Latest Story
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Capturing the narrative
Alexandra Vassar | January 16, 2026A new UNSW research project shows how the internet and social media have become a closed loop of AI slop in which bots invent lies to trigger emotional responses from humans, manufacturing a false reality in which they can shift votes as well as products.
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Living in the visitors’ kitchen
Roger Chao | January 16, 2026Governments and hospitals should invest in family accommodation near children’s hospitals to allow regional parents to stay close to their sick children without risking financial ruin.
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You’ll eat what you’re sold
Uri Gal | January 16, 2026AI was supposed to cure cancer, but what it’s actually being used for is to market and sell products to consumers in ever more intrusive and less-transparent ways.
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Will the new ‘hate speech’ law work?
Open Forum | January 15, 2026The government has responded to the horror of the Bondi terror attack and public demands to address rising antisemitism by proposing new laws curbing racial vilification, so what are they and will they work?
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Is China a superpower?
John West | January 15, 2026China’s economic power, military modernisation and aggressive foreign policy towards Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific may not be enough to grant it super power status, according to a new book by historian Frank Dikotter.
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My hands, in plain sight
Roger Chao | January 15, 2026Recent scandals have raised concerns about all men working in early childhood education but a country that can’t trust men to care for children will end up with fewer carers, more exhausted women, deeper workforce shortages, and children quietly educated into fear.
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The narcissism of conspiracy thinking
Tylor Cosgrove | January 14, 2026New research shows correlation between narcissistic personality traits and beliefs in conspiracy theories and misinformation, regardless of people’s levels of education.
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Delivering in 43 degrees
Roger Chao | January 14, 2026For better or worse, food delivery drivers have become ubiquitous on the roads – and pavements – of Australia’s cities, braving the heat of summer and impatient traffic for very little in the way of reward.
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How does stress affect decision making?
Karlo Doroc | January 14, 2026New research reveals how the combination of stress and time pressure can wreak havoc on our ability to make good choices.
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The secret pleasures of schadenfreude
Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Sachinthanee Dissanayake | January 13, 2026It’s human nature to take pleasure in the misfortunes of others sometimes, particularly in the cut-throat world of modern business, but showing some empathy and a willingness to learn from those mistakes might be more productive.
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Bring back the buttons
Milad Haghani | January 13, 2026Most new cars over the last decade have replaced physical levers and buttons with large touchscreens in an effort to appear modern and save money, but their lack of useability is forcing manufacturers to bring the buttons back.
