Seven steps to success in scaling social programmes

A new online resource outlines a seven-step process to help program managers and social innovators expand a program and deliver it at scale.

The dire debate

Joe Biden looked old against an unrepentant Donald Trump in the first presidential debate of the 2024 US Presidential election. What can be gleaned from perhaps the worst Presidential debate in history?

Speak free or die

Free speech is not merely about the right to speak; it is about the right to think. It is about the fundamental human dignity that comes from being treated as a rational agent capable of processing information and forming one’s own conclusions. To deny this right is to deny our very humanity.

High-speed rail must include the regions

Even after four decades of studies and debate, Australia is yet to develop a plan that integrates regional cities into a high-speed rail network

Melbourne’s big build

Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop aims to help the city become more equitable – but better integration of land use and transport could deliver more benefits for less money

OK Computer

Australia’s live music scene is already suffering in the wake of COVID and the inflation crisis, but AI-generated muzak could put the industry under even greater pressure.

Walk back to health

The recurrent nature of low back pain places a major burden on the health service as well as individuals but a combination of gentle walking and education can help many people recover.

Might social media be good for you?

Social media gets a bad rap these days, but it’s worth considering the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ we use social media when we’re thinking about whether it’s good for our mental health

5 steps towards electric transport

University of Queensland researchers have outlined 5 key steps would could accelerate Australia’s transition to electric vehicles.

When the truth goes up in smoke

Although the tobacco industry has a long history of subverting science to deny the harm caused by smoking, few leading medical journals actually ban research wholly or partly funded by the industry.

Will bird flu be the next pandemic?

The first case of H5N1 bird flu was reported in Australia last week. Is the world prepared for what could lead to the next pandemic?

Victim-blaming, manipulation, and denial

Terrorists justify their violent actions and influence public perceptions of harm and agency by manipulating language according to a new Charles Darwin University study.