Counting the psychological cost of the lockdown

Will the social distancing and extreme hygiene practices advocated to fight COVID-19 be harmful or helpful for the long term?

The lessons from game theory the contrarians ignore

There are claims our social-distancing measures are too extreme, but good economists – and game theorists – have good reason to disagree.

Q&A – How the world is coping with COVID-19

UNSW Sydney’s Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, an adviser to the World Health Organisation, says the world will never be the same again following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cometh the hour, cometh the Morrison?

Leaders are often defined by how they respond to disasters – historically, the greatest leaders have steered us through the darkest times – and Scott Morrison’s premiership will be remembered for how he handled the coronavirus crisis.

Making the best of isolation

Self-isolation needn’t be a burden; it can be an opportunity for self-reflection and renewal. Here are some tips for preparing yourself and, possibly even, enjoying the experience.

Lessons from past pandemics

From the bubonic plague to the Spanish flu, pandemics are not new, but the modern world brings with it amazing advancements and particular challenges.

The world has to work together

The death of globalisation and global institutions in the face of COVID-19 is much exaggerated. A universal pulling up of drawbridges behind national moats would do collective self-harm.

Humanising the containment of COVID-19

An ‘every nation for itself’ approach risks heightening tensions at a time of waning trust in governments and rising geopolitical tensions.

We reap what we sow in terms of national resilience

Covid-19 has shown that market forces aren’t enough to ensure adequate national resilience in myriad areas, and that too much of our preparation for such emergencies was predicated on good luck.

Arvanitakis on American politics: Politics in a time of pandemic

The politics of the pandemic have altered the political landscape in ways we are yet to understand. There are five dimensions of American life that may provide insights into this new environment and how it could work for Trump despite his initial handling of the crisis.

Plagues, pandemics, and religious ramifications

Religions are usually slow to adapt to new forms of technology or thinking but the coronavirus emergency is challenging the way Australians practice the religious observances which offer solace in times of distress and grief.

Coronanomics

The global economy will never be the same again after the COVID-19 outbreak and neither will Australia in terms of how we work and how we engage with nature.