Brave conversations

Monash University’s “Brave Conversations” scheme aims to foster constructive dialogue and rebuild social cohesion by teaching students how to discuss issues respectfully and agree to disagree.

Voices matter

Indigenous communities could wield significant electoral power if they mobilised the large cohort of non-participating eligible Indigenous vote to lobby for policy changes.

The moronic inferno

If democracies do not defend their own infrastructure of trust, adversaries will exploit the vacuum. The future of democracy will depend not only on securing our grids and pipelines, but on safeguarding the fragile networks of trust that hold societies together.

Learning from insurance California style

Californian insurers can now use forward-looking computer models of climate change and disaster risk when setting premiums as long as they expand coverage in higher-risk areas, and Australia should explore this approach to keep home insurance prices stable, ensure coverage in risky areas, and make homes safer over time.

Ruptured

Ruptured is a timely and powerful anthology that explores the fractured experiences of 36 Jewish women in Australia in the aftermath of the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza.

A history of violence

Although Australia feels like a more violent country than in the past, the reality is that violence on the streets is less common than before, despite media reports to the contrary.

Australia’s deepfake dilemma

Liberal democracies now have to fill the regulatory vacuum that technology platforms have created. Australia’s greatest strength is its social fabric, and by learning from Denmark, we can reinvest in the shared, verifiable reality that binds our nation together.

Dare to care

From childcare to aged care, Australia needs an integrated plan to deliver safer, more affordable care for all Australians who need it.

Hijacking Heyek

In his new book, historian Quinn Slobodian explores the “neoliberal roots of the populist right”.

Australian AI helps detect early signs of disease

Researchers at Edith Cowan University have developed an AI system that could help medical professionals detect and diagnose early stage cardiovascular disease, diabetic eye complications, and cancer.

The best of frenemies

Australia’s alliance with the USA remains fundamental to our security, despite the Trump administration’s best efforts to undermine America’s allies and enable its enemies.

The case for urban agriculture

Urban agriculture should be treated as a serious farming method to help meet the global ambitions of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, according to Flinders University researchers.