Pursuit
Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
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Building equity into architecture
We’ve had qualified women architects in Australia for nearly 120 years, but there is no way that we’ve reached gender parity in the professions
Eavesdrop on Experts
Exposing the hepatitis B virus
A new method detecting the ‘master blueprint’ of hepatitis B will help researchers globally test potential medicines to discover a cure for the virus. Oh, and there’s a love story in this episode too
PodcastHealth & Wellbeing
Can we close the gap on blindness by 2020?
While the Roadmap to Close the Gap for Vision is working to improve vision and eye health for Indigenous Australians, there are still areas that need attention
Heroines of mathematics
We asked some of the University of Melbourne's prominent mathematicians to share with us who their favourite maths heroines are and why.
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.
Finding the fundamentals of reading
An independent evaluation by University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children's Research Institute finds intensive phonics-based reading interventions can deliver
Reframing the ‘Australian Ugliness’
Robin Boyd was known for his scathing assessment of Australian popular architecture, but did he eventually change his mind asks a University of Melbourne expert
Building equity into architecture
Although Australia has had qualified women architects for 120 years, a University of Melbourne expert says the profession is behind in terms of gender balance.
Exposing the hepatitis B virus
Professor Peter Revill and Dr Thomas Tu are part of a global effort to find a cure for hepatitis B virus that is making new progress like exposing its blueprint
Science Matters
When the Wall came down
Two scientists, who today are colleagues, were on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall when it came down 30 years ago. Here they reflect on 1989 and what it meant
Health & Wellbeing
Immunising kids against pneumonia
Across the Asia-Pacific, too many children are still dying from pneumonia, but a new study in Laos is proving that vaccinating the most vulnerable can protect entire communities
Humanities
How do you crack the code to a lost ancient script?
The decipherment of Linear B, the earliest form of Greek, was a history changing achievement, but decoding the older Linear A would open a new window on the origins of European culture
Public Affairs
The danger of keeping quiet
In an extract of a speech covering political leadership around the world, the Chancellor of the University of Oxford and the former of Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, explores the need for collaboration and honesty in dealing with China’s complexity
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Sciences & Technology
Science Matters
The Spirit of change
A new documentary, Spirit, tells a story of longing and belonging in the Indian Himalayas, exploring what it takes to make a home in a remote community in the thralls of change
Science Matters
The man who built a whole new field of chemistry
In the 90s, Professor Richard Robson created a new class of coordination polymers, and his models inspired an entirely new field of chemistry
Legal Affairs
The ‘personality’ in artificial intelligence
As artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning continue to impact many human industries, would understanding the ‘personality’ within the algorithm make us trust AI more?
Science Matters
The shared evolution of the Tasmanian tiger and the wolf
Through a molecular quirk, two distant mammalian cousins evolved to look more like twins finds new research
Science Matters
Probing Earth’s deep and ancient secrets
A rock that is the source of most of the world’s diamond deposits is giving us insights into the Earth’s formation
Business & Economics
Inside Business
Care for our financial health
Many Australians stress over their finances, but just like a health problem, the answer is better education, financial health checks, and counselling for those that need it
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
Inside Business
Is empathy good for business?
Being able to put yourself in the shoes of your customers and colleagues is a crucial advantage in business, but too much empathy can also have unintended consequences
Inside Business
Can your personality be good, or bad, for your health?
The HILDA 2019 Survey finds intriguing links between dominant personality traits and the onset of serious illness – but it’s more likely to do with the behaviours linked to those traits
Inside Business
Work or family?
Many Australian couples are finding it tough to balance work and family commitments, especially if they work long hours
Education
Learning & Teaching
An alternative to ATAR
As students prepare for their end-of-year exams, new research is exploring an alternative to the ATAR that may better recognise student achievement and inspire good learning
Learning & Teaching
Finding the fundamentals of reading
An independent evaluation by researchers finds that an intensive phonics-based intervention program for students struggling to read can improve foundational skills
Learning & Teaching
The unique value of Indigenous knowledge
A university’s core role is knowledge creation, but Australian universities are still missing out on genuine two-way learning with local Indigenous knowledge
Public Affairs
Actions speak louder than words
Helping our young people to become ‘action competent’ will enable the next generation to become connected and empathetic – and encourage them to push for real change
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
Environment
Humanities
Canada’s first climate change election
In an election campaign where the threat of climate change loomed large, Canada’s left-leaning parties made big promises that may lead to real change
Health & Wellbeing
Making Australia’s most liveable city more inclusive
Melbourne is a great city to live in, but it can do better for people with a disability by making it more accessible and inclusive
Eavesdrop on Experts
The artistry of geology
Engineering geologist Michael Webster has combined his passion for Melbourne’s geology with art – turning geotechnical assessments into 3D printed models
PodcastLegal Affairs
Managing the hidden water beneath our feet
Decision-makers have significant discretion when it comes to regulating groundwater, but there is too little transparency about how it is used and its effect on the local environment
Science Matters
Why are our rainforests burning?
Many of us may think the wet, humid conditions in a rainforest makes them unburnable, but bushfires in Australia and the Amazon are proving otherwise
Animals, Food & You
Zap! And the weeds are gone
A University of Melbourne researcher has invented a device that uses microwaves to control weeds, reducing the need for herbicides
Arts & Culture
Music, Arts & Screen
Conserving Australia’s cultural record
Our cultural record is the history of Australia’s identity, and, unless care is taken to conserve it with a clear cultural understanding, its context could be lost
Humanities
The diversity of the globalised cultural economy
This edited extract of the new book, Global Cultural Economy, explores how understanding context and history can help us change the lives of artists and cultural workers for the better
Music, Arts & Screen
To bear witness in dangerous times
Manus Island refugee processing may be coming to an end, but new portraits shine a light on the lives left in limbo
Humanities
The woman who stitched her way into art history
Known for her bold and bright work, artist Mirka Mora was a trailblazer for women artists in the 70s, bringing ‘feminine techniques’ to the forefront of art
Eavesdrop on Experts
The oddities of existing things
Between the eighth and thirteenth centuries, Islamic thinking and literature was at its height, and one text in particular attempted to catalogue life, the universe and everything
Podcast
Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
Making the case for the global kidney exchange
The Global Kidney Exchange, which aims to expand the kidney donor pool, has been criticised as ‘organ trafficking’, but the counter argument is that it will save the lives of rich and poor patients alike
Health & Wellbeing
Many of the world’s women are mistreated during childbirth
New research shows that more than one-third of women in four low and middle-income countries are being mistreated when giving birth in health facilities
Eavesdrop on Experts
Knowledge sharing for health and wellbeing
Gwenda Freeman is a Yorta Yorta woman, committed to truth-telling and the empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to contribute to health services for their own community
PodcastAnimals, Food & You
Switching to a plant-based diet? Keep an eye on your micronutrients
Environmental and health concerns mean that many people are switching to a plant-based diet, but they can risk missing out on some key micronutrients
Health & Wellbeing
Stopping healthy cells from self-destructing
Australian scientists have developed a world-first compound that keeps cells alive and functioning when they otherwise would have died
Health & Wellbeing
Unlocking the secret to changing our minds
New research tracks the neural patterns that allow us to change our minds. Understanding this could open up the possibility of more advanced artificial intelligence
Politics & Society
Politics & Society
The future of post-Brexit Britain
As the UK heads toward an election, much of the focus remains on Brexit negotiations; but there needs to be more thought given to the long term, especially when it comes to trade
Humanities
Why immigration wasn’t an issue in Canada’s election
Bipartisanship on immigration in Canada reflects explicit support for multiculturalism when in Australia it is more a reflection of unease
Learning & Teaching
What are 21st century parents concerned about?
Slowing wage growth, the increasing cost of education and the fast pace of social change make it difficult for parents to prepare their children for uncertain futures
Legal Affairs
No policy without leadership
Overcoming the trust deficit in Australian politics and delivering key policies requires empathetic leaders to stand up and fight, says former deputy Labor leader Jenny Macklin
Humanities
The thin line between fake and fact
While the Internet provides a forum for democracy in some Southeast Asian countries, it’s also become a tool for fake news, misinformation and political hoaxes