• Society

    Science needs to tell its story


    Peter Doherty |  April 26, 2024


    In one sense, Trump has done the world of intellectual inquiry a service: He is forcing those fighting disinformation to engage on a much broader front than just relying on critical thinking and a respect for evidence.


  • America

    America alone


    John West |  April 26, 2024


    America’s foreign policy has always been a battleground between isolationist and internationalist forces, according to Charles Kupchan. The tussle continues to this very day, and could intensify if Donald Trump wins the next US Presidential election.


  • Education and Training

    Universities face a cash crunch


    Anthony Welch |  April 26, 2024


    Government plans to reduce the number of overseas students are forcing the Australian universities which have come to depend on their fees to contemplate opening more branches abroad.


Latest Story

  • Premiers facing elections play hardball with hard borders

    Michelle Grattan     |      September 6, 2020

    That old adage “never get between a premier and a bucket of money” has become “never get between a premier and a COVID election”.

  • Surviving the self-inflicted recession

    Richard Holden     |      September 6, 2020

    Governments around the world have voluntarily shut down their economies for the first time in history. How will Australia escape this unprecedented situation to restart its economy?

  • Melbourne’s COVID car crunch

    Open Forum     |      September 5, 2020

    When Melbourne goes back to work after stage 4 restrictions are lifted, commuters are likely to shun public transport in favour of their cars, potentially causing gridlock after weeks of empty roads.

  • Coming to a head

    Open Forum     |      September 5, 2020

    Coming to a head

    A Monash research team studying head impacts at the elite level of Australian football say it’s too soon to make a direct link between concussion in the sport and brain problems later in life.

  • Investing in the future after COVID-19

    Andrew Elek     |      September 5, 2020

    Even the darkest cloud has a silver lining and COVID offers governments around the world an unprecedented opportunity to invest in a better future, not least by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

  • Loving to learn in lockdown

    Pearl Subban     |      September 4, 2020

    For introverted students, educators and professionals who enjoy routine, predictability and quiet reflection, being confined to their homes has given them a chance to thrive.

  • Australia can lead a biotechnology revolution

    John S. Mattick     |      September 4, 2020

    The Australian government needs to develop a bold vision and strategic plan to create the data-driven healthcare system and bioeconomy of the future.

  • The long dark teatime of the soul

    Open Forum     |      September 4, 2020

    Several new terms have been coined for the listlessness induced by COVID lockdowns, but an ancient word might be the best.

  • The storm before the calm

    Colin Chapman     |      September 3, 2020

    Many Americans think their country is in bad shape but George Friedman’s close examination of American history indicates that the country is in the midst of an expected period of transition rather than a state of decline.

  • Reinventing medical education in the digital age of COVID-19

    Wendy C. Coates     |      September 3, 2020

    Since the outbreak of COVID-19, everything about clinical practice and the medical educational system has been turned upside down, but scientific discovery progresses at a rapid pace during times of crisis as new approaches are born from adversity.

  • Surprise! It’s a praying mantis

    David Thompson     |      September 3, 2020

    A new study has for the first time illuminated the evolutionary history of the bizarre anti-predator defence – the praying mantis startle display – and suggests that the element of surprise may be key to its success. 

  • Counterpoint by Mark Nicol – Western crisis – The need for realpolitik enlightenment

    Mark Nicol     |      September 2, 2020

    Faced with the rise of China and other geo-political threats, the declining power and confidence of the Western democracies, can only be reversed if cold hard realities are confronted.