• Global Access Partners

    New BESS edition released


    Peter Fritz |  November 28, 2023


    The October 2023 double issue of BESS® explores the self-governing practices found in Indigenous societies, the growing ‘trust divide’ between our elected politicians and the electorate, the practical applications of positive deviance and the Second Track, and the new forms of political, economic and decision-making frameworks required to tackle global challenges.


  • Environment

    Why biodiversity matters


    Open Forum |  November 28, 2023


    A year on from the COP15 summit of the Convention on Biological Diversity, a new book by UQ ecologist Nigel Dudley builds a case for “Why Biodiversity Matters” and why we should care if species go extinct.


  • Cybersecurity

    Australia’s new cybersecurity strategy


    Mike Bareja |  November 28, 2023


    The cybersecurity strategy released last week by the Albanese government recognises that Australia’s government, industry and citizens must work together to reduce the threats posed by criminal gangs and hostile state actors.


Latest Story

  • Researching the researchers

    Open Forum     |      November 20, 2023

    Research plays a pivotal role in society. Through research, we gain new understandings, test theories and make discoveries, but how do we know if individual research projects being conducted in Australia are good quality?

  • Countering the conspiracy mongers

    Zim Nwokora     |      November 19, 2023

    Trying to shut down conspiracy theories with laws and regulation isn’t working so it may be time to try something different.

  • Grokking Grok

    Nataliya Ilyushina     |      November 19, 2023

    In a typically cavalier move, Elon Musk released an AI tool that disregards all the premises of safety engraved in the Bletchley declaration a few days after warning against the dangers of AI at that conference.

  • The word for world is forest

    Open Forum     |      November 19, 2023

    The importance of protecting the Earth’s remaining forests and planting more trees has been underlined by a new report on the phenomenal ability of plants to pull carbon from the atmosphere.

  • Jaw jaw about war, war

    Maria Tumarkin     |      November 18, 2023

    In a world riven by war in Europe and the Middle East, the art of conversation offers people a chance to think as well as communicate what they are thinking, and few people love such conversations more than Rai Gaita.

  • New tool helps Vanuatu face up to climate change

    Open Forum     |      November 18, 2023

    The Climate Futures Portal will help people in Vanuatu integrate climate information into long-term sector planning, policies and design guides, and strengthen their nation’s climate resilience.

  • Misconstruing misinformation

    Max Thomas     |      November 18, 2023

    The defeat of the Voice referendum has been blamed on latent racism and misinformation, but the Prime Minister was repeatedly warned the referendum would fail if recognition was linked to the Voice.

  • The identity trap

    Hugh Breakey     |      November 17, 2023

    Yascha Mounk’s new book skewers the fashionable but flawed paradigm of post-Marxist identity politics which splits people into social groups to stoke conflict and revel in ‘oppression’.

  • Greenwashing corporate emissions

    Open Forum     |      November 17, 2023

    A new study estimates most corporations are not reporting the full scope of their carbon footprint with many claiming to be ‘green’ despite a lack of reporting on indirect, upstream and downstream emissions.

  • Summertime city

    Samantha Dunn     |      November 17, 2023

    As Australia heads into an El Nino summer, UNSW’s Dr Negin Nazarian, an expert in urban climate, explains 5 crucial strategies to keep cities – and people – cooler.

  • A step in the right direction

    Blake Johnson     |      November 16, 2023

    The Falepili Union shows Australia willingness to help with the Pacific’s climate mitigation and security needs, and may well set a precedent for being willing to support broader migration and climate adaptation funding.

  • Arms control and AI

    David Heslop     |      November 16, 2023

    US and Chinese leaders are attending the APEC summit in San Francisco in an age of deteriorating international relationships and rapid innovation in defence, driven by new technology and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.