Pursuit
Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
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A blow to the heart of the City of Light
The fire that struck the 850-year-old Notre Dame cathedral has devastated Parisians, and many around the world, but the building has long withstood violence whether revolution or war
Science Matters
A wombat, a koala and a rabbit in a burrow
Camera traps are amazing tools that allow researchers to peek into the lives of shy marsupials, but sometimes the animals they ‘capture’ are surprising
Eavesdrop on Experts
Giving games their sound
They are in the background and get under your skin. They are the chiptunes that make computer games sing
PodcastFour important things that this picture tells us
The first picture of the black hole M87*, taken by the Event Horizon Telescope, reveals a trove of information, says a University of Melbourne researcher.
The Disneyfication of the AFL
Australian Rules football is a grassroots sport, but a University of Melbourne expert says the AFL's corporatisation is distancing itself from the fans.
Preventing more fish deaths in the lower Darling
A new report for the government, led by the University of Melbourne, says climate change was a cause of the recent mass fish deaths in the lower Darling River.
Widodo on track to win, but what next?
What does a second term for Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo mean? University of Melbourne experts cover all the angles from policy to civil society and women.
Training new doctors through child’s play
Teddy Bear Hospitals provide health care students with the confidence to work with children by 'treating' their sick bears says a University of Melbourne expert
Giving games their sound
They're in the background and under your skin and make computer games sing. University of Melbourne expert Professor Kenny McAlpine tells us all about chiptunes
Legal Affairs
International law, diplomatic asylum and Julian Assange
A changing interpretation of complex international laws and diplomatic treaties ended the WikiLeaks founder’s nearly seven-year stay in the Ecuadorian embassy
Science Matters
Four important things that this picture tells us
It’s been dubbed the heavyweight champion of black holes. But the first image of the M87* black hole also provides us with a treasure trove of information about our Universe
Health & Wellbeing
Growing nerves to restore erectile function
Research is showing that a new microsurgery procedure to regrow nerves to the penis severed during a prostatectomy can successfully restore a man’s ability to have an erection
Health & Wellbeing
Training new doctors through child’s play
Teddy Bear Hospitals provide health care students with the opportunity to interact with children and develop communication skills, while children are introduced to the healthcare consultation process
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Politics & Society
Legal Affairs
The Indonesia-Australia trade deal: A potential bilateral sandbag
The much delayed but now signed IA-CEPA could help take the political heat out of the countries’ bilateral relations regardless of elections
Public Affairs
An Australian guide to India’s elections
Tens of millions of people start voting over the next five weeks in the first phase of India’s giant general election
Public Affairs
2019 Budget: Not just another budget reply
Does Bill Shorten’s budget reply mark a shift in the political paradigm towards ‘fairness’ becoming the new black?
Public Affairs
2019 Budget: The Verdict Part 1
From the politics and macro numbers, to infrastructure and domestic violence, University of Melbourne experts dissect the government’s election budget in part one of our coverage
Humanities
India’s alliance politics
In 2014, the BJP rode the Modi-wave to come to power. With the Modi magic waning, and no wave in sight, the 2019 elections will be a story of alliances and partnerships
Sciences & Technology
Science Matters
The credibility of research needs you!
In what is the biggest effort yet to try and solve science’s replication crisis, researchers need thousands of volunteer experts
Science Matters
Breeding baby corals for warmer seas
Hoping to give mother nature a helping hand, researchers are using in vitro fertilisation to breed corals better able to cope with our changing climate
Engineering & Technology
Could robots protect us in the surf?
Multi-vehicle robotics will help solve some of the problems faced by humans doing dirty and dangerous jobs
Animals, Food & You
Seeing the beauty in animal bone research
Dr Babatunde Ayodele is part of a team researching the bones of racehorses. Now, his research has inspired the façade of a new University building.
Engineering & Technology
Spinal simulation device for hands-on learning
Using foam and sensors, engineers have developed SpinalLog, a device that allows physiotherapy students to simulate and practice spinal mobilisation without the need for a ‘patient’
Animals, Food & You
The invasive fungus threatening Earth’s biodiversity
An invasive species of fungus is responsible for one of the greatest documented losses of vertebrate biodiversity and we’re running out of time and money to come up with a sustainable solution
Education
Education
Is your child lonely at school?
Loneliness and isolation can cause serious problems, especially for children in primary and secondary school, but there are key steps that can help your child connect
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.
Learning & Teaching
Education for humans in an AI world
As technology increasingly shapes our world, education needs to incorporate global competence with a focus on human interactions and intercultural understanding
Education
Moving between different cultural worlds
Young Australians from migrant and refugee backgrounds are close to their families, but this can mean they have to negotiate a balance between different cultural expectations
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
Environment
Engineering & Technology
Preventing more fish deaths in the lower Darling
A new report for the government that investigates the causes of the recent mass fish deaths in the lower Darling River finds climate change and water access agreements helped create a deadly mix
Engineering & Technology
Why we need to use water desalination plants early
Turning on the Wonthaggi water desalination plant now rather than later will save money in the long run and head off an emergency later
Design
One million urban trees
Trees and green spaces are essential for urban sustainability and liveability, but so is planting the right things in the right places
Animals, Food & You
We can have urbanisation and enough to eat
Changing our diets and food choices can have a knock-on effect on global supply and demand – even balancing the impact of our rapid urbanisation on food security
Design
Climate change in court
A recent court ruling could signal a new direction for Australian climate law after the appropriateness of a proposed fossil fuel development was put on trial
Eavesdrop on Experts
Big and naughty architecture
From high-tech architecture and throwaway buildings to houses that melt, Sir Peter Cook’s ‘big and naughty’ designs make him a design revolutionary
Podcast
Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
Changing the image problem of electroconvulsive therapy
Many people still think of electroconvulsive therapy as a barbaric treatment, often dramatised in movies, but modern ECT that includes patient’s families can help dispel the stigma
Science Matters
Lifting the lid on HIV
Researchers are opening up the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to expose new treatment targets that could help eradicate the deadly disease
Health & Wellbeing
The uncomfortable truth about child sexual abuse
Institutional child sexual abuse and high-profile cases like George Pell attract the headlines, but abusers are most likely to be close to a child’s family
Health & Wellbeing
How challenging masculine stereotypes is good for men
The American Psychological Association’s new guidelines recognise traditional masculinity as being harmful to men themselves. Here are the key messages we all need to know.
Health & Wellbeing
The birth of syphilis surveillance in Melbourne
More than a century ago, Melbourne was at the forefront of measuring the spread of syphilis using principles which remain relevant today as the disease makes a comeback
Arts & Culture
Humanities
The Disneyfication of the AFL
Australian Rules football is a grassroots sport, but the AFL’s increasing corporatisation is distancing the game from the fans
Humanities
Uncovering the invisible women of history
Historical written records were almost exclusively written by men, but archaeology and the women scholars in the field can make the women of history visible
Eavesdrop on Experts
The history of paper
Paper was invented in China before it was introduced in Europe during the late Middle Ages, but no one really knew what happened in between
PodcastHealth & Wellbeing
Museums: They’re good for your health
Visiting a museum can help older Australians with their overall mental and physical wellbeing, and bring the generations closer together
Humanities
Lucky discoveries of lost ancient history
Our knowledge of the ancient world owes a lot to chance discoveries. Here, we share the stories of some of the most important and unlikely finds from ancient Western history
Humanities
The world is run by those who show up
In this edited extract of the new book The Change Makers, Professor Marcia Langton tells author Shaun Carney that when you do the right thing at the right time, people will later call you a leader
Business & Economics
Inside Business
Closing the gap in the Indigenous business sector
The Indigenous business sector has seen huge growth in recent years, but there are large gaps that the Federal Budget largely failed to address
Inside Business
Sharing the load
Better family-friendly policies in this year’s Budget could help deliver individual, economic and social rewards for everyone
Inside Business
Budgeting for drought
The drought affecting Australia’s eastern states is challenging the economy, but how government responds to the needs of farmers must be well planned and continuing rather than ad hoc
Inside Business
Beyond ‘lean In’: Women in leadership
Substituting the traditional process of opting-in to a competitive selection process for senior management roles for an opt-out mechanism could get more women into leadership
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