What do musical conductors do?

The conductor in a classical orchestra may not play an instrument, but communicates all the same with the performers and their audience. Their role is part artistic, part mathematical and always highly theatrical.

Knowledge and power – Understanding Foucault

Michel Foucault was one of the most famous thinkers of the late 20th century, achieving celebrity-like status before his untimely death in 1984. He is still a mainstay of social science dissertations, but how much do you really know about his work?

In praise of the library

If books are the basic data of civilisation, then nations’ libraries provide windows on national souls. They remain precious places in which to seek traces of the past, and reassurance about the future.

Joining the dots

The ‘key player’ concept devised by Professor Yves Zenou offers a window into how social networks influence behaviour.

Power, politics and art

James Arvanitakis and Alix Beattie of Western Sydney University argue that the hostile reaction to a controversial Bondi mural highlights the rise of a new conservative political correctness.

Australian Gothic

The term “Gothic” evokes images of grim, crumbling castles, wild moors and jagged mountain peaks, but the genre has long been used to explore the dark side of the Australian experience.

Music festivals need a cultural change to combat sexual violence

A new report on Safety, Sexual Harassment and Assault at Australian Music Festivals report is the first national study of its kind into the dangers faced by women at major outdoor events.

Sex and the remake

A new book explores the fraught process of taking on a TV or film remake, and why updating attitudes to sex may not always work.

The perfection of David

Michelangelo’s statue of David is the world’s most famous statement on physical perfection, and continues to inspire the next generation of artists 400 years after its creation.

Enter the dragon

Hit television series like Game of Thrones and Lost are more than just an escape from reality, they can mirror the political conflicts we see in the real world and perhaps, by shaping people’s perceptions, even influence them.

Can we separate well made art from badly behaved artists?

The history of art is full of great artists who were cruel, exploitative, prejudiced or predatory. Can their work be judged independently of their creators?

Facebook’s new crush on its users

The social media giant is entering the dating app market, but will it be seen as yet another invasion of privacy or a fun way to help shy people get together?