Back to the future

What will happen in the 2020s? If history is any guide – and there’s good reason to think it is – then the immediate outlook may be less than rosy.

The kids are alright

Australian kids we are told, have too much screen time, too little exercise, too many scheduled activities and not enough risk and freedom. In reality there’s never been a better time to be a child.

Ordinary people can believe extraordinary things

Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have delved into the world of online conspiracy theories, showing most of the people behind them are actually pretty ordinary in other respects.

Foul play?

Sports bodies are keen to trumpet their viewership and revenue, but Australian teenagers are among the least active in the world. At a time when off-field controversies are dominating, how strong is the social license of our sporting bodies?

Measuring progress and wellbeing in Australia

Attempts to measure wellbeing in Australia, and factor it into public policy have stalled, but wellbeing measures are being used with success in Iceland, New Zealand and elsewhere, offering hope their adoption will rekindle interest in this country.

The tragic trajectory of ‘crossover kids’

While youth crime is a steady topic of media and political debate, comparatively little attention is given to the backgrounds of maltreatment and adversity experienced by many children and young people caught up in these systems.

Closing the IT gap for indigenous Australians

Although information technology may still seem foreign to many Indigenous communities, embracing IT could help sustain, preserve and communicate tbe oldest living culture on earth.

Cultural values and democracy

The relationship of cultural values and democracy is a ‘chicken and egg’ conundrum, does one rely on the other, or are they inter-dependent? New research on political trust may shed light on the answer.

Australia’s ageing population deserves a proper policy

Demographic change is projected to slow labour force growth, reducing national income and tax revenue, but this will only be a problem if policy makers ignore it.

City slickers look down on rural professionals

Rural and urban environments pose different challenges for working professionals, and good and bad practices can occur in both, but it is narcissistic to believe geography is the key determinant of quality service delivery.

The ties that bind Australia

A long-running survey suggests that most Australians remain broadly positive about multi-cultural immigration although doubts about muslim cultural influence remain.

Getting our own house in order

Strengthening Australia’s democratic institutions will help ensure that Chinese state and corporate interference does not divide our society or undercut our national interests.