Love hurts – On a lifetime of sports fandom

Sport is an integral part of Australia’s DNA, but a love for Lleyton Hewitt, Australia’s last world number one male tennis player, was unusual for even the most die-hard Australian sporting fan.

Putting museum power on the map

A new analysis of the soft power of museums shows how their social influence is shaped by local social-demographic, cultural and economic factors.

Preserving the power of ancient Indigenous oral traditions

The Monash Country Lines Archive is an animation program that records stories in Indigenous languages which are often threatened with extinction.

How Australian cities are adapting to the “Chinese century”

China’s rise as a global power is driving new flows of people, ideas and capital between China and Australia and Australian cities need to adapt to this new geopolitical reality.

Grey nomads, seachangers and bogans – 30 years of the Australian National Dictionary

Do you know someone ‘doing a Johnny Farnham’? Have you played the ‘thongophone’? And how do you think Australia’s ‘koala diplomacy’ is working? These “Australianisms” are contenders for the next edition of the Australian National Dictionary (AND), prove Australian English is alive and well on its 30th anniversary.

Micro-betting snares more vulnerable Australians

The increasing popularity of ‘micro-betting’ poses a threat to the integrity of major sports as well as the wallets of Australia’s increasing numbers of online gamblers.

Why do we love to hate vegans?

More and more people are adopting plant-based diets in Australia and other western nations but it appears that resentment towards vegans and vegetarians is also on the rise. A little more compassion and understanding on both sides might be in order.

The capitalist chains of creativity

Has capitalism co-opted our creative juices to merely perpetuate itself? Oli Mould’s new book ‘Against Creativity’ suggests that modern conceptions of creativity are limiting our ability to conceive alternatives.

What came before #MeToo? The ‘himpathy’ that shaped misogyny

Unless #MeToo successfully expands beyond professional women by reaching out to empower pink- and blue-collar women who suffer in silence under male supervisors, it will leave its mark but will not have done its most significant work. 

Disgusting or delicious? The case for rethinking our food

Somewhere between the rotten shark and the raw bull penis, psychologist Samuel West wants you to think about your food choices – or, more precisely, what you won’t eat and why.

Money doesn’t talk, it swears

At a time when spoiled billionaires seem to get anything they want, Banksy’s act of vengeance can appear deeply satisfying, but there is more going on here than a simple loathing of the rich and powerful.

Australia’s changing relationship with alcohol

New research from La Trobe University has revealed that 30 per cent of Australians recently reduced the quantity of their alcohol consumption and a further 29 per cent reduced the frequency of their drinking, while six per cent kicked the habit for good.