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‘Extremely hostile’: Trump lashes China over trade controls but there may be a silver lining

We’ve entered a period where control of a few key resources and trade routes gives countries enormous leverage.

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The Conversation

Marina Yue Zhang

BMI shouldn’t be the only way to assess who can access weight-loss drugs

Weight doesn’t tell us the whole story about a person’s risk for poor health.

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The Conversation

Liz Sturgiss

Two true crime books on the mushroom trial are out – one is told by a fictional juror

A legal expert reviews Duncan McNab’s Recipe for Murder and Greg Haddrick’s The Mushroom Murders – both published on the same day.

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The Conversation

Rick Sarre

Power-hungry data centres threaten Australia’s energy grid. Here are 3 steps to make them more efficient

Australia could be a global champion for sustainable data centre growth.

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The Conversation

Johanna Lim

Savvy politicians know how to ‘perform’ authenticity – the Jacinda Ardern doco offers a masterclass

The award-winning documentary Prime Minister showcases a politician capable of blending the ordinary and extraordinary – a key to success on both...

latest 5

The Conversation

Susan Fountaine

Reform of NZ’s protected lands is overdue – but the public should decide about economic activities

Changes to New Zealand’s conservation laws could delist up to 60% of protected areas. There are better ways to balance ecological values with...

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The Conversation

Valentina Dinica

It took just 60 years for red foxes to colonise Australia from Victoria to the Pilbara

It only took 60 years for the red fox to spread across Australia. New research could prevent other invasive animals doing the same.

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The Conversation

Sean Tomlinson

Beyond Qantas’ data leak, Australian finance companies are also at risk of offshore hacks

As millions of Qantas customers’ data hit the dark web, a corporate watchdog has warned financial services firms about sending work – and...

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The Conversation

Toby Murray

A ‘lack of ambition’ over livestock emissions targets now threatens NZ’s reputation and trade

The government’s weakened methane reduction target mirrors the approach promoted by industry lobby groups but rejected by the Climate Change...

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The Conversation

James Renwick

How we sharpened the James Webb telescope’s vision from a million kilometres away

The only Australian hardware on board the legendary telescope is starting to fulfil its duties.

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The Conversation

Benjamin Pope

Noodles, pita bread, rice? How more diverse hospital menus can improve care – and reduce costs

Most older patients in a recent study had a ‘no complaints’ attitude to hospital food. But when it was unfamiliar, they were less likely to eat it...

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The Conversation

Zhaoli Dai-Keller

The 2025 Nobel economics prize honours economic creation and destruction

Collectively, the trio’s work has examined what drives sustainable economic growth over time, including scientific innovation and the birth and...

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The Conversation

John Hawkins

Jim Chalmers unveils major retreat on controversial superannuation changes

Jim Chalmers unveils major retreat on controversial superannuation changes

The Albanese government has finally announced a major retreat on its proposed controversial superannuation changes. The plan to tax unrealised...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

What is gingivitis? How do I know if I have it?

What is gingivitis? How do I know if I have it?

Do your gums look red and often bleed when you brush them, but they’re not painful? If so, you could have the gum disease gingivitis. Gingivitis is...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Dileep Sharma

Unusual red rocks in Australia are rewriting the rules on exceptional fossil sites

Unusual red rocks in Australia are rewriting the rules on exceptional fossil sites

Hidden beneath farmland in the central tablelands of New South Wales lies one of Australia’s most extraordinary fossil sites – McGraths Flat. It...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Tara Djokic

Why Trump is not a death knell for global climate action

Why Trump is not a death knell for global climate action

In his rambling speech to the United Nations last month, United States President Donald Trump described climate change as “the greatest con job...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Matt Mcdonald

The Shiralee brings a Shakespearean energy to the Aussie swag-man ’s life

The Shiralee brings a Shakespearean energy to the Aussie swag-man ’s life

A lyrical homage to the spirit of the Australian bush, Sydney Theatre Company’s The Shiralee is set on the highways and byways of 1950s Australia,...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Kirk Dodd

Australia’s ‘ISIS brides’ have returned. Governments can do better at handling this situation

Australia’s ‘ISIS brides’ have returned. Governments can do better at handling this situation

In 2014, the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group declared a caliphate, a form of Islamic government headed by a caliph, considered to be a successor...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Kiriloi M. Ingram

If government bailouts of companies are the new normal, we need a better strategic vision

If government bailouts of companies are the new normal, we need a better strategic vision

The federal government’s announcement of a A$600 million rescue package for Glencore’s copper smelting and refining operations in Mount Isa and...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

John Quiggin

Trump’s ‘shock and awe’ foreign policy achieved a breakthrough in Gaza – but is it sustainable?

Trump’s ‘shock and awe’ foreign policy achieved a breakthrough in Gaza – but is it sustainable?

US President Donald Trump will visit Israel and Egypt this week to oversee the initial implementation of his Gaza peace agreement, which many hope...

yesterday 8

The Conversation

Lester Munson

What will Australia be like in 2058? A new novel imagines division, unemployment – and activism

What will Australia be like in 2058? A new novel imagines division, unemployment – and activism

Maggie Garewal believes in the possibilities of change. She lives in 2058 Ngunnawal-Canberra, and works in politics for a progressive-aligned...

yesterday 8

The Conversation

Joanne Anderton

Your body can be a portable gym: how to ditch membership fees and expensive equipment

Your body can be a portable gym: how to ditch membership fees and expensive equipment

You don’t need a gym membership, dumbbells, or expensive equipment to get stronger. Since the beginning of time, we’ve had access to the one piece...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Dan Van Den Hoek

Sussan Ley announces (another) frontbench reshuffle

Sussan Ley announces (another) frontbench reshuffle

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has appointed Tasmanian conservative Jonathon (Jonno) Duniam to replace Andrew Hastie in the high profile frontbench...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Israelis are hailing Trump as Cyrus returned – but who was Cyrus the Great, anyway?

Israelis are hailing Trump as Cyrus returned – but who was Cyrus the Great, anyway?

With both parties agreeing to terms, the first stages of a peace plan in Gaza are in motion. US President Donald Trump is credited (especially in...

yesterday 30

The Conversation

Peter Edwell

The Instagram effect: dying for the perfect photo

Social media tourism is encouraging risky behaviour and the death toll is mounting

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Samuel Cornell

For the first time, we linked a new fossil fuel project to hundreds of deaths. Here’s the impact of Woodside’s Scarborough gas project

For the first time, we linked a new fossil fuel project to hundreds of deaths. Here’s the impact of Woodside’s Scarborough gas project

Global warming from Woodside’s massive Scarborough gas project off Western Australia would lead to 484 additional heat-related deaths in Europe...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick

Year 12 are about to start their final exams. Here’s how to keep calm and stay positive

Year 12 are about to start their final exams. Here’s how to keep calm and stay positive

Thousands of Year 12 students across Australia are getting ready to sit their final exams. Students may be feeling a lot of things right now – from...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Kylie Trask-Kerr

‘Doughnut economics’ shows how global growth is out of balance - and how we can fix it

‘Doughnut economics’ shows how global growth is out of balance - and how we can fix it

A new update to an influential economic theory called “Doughnut Economics” shows a global economy on a collision course with nature. The...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Warwick Smith

New research challenges the idea of a ‘vicious cycle’ between psychological distress and conspiracy beliefs

New research challenges the idea of a ‘vicious cycle’ between psychological distress and conspiracy beliefs

A lot of research has been dedicated to understanding what makes people believe in conspiracies – and how they might be able to climb out of the...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Nick Fox

Genital problems? Ancient doctors thought goat’s cheese or warm baths could help

Genital problems? Ancient doctors thought goat’s cheese or warm baths could help

Our genitals are such an important and sensitive part of our bodies. So it’s not surprising that keeping them healthy was as important in antiquity...

yesterday 5

The Conversation

Konstantine Panegyres

Time to move beyond billboards: Australia’s tourism strategy needs to embrace the personal

Time to move beyond billboards: Australia’s tourism strategy needs to embrace the personal

Australia continues to rely on billboard-style and cinematic advertising to promote itself as a destination. This approach, used for decades,...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Katharina Wolf

How does ‘common knowledge’ shape our individual lives and our societies? Steven Pinker has some ideas

How does ‘common knowledge’ shape our individual lives and our societies? Steven Pinker has some ideas

I don’t know about you, but ever since I can remember – from my early teens – I have been bemused about the endless rituals we humans perform; and...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Jamie Q. Roberts

Diane Keaton thrived in the world of humour – and had the dramatic acting chops to back it up

Diane Keaton thrived in the world of humour – and had the dramatic acting chops to back it up

In the chilling final scene of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece, The Godfather, the door to Michael Corleone’s office is closed in the face...

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The Conversation

Chris Thompson

Will Trump’s ceasefire plan really lead to lasting peace in the Middle East? There’s still a long way to go

Will Trump’s ceasefire plan really lead to lasting peace in the Middle East? There’s still a long way to go

The first steps of the peace plan for Gaza are underway. Now both parties have agreed to terms, Hamas is obligated to release all hostages within...

previous day 8

The Conversation

Andrew Thomas

Since 2020, 4 of Australia’s natural World Heritage properties have deteriorated

Since 2020, 4 of Australia’s natural World Heritage properties have deteriorated

Since 2020, the conservation outlook has worsened for four of Australia’s 16 natural World Heritage properties – Ningaloo, Shark Bay, Purnululu...

saturday 1

The Conversation

Jon C. Day

Senator David Pocock thrown out of Parliament Sports Club after criticising gambling link

Senator David Pocock thrown out of Parliament Sports Club after criticising gambling link

Independent senator David Pocock, a former captain of the Wallabies, has been declared persona non grata by the Parliament Sports Club, after he...

10.10.2025 6

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

How do Triple Zero calls actually work? A telecommunications expert explains

How do Triple Zero calls actually work? A telecommunications expert explains

Making a call to triple zero (000) for a life threatening or time-critical emergency is something most of us learn how to do when we first use a...

10.10.2025 20

The Conversation

Mark A Gregory

Can a new blood test really detect ME/CFS? An expert unpacks new research

Can a new blood test really detect ME/CFS? An expert unpacks new research

Scientists in the United Kingdom say they have developed a blood test that can diagnose myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)...

10.10.2025 10

The Conversation

Sarah Annesley

Explainer: what powers does Trump actually have to deploy the military to US cities?

Explainer: what powers does Trump actually have to deploy the military to US cities?

US President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy the military for law enforcement duties in selected American cities is likely to end up before the US...

10.10.2025 2

The Conversation

John Hart

News of a ‘giant’ baby boy is all over TikTok. Here’s what women really need to know

News of a ‘giant’ baby boy is all over TikTok. Here’s what women really need to know

Baby boy Cassian is an internet sensation. He was born earlier this year in the United States weighing 5.8 kilograms. But after his mum and the...

10.10.2025 2

The Conversation

Hannah Dahlen

And then there were none: Australia’s only shrew declared extinct

And then there were none: Australia’s only shrew declared extinct

It’s official: the only Australian shrew is no more. The latest edition of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the...

10.10.2025 9

The Conversation

John Woinarski

The Gaza ceasefire deal could be a ‘strangle contract’, with Israel holding all the cards

The Gaza ceasefire deal could be a ‘strangle contract’, with Israel holding all the cards

There are jubilant scenes in both Gaza and Israel after both sides in the war have agreed to another ceasefire. If all goes well, this will be only...

10.10.2025 20

The Conversation

Marika Sosnowski

Trump’s tragedy: the US becomes an autocracy and the presidency, a dictatorship

Trump’s tragedy: the US becomes an autocracy and the presidency, a dictatorship

[…]we took the freedom of speech away. We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military[…] They’re poisoning the...

10.10.2025 30

The Conversation

Emma Shortis

A great pessimist and unapologetic traditionalist: László Krasznahorkai wins the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature

A great pessimist and unapologetic traditionalist: László Krasznahorkai wins the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature

Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai has won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature for “his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of...

10.10.2025 10

The Conversation

Julian Murphet

Labor is close to a deal on environmental law reforms. There are troubling signs these will fall short

Labor is close to a deal on environmental law reforms. There are troubling signs these will fall short

The Albanese government has hinted it is close to a deal with the Coalition over the long-awaited overhaul of Australia’s environment laws....

10.10.2025 10

The Conversation

Euan Ritchie

A US startup plans to deliver ‘sunlight on demand’ after dark. Can it work – and would we want it to?

A US startup plans to deliver ‘sunlight on demand’ after dark. Can it work – and would we want it to?

A proposed constellation of satellites has astronomers very worried. Unlike satellites that reflect sunlight and produce light pollution as an...

10.10.2025 10

The Conversation

Michael J. I. Brown

A landmark conviction for war crimes in Sudan shows the wheels of global justice do turn – albeit slowly

A landmark conviction for war crimes in Sudan shows the wheels of global justice do turn – albeit slowly

Despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) being under immense pressure right now, its first conviction for crimes in Darfur, and the first for...

10.10.2025 3

The Conversation

Myra Williamson