Indigenous science cooperation

Many scientists rely on Indigenous people to guide their work – by helping them to find wildlife, navigate rugged terrain or understand changing weather trends – but we must also acknowledge the troubling attitudes that have long plagued research projects in Indigenous communities.

Human nature

Patent law should encourage innovation by protecting inventors but is all too often abused by large corporations at the expense of the common good.

The evolution of communication

Scientific progress has allowed mankind to adopt ever more sophisticated modes of communication, and this process is set to continue, perhaps allowing us to contact lifeforms beyond our own world.

Rulers of the Earth

What is it about Homo Sapiens that allowed us to overcome rival hominids and all other creatures to dominate planet Earth?

The religious discrimination debate

Whatever the results of current legislative efforts to reduce religious discrimination, history suggests that competing religious groups tend to cause strife in any nation.

The world within

The pandemic allowed many of us to catch up on some reading, but with more people using their phones or e-readers rather than traditional books, does the very different experience of reading on a screen compared to a printed page affect our comprehension?

Australia can lead the way to a low carbon economy

Australia has shown that we are capable of great ideas in a wide variety of areas – from food production to energy generation and automated systems for mining and computer control – which could power the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Facts, faith and the future

Scientific fact, rather than religion faith, should motivate decision making in the face of growing challenges.

Organising curiosity

The scientific method is the key to unlocking the secrets of our world, but explaining science to the public and encouraging young minds to embrace the wonder all around them is equally vital.

Automated warfare is a threat to us all

The development of AI-infused systems will allow autonomous military drones to pick out targets and take lethal action without direct human input, raising questions of how – and whether – such machines should be used.

Covid computer

The effects of long hours of playing violent video games on young people have long been a matter of debate and concern, heightened by the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Marriage for the modern age

Although societies around the world have diverged and changed radically over the ages, marriage has remained a constant theme. Given our lengthening life expectancies, are further reforms required?