A Business Approach To Academics
Over the last couple of decades, companies all over the world have been making a lot of discoveries when it comes to their employees and the way they work. Instead of working people as hard as possibl...
An armchair, a desk and 4000 books: the Horne family study gets a second life
The study shared by Donald and Myfanwy Horne photographed in 2014. Karl Schwerdtfeger Photography.The Donald and Myfanwy Horne Room will open today in a gracious space in the State Library of New Sou...
What outcomes parents should expect from early childhood education and care
By the time children are five, they should show preference for a particular hand and be able to work with others.from www.shutterstock.comParents often have different expectations for their three- to ...
How a trip to Antarctica became a real-life experiment in decision-making
The Homeward Bound initiative works with women in science to enhance their opportunity to take up leadership roles globallyOli Samson, Author providedThis adventurous tale is part of our occasional lo...
Australia imports almost all of its oil, and there are pitfalls all over the globe
An oil tanker leaves Sydney Harbour.Saberwyn/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SAAustralia’s fuel security is far more precarious than we might realise. Not only do we not have the internationally mandat...
Why microfinance as aid isn't enough to empower women
A women's savings club in Nigeria. USAID/Flickr, CC BY-NCGiving small loans to people for small household purchases or to invest in businesses has been an integral part of Australian, American and oth...
If a US-North Korea summit does happen, we'll have Moon Jae-in to thank for it
moonIn the wake of South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s meeting yesterday with US President Donald Trump, it’s worth reflecting on the remarkable role he’s played in facilitating the...
Five ways hospitals can reduce their environmental footprint
So many hospital items are used once and then thrown away.from shutterstock.comPicture the environmental life cycle of many disposable surgical instruments. Iron ore from Western Australia is shipped ...
Councils' help with affordable housing shows how local government can make a difference
Tasmania is in the grip of a rental housing affordability crisis. What do local governments do to help?Rural areas in particular lack rental options. To find housing, older people living in rural area...
Sandpaper figs make food, fire, medicine and a cosy home for wasps
Sanpaper fig headerWelcome to Beating Around the Bush, a series that profiles native plants: part gardening column, part dispatches from country, entirely Australian. Read more about the series here o...
View from The Hill: Hastie and Turnbull – what you don't know, you can't stop
There’s one logical reason why ambitious young Liberal backbencher Andrew Hastie didn’t tell Malcolm Turnbull he was about to drop a bombshell, with a parliamentary speech accusing a Chine…
Politics podcast: Anthony Albanese on Labor's National Conference
Labor is facing tough tests in coming byelections in its narrowly held seats of Longman in Queensland and Braddon in Tasmania. Later on, managing the ALP national conference will be a challenge for Bi…
Evidence from the banking royal commission looks like history repeating itself
Do banks learn from the past? From watching the questioning of elderly disability pensioner Carolyn Flanagan at the Financial Services Royal Commission, it seems not.In the High Court of Australia on …
High Street (After Ruscha) ruminates on memory, community and culture
A still from Daniel Crooks' High Street (After Ruscha) 2017. Single channel video, 2:1, 4K, stereo, 17 minutes 52 seconds. Courtesy the artist and Anna Schwartz Gallery.Daniel Crooks…
A record $340 million lost to fraud in Australia, says latest ACCC report
Millions of dollars lost in fraud in 2017, up on the year before.Shutterstock/Pearl diverMore than A$340 million was reported lost by Australian victims of fraud schemes in 2017, up A$40 million on th…
When you're sick, the support you'll get may depend on the 'worth' of your disease
Diseases low on the hierarchy of prestige are often difficult to diagnose and treat.PixabayThe name of an illness can affect the level of care a person receives. Cancer sufferers experiencing fear and…
Israel is prioritising PR over peace-building in the Middle East
The opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem last week represented a major PR coup for Israel, a move the country had sought for decades. It also came hot on the heels of another celebrated Israeli PR v…
The farmer wants a hive: inside the world of renting bees
A bee visits an almond flower – an essential process for almond farmers.Tiago J. G. Fernandez/Wikimedia Commons, CC BYAlmonds, blueberries, apples, melons – all of these fruits, and many …
In landmark ruling, Archbishop Philip Wilson found guilty of covering up child sex abuse
Archbishop Philip Wilson leaves Newcastle Local Court after being found guilty of concealing child sexual abuse.AAP/Peter LorimerThe Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, has been found guil…
It's time to stop exposing people to the dangers of Facilitated Communication
Facilitated Communication began in Australia in the 1980s.ShutterstockAnna Stubblefield, an ex-Rutgers University Professor of Philosophy, was convicted in 2015 of the rape of an intellectually and ph…
Curious Kids: How does an echidna breathe when digging through solid earth?
This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they’d like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome – serious, weir…
How Conrad’s imperial horror story Heart of Darkness resonates with our globalised times
Heart of Darkness follows a journey up the Congo River, but equally critiques the imperial powers back in Europe. USAID Democratic Republic of Congo/Flickr, CC BY-NCIn our series, Guide to the classic…
Now that Malaysia has a new government, the real work begins reforming the country
The euphoria over the change of government in Malaysia is unlikely to die down soon. In fact, the honeymoon period for Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his new government will probably last until t…
Bunya pines are ancient, delicious and possibly deadly
Flickr/Tatters/The Conversation, CC BY-SAWelcome to the first edition of Beating Around the Bush, a series that profiles native plants: part gardening column, part dispatches from country, entirely Au…
Xiong'an, Xi Jinping's new city-making machine turned on
Behind mega urban projects often stand strong political wills. Xiong’an is called China’s number-one urban project, and it is orchestrated by President Xi Jinping. China is midway through …
Forcing immigrants to work in regional areas will not boost regional economies in the long run
In the short-run, the targeted migration program boosts workers in the target region.Bread for the World/Flickr, CC BY-NC-NDAs politicians raise concerns about immigration straining infrastructure and…
Don't want to take a contraceptive pill every day? These are the long-acting alternatives
At last count, 11% of Australian women used long-acting reversible contraception methods.Ravi Roshan/UnsplashON THE PILL: In this seven-part series we explore the history, myths, side-effects and alte…
Welcome to Beating Around the Bush, wherein we yell about plants
Chanting: plants plants PLANTS PLANTS PLANTSRexness/Flickr, CC BY-SAJournalists pride themselves on getting straight to the point, but just for once we’re taking the time to meander, with our ne…