Latest Story
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Striking a new balance between data, privacy and power
Vanessa Teague | April 3, 2018In the wake of the U.S. Facebook debacle, Dr Vanessa Teague and Dr Chris Culnane of the University of Melbourne argue we need to rein-in data harvesting with more user control and allow less data collection.
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The foundations of home ownership are being shaken
Rachel Ong ViforJ | April 2, 2018Rising house prices are destroying the Australian dream of home ownership, with consequent effects for welfare and financial independence in old age.
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Amazon deforestation nears fatal tipping point
Thomas Lovejoy | April 2, 2018Deforestation of the Amazon is about to reach a threshold beyond which the region’s tropical rainforest may undergo irreversible changes that transform the landscape into degraded savanna with sparse shrubby plant cover and low biodiversity.
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1 in 20 Australian deaths are caused by alcohol and illicit drugs
Lynelle Moon | April 2, 2018Alcohol and illicit drugs are responsible for nearly 1 in every 20 deaths in Australia, according to new analysis from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
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Culture shift: redirecting humanity’s path to a flourishing future
Jeremy Lent | April 1, 2018We see humanity as split from nature, reason split from emotion and people split from each other. Jeremy Lent believes that it’s time to build a new worldview based on a deeper sense of connection.
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Fact checking isn’t the answer to ‘post truth’ politics
John Keane | April 1, 2018Democracy is a living reminder that truths are never self-evident, and that what counts as truth is a matter of interpretation. Recognising that in political life “truth has a despotic character”, democracy stands for a world beyond truth and post-truth.
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Australia needs a national environment protection agency
David Shearman | April 1, 2018Australia needs an independent national agency charged with safeguarding the environment and delivering effective climate policy, according to a new campaign launched by a coalition of environmental, legal and medical NGOs.
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The ‘gay wedding cake’ dilemma
Liam Elphick | March 31, 2018Now that gay marriage has been legalised, how should Australia manage the inevitable clash between gay rights and religious sensibilities? Law lecturer Liam Elphick lays out the battleground.
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The ethical imperative of a fair emissions target
James Alexander | March 31, 2018James Alexander argues that Australia has an ethical duty towards the global community to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling climate change.
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Cambridge Analytica and the next Australian election
Thom Dixon | March 31, 2018Last week’s revelations about Cambridge Analytica and Facebook are continuing to reverberate around the world. With an Australian federal election due within a year, the impact could hit very close to home.
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Australia’s global rights carry global duties
Tim Costello | March 30, 2018Australia has long benefited from the post-war rules-based international order. But the danger of eroding international norms demands Canberra rethinks its foreign policies rather than put this at risk.
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Re-focusing Australia’s military lens on space
Darin Lovett | March 30, 2018A new strategy integrating the broader government, military, industry and academic elements of space power would enhance Australia’s contribution to safeguarding this critically important domain.