnected and ethical approach to living
Science Matters
Diamonds reveal neural secrets
A new diamond voltage imaging microscope will give us more insight into the neural micro-circuitry that runs our brains
Science Matters
Digging deep for dark matter
A dark matter laboratory at the bottom of a gold mine in rural Victoria could make one of the biggest scientific discoveries ever – proving the existence of dark matter
Science Matters
Be alert, not alarmed about foot and mouth disease
The spread of foot-and-mouth disease to Bali was not unexpected, but what we each do next will determine the consequences for Australia
Politics & Society
Engineering & Technology
Medibank’s hack tells us privacy laws need to change
Medibank’s data breach exposes how Australia’s most vulnerable have the most to lose when private information is made public
Learning & Teaching
Flying the flag for change?
Australian symbols have meaning for us collectively – highlighting the past and present impacts of settler colonialism, racism and the possibility for a different future
Humanities
Real partnership with Solomon Islands must be based on truth
Acknowledging Australia’s colonial history is essential to build a stronger relationship with Solomon Islands
Humanities
The reckoning of Gillard’s misogyny speech
A historical reckoning with Gillard’s misogyny speech forces us to acknowledge there are no heroes – and that’s okay
Humanities
How remote work is invading our spaces
While work needs to take place somewhere, in a post-pandemic world, that somewhere can be anywhere. But is that a good thing?
Environment
Legal Affairs
Climate justice at COP27
The as-yet-unmet costs of climate change adaptation and escalating disaster recovery are likely to be the key issues at COP27
Science Matters
Our health is compromised by our global fossil fuel addiction
Climate change is affecting the health of people around the world; transitioning to net-zero emissions could be the greatest health opportunity this century
Design
A Big Build or a big bet?
Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop aims to help the city become more equitable – but better integration of land use and transport could deliver more benefits for less money
Animals, Food & You
Smart fertilisers for food security
Fertilisers that increase nitrogen efficiency are being designed to boost crop productivity while reducing farming costs and environmental impact
Design
Designing homes for extreme weather
The devastating effects of extreme weather mean we must design homes to protect human life and buildings. Failure to do so risks some areas becoming ‘uninsurable’
Design
Clear skies and longer lives
Global COVID-19 pandemic restrictions provided a natural experiment in understanding the relationship between transport and air pollution
Education
Humanities
Food for thought
Food, and where it comes from, connects all of us – so using it as a tool to teach students global competency and citizenship makes sense
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
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
Game on for collaborative learning
Video games, collaborative tasks and explicit instruction are helping neurodiverse children learn crucial social skills
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
Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
Personalising mental health care
A unique ‘fingerprint’ for mental health shows promise for accelerating diagnosis and personalising treatment
Health & Medicine
Keeping rural Australians out of hospital
Accessing health care in rural Australia is challenging, but without it, patients can end up in hospital for preventable reasons
Health & Medicine
Restoring the lives of Australians with PTSD
Australia’s largest ever treatment trial of PTSD in military personnel and veterans is delivering game-changing results
Health & Wellbeing
Women are doing too much and it’s hurting their mental health
Women still do the bulk of unpaid work at home while also holding down a job. A first-of-its-kind review finds it’s taking a toll on their mental health
Health & Wellbeing
Do you feel lucky?
Two new studies find that beliefs in luck and predicting the future vary around the world, for unexpected reasons
Health & Wellbeing
Seeking authentic mindfulness in this era of ‘wellness’
There is a critical need for evidence-based principles to help people understand the plethora of offerings in meditation and mindfulness to ensure optimal outcomes for all
Arts & Culture
Design
Zanuckville: Australia’s strangest suburb?
In the 1950s, the Hollywood Western came to Australia, but the cast and crew needed somewhere to stay. The South Australian government came up with ‘Zanuckville’
Humanities
Think you know your Ancient History?
Can you tell Minoan from Mycenaean? Or recall Nero’s dying words? Test yourself in our Classics quiz
Humanities
How data expertise is fostering endangered languages
The PARADISEC digital archive model revitalising endangered languages around the Pacific has now been taken up in North America by the Cherokee Nation
Health & Medicine
Bringing a living archive to life
The Living Archive challenges the idea of what an Indigenous museum collection can be and could become
Science Matters
We are Country
Ensuring research is culturally safe isn’t as simple as acknowledging Country and the species within, we must recognise and empower Indigenous Knowledge systems
Business & Economics
Inside Business
Persistent poverty is a major policy issue
While having a job is often crucial to lifting people out of poverty, adequate income support and child care are also critical
Inside Business
Using evidence to design Australia’s economic policy
The new Federal Government has no shortage of challenges, but how can we develop evidence-based policies that help to bring the whole community forward?
Inside Business
The cascading crisis of global food supply chains
The world is experiencing a food crisis linked to war and climate change – but there are some possible solutions to soften the blow
Inside Business
Can ethical leaders make teams more creative?
Research suggests that ethical leaders provide their teams with emotional confidence that helps to foster creativity
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