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‘Radical acceptance’: Yiyun Li lost both her sons to suicide. Her rigorous memoir reveals her as a very special writer

‘If an abyss is where I shall be for the rest of my life’, writes Yiyun Li, ‘the abyss is my habitat.’ Her book is a major contribution to...

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The Conversation

Jen Webb

School playgrounds are one of the main locations for bullying. How can they be set up to stop it?

Children spend thousands of hours in school playgrounds. A lot of this time does not have the same levels of teacher preparation and supervision as...

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The Conversation

Brendon Hyndman

Jaws at 50: how a single movie changed our perception of white sharks forever

White sharks suffered great declines after the Jaws movie was released. But these iconic predators must be protected.

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John Long

Robot eyes are power hungry. What if we gave them tools inspired by the human brain?

Robots in challenging places like disaster zones need energy-efficient systems to find their way.

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Adam D Hines

Would you cheat on your tax? It’s a risky move, the tax office knows a lot about you

Penalties of 25% to 75% of the tax owed may apply for falsely claiming deductions. The more dishonest the claim, the higher the fine.

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The Conversation

Robert B Whait

Is Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend album cover satire or self-degradation ? A psychology expert explores our reactions

Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend album cover has fans divided. Where does irony end and objectification begin?

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The Conversation

Katrina Muller-Townsend

Companies are betting on AI to help lift productivity. Workers need to be part of the process

Workers still know things that algorithms don’t. They’re essential to designing AI systems to enhance, not replace, jobs.

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The Conversation

Llewellyn Spink

Winter viruses can trigger a heart attack or stroke, our study shows. It’s another good reason to get a flu or COVID shot

Catching the flu or COVID can trigger a heart attack or stroke in vulnerable people. Here’s what we can all do to lower our risk.

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The Conversation

Tu Nguyen

Kicked out for coming out: more than half of LGBTIQ+ flatmates face discrimination for their identity

With few protections under the Residential Tenancy Act, LGBTIQ people in flatting situations face uncertainty and potential homelessness,...

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The Conversation

Brodie Fraser

Computers tracking us, people as data points: Gilles Deleuze’s 1990 Postcript on the Societies of Control was eerily prescient

Our cultural touchstones series looks at influential works. Gilles Deleuze was one of the most original and imaginative thinkers of postwar France....

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Cameron Shackell

Jaws at 50: how two musical notes terrified an entire generation

Our experience of the world often involves hearing our environment before seeing it. Whether it’s the sound of something moving through nearby...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Alison Cole

How high can US debt go before it triggers a financial crisis?

The tax cuts bill currently being debated by the US Senate will add another US$3 trillion (A$4.6 trillion) to US debt. President Donald Trump calls...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Luke Hartigan

We tracked Aussie teens’ mental health. The news isn’t good – and problems are worse for girls

We know young people in Australia and worldwide are experiencing growing mental health challenges. The most recent national survey from the...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Scarlett Smout

Can a foreign government hack WhatsApp? A cybersecurity expert explains how that might work

Earlier today, Iranian officials urged the country’s citizens to remove the messaging platform WhatsApp from their smartphones. Without providing...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

David Tuffley

View from The Hill: Jim Chalmers wants to get on with economic reform and tax is in his sights

Jim Chalmers cast his Wednesday National Press Club speech as a second instalment in a two-part presentation that was kicked off by the prime...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Sharks come in many different shapes and sizes. But they all follow a centuries-old mathematical rule

From hand-sized lantern sharks that glow in the deep sea to bus-sized whale sharks gliding through tropical waters, sharks come in all shapes and...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Jodie L. Rummer

Computers tracking us, an ‘electronic collar’: Gilles Deleuze’s 1990 Postcript on the Societies of Control was eerily prescient

Our cultural touchstones series looks at influential works. Gilles Deleuze was one of the most original and imaginative thinkers of postwar France....

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Cameron Shackell

Why a US court allowed a dead man to deliver his own victim impact statement – via an AI avatar

In November 2021, in the city of Chandler, Arizona, Chris Pelkey was shot and killed by Gabriel Horcasitas in a road rage altercation. Horcasitas...

yesterday 5

The Conversation

James D Metzger

Saving species starts at home: how you can help Australia’s 1,000 threatened invertebrates

When we think about animals, we tend to think of furry four-legged mammals. But 95% of all animal species are invertebrates – bees, butterflies,...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Kate Umbers

Iran’s long history of revolution, defiance and outside interference – and why its future so uncertain

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone beyond his initial aim of destroying Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons. He has called on...

yesterday 8

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

Matariki and our diminishing night sky: light pollution from cities and satellites is making stars harder to see

This week, Aotearoa New Zealand officially celebrates Matariki for the fourth time, marked by the reappearance in the night sky of the star cluster...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Shea Esterling

Are Israel’s actions in Iran illegal? Could it be called self-defence ? An international law expert explains

Israel’s major military operation against Iran has targeted its nuclear program, including its facilities and scientists, as well as its military...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Shannon Bosch

Mystery, outback horror and a wandering protagonist propel Gail Jones’ The Name of the Sister

A side plot in one of Gail Jones’s most celebrated novels, The Death of Noah Glass (2018), involves a film-loving man who has recently lost his...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Robbie Moore

What’s the difference between food poisoning and gastro? A gut expert explains

If you’ve got a dodgy tummy, diarrhoea and have been vomiting, it’s easy to blame a “tummy bug” or “off food”. But which is it? Gastro or food...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Vincent Ho

Artist Eric Smith won 3 Archibalds, then vanished. A new show reveals his unseen works

There are many routes to artistic obscurity. The surest path, of course, is to have never been discovered in the first place. But this wasn’t the...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Tom Murray

Gay and bisexual men will soon be able to donate blood and plasma

Many gay and bisexual men have been excluded from donating blood and plasma (the liquid portion of blood) for decades because of rules developed...

yesterday 4

The Conversation

Yasmin Mowat

Iran’s long history of revolution, defiance and outside interference – and why its future is so uncertain

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone beyond his initial aim of destroying Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons. He has called on...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

‘Guerrilla rewilding’ aims for DIY conservation – but it may do more harm than good

Ever since modern environmentalism took off in the 1960s, people have tried to undo the damage humans have caused to nature. Efforts have ranged...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Patrick Finnerty

Would a corporate tax cut boost productivity in Australia? So far, the evidence is unclear

The first term of the Albanese government was defined by its fight against inflation, but the second looks like it will be defined by a need to...

yesterday 30

The Conversation

Isaac Gross

Australia could become the world’s first net-zero exporter of fossil fuels – here’s how

Australia is among the world’s top three exporters of LNG and second-largest exporter of coal. When burned overseas, these exports result in 1.1...

yesterday 30

The Conversation

Frank Jotzo

Victoria is looking into religious cults - here’s what it should examine

The Victorian parliament has launched a long-overdue inquiry into abuse and coercive control within cults and religious fringe groups. It is a...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Jaime Simpson

Politics with Michelle Grattan: an ‘impatient’ Jim Chalmers on taking political risks in Labor’s second term

While the world’s media is largely focused on conflict in the Middle East, the focus for many Australians remains at home, with the government...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

As Luxon heads to China, his government’s pivot toward the US is a stumbling block

Ahead of his first visit to China, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has been at pains to present meetings with Chinese premier Xi Jinping and other...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Robert G. Patman

Why does my phone sometimes not ring when people call? A communications expert explains

There’s a certain feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when I’m waiting for an important call to come through. You know the type – maybe a...

previous day 30

The Conversation

Jairo Gutierrez

Ancient termite poo reveals 120 million-year -old secrets of Australia’s polar forests

Imagine a lush forest with tree-ferns, their trunks capped by ribbon-like fronds. Conifers tower overhead, bearing triangular leaves almost sharp...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Alistair Evans

A weird group of boronias puzzled botanists for decades. Now we’ve solved the pollination mystery

Boronias, known for their showy flowers and strong scent, are a quintessential part of the Australian bush. They led Traditional Owners to the best...

previous day 30

The Conversation

Douglas Hilton

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has been called the ‘AI Oppenheimer’ – but he dismisses concerns: AI is just ‘processing data’

Jensen Huang believes questions of whether artificial intelligence could destroy humanity are fear-mongering – and get in the way of progress. The...

previous day 20

The Conversation

John Hawkins

When new dads struggle, their kids’ health can suffer. Tackling mental distress early can help

In Australia, an estimated one in ten men experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression before and after their child is born (the...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Delyse Hutchinson

Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago

Travel back 20,000 years into the last Ice Age, to a time when the upper reaches of the Blue Mountains were treeless and the ridgelines and...

previous day 70

The Conversation

Erin Wilkins

Some students learning English can take at least 6 years to catch up to their peers. How can we support them better?

About one quarter of Australian school students are learning English as an additional language or dialect. This means their first language or...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Lucy Lu

New research shows Australians see influencers as major sources of misinformation

As consumption of traditional news continues to fall, audiences are turning to social media personalities and influencers for their information....

previous day 10

The Conversation

Sora Park

Wetland restoration is seen as sunk cost – but new research shows why it should be considered an investment

As extreme weather intensifies globally, governments are seeking nature-based solutions that deliver both climate and economic benefits. The...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Wei Yang

View from the Hill: Cancelled Albanese-Trump meeting a setback on tariffs, AUKUS

Anthony Albanese’s failure to get his much-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump is not the prime minister’s fault, nor should it be...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Cape York deserves World Heritage status – and Queensland may need it to become a global leader in tourism

Last week, the Queensland government launched the ambitious Destination 2045 tourism plan, which aims to make the state a global leader in tourism....

previous day 10

The Conversation

Michael Westaway

In view of Trump’s review of AUKUS, should Australia cancel the subs deal? We asked 5 experts

Speculation is swirling around the future of the A$368 billion AUKUS agreement, following Washington’s decision to review the nuclear submarine...

previous day 10

The Conversation

David Andrews

Australians in the bush want tougher penalties on crime. Here’s why – and what’s needed now

New research has found that while Australians generally support strong punishments, people living in the bush are significantly more likely than...

previous day 9

The Conversation

Caitlin Davey

Dopamine can make it hard to put down our phone or abandon the online shopping cart. Here’s why

Ever find yourself unable to stop scrolling through your phone, chasing that next funny video or interesting post? Or maybe you’ve felt a rush of...

previous day 6

The Conversation

Anastasia Hronis

Regime change wouldn’t likely bring democracy to Iran. A more threatening force could fill the vacuum

The timing and targets of Israel’s attacks on Iran tell us that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s short-term goal is to damage Iran’s nuclear...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Andrew Thomas

Why is there so much concern over Iran’s nuclear program? And where could it go from here?

Conflict between Israel and Iran is intensifying, after Israeli airstrikes on key nuclear sites and targeted assassinations last week were followed...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Benjamin Zala

Judy Davis gives a singularly vivid performance in The Spare Room – but the play falls short

In The Spare Room, Judy Davis lights up the stage with a singularly vivid performance. Adapted by Eamon Flack from Helen Garner’s 2008 novel of the...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Moya Costello