• Business

    ESG investing in people and the planet


    Rosemary Addis |  April 24, 2024


    Environmental and social issues need to be considered together for sustainable finance reforms to contribute positively to the wellbeing of the planet and its people.


  • Artificial Intelligence

    The idea factory


    Open Forum |  April 24, 2024


    AI chatbots can offer a novel avenue for idea generation, simulating multidisciplinary workshops that traditionally require significant time and resources. Soon we won’t need people at all, will we?


  • Health

    Australia’s healthy health sector


    Open Forum |  April 24, 2024


    New research from the Productivity Commission has found Australia’s healthcare system delivers some of the best value for money of any in the world.


Latest Story

  • Australia in deep space

    David Flannery     |      July 21, 2019

    Australia has played up the role played by the Parkes radio telescope in the Apollo programme, but it’s time to look to the future. We have the skills to participate in multi-national deep space missions, all we lack is the courage to imagine what is possible, and the confidence in our ability to succeed.

  • Bugs v mosquitoes

    Ary Hoffmann     |      July 21, 2019

    The Wolbachia bacteria has successfully suppressed dengue-fever carrying mosquitoes in a trial, but more work is needed to understand how the insects move to infest new areas.

  • Tackling the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance

    Felicia Pradera     |      July 21, 2019

    Collaborations between government agencies, research institutions and the private sector are the most effective and timely way to address concerns over drug resistance and potential pandemics.

  • Our obsession with performance is changing our sense of self

    Dan Caprar     |      July 20, 2019

    Work already affects many people’s sense of self-worth, but now new research confirms that it’s not only what we do, but how good we are at it, that affects how we see ourselves.

  • Australian universities must wake up to the risks of researchers linked to China’s military

    Clive Hamilton     |      July 20, 2019

    China’s aggressive program of acquiring technology from abroad should be a cause of concern for Australian universities. Yet, our system of vetting research collaborations is clearly broken, putting Australian security at risk.

  • “Big sugar” and a lack of prevention fuel Australia’s oral health crisis

    Open Forum     |      July 20, 2019

    Dentistry which emphasises treatment over prevention and the malign influence of the sugar industry are contributing to Australia’s oral health crisis.

  • Lessons from successful family businesses

    Graeme Lofts     |      July 19, 2019

    A new book, Family Business Success Stories, describes the journeys of eight Australian families who have led their businesses through more than 100 years and a total of 39 generations.

  • Back to the moon and on to Mars?

    Malcolm Davis     |      July 19, 2019

    Saturday 20 July 2019 marks 50 years since the landing of Apollo 11 on the Sea of Tranquility. After decades of inaction, increasing superpower competition and commercial innovation may see a new generation escaping the Earth’s gravity well once again.

  • One more cup of coffee for the road

    Open Forum     |      July 19, 2019

    Coffee contains a complex mixture of bioactive ingredients, including substances such as caffeine and kahweol, but a new study finds no evidence that they affect people’s risk of getting cancer.

  • Some pharmacists are breaking therapeutic guidelines

    Open Forum     |      July 19, 2019

    A QUT study of the practices of more than 200 pharmacies in Brisbane has highlighted concerns that some are not adhering to therapeutic guidelines when distributing pharmaceuticals.

  • Global commission into mental illness offers blueprint for change

    Isabelle Dubach     |      July 18, 2019

    A taskforce of more than 30 international experts have released a report on the health inequities experienced by people with mental illness and offered recommendations to reduce social inequalities and personal distress.

  • Music festivals need a cultural change to combat sexual violence

    Diane Nazaroff     |      July 18, 2019

    A new report on Safety, Sexual Harassment and Assault at Australian Music Festivals report is the first national study of its kind into the dangers faced by women at major outdoor events.