Junk in, junk out

Public health experts are calling for the next Federal Government to take action to stop junk food ads targeting children, after new research showed that the issue is a concern for 85% of parents and caregivers.

Death by a thousand cuts

Recent controversies over New Zealand’s Ka Ora, Ka Ako school lunch program have offer a window into the wider debate about the politics of “fiscal responsibility” and austerity politics in democratic governments around the world.

The fake news arms race

A new model depicts how competition for attention leads news sources to publish misinformation. The findings portray a trend, or “arms race,” towards hyper-partisan fake news to increase audience engagement.

Robots with brains – what could possibly go wrong?

QUT robotics researchers have developed a new robot navigation system that mimics neural processes of the human brain and uses less than 10 per cent of the energy required by traditional systems.

On the slide

Poor lifestyles and bad habits start to affect our health by our mid-thirties, much earlier than some people assume.

Nature positive, action negative

New research led by Griffith University argues that the term “nature positive” does more to boost greenwashing companies and vote-seeking politicians than nature conservation.

ReNeuWell

Researchers from NeuRA and UNSW Sydney have launched a new app aimed at boosting the wellbeing and resilience of adults. ReNeuWell helps people to shift the focus from managing distress to actively promoting mental flourishing, offering a neuroscience-backed, personalised approach to mental health.

Do look up

The space economy presents new investment opportunities as commercial space resource ventures grow, but investors must assess the risks and regulatory challenges involved as well as the potential for profit.

All the slop that’s fit to print

An ever greater percentage of the news that people consume is generated by AI, rather than people.

Taming cyclones

Seeding clouds with aerosols could hold the key to stopping potentially destructive cyclones in their tracks, according to a first-of-its-kind study from The Australian National University.

Stop talking, start punching

Australia must stop talking about being a middle power that punches above its weight. Talking about it is far less interesting to the rest of the world than Australia actually doing it.

Supporting older Australians

In line with the federal government’s new Support at Home program, which launches on November 1, Flinders University researchers have developed “Restorative Care Pathway Clinical Guidelines” to help maintain older people’s independence.