Pursuit
Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
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A giant lobster, by any other name
The endangered Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish is the largest freshwater invertebrate in the world. But establishing the roots of this river monster’s real name was just the start of the story
Inside Business
Why data is king
We love Google and Facebook. We’ve helped turn them into two of the biggest digital giants in the world. But there’s a tension between our privacy and our data as a valuable business commodity
Go Figure
Why are Australians linguistically lost?
In the 1960s, the structured teaching of English grammar was taken off the Australian curriculum, so many of us left school without knowledge of it. But it’s being phased back in, and that’s going to help a lot of students as the world gets smaller
On track to ending avoidable blindness
The fight to end preventable blindness among Indigenous Australians has made “unbelievable strides” – and a University of Melbourne expert continues the push.
Personalising blood sugar targets
University of Melbourne researchers have developed a tool to help GPs set personalised blood sugar targets and medication plans for type 2 diabetes patients.
Rethinking how we see anorexia
Research at the Royal Children's Hospital and the University of Melbourne has found anorexia is possible at any weight; not just those who are very underweight.
A giant lobster, by any other name
Tasmania's at-risk crayfish is the world's largest freshwater invertebrate; for a University of Melbourne biochemist, finding its real name was just the start.
How can we help students connect?
University of Melbourne research shows it's hard for both local and international students to make friends on campus without intervention from teaching staff.
Why data is king
Our love for Google and Facebook has made them digital giants; but a University of Melbourne expert asks whether we can trust them with our personal data?
Education
How can we help students connect?
Without intervention from lecturers, university students from all backgrounds are struggling to make friends on campus
Humanities
Echoes of revolution
The ‘Yellow Vest’ protestors in France are writing out books of grievances just like their forbears from the 1789 revolution in what is a critical challenge for President Macron
Science Matters
Measuring forces between atoms that don’t want to be measured
New research shows that when it comes to measuring the force between two atoms - it may actually be hiding from you
Health & Wellbeing
How difficult decisions change our brains
New research finds that making a difficult choice between two equally desirable options can change the way our brains think about future preferences
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Business & Economics
Inside Business
Recruit Smarter: A better way to do business
Overcoming unconscious biases during recruitment can help organisations truly find the right person for the job, become more diverse, and perform better
Inside Business
When a Tweet met with a roar
Twitter faced a massive backlash in India, highlighting how big business must be culturally aware in global markets. And in India, this means understanding the banned caste system
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
What Australia’s marriage equality vote says about corporate activism
In the build-up to Australia’s same-sex marriage vote, some corporations became activists for the cause, but most have been quiet since
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
Arts & Culture
Under the Microscope
Curating a life
This year, curator and writer Professor Natalie King was recognised by the Australian Financial Review as part of their 100 Women of Influence awards for her contribution to Arts, Culture and Sport
Learning & Teaching
How does learning happen in museums?
Bluetooth technology has helped reveal how visitors explore museum exhibitions, and how much they learn in the process
Humanities
Putting museum power on the map
The ‘soft power’ of cultural institutions like museums can now be mapped and properly appreciated globally after researchers developed a unique online tool
Eavesdrop on Experts
Can love overcome the distance between us?
Anthropologist Nigel Rapport’s fieldwork explores love and respecting the individuality of life
PodcastHumanities
The online overhaul of courtship
Technology is changing our love lives and has been for a while now – but is it really at the expense of the romance of courtship?
Humanities
Treasuring Trove: Why Australia’s digital heritage platform is so special
Australians have a truly unique resource in the National Library’s Trove, and it needs to be protected
Politics & Society
Public Affairs
The risk of Australia reconsidering the Iran nuclear deal
Although Australia is not a party to the Iran nuclear deal, Scott Morrison is reviewing whether Australia should follow Donald Trump’s lead and withdraw its support
Public Affairs
Indonesian football: A matter of life and death
The brutal death of an Indonesian football supporter at the hands of a rival club’s fans has attracted international attention, but is anything being done to prevent further violence?
Humanities
What’s your attitude to immigrants and refugees? It may depend on where you live
The more diverse your neighbourhood, the more open you are likely to be to immigration and refugees (but not always)
Public Affairs
US midterm elections and Trump’s trade agenda: business as usual
Despite the Democrats’ new majority in the House of Representatives, America’s slide towards isolationism looks set to continue
Legal Affairs
Can Victorian Labor really make ‘wage theft’ a crime?
Despite ongoing examples of wage theft, one of Labor’s key campaign pledges in this state election is not as simple to implement as it might seem
Environment
Design
Building cities for a changing climate
Our cities are responsible for a large chunk of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, so the way we plan and construct them has to adapt to the future impacts of climate change
Go Figure
What does a wet spring mean for bushfire season?
While wet weather makes a small impact on bushfire risk, long-term trends are much more important
Science Matters
Tracking the climate threat to Australia’s unique ecosystems
Evidence of the impact of climate change on our country’s distinct flora and fauna is beginning to emerge, and we’re running out of time to record and preserve our extraordinary biodiversity
Science Matters
Who’s running late for the Paris Agreement?
In order to limit global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, should countries lower their emissions’ target to meet their climate change commitments?
Science Matters
On the DNA trail of the platypus
The platypus is a ‘near threatened’ species, but researchers are now measuring the DNA they leave behind in the environment as part of the largest-ever investigation into tracking this secretive animal
Science Matters
The stories of Australia’s botanical biodiversity
Established in 1926, the University of Melbourne Herbarium has an estimated 150,000 specimens, each with their own story to tell
Education
Learning & Teaching
Learning in the Homelands
In the Indigenous Homelands of East Arnhem Land, pre-service teachers are learning the value of place and listening
Learning & Teaching
What does a great teacher look like?
Teachers with a strong belief in their own ability to ‘get the job done’ have the biggest impact on a student’s learning
Humanities
A year on from ‘YES’: What still needs to change on campus?
LGBTIQA+ students still experience marginalisation, and barriers to mental wellness. How can universities be more inclusive?
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
Design
The next generation of Australian schools
With hundreds of new schools needed in Victoria in the coming decade, how will they meet future student and community needs?
Sciences & Technology
Science Matters
Human evolutionary history takes a rain check
Dating the rock layers in between, rather than the actual fossils in Africa’s ‘Cradle of Humankind’ is shedding new light on the time record and how early humans adapted to a changing climate.
Science Matters
How a termite’s mound filters methane (and what it means for greenhouse gases)
Termites produce greenhouse gas methane (the same way the rest of us do) but half of their emissions are filtered by their mounds
Engineering & Technology
The particles making building cladding fire-safe
Inspired by the insulation on a humble electrical cable, researchers and industry have found that tiny ceramic particles can make plastic-backed cladding fire-safe
Eavesdrop on Experts
Standing up for science
Nobel Laureate Professor Randy Schekman on the value of scepticism, and why the scientific method needs to be defended now more than ever
PodcastUnder the Microscope
Stress testing algorithms
Professor Kate Smith-Miles uses a core set of mathematical questions and optimisation algorithms to find the best mathematical approach to making the world a better place
Engineering & Technology
Giving driverless vehicles the human touch
Can driverless vehicle technology replicate the human rules of engagement between pedestrians and drivers?
Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
Helping people with severe mental illness live longer and healthier
People with severe mental illnesses, like bipolar or schizophrenia, can have a shorter life expectancy, but now researchers say it’s time to focus on reducing that risk
Learning & Teaching
Focusing on kindness, not consumption, this Christmas
Amid the Christmas crazy, how can parents teach kids what really matters this festive season?
Health & Wellbeing
Stumbling into the brave new world of gene editing
The alleged creation of the world’s first gene-edited babies in China raises serious questions about the ethics and transparency of CRISPR technology
Health & Wellbeing
Stimulating the brain – without major surgery
Researchers have demonstrated the feasibility of a tiny device that could one day offer an alternative to open brain surgery
Health & Wellbeing
Rethinking how we see anorexia
Teenagers with anorexia nervosa, the most serious of all eating disorders, don’t have to be ‘skinny’ - it’s possible to be diagnosed at any weight