• Environment

    The battle of the coral sea


    Open Forum |  September 21, 2021


    The loss of 50% of the world’s coral reefs since 1950 has led to an equally significant loss in the ability of reefs to support the food and livelihoods of indigenous peoples.


  • Defence and Security

    Australia signs up to the Anglosphere


    Allan Gyngell |  September 21, 2021


    The new submarine agreement is a big Australian bet on the future of the United States, and at a more uncertain time in American politics than at almost any point in the history of the alliance.


  • Health

    Behind the scenes with the Chief Health Officers


    Patrick Harris |  September 19, 2021


    Day to day media coverage of the Coronavirus epidemic misses the nuances of the role of State Chief Health Officer beyond reading out case numbers. This is what we found when we spoke to them.


Latest Story

  • Coping with uncertainty

    Sarah Wayland     |      September 15, 2021

    COVID-19, and the measures taken to contain it, have overturned many social norms and there remains great uncertainty over the impact of opening up.

  • Sydney risks a spike if it opens too quickly

    Raina MacIntyre     |      September 15, 2021

    Balancing the threat to health posed by COVID and the need to re-open a largely vaccinated society is a difficult choice, but new modelling suggests a heavy price will be paid if New South Wales opens too quickly.

  • Face to face

    Tilman Dingler     |      September 15, 2021

    In these times of remote communication – and connection problems – how do we empathise with each other through the curtain of technology when non-verbal cues are missing?

  • Revitalising Australian democracy

    Tom Gerald Daly     |      September 15, 2021

    Today’s “International Day of Democracy” and Joe Biden’s forthcoming Summit for Democracy should prompt a greater focus on renewing Australia’s democratic system.

  • Why a super tax isn’t a great idea

    Richard Holden     |      September 15, 2021

    Taxing the “super profits’ made by large companies sounds like a a good idea, but it’s hard to get right and there might be better ways to get more company tax into the public coffers.

  • When two hearts beat as one

    Open Forum     |      September 15, 2021

    People unconsciously synchronize bodily functions like heartbeat and breathing when they share an experience, such as a live performance or a personal conversation, according to new research.

  • Beijing’s boomerang ban on Australian coal

    David Uren     |      September 15, 2021

    The Chinese Communist Party’s use of economic muscle to bully other nations into political acquiescence is backfiring when it comes to China’s de-facto ban on imports of Australian coal.

  • Australian sovereignty requires new thinking on investment and trade

    Gillian Savage     |      September 14, 2021

    Economic policy should be positioned alongside security, sovereignty and resilience through a more holistic nation-building agenda that invests in what we’re good at, values what we have and builds the future we want.

  • The new argonauts

    Open Forum     |      September 14, 2021

    Named after the boat which Greek mythological hero Jason travelled on in search of the golden fleece, a new generation of Argo floats loaded with high-tech equipment are measuring ocean temperatures to depths of 2000 metres.

  • On the frontline against COVID-19

    Lucy Morgan     |      September 14, 2021

    Although vaccination rates are increasing, the greatest strain on the health service is yet to come and in this article two doctors explain how COVID-19 patients are treated in intensive care.

  • Will future generations bear the COVID bill?

    Victoria Tichá     |      September 13, 2021

    Governments are spending at unprecedented levels. Where does this money come from, and are governments saddling young people with too much debt?

  • One nation divided under COVID

    Julia Butler     |      September 13, 2021

    While policies focused on the immediate issues are important to address the critical challenges facing communities and individuals, we cannot rely on band-aid solutions to provide enduring assistance in these unpredictable times.