Why do people panic buy?

As fears over fuel supply ripple through Australia, UNSW Business School experts say panic buying is driven as much by instinct and expectations as by actual shortages.

Remembering 3/11

Disaster resilience is often understood in terms of physical measures such as seawalls, evacuation routes, and reinforced buildings. Yet storytelling plays a critical role in preserving lived experience, helping communities remain aware of risks even as landscapes and generations change.

Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary is more than just an epic adventure film with beautiful visuals. It’s a story that reminds us how important our world is – and how vital science is to our continued existence on it.

The quiet frontline

The current war in the middle east is already affecting Australian fuel supplies, increasing a general sense of social and individual anxiety, but some simple steps can help people keep things in perspective.

The illusion of competence

80% of Australian undergraduates are using AI to do their work and complete their assessments, negating the need for actual learning and eroding their ability to think for themselves.

What’s the point of trying any more?

Companies such as Atlassian, Block and Amazon are sacking thousands of employees in their rush to embrace AI, and while other factors are also at play, young people are right to worry about their future.

Revamping regional universities

Education policy makers must question whether the governance model applied across Australian higher education is aligned with the realities of thin regional markets.

Young scientists are made of paint and pancakes

Parents can help build their child’s logical thinking, problem-solving, and conscious decision-making by talking about science and incorporating it into play, paving the way for their children to enjoy and engage with science subjects when they reach school.

Australia’s global health opportunity

The dismantling of US foreign aid has left a gap in the world’s defences against disease and Australia should step forward to help its Pacific neighbours maintain their health programmes.

Building social cohesion

Social cohesion is a social process that emerges from policies and programs, information flows and everyday interactions and requires intentional investment from all levels of society.

USA-Iran war highlights Australia’s fuel vulnerability

Rather than treating fuel security purely as a stockpiling problem, Australia should think about distributed fuel resilience, including larger northern storage facilities, greater redundancy in import terminals and expanded capacity to move fuel across the continent during disruption.

Bridging the great divides

Maintaining social cohesion is a crucial factor in preserving Australia’s security but policy makers shouldn’t make it a national-security issue.