• Society

    Confronting anti-semitic terrorism in Australia


    Michael Pezzullo |  February 9, 2025


    The spate of attacks on Jewish people and properties in Australian cities, and the threat of an even more serious terrorist atrocity in the future, demands a firm and coordinated response from the Australian people, as well as its government, police and security services.


  • Science and Technology

    Misunderstanding the butterfly effect


    Milad Haghani |  February 9, 2025


    Over the next 50 years, the so-called “butterfly effect” captivated the public imagination. It has appeared in movies, books, motivational and inspirational speeches, and even casual conversation but most of its users misunderstand the point it is making.


  • Culture

    The joys of literary journeys


    Edwina Preston |  February 9, 2025


    The best way to travel the world can be with the help of a few good books from the comfort of one’s armchair.


Latest Story

  • Preparing for Trump

    Malcolm Davis     |      January 19, 2025

    How should Australia react to the likely geo-political priorities of Donald Trump’s second term in power?

  • The shape of things to come

    Bill Sweetman     |      January 19, 2025

    In the past Chinese military aviation relied on crude copies of Soviet planes. Today’s Chinese airforce fields large numbers of modern aircraft based on stolen Western designs. Tomorrows Chinese airforce may take the lead, just as China has in other areas of techology, and the “J-XX” may be the shape of things to come.

  • Oligarchy in the USA

    Benjamin Jones     |      January 18, 2025

    Outgoing US President Joe Biden warned “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy” in his farewell address.

  • Freedom of speech v freedom from deception

    Tanisha Shah     |      January 18, 2025

    Disinformation threatens Australian democratic processes and the failure of the proposed Disinformation and Misinformation bill highlights the urgent need for balanced regulation ahead of the 2025 elections.

  • Alien opinions

    Sean McMahon     |      January 18, 2025

    The discovery of alien life seems closer than ever – just as it has for the last 100 years – so what do astrobiologists, terrestrial biologists and physicists think about the possibility of extraterrestrial life being discovered?

  • Looking forward from the past

    Simon Rogerson     |      January 17, 2025

    Insights from scientific and social thinkers in the past could offer clues about tackling the implications of AI in the future.

  • Meta-reality

    Rafael Weber Hoss     |      January 17, 2025

    Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Facebook will replace fact checkers with “community notes” has as much to do with Meta’s embrace of AI as the re-election of Donald Trump.

  • Out of the ashes

    Mike Copage     |      January 17, 2025

    The factors which drove the calamitous fires sweeping Los Angeles – from climate change to over-development and a lack of preparation – offer important lessons for Australia.

  • The rise of AI agents

    Uri Gal     |      January 16, 2025

    The rise of generative artificial intelligence has captivated public attention over the last couple of years, but the future may be dominated by the rise of AI agents – autonomous systems that can make decisions and take actions on our behalf without direct human input.

  • Triple-J turns 50

    Liz Giuffre     |      January 16, 2025

    JJJ is turning 50, so what does it mean when the national youth broadcaster hits middle age?

  • On the road again

    Paul Williams     |      January 15, 2025

    Anthony Albanese’s pledge of $7.2 billion to revamp the Bruce Highway looks like an early bid to buy votes in Queensland in what may be a tight Federal election campaign.

  • Surveillance state

    Kiley Seymour     |      January 15, 2025

    From self-service checkouts to public streets to stadiums – surveillance technology is everywhere and a recent study suggests it’s unconsciously altering how our brains process information, as well as our conscious behaviour.