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Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
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Improving the finance sector for all Australians
Trust in our financial services has been shaken by scandals, but in a new white paper, FinFuture, researchers show how the system can be reformed to put financial wellbeing front and centre.
Engineering & Technology
Why that Instagram post may cost you more than you think
We don’t really know how social media posts are being used or evaluated by banks. We need greater transparency around exactly how our data will be used and the ability to challenge decisions
Legal Affairs
Focusing financial law on what really matters
The complex and unclear laws governing financial services need to be overhauled, with financial wellbeing put at the core, say researchers in the new FinFuture white paper
Planting trees is no substitute for natural forests
University of Melbourne research finds allowing degraded natural forests to re-grow is a more effective than planting new trees for storing atmospheric carbon.
Sexual objectification harms women
By having women use mobile phones to log whenever they feel sexually objectified, University of Melbourne researchers have shown that it harms their wellbeing.
Taking positive psychology into the classroom
University of Melbourne experts in positive psychology are exploring how best to apply the science of wellbeing for school students in key learning environments
Care for our financial health
Many Australians stress over their finances, but University of Melbourne experts say the answer is better education, financial health checks and counselling
Why that Instagram post may cost you more than you think
We need greater transparency around how our social media data will be used by banks, and how to challenge their decisions say University of Melbourne experts.
Focusing financial law on what really matters
Complex financial services law needs to be overhauled, with financial wellbeing at the core, say University of Melbourne experts in their FinFuture white paper.
Health & Wellbeing
The meaning in our stars
Throughout time, humankind has looked to the stars and recounted the meaning they see. We know this is true of many cultures, in many places. But time and place have influenced those narratives and how they were passed on.
Engineering & Technology
Two data points enough to spot you in open transport records
Last year, 15 million partially redacted public transport passenger details were posted online. It took researchers very little time to re-identify themselves and others, highlighting a risk to privacy
Health & Wellbeing
Hunting the genetic cause of stuttering
Stuttering can run in families, hinting at an underlying genetic cause that researchers are focusing on through a major world study. But here’s what we know now, including tips on speaking with someone who stutters.
Music, Arts & Screen
Game over? Not yet…
Old technologies like gaming consoles are being reimagined and reinvigorated by creative musicians, harking back to the lateral thinking that gave us the Game Boy
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Sciences & Technology
Science Matters
The next big scientific thing
As National Science Week celebrates scientific discovery in Australia, we ask what’s likely to be the ‘next big thing’ in some of the most exciting fields of science research?
Eavesdrop on Experts
Indigenous astronomy
After moving from the US to study in Australia, astrophysicist Associate Professor Duane Hamacher now works to increase Indigenous representation in the astronomical and space sciences
PodcastScience Matters
Climate is warming faster now than last 2000 years
The speed of global warming has never been as fast as it is today, and is affecting the whole planet at the same time, for the first time in at least two millennia
Science Matters
Planting trees is no substitute for natural forests
Allowing degraded natural forests to re-grow is a more effective, immediate and low-cost method for removing and storing atmospheric carbon than planting new trees
Science Matters
Using bacteria to control mosquitoes
The Wolbachia bacteria has successfully suppressed dengue-fever carrying mosquitoes in a trial, but more work is needed to understand how the insects move to infest new areas
Arts & Culture
Humanities
Friends, Romans, Fake News
In a world of ‘alternative facts’ and spin, Shakespeare’s plays can help teach us how to grasp complexity and expose manipulation
Humanities
A bittersweet history
Sugar is one of the world’s oldest documented commodities, but the story of how it came to dominate our modern-day diets is one of exploitation and transformation
Humanities
Revealing the true value of fashion
Entrepreneurs, designers and fashion businesses are rethinking the human and environmental costs of clothing and ensuring customers know exactly what they’re getting
Music, Arts & Screen
Echoes in the void
To mark the 50th anniversary of the moon landings, NASA and the European Space Agency have released a collection of sounds spanning the history of space travel. And space sounds beautiful
Music, Arts & Screen
The joy of a first commission
One of Australia’s most significant multidisciplinary artists, Sally Smart, reflects on the momentum around her first commission, and how young artists must connect with the world around them
Humanities
What history can really teach us
History is too intricate to teach simple lessons, but knowing your history is key to understanding the complexities of the present
Health & Medicine
Under the Microscope
Becoming a STEM-inist
When PhD candidate Amy Shepherd began her career in science, she didn’t dream that within a few years she’d be rubbing shoulders with Nobel Prize winners but still wondering where all the women are
Health & Wellbeing
Kids don’t like hospital, so let’s treat more at home
Research finds that treating children intravenously with antibiotics at home is safe and effective, and compared with hospitals, significantly more cost-effective for the health system and families
Engineering & Technology
Could your smartphone become your therapist?
As technology changes how we interact, digital mental healthcare is new territory. It offers the potential to help people who need it, but there has to be a focus on trust
Health & Wellbeing
Health data saves lives: We need to be using it better
Concerns about data privacy are valid. But sharing data saves lives, and Australia lags behind best practice overseas where researchers are safely accessing information to improve health
Health & Wellbeing
Reaching critical mass to end scabies
Australian and Pacific researchers are spearheading a global effort to eradicate scabies, a skin condition caused by a tiny parasitic mite that leads to ‘traumatic itching’ in millions of people every year
Business & Economics
Inside Business
Lost in transit?
Australian cities have seen a considerable increase in the work commute since 2002, but the 2019 HILDA survey suggests we have now reached peak travel times
Inside Business
Is wages growth really as weak as we think?
This year’s HILDA Survey shows that hourly wages of the median full-time worker have been rising well ahead of the cost of living
Inside Business
Warning on struggle street
The HILDA Survey 2019 shows Australia is still a land of opportunity, but poverty is on the rise and income classes are becoming more entrenched – which isn’t good for equality
Inside Business
Gender reshaping the traditional Australian household
Couples with children still dominate Australia but the HILDA Survey 2019 shows women working and earning more is creating a subtle and sometimes difficult rebalancing at home
Inside Business
Work or family?
Many Australian couples are finding it tough to balance work and family commitments, especially if they work long hours
Legal Affairs
Working hard to make work fairer
A proactive model helps the Fair Work Ombudsman track down unscrupulous employers who exploit or underpay their workers
Environment
Design
Australian Modernism’s Top 10: Part One
Modernist design ushered in a new way of thinking in Australia and inspired some of our most iconic architecture. Two architectural historians look at the legacy of some of our top designs
Design
Australian Modernism’s Top 10: Part Two
Modernist design ushered in a new way of thinking in Australia and inspired some of our most iconic architecture. Two architectural historians continue their look at the legacy of some of our top designs
Engineering & Technology
A land of drought and flooding rains
Understanding the interaction between increasing rainfall and dry soil conditions can help us better plan for the consequences of climate change
Engineering & Technology
Mimicking nature’s own plastic
Amino acid is the building block of life and researchers are aiming to use them as the basis to chemically produce compostable plastics to help address our worsening plastic waste problem
Engineering & Technology
The opportunities and risks of decarbonising our transport
Australia is behind on regulating vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, but we have many options that when combined carefully could achieve deep abatement, clean our air and even save us money
Politics & Society
Public Affairs
The spirit of our Nation
The annual Dungala Kaiela Oration celebrates Aboriginal cultural identity, but in his speech this year, Labor Senator Pat Dodson says there are still too many missed opportunities
Legal Affairs
Cold comfort as anti-doping plays catch up
Retrospective testing is catching up with drug cheats in world sport, opening up questions over how far back testing may go. But it may seem too little too late for those that miss out on winning at the time
Humanities
The power of Garma
The Garma Festival in Arnhem Land brings together business leaders, politicians, intellectuals and the region’s Yolngu clans for a policy conference on the opportunities and challenges facing Aboriginal people. But it’s much more than that.
Legal Affairs
ACCC doubles down on digital platforms
While there are no quick fixes, the ACCC’s final report into digital platforms in Australia finds that powerful tech giants like Google and Facebook warrant close competition scrutiny
Legal Affairs
Should we work with or turn off AI?
Artificial intelligence is already impacting the way we work – but for the next generation of professionals, human-machine collaboration could be the norm. And now is the time to think about the values we want in that relationship
Health & Wellbeing
Voice. Treaty. Truth.
Indigenous relations in Australia have come a long way, but as we celebrate NAIDOC Week, it’s clear there is still a long and uncomfortable way to go
Education
Inside Business
Helping ‘impatient’ students stay in school
Patience can have a significant impact on a child’s educational outcomes, and understanding why can help inform good policy for Australia’s school system
Learning & Teaching
Taking positive psychology into the classroom
Positive psychology in schools is exploring how best to apply the science of wellbeing in key learning environments - helping students develop skills for life
Learning & Teaching
A chance to even the odds
A child’s destiny is heavily influenced by the lottery of socio-economic status and where they happen to grow up, but access to quality early learning can help even the odds for all Australian children
Learning & Teaching
Why early childhood education is everyone’s business
The first five years of life are the most critical for building the foundations for life-long learning, well-being, and health, and it is critical we have policy reform and investment in quality early childhood education
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.