Legends of the sea

In an age of mounting concern about our relationship with the oceans, in which we are having to radically reassess our control over and influence on the natural world, it is perhaps time for this history to resurface.

Conspiracy nation

A new book demonstrates how fringe narratives about significant events can metastasise online, undermining our already fragile shared understanding of reality.

150 years of moral panic

The current cultural panic about masculinity is just the latest incarnation of a long-standing debate about the role of men in society.

Drone wars

The Russia-Ukraine war has ushered in a new era of warfare defined by low-cost, commercially available drones that challenge the dominance of traditional military hardware. As FPV drones and remote strike capabilities reshape combat strategy and battlefield ethics, the line between warfighting and video gaming grows increasingly blurred.

How male grievance fuels radicalisation and extremist violence

Social extremism is evolving in reach and form. While traditional racial supremacy ideologies remain, contemporary movements are now often fuelled by something more personal and emotionally resonant: male grievance.

Australia’s tobacco war

High taxes on cigarettes and restrictions on vapes have seen an explosion in illegal sales and an outbreak of gang warfare on Australia’s city streets, so what is the solution?

Segal’s antisemitism plan goes awry

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may be rueing what seemed a good idea at the time – the appointment of a special envoy to combat antisemitism and another to combat Islamophobia.

Rethinking universities in the age of AI

The onslaught of AI means that universities will have to shift from teaching information to teaching students how to think with, not against, intelligent machines.

Sport is the new religion

The fervent connections which sports fans have to their teams is strikingly similar to religious faith, according to a new book by an Australian expert in sports management.

Will Segal’s plan reduce antisemitism?

The Albanese government appointed Jillian Segal as the nation’s first special envoy for combating antisemitism and her plan has just been released.

The plan has now been released. Let’s unpack it.

Key Robodebt RC recommendations still not implemented two years on

Two years on from the findings of the Robodebt Royal Commission, the Federal Government has still not implemented all of its recommendations, and alarming flaws in the social security system remain.

Mushrooms and murder

Erin Patterson’s conviction for multiple murder has brought to an end a long-running case which drew international attention as well as dominating Australian headlines.