The Morrison government's biggest economic problem? Climate change denial
The government's stubborn commitment to coal is alienating it from its natural supporters in the business community.Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-NDLast week Peter Costello accused Malcolm Turn...
Friday essay: family as 'brand' – the rise of the digital mumpreneur
“Taylen has become a brand,” says Angelica Calad, the mumpreneur behind the #influencer account #taylensmom. Taylen Biggs, age five, has more than 150,000 followers. In an era of advertisi...
With the right help, bears can recover from the torture of bile farming
Bear bile farms, which exist in some Asian countries like Vietnam and China, are a terrible reality for Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus). The bears spend their lives confined in tiny steel or co...
From peaceful coexistence to potential peril: the bacteria that live in and on us
Hand washing is an effective way to help prevent the spread of bacteria.rawpixel/unsplashBacteria are everywhere, including in and on our bodies. There are estimated to be as many bacteria in a human ...
Please don't dismiss the PC inquiry into mental health as 'just another inquiry'
The Productivity Commission can build a case about the economic benefits of unclogging waiting rooms.ShutterstockWhile chairing the National Mental Health Commission I pushed hard for an all-encompas...
Vital Signs: the housing market might deflate, but it might pop. Here's how
Air could come rushing out of the housing market all at once.ShutterstockThere are two things that can happen to an asset price bubble. It can burst dramatically, or deflate slowly.Which brings us to ...
Reimagining Sydney: this is what needs to be done to make a Central City CBD work
Figure 1. Central City location map.Image: Jamie van Geldermalsen, Mile Ilija Barbaric, Rao Umair Afzaal, Kun Fan, Author providedIn my article yesterday showing how far Greater Parramatta is from hos...
A Goblin could guide us to a mystery planet thought to exist in the Solar system
Pluto's ghoulish cousin, 2015 TG387, lurks in the distant reaches of our own Solar System.Illustration by Roberto Molar Candanosa and Scott Sheppard, courtesy of Carnegie Institution for Science.Out i...
Grattan on Friday: Scott Morrison braces for judgement by Malcolm Turnbull's old voters
With a mix of gall and desperation, Scott Morrison appeals to the electors of Wentworth to vote for stability. He warns against sending the government into minority rule, forced to ignore the fact tha...
Three casino games that have a low house edge
A good number of folks have taken to both online casinos like https://www.novibet.co.uk/casino and land-based casinos because of the inherent fun they come with. These casinos have a variety of ga...
How rare minerals form when meteorites slam into Earth
Scientists working at the central peak of Gosses Bluff meteorite crater in Northern Territory. Nick Timms , Author providedThe discovery of a rare mineral (reidite) at the Woodleigh meteorite impact s…
15% of students admit to buying essays. What can universities do about it?
Certain students are more likely to buy essays, and they may not even know it's wrong. from www.shutterstock.comNew research on plagiarism at university has revealed students are surprisingly unconcer…
Criticism of Western Civilisation isn't new, it was part of the Enlightenment
Jean-Baptiste Belley, Deputy of Saint-Domingue and French National Convention member (1793-97) with a bust of Abbé Raynal.The duelling sides in today’s cultural wars about “Western …
Calculating the odds of a Trump impeachment: don't bet the house on it
With the Democrats favoured to win back the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, that makes impeachment of Trump more likely, right?Shawn Thew/EPAWhat are the chances of US President Don…
More than a habit? When to worry about nail biting, skin picking and other body-focused repetitive behaviours
Does your habit affect your daily life? Have you had to seek medical attention?from www.shutterstock.comNail-biting, nose-picking, mouth-chewing, skin-picking, hair-pulling – we all do some of t…
How to make work menopause-friendly: don't think of it as a problem to be managed
Stressful work environments can exacerbate menopausal symptoms. Women who enjoy higher levels of support, on the other hand, report lower levels of menopausal symptoms.rawpixel / Unsplash , CC BYFor m…
The resonances between Indigenous art and images captured by microscopes
Detail from Witchetty Grub Dreaming, Jennifer Napaljarri Lewis, Warlukurlangu Artists of YuendumuCourtesy of the artistRich visual parallels between Indigenous artworks and microscopic natural struct…
Why are Younger Drivers Involved in More Accidents when On the Road?
If you are a younger driver then you will understand how frustrating it can be for you to have to pay an extortionate amount for your insurance policy. After all, it doesn’t matter how careful you are…
Australia's naval upgrade may not be enough to keep pace in a fast-changing region
As part of Australia's naval upgrade, construction of 12 future submarines will start around 2022-23.Brendan Esposito/AAPLast year, Professor Roger Bradbury and I questioned whether or not there was a…
Planning for death must happen long before the last few days of life
People need time to learn about their options and think about their preferences.Val Vesa/UnsplashOur experience of death obviously shapes the final moments of our own life. It also shapes the experien…
True blue picks: a snapshot of Australia's favourite porn
Despite the nation's small size, Australians are the 8th biggest viewers of Pornhub. Shutterstock.comThis article contains explicit terms which some readers (and workplaces) may find offensive.Pornhub…
Bringing in backpackers is not the right way to get more workers onto farms
The prime minister appears to want to make it easier for backpackers to work on Australian farms.ShutterstockSuddenly, getting workers onto farms is a top political priority.Over the weekend, and agai…
How huge floods and complex infrastructure could have triggered ancient Angkor's demise
A monument to urban frailty?Javier Gil/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SAA series of floods that hit the ancient city of Angkor would have overwhelmed and destroyed its vast water network, according to a new…
Why a wetland might not be wet
Wetlands can have decades-long dry periods.Felicity Burke/The Conversation, CC BY-SALake Eyre is one of Australia’s most iconic wetlands, home to thousands of waterbirds that migrate from all ov…
Re-imagining Sydney with 3 CBDs: how far off is a Parramatta CBD?
Parramatta has been designated as the central CBD of three future city centres in the Greater Sydney region.haireena/ShutterstockOne of the biggest strategic planning challenges of our time in Austral…
View from The Hill: Barnaby Joyce stalks Deputy Prime Minister McCormack
As if the Liberals aren’t having enough trouble with the transaction costs of regime change to discourage any party from the coup road, now the Nationals are displaying angst over their leadersh…
Politics Podcast: Peter Jennings on Morrison's Jerusalem move
Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), Peter Jennings, says it would be “silly” to claim - as Scott Morrison does - that there is no connection between this week&rsq…
Fighting frog fungus: Lee Berger wins PM's Life Scientist 2018 award
In 1998 Lee Berger identified a skin fungus as the cause of unexplained mass frog deaths. Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBearLee Berger is the 2018 recipient of the Frank Fenner Prize f…