View from The Hill: Morrison's right hand man dispenses with niceties in lecturing big business

The Morrison government appears to be seething with anger at big business. At least, that’s the impression you get from a lecturing, hectoring speech delivered this week by Ben Morton, who&rsquo...

Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra - avatar Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

New musical has enough warmth, witty lines and catchy tunes to win its own fangirls

Sharon Millerchip, Ayesha Madon, James Majoos, Chika Ikogwe, and Kimberley Hodgson in Fangirls at the Brisbane Festival. Photo: Stephen HenryComedy often succeeds where tragedy fails. Fangirls, the ...

Alastair Blanshard, Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History Deputy Head of School, The University of Queensland - avatar Alastair Blanshard, Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History Deputy Head of School, The University of Queensland

The Senate filibuster explained – and why it should be allowed to die

The filibuster is like a stoplight that's always red. AP Photo/J. Scott ApplewhiteSen. Elizabeth Warren is the latest Democrat to argue an arcane Senate rule governing debate stands in the way of pa...

Daniel Wirls, Professor of Politics, University of California, Santa Cruz - avatar Daniel Wirls, Professor of Politics, University of California, Santa Cruz

The bizarre social history of beds

For centuries, people thought nothing of crowding family members or friends into the same bed.miniwide/Shutterstock.com Groucho Marx once joked, “Anything that can’t be done in bed isn&rsq...

Brian Fagan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara - avatar Brian Fagan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara

Why Sikhs wear a turban and what it means to practice the faith in the United States

People participate in a candlelight vigil near the White House to protest violence against Sikhs in 2012.AP Photo/Susan WalshAn elderly Sikh gentleman in Northern California, 64-year-old Parmjit Singh...

Simran Jeet Singh, Henry R. Luce Post-Doctoral Fellow in Religion in International Affairs Post-Doctoral Fellow, New York University - avatar Simran Jeet Singh, Henry R. Luce Post-Doctoral Fellow in Religion in International Affairs Post-Doctoral Fellow, New York University

A newly designed vaccine may help stamp out remaining polio cases worldwide

The oral polio vaccine is most commonly used in the developing world, despite one big problem.CDC/Alan Janssen, MSPH, CC BYPublic health organizations around the world have been fighting for global er...

Patricia L. Foster, Professor Emerita of Biology, Indiana University - avatar Patricia L. Foster, Professor Emerita of Biology, Indiana University

Why carbon dioxide has such outsized influence on Earth's climate

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellite makes precise measurements of Earth's carbon dioxide levels from space.NASA/JPLI am often asked how carbon dioxide can have an important effect on global clim...

Jason West, Professor of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - avatar Jason West, Professor of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The womb isn't sterile – healthy babies are born with bacteria and fungi in their guts

New research suggests that a newborn is exposed to bacteria and fungi in the womb.stockce/ShutterstockFor the last hundred years, scientists have believed that humans develop in a womb that remains st...

Kent Willis, Assistant Professor of Neonatology, University of Tennessee - avatar Kent Willis, Assistant Professor of Neonatology, University of Tennessee

Anti-vaccination mothers have outsized voice on social media – pro-vaccination parents could make a difference

Vaccinations are important to protect against a host of diseases.www.shutterstock.comA high school student from Ohio made national headlines recently by getting inoculated despite his family’s a...

Brooke W. McKeever, Associate Professor, University of South Carolina - avatar Brooke W. McKeever, Associate Professor, University of South Carolina

How a person vapes, not just what a person vapes, could also play a big role in vaping harm

A smoking machine in the author's lab. Smoking by a machine is not the same as smoking by a person, the author and others have found.Katie DiFrancesco, CC BY-SAIn the wake of six deaths and 380 cases ...

Risa Robinson, Professor and Department Chair, Mechanical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology - avatar Risa Robinson, Professor and Department Chair, Mechanical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology

Why won't Democrats say they want government to solve problems?

They didn't come out and say what they really mean.AP Photo/Eric GayAll 10 Democratic candidates in the Houston debate Sept. 13 spoke about investing public money – taxpayer dollars – in e...

Jennifer Mercieca, Associate Professor of Communication, Texas A&M University - avatar Jennifer Mercieca, Associate Professor of Communication, Texas A&M University

Top Democrats discussed 'Medicare for All' at Houston debate, but what about healthy food for all?

The Democratic candidates discussed health care a lot – but not healthy food. AP Photo/David J. PhillipThe 10 Democrats who took the debate stage on Sept. 12 discussed many critical issues, from...

Patricia Smith, Professor of Economics, University of Michigan - avatar Patricia Smith, Professor of Economics, University of Michigan

Polycystic kidney disease, the most common genetic kidney disorder you've probably never heard of

If one parent has ADPKD, their child has a one in two chance of getting it.From shutterstock.comAutosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic kidney disorder, and the...

Karen Dwyer, Deputy Head, School of Medicine, Deakin University - avatar Karen Dwyer, Deputy Head, School of Medicine, Deakin University

VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on Gladys Liu and the government's plan to drug-test welfare recipients

Liberal MP Gladys Liu has beeb the centre of much heated debate in federal politics this week. AAP/Lukas CochMichelle Grattan speaks with University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor...

Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra - avatar Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra