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Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
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Why are the rates of restrictive practices in Victoria’s mental health services so high?
Victoria has some of the highest reported rates of restrictive practices in mental health in Australia, but the upcoming Victorian Royal Commission may not investigate them
Science Matters
‘Safe’ herbicide in Australian water affects male fertility
Scientists are calling for a herbicide banned in the European Union for the last 15 years to be withdrawn in Australia for its effect on male fertility
Eavesdrop on Experts
Defining a pathogen
Two world-leaders in microbiology and immunology who became “scientific soulmates” discuss their fight against infectious diseases
PodcastWhy the number of dementia cases has doubled
Dementia cases have doubled over the past 25 years, creating a huge health burden; a University of Melbourne expert says we all need to act on new health advice
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.
What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu?
Many of us have seen or done something that's felt eerily familiar; two University of Melbourne experts explain what the brain's doing when we get déjà vu.
Busting five myths about pregnancy
From what you should eat to how much your baby should move, two University of Melbourne experts bust some pregnancy myths for expecting parents.
Why are the rates of restrictive practices in Victoria’s mental health services so high?
Victoria has the highest rate of restrictive practices in mental health in Australia; and University of Melbourne experts say the Royal Commission needs to act.
‘Safe’ herbicide in Australian water affects male fertility
University of Melbourne scientists have called for the 'safe' herbicide, atrazine, to be banned in Australia after researching its effect on male fertility.
Engineering & Technology
Crowdsourcing the problem of low back pain
Crowdsourcing information and opinions from people who have experienced low back pain first-hand can provide sufferers with effective information and support
Go Figure
What is déjà vu? What is déjà vu?
Many of us have had the experience of seeing or doing something and it feeling eerily familiar, but what do we know about what’s happening when we get déjà vu?
Legal Affairs
When sports chatter becomes social commentary
From sandpapered cricket balls and football punches, to domestic violence, 2018 reminded us how sport can be a prism to confront uncomfortable social issues
Go Figure
Why do some people believe the Earth is flat?
Although scientific evidence says the Earth is a sphere orbiting the Sun, there are some people around who still think our planet is flat... and social media plays a role
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Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
Why health needs to engage the guys with guns
Security forces and health workers make for prickly, sometimes deadly bedfellows, but investing in partnerships could reap dividends in disease control
Health & Wellbeing
Holiday stress and how to beat it
Seventy per cent of us experience a spike in stress over the festive season, but some understanding of why we get anxious and the effect on our bodies can help us relax this Christmas
Health & Wellbeing
Ending anaemia in the developing world
Iron supplements may be the answer to tackling anaemia in poorer countries. Now major trials, including new intravenous treatments, will test the evidence
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
Why the number of dementia cases has doubled
Dementia cases have doubled over the past 25 years, creating enormous health challenges around the world. So, it’s important that we act on evolving health advice…and that means exercising
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
Education
Adapting yourself to take action on the environment
Disillusionment with politics is reason enough to want to take action yourself on climate change and the environment, but actually doing it is harder. Here is a model to help you plan and do.
Environment
Our last best chance to stop runaway climate change
After two weeks of negotiations at COP24, almost 200 countries have now agreed on a ‘rule book’ to enforce the Paris Agreement on climate change
Engineering & Technology
Hydrogen: Has its time come?
The promise of a hydrogen economy has waxed and waned, but the falling cost of renewable energy could be the game changer that makes hydrogen fuel economic
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
Politics & Society
Legal Affairs
Consumer rights and unwrapping the latest gadget
You may be excited about the digital device under the Christmas tree, but what are your consumer rights and protections when it comes to issues like privacy?
Legal Affairs
Making information accessible - for everyone
Essential but often complex services like banks, utilities and phones need to be accessible for all, including those with cognitive disabilities. Here’s how you do it.
Public Affairs
What India’s state elections mean for the BJP
More than 100 million people across five states in India have voted over the last couple of months, and it’s not good news for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP party
Eavesdrop on Experts
Intellectual disabilities and the fight for justice
Prominent UK campaigners George Julian and Chris Hatton on why there are still so many preventable deaths among people with learning difficulties, and what needs to change
PodcastHumanities
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
Business & Economics
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
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
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
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
Public Affairs
The great honey wars
Australia’s biggest honey company and some of the country’s largest supermarkets are facing accusations of selling ‘fake honey’. Five experts look at the impact of the allegations
Education
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
Education
How can we help students connect?
Without intervention from lecturers, university students from all backgrounds are struggling to make friends on campus
Learning & Teaching
Why is school connectedness so important?
If students feel disconnected from school, their learning and even their health can suffer - new research shows how teachers can help
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
Sciences & Technology
Under the Microscope
Discoveries that blew our minds in 2018: Part Two
Our experts tell us about their pick of the best research, discoveries and big thinking from around the world in 2018
Under the Microscope
Discoveries that blew our minds in 2018: Part One
Our experts tell us about their pick of the best research, discoveries and big thinking from around the world in 2018
Go Figure
The I’m-trying-to-get-around-you dance explained
Two people walk towards each other, both try and get out of the way - before you know it, they’re doing the ‘sidewalk salsa’
Science Matters
How do aerosols help our atmosphere clean itself?
Antarctica’s pristine air and waters - and a unique shipboard laboratory - are helping researchers delve into climate change
Engineering & Technology
Loving the bits and pieces
The ongoing popularity and variety of board games, especially among adult hobbyists, can teach us about how we can better design the digital versions
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
Arts & Culture
Music, Arts & Screen
The power of the pun
Love them or hate them, puns have been around for centuries and still endure today. But what is it about the pun that has ensured their persistence? Because sometimes they’re not that funny
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
Rome’s Augustus and the allure of the strongman
The Roman emperor Augustus is held up by some as a statesman who brought peace, and as a potential model for the future. But what was the cost of Augustus’ peace, and how real was it?
Humanities
Helping us to see when we don’t want to look
Australia’s under appreciated colonial art is a window to the past that can help us understand the fraught and violent history of settlement
Humanities
Family movies, for the soul
The holidays are here, the family is around, so what feel-good movies should you watch together to reconnect with the meaningful? Relax, here are ten for you