Women in music – Searching the canon

We need to keep shining a light on the amazing creative work being undertaken by women across so many artistic fields, otherwise women will once again be notable largely by their absence.

Why do people risk their lives for the perfect selfie?

Self portraits have always been a powerful form of artistic expression but why do some people feel so compelled to snap the perfect selfie that they’d risk their life, or the lives of others?

Why the lost girls of ‘Hanging Rock’ still haunt us

As the new TV adaption of ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ premieres, the story still draws us in with enduring themes of female empowerment, lost children and the deep mystery of Australia’s brutal landscape.

The beauty of a both/and mind

How can we find our way out of the impasse that stymies action on the really big issues of the day? Cultivating a ‘positive sum’ mind may be the key to more imaginative and inclusive thinking.

‘Anna Karenina’ and modern marriage

Each character approaches marriage with a different set of expectations in Leo Tolstoy’s ‘Anna Karenina’ and many succumb to disappointment. As the Royal Wedding approaches, what can one of the world’s greatest novels teach us about marriage today?

A locked closet – LGTBI rights around the world

In the euphoria that greeted the legalisation of same sex marriage in Australia last year, it was easy to forget that for most gay people in the world it remains an unobtainable dream.

Beyond ANZAC: What really shaped our nation?

Australia’s reputation as one of the first progressive democracies in the world may have been forged peacefully, but is nonetheless worthy of commemoration.

Sexy selfies continue a complex game of evolution

Young women posting alluring photos of themselves online say less about gender discrimination – or those taking the sexy selfies – than about the economies they live in.

An artful truth about gender bias: Lessons from the art market

Is a woman’s brush stroke worth less than a man’s? Apparently so. Much less. The average price for paintings by female artists is 47.6% lower than the average price for paintings by men. The evidence is consistent with the idea that women’s art sells for less because it is made by women.

Learning about the world – and myself – on my Milan adventure

Sydney student Leila Maugeri champions the virtues of studying abroad – and learning about yourself in the process.

The necessary transience of happiness

The happiness industry is booming, yet few of us are happier. Why not? George Gillett suggests we should live in the moment and enjoy the journey of life while we can.

The worried West – Chronic decline or hypochondria?

Being Russian, North Korean or Chinese at this moment in history and watching liberal democracies talk themselves into decline must be odd but satisfying.