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See Earth’s seasons in all their complexity in a new animated map

Seasonality sets the rhythms of life – and can have surprising consequences for ecology and evolution

latest 10

The Conversation

Drew Terasaki Hart

I’m autistic and don’t speak. Here’s what I want you to know

There are lots of myths about autistic people who don’t talk. Here are three and why they’re so wrong.

latest 10

The Conversation

Timothy Hoyuan Chan

Why scammers fake illness for cash, according to a psychologist

What type of person lies to friends and family about having cancer?

latest 10

The Conversation

Jacqui Yoxall

Clones and superfans: 28 years on, our feelings about Diana reflect who we are

A new cultural history is as much about the princess’s people as the ‘People’s Princess’.

latest 9

The Conversation

Giselle Bastin

Why TikTok is the perfect home for absurdist comedy

TikTok doesn’t just reward absurdist humour – it actively encourages it.

latest 9

The Conversation

Benjamin Nickl

Tourist trap: why charging entry fees at iconic NZ natural attractions could have hidden costs

Charging entry fees at world-famous destinations like Milford Sound and expanding commercial use of public land would raise money. How it’s spent...

latest 8

The Conversation

Stephen Espiner

Polls suggest this man could become Turkey’s next president. Erdoğan is doing everything to stop him

Young Turks, in particular, are increasingly looking for an alternative to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian rule.

latest 8

The Conversation

William Gourlay

In a lonely world, widespread AI chatbots and ‘companions’ pose unique psychological risks

It’s no surprise these lifelike AI companions are attractive to lonely people. But for some, these relationships are harmful and even dangerous.

latest 7

The Conversation

Daniel You

Getting rid of fossil fuels is really hard – and we’re not making much progress

Solar on rooftops and EVs on the roads can give a false sense of progress. But it will take much more to actually end reliance on fossil fuels.

latest 20

The Conversation

Martin Brueckner

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Health Minister Mark Butler on kids on the NDIS through to aged care funding

The health minister also says fewer kids are now vaping because of the government’s ban, which ‘exploded’ as a health problem during the COVID...

latest 2

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Health Minister Mark Butler on everything from Thriving Kids to aged care funding

The health minister also says fewer kids are now vaping because of the government’s ban, which ‘exploded’ as a health problem during the COVID...

latest 2

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Bus seatbelts can save lives. How do we get more people to wear them?

The Stonehaven school bus rollover, which killed a young girl, is a tragic reminder of how devastating such crashes can be. But there are ways to...

latest 2

The Conversation

Milad Haghani

Treacherous terrain: the search for alleged police killer Dezi Freeman

As police try to locate the alleged gunman who killed two officers in Victoria, what difficulties to they face while hunting in dense bushland?

latest 2

The Conversation

Terry Goldsworthy

Mitch Brown’s bravery can change the score for LGBTIQA+ people – and the AFL’s fight against homophobia

In coming out as bisexual, the former AFL player’s announcement will have far-reaching consequences for the sport and people coming to terms with...

latest 2

The Conversation

Ryan Storr

Australia’s small business shipments are caught in the US-China trade war crossfire

The battle over parcel shipments is a microcosm of the larger strategic competition between the US and China.

latest 2

The Conversation

Nicola Charwat

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Health Minister Mark Butler on kids on the NDIS to aged care funding

The health minister also says fewer kids are now vaping because of the government’s ban, which ‘exploded’ as a health problem during the COVID...

latest 0

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

The Melbourne butcher’s son who converted to Judaism and guided 10,000 lives to death

The Melbourne butcher’s son who converted to Judaism and guided 10,000 lives to death

Stella Prize shortlisted author Katia Ariel admits to a “pre-emptive regret” at not being able to include the personal details of each of the...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Janine Schloss

The Melbourne butcher’s son who converted to Judaism and guided 10,000 lives in death

The Melbourne butcher’s son who converted to Judaism and guided 10,000 lives in death

Stella Prize shortlisted author Katia Ariel admits to a “pre-emptive regret” at not being able to include the personal details of each of the...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Janine Schloss

Driver assist technology saves lives. So why do so many people turn it off?

Driver assist technology saves lives. So why do so many people turn it off?

Cars are getting smarter. Today’s vehicles can automatically brake to avoid a rear-end collision, keep themselves centred in a lane, warn of...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Milad Haghani

Why do we ‘like a version’ so much? The history of cover songs, from Elvis to TikTok

Why do we ‘like a version’ so much? The history of cover songs, from Elvis to TikTok

Ben Platt’s recent cover of Addison Rae’s Diet Pepsi has gone viral on social media. The appeal was the song choice and change in performance...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Liz Giuffre

A key measure used to calculate age pension payments is changing. How will this affect your benefits?

A key measure used to calculate age pension payments is changing. How will this affect your benefits?

While discussion was focused on the federal government’s economic reform roundtable last week, a significant change that will mainly affect age...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Susan Thorp

What is psychosocial therapy? And why is the government thinking about adding it to Medicare for kids?

What is psychosocial therapy? And why is the government thinking about adding it to Medicare for kids?

The government is considering new, bulk-billed health checks for three-year-olds, to pick up developmental concerns and refer kids that might need...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Shawna Mastro Campbell

Australia faces a home insurance reckoning – and we can learn from California’s bold move

Australia faces a home insurance reckoning – and we can learn from California’s bold move

Climate change is making home insurance costlier and, for some, harder to secure. According to one analysis, one in ten Australian properties will...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Ehsan Noroozinejad

A dreamscape of transcendental potential: Rhett Davis’ Arborescence is at once terrifying and bewitching

A dreamscape of transcendental potential: Rhett Davis’ Arborescence is at once terrifying and bewitching

American psychologist Abraham Maslow’s well-known hierarchy of needs theory, first proposed in 1943, positions self-actualisation at the apex of...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Luke Johnson

Mr Squiggle entertained Australia’s children for 40 years. Now, he’s back in the spotlight

Mr Squiggle entertained Australia’s children for 40 years. Now, he’s back in the spotlight

If you grew up in Australia any time between the 1960s and the late 1990s, chances are you knew a little man from the Moon with a pencil for a...

yesterday 7

The Conversation

Jo Coghlan

Taylor Swift is engaged. She’s been getting her fans ready for this moment for 20 years

Taylor Swift is engaged. She’s been getting her fans ready for this moment for 20 years

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have announced their engagement, posting on Instagram images of the proposal with the caption “Your English teacher...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Sarah Scales

Queensland is creating a public child sex offender register. Will it keep people safer?

Queensland is creating a public child sex offender register. Will it keep people safer?

The Queensland government will this week table legislation creating Australia’s first public child sex offender register. The Queensland...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Rick Sarre

What is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC?

What is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC?

With news Iran orchestrated two antisemitic attacks in Australia last year, the federal government has declared the Islamic Revolutionary Guard...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Andrew Thomas

What’s behind the rise in gun ownership in Australia?

What’s behind the rise in gun ownership in Australia?

Australians have been shocked by the news two police officers were killed in rural Victoria when a 56-year-old man allegedly shot them before...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Samara Mcphedran

In a post-truth world, what happens if we can’t trust US economic data any more?

In a post-truth world, what happens if we can’t trust US economic data any more?

We may already live in the post-truth world, but are we about to enter the era of post-truth statistics? Each month, the US employment report is...

yesterday 8

The Conversation

Marta Khomyn

Interpersonal violence in NZ is a public health crisis, not just a social one – new research

Interpersonal violence in NZ is a public health crisis, not just a social one – new research

More than 60% of women in New Zealand have experienced some form of interpersonal violence – an alarming statistic with serious implications for...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Janet Fanslow

Why grow plants in space? They can improve how we produce food and medicine on Earth

Why grow plants in space? They can improve how we produce food and medicine on Earth

Sometime in the 2040s, humans may well reach a new frontier – Mars. To get there, we’ll need sustainable sources of food, medicines and materials....

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Troy Miller

Why are police a target for sovereign citizen violence?

Why are police a target for sovereign citizen violence?

As the tragic events evolve in Porepunkah, northeast Victoria, media outlets have reported the alleged shooter, Dezi Freeman, is known to be a “...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Emma Shakespeare

Uni students are using AI to ‘ask stupid questions’ and get feedback on their work

Uni students are using AI to ‘ask stupid questions’ and get feedback on their work

Imagine a student working on an assignment and they are stuck. Their lecturer or tutor is not available. Or maybe they feel worried about looking...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Jimena De Mello Heredia

What’s the best way to support autistic kids with mild to moderate delay?

What’s the best way to support autistic kids with mild to moderate delay?

Autistic children with mild to moderate developmental delay will no longer be eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) from...

yesterday 7

The Conversation

David Trembath

A court has found Brittany Higgins defamed Linda Reynolds. Here’s why

A court has found Brittany Higgins defamed Linda Reynolds. Here’s why

Six years on from the Parliament House sexual assault allegations that spurred a public reckoning, the legal fallout continues. This time, a court...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Rick Sarre

Q&A with Kylie Moore-Gilbert : this is why Iran is instigating terrorism in Australia

Q&A with Kylie Moore-Gilbert : this is why Iran is instigating terrorism in Australia

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called Iran’s involvement in at least two antisemitic attacks in Australia last year “extraordinary and...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Justin Bergman

NCEA reform: how will schools decide who takes an academic or vocational path?

NCEA reform: how will schools decide who takes an academic or vocational path?

The government wants secondary schools to play a bigger role in preparing students for the working world by building vocational education and...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Lisa Maurice-Takerei

Universities have lost their way, but cost-cutting and consultants are not the answer

Universities have lost their way, but cost-cutting and consultants are not the answer

Last week in Sydney, we saw a melodrama acted out that could stand in for the state of Australian universities more generally. Inside Sydney’s...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Michelle Arrow

Hossein Asgari’s Desolation speaks powerfully of the destructiveness of war and the hope that lies in fiction

Hossein Asgari’s Desolation speaks powerfully of the destructiveness of war and the hope that lies in fiction

Hossein Asgari’s Desolation tells the story of Amin, an Iranian man whose life and family are shattered when the USS Vincennes shoots down an...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Michelle Hamadache

Medicinal cannabis is most often prescribed for pain, anxiety and sleep. Here’s what the evidence says

Medicinal cannabis is most often prescribed for pain, anxiety and sleep. Here’s what the evidence says

Medicinal cannabis use has increased rapidly in recent years in Australia. Since access pathways were expanded in 2016, more than 700,000...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Suzanne Nielsen

Australia says Iran was behind two antisemitic attacks; Iranian ambassador expelled

Australia says Iran was behind two antisemitic attacks; Iranian ambassador expelled

Australia’s national security service has determined the Iranian government directed at least two antisemitic attacks in Australia – on Lewis...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

View from The Hill: Growing push for early decision on climate policy wedges Ley

View from The Hill: Growing push for early decision on climate policy wedges Ley

Sussan Ley is resisting growing internal pressure for the Coalition to quickly discuss and determine the future of its policy on net zero. A number...

previous day 6

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Israel’s call-up of 130,000 reservists raises legal risks for dual citizens and their home countries

Israel’s call-up of 130,000 reservists raises legal risks for dual citizens and their home countries

Senior Israeli Defence Force (IDF) officials have announced that around 130,000 reservists will take part in Israel’s planned military operation to...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Shannon Bosch

Could a ‘cortisol cocktail’ really reduce stress and boost energy?

Could a ‘cortisol cocktail’ really reduce stress and boost energy?

Have you heard of a “cortisol cocktail”? Rather than something you might order at a bar, this drink is one of the latest wellness trends floating...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Theresa Larkin

Here’s what pausing the National Construction Code means for builders and home buyers

Here’s what pausing the National Construction Code means for builders and home buyers

Following last week’s economic reform roundtable in Canberra, the federal government has announced it will be pausing changes to the National...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Ehsan Noroozinejad

Erin Patterson is a triple murderer. That’s no excuse for inhumane prison conditions

Erin Patterson is a triple murderer. That’s no excuse for inhumane prison conditions

The media spotlight is once again on the issue of prison conditions, as sentencing looms for Erin Patterson – convicted for three murders after...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Thalia Anthony

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will be proscribed as a terrorist organisation. What does this mean?

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will be proscribed as a terrorist organisation. What does this mean?

In a joint press conference, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Iran orchestrated two antisemitic...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Keiran Hardy

I’m a woman approaching middle age, do I need to get my hormones checked?

I’m a woman approaching middle age, do I need to get my hormones checked?

If you’re a woman approaching middle age and you’re on social media, you might have been urged to get your hormones checked. These posts often...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Susan Davis

We’re still not measuring our reliance on nature as we rush to boost productivity

We’re still not measuring our reliance on nature as we rush to boost productivity

Human economies are made possible through natural capital – stocks of land, fresh water, oceans, biodiversity and soils, among others. Farming...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Michael Vardon