Latest Story
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A helping hand for freshwater fish
Open Forum | September 4, 2018A research team from the Threatened Species Recovery Hub has made a discovery that could help boost the dwindling numbers of many Australian freshwater fish species.
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The ‘Braveheart effect’ – and how companies manipulate our desire for freedom
Simon McCarthy-Jones | September 3, 2018Being mindful of the Braveheart effect can help us to be active decision makers guided by reason, rather than passive victims of evolution or corporations, no matter how they try to ‘nudge’ us towards buying their wares.
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The strength of soft power
Graeme Dobell | September 3, 2018Soft power is a slow-growing asset, as much the product of a society as the possession of a government. But, as a twittering US president shows, destroying trust and burning a nation’s soft power can be done with awful speed.
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The robot reef protector
Open Forum | September 3, 2018An underwater drone that can keep watch on reef health and accurately identify and even attack the devastating crown-of-thorns starfish is ready to be put to the test on the Great Barrier Reef.
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Can Usain Bolt really make it as a footballer?
Edward Hope | September 2, 2018What do retired Olympic sprinters do: coach, commentate, agency work, celebrity TV appearances, or just rest on their laurels? Bolt had different ideas, openly expressing his desire to play professional soccer. An Australian club offered him an opportunity – but can he take it?
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The implications of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative can’t be ignored
James Bowen | September 2, 2018Now five years into its existence, China’s Belt and Road Initiative appears to be attracting both new supporters and opponents on a daily basis.
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Environmental metals a ‘global health concern’
Open Forum | September 2, 2018Exposure to heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, copper and cadmium in the environment is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.
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Australia’s friendly history
Roland Wettenhall | September 1, 2018When a worker was injured in 19th century Australia, their prospects were bleak. They wouldn’t receive sick pay or worker’s compensation, and often faced starvation or relying on charity. But, in the days before governments stepped in to provide welfare, friendly societies provided vital financial and social support to many Australian communities.
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The high costs of our destructive coup culture
Michelle Grattan | September 1, 2018There are no easy ways to rid ourselves of the coup culture, or to force tin-eared politicians to lift their game. But it wouldn’t hurt for more people to follow the example of those in the community leadership program and remind their MPs of their KPIs.
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Knights in shining armour: AFVs in the Australian Army
Jim Molan | September 1, 2018The Australian army has always been curiously reluctant to commit tanks and armoured vehicles to the battlefield, but far from being obsolete, armour continues to play a vital role in modern counter-insurgency and warfare.
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4 reforms to improve leadership stability
Heath Pickering | August 31, 2018Australian prime ministers now struggle to survive a term in office, falling at the hands of their own nervous MPs before they can face the electorate a second time. How could party rules to changed to ease the churn of the top job in the country?
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Alcohol firms try advertising booze as a health drink
Open Forum | August 31, 2018Australian alcohol companies are now promoting their products as ‘pure’, ‘fresh’, ‘natural’ and ‘sugar-free’ to encourage more health conscious Australians to purchase them, new research led by Curtin University has found.
