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Can you spot a rip current? Test your knowledge with our interactive quiz

Rip currents are powerful, fast-moving currents that flow away from the shore, often occupying deep channels, and pose a significant hazard to...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Rob Brander

As China expands its cyber espionage and sabotage operations, how will the Trump administration respond?

US President-elect Donald Trump has named most of the members of his proposed cabinet. However, he’s yet to reveal key appointees to America’s...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

William A. Stoltz

Sunglasses don’t just look good – they’re good for you too. Here’s how to choose the right pair

Australians are exposed to some of the highest levels of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the world. While we tend to focus on avoiding UV...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Flora Hui

Beware of bad customers – and 3 other ways small and medium businesses can thrive in 2025

There is no denying times have been tough for small and medium-sized businesses, and 2025 is not looking that much better. Gross domestic product...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Antje Fiedler

How does franchising work?

Even if you’ve no idea how the business model underpinning franchises works, there’s a good chance you’ve spent money at one. Franchising is...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Andrew Terry

AI can’t do your Christmas shopping just yet – but next year might be different

I’m a computer scientist and a bad Christmas shopper. Over the weekend, I wondered whether AI systems might be able to help me out. Could I just...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Jon Whittle

Heading on an overseas holiday? The Australian dollar tumbled this week – but that’s not bad news for everyone

This week, the value of the Australian dollar fell to 62 US cents, its lowest level since October 2022. The acute cause? A revelation by the United...

yesterday 30

The Conversation

Mark Crosby

Without clean water, Pacific Islanders turn to sugary drinks. Tackling this could reduce obesity

One in two people in the Pacific Islands is classified as overweight (with a body mass index of 25–29) or obese (a BMI 30 or above). This is a...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Suneha Seetahul

The closest thing Australian cartooning had to a prophet: the sometimes celebrated, sometimes controversial Michael Leunig

Michael Leunig – who died in the early hours of Thursday December 19, surrounded by “his children, loved ones, and sunflowers” – was the...

yesterday 40

The Conversation

Richard Scully

‘You can’t hear a smile’: how video visits help dads in prison stay connected with their kids

Many Australians know December 21 as “Gravy Day”. This is a reference to Paul Kelly’s song and new film How to Make Gravy, where a prisoner...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Elisabeth Duursma

Climate anger can lead to action – or curdle into despair. We found out why

Strong emotional responses to environmental problems are remarkably common. We know people are angry about climate change – but how many? Our new...

yesterday 8

The Conversation

Samantha Stanley

Heatwaves and bushfires can be a dangerous mix for the electricity grid. Here’s how to shore up your supplies this summer

The Australian summer has started to unleash its power. On Monday, the Victorian town of Walpeup reached 47.1°C, and towns in Queensland, western...

yesterday 9

The Conversation

Shukla Poddar

Almost 1 million Australians are LGBTQIA+ – and for the first time, there’s a new national health plan for them

New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) this week shows one in 20 (4.5%) Australians over 16 are LGBTQIA . For perspective:...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Jennifer Power

Friday essay: A man out of time – E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India at 100 and the legacies of colonialism

I was aware of David Lean’s cinematic adaptation of A Passage to India (1984) before I encountered E.M. Forster’s original novel, which celebrated...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Mridula Nath Chakraborty

In the Bible, angels can be deadly. So why do we place them at the top of our Christmas trees?

Those beautiful white and gold angels you see on Christmas trees were originally monsters. At least, that is the claim made by scholar Esther...

yesterday 5

The Conversation

Robyn J. Whitaker

Yuletide cheer – but not too much: cinema’s best ‘Christmas adjacent’ films (yes, including Die Hard)

Christmas films appear in many guises. There is the witty (Christmas in Connecticut, Scrooged). The comedic (It Happened on 5th Avenue, National...

yesterday 5

The Conversation

Ari Mattes

Personalising a luxury gift with a name or initial? Research suggests a hidden social cost

You might think spending $5,000 on a handbag or wallet would be prestigious and exclusive enough. What about taking things one step further – and...

yesterday 6

The Conversation

Anne-Maree O&39Rourke

Getting people out of their cars is possible with the right plans and policies – case study

Around the world, people are being encouraged to travel by foot, bike or public transport rather than by car. The reasons are many and varied: to...

yesterday 5

The Conversation

Simon Kingham

How can I keep my cat happy? 5 tips from a vet to help your feline friend live their best life

Around one third of Australian households live with at least one cat, yet surveys tell us the cats’ needs are not being met. Cats may rule the...

yesterday 7

The Conversation

Anne Quain

When medals matter most: high-performance sport funding risks a return to the ‘win at all costs’ model

On the face of it, New Zealand’s new high-performance sport funding model announced yesterday is an increase on the previous round. But it is...

previous day 30

The Conversation

Holly Thorpe

The Essure contraceptive device left some women with chronic pelvic pain. Why did their class action fail?

The Victorian Supreme Court recently dismissed a class action on behalf of more than 1,400 women who received Bayer’s Essure contraceptive device....

previous day 4

The Conversation

Wendy Bonython

NZ’s dairy industry faces an uncertain future – its fate now lies in its ability to adapt

New Zealand’s dairy sector faces an uncertain future due to several challenges, including water pollution, high emissions, animal welfare concerns...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Milena Bojovic

From garlic to parsley, new research reveals the herbs and spices Australians love most

Herbs and spices have been used in cooking for centuries. They add flavour, aroma and colour to foods and have long been used for health and to...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Evangeline Mantzioris

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Chalmers says the budget’s better than it was; Taylor says it’s much worse than it should be

Appropriately, we finish our podcast for 2024 talking to Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his shadow, Angus Taylor because, as the saying goes, “it’s...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

International student numbers in Australia will be controlled by a new informal cap. Here’s how it will work

The federal government has found a new way to manage the number of international students in Australia. It has instructed immigration officials to...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Peter Hurley

Why does family violence increase during the festive season? Here are 3 contributing factors

While the holiday season is supposed to be a happy time, evidence suggests it’s one of the worst times of year for domestic and family violence....

previous day 10

The Conversation

Elizabeth Summerell

Menstrual cups are safe and sustainable – but they can be tricky for first-time users, our new study shows

Many young women and other people who menstruate are turning to menstrual cups to manage their periods. In 2021, my colleagues and I surveyed 15-...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Julie Hennegan

Can you run through airport security for love? Leave a child home alone? Here’s what the law says about Christmas movies

It’s the time of year when many of us return to our favourite Christmas fables to get into the festive spirit. While film often relies on the...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Rick Sarre

YouTube populists are driving South Korea’s political instability. It’s a warning for the rest of the world’s democracies

In the space of three weeks, South Korea has seen a brief declaration of martial law, its sudden repeal and the impeachment of its president, Yoon...

previous day 30

The Conversation

Timothy Koskie

‘Live in the light, but carry the dark’: John Marsden’s books are his legacy – but so is his empathy

Celebrated author and educator John Marsden, best known for his dystopian young adult Tomorrow series, has died aged 74. The bestselling author of...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Penni Russon

Fifty years ago, Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin. The lessons from it have still not been learnt

It is hard to comprehend the force with which Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin early on Christmas Day, 1974. It was so ferocious that it killed 66...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Steven Farram

More than 1,300 Hajj pilgrims died this year when humidity and heat pushed past survivable limits. It’s just the start

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Muslims undertake the Hajj –the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca. In 2024, the pilgrimage took place in mid-June,...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Emma Ramsay

How a Cold War satellite and Robert Menzies changed the way Australian schools are funded

As students and teachers prepare to go on holidays, there’s a disagreement raging over a new school funding deal for 2025. Queensland, New South...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Jennifer Clark

Australia has an ongoing GP shortage. Why can’t we just train more GPs?

Australia is critically short of GPs – and the shortfall is growing, predicted to be 8,600 GPs by 2048. So why can’t we just train more? Despite...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Christopher Harrison

Where does Santa live? It’s a trickier question to answer than you may think

Sending a letter to Santa can be difficult as no one can agree on where exactly Santa lives. Several countries are competing to claim Santa as one...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Marcus Harmes

What will you be reading this summer? We asked 6 avid readers

Summer reads are often advertised as fat paperback page-turners: romance, adventure or crime fiction. But everyone has their own definition of the...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Jo Case

AI will continue to grow in 2025. But it will face major challenges along the way

In 2024, artificial intelligence (AI) continued taking large and surprising steps forward. People started conversing with AI “resurrections” of...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Daswin De Silva

Could NZ’s two kākā subspecies actually be remnants of a more diverse species? Here’s why we need to know

As many Wellingtonians will know, kākā can be trouble. New Zealand’s pesky forest parrots have expanded throughout New Zealand’s capital city...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Michael Knapp

A return to balanced budgets is a decade away, mid-year update says

The federal budget is headed for a deficit of $26.9 billion this financial year – $1.3 billion better than the estimate in May – but in the...

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Labor and Albanese end 2024 in worst poll position this term

A national Essential poll , conducted December 11–15 from a sample of 1,151, gave the Coalition a 48–47 lead including undecided, unchanged from...

wednesday 9

The Conversation

Adrian Beaumont

If Treasury forecasts are right, it could be a decade before Australia is ‘back in black’

After two successive surpluses, the federal budget will be back in deficit in 2024–25, according to the much-anticipated budget update released...

wednesday 2

The Conversation

John Hawkins

Flying this holiday season? Here’s why air travel makes us so cranky – and what to do about it

The holidays are coming, airports are packed and emotions are running high. You’ve probably seen it or even been part of it: that tense moment when...

wednesday 20

The Conversation

Milad Haghani

A bitter rivalry is emerging in the Middle East between two old adversaries over the future of Syria

The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has opened a new front for geopolitical competition in the Middle East. Now, however, instead of...

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Amin Saikal

How feelings of disconnection and lack of control fuel conspiracy beliefs – new research

Conspiracy theories have always been a part of society, offering explanations – sometimes simple, often elaborate – for complex events. Some...

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Elianne Albath

Why Vanuatu should brace for even more aftershocks after this week’s deadly quakes: a seismologist explains

The death toll from Vanuatu’s earthquake disaster continues to rise, with international search and rescue operations underway to help people hit...

wednesday 8

The Conversation

Dee Ninis

Let’s take the boat out! 5 tips on staying safe on the water if you fancy a drink

Australia is a nation of boaters, with one of the world’s highest rates of boat ownership. There are about one million registered vessels in...

wednesday 2

The Conversation

Amy Peden

Christmas can be challenging for people with hearing loss. Here are 7 ways you can help

For many people, Christmas can be the most social time of the year. The holiday period is often filled with parties, lunches, dinners and...

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Katie Ekberg

Most journalism fails Australians by failing in its reportage of Indigenous affairs. 7 changes would help

Much has been written about the longstanding failings of the Australian media in its reportage of Indigenous affairs. The most recent example is...

wednesday 8

The Conversation

T.j. Thomson

We studied 20 places around the world and found the most common diseases linked with voluntary assisted dying

More and more countries are legalising voluntary assisted dying. This lets a doctor, or sometimes a nurse practitioner, give life-ending medication...

wednesday 1

The Conversation

Eliana Close

A push to cool Australian cities may inadvertently increase our skin cancer risk, unless we act

Picture this: you’re working from home and it’s sweltering outside. You venture out for a coffee and move between patches of shade as you go....

wednesday 2

The Conversation

Hugh Stanford

Some ancient Romans got to retire with a pension at 42, but retirement’s changed a bit over the centuries

This article is part of The Conversation’s “Retirement” series where experts examine issues including how much money we need to retire, retiring...

wednesday 9

The Conversation

Anthony Asher

Astronomers’ world-first discovery: twin stars trapped in galactic black hole orbit

At the centre of the Milky Way is a supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A*. It is roughly 27,000 light years from Earth and 23.5 million...

wednesday 1

The Conversation

Luke Barnes

David Graeber argued against ‘Great Man’ approaches to knowledge, but it seems his fate to become one

David Graeber, who died in 2020 at the age of 59, was an anthropologist and a political activist. The Ultimate Hidden Truth of the World is a...

wednesday 1

The Conversation

Holly High

Calf’s head consommé with truffle quenelles: a history of what the royals ate for Christmas, from the exotic to the everyday

As we prepare our Christmas fare – a hot roast with all the trimmings, a seafood smorgasbord or a beach-side barbecue – it is timely to think...

wednesday 1

The Conversation

Lisa J. Hackett

Glam tidings of joy: how Slade made Merry Xmas Everybody a seasonal hit for the ages

Are you hanging up your stocking on your wall? It’s the time that every Santa has a ball! You’ve probably just heard the 1973 Slade classic at...

wednesday 8

The Conversation

Alison Blair

How can you stay safe from cyber attacks? Here are 2 simple checklists from experts

“Cyber security” may sound like a far-off worry for big corporations or telcos, but that’s far from the case. Cyber security simply means the...

17.12.2024 10

The Conversation

Jing Jia

Cars in Australian cities are emitting less – but in the regions exhaust emissions are growing

Within five years, transport is expected to be Australia’s top source of greenhouse gas emissions. While renewables and storage are bringing down...

17.12.2024 20

The Conversation

Kai Li Lim

Can Syria avoid becoming another Libya or Iraq? A week after Assad’s fall, here are 3 possible futures

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, the world was moved by emotional scenes of liberation — families reuniting after years...

17.12.2024 10

The Conversation

Ali Mamouri

Why do we revert to our childhood selves when we visit family?

You’re an independent, capable adult all year round. But when you gather with family for a holiday such as Christmas, suddenly the child in you...

17.12.2024 10

The Conversation

Gery Karantzas

The fiscal update is no Christmas present for the government – but signs of a slow recovery are there

After a slow economic year, many New Zealanders are eyeing 2025 with uncertainty but also a degree cautious optimism. Interest rates are dropping...

17.12.2024 2

The Conversation

Stephen Hickson

What makes a great sports coach? We identified 17 of the world’s best, and found some patterns

The study of leadership in high-performance coaching aims to deepen the understanding of how and why coaches lead the way they do, rather than just...

17.12.2024 9

The Conversation

Cliff Mallett

Tech giant Meta will pay Australians $50 million for enabling the Cambridge Analytica scandal

The Australian Information Commissioner today announced a settlement with tech giant Meta over its involvement in the Cambridge Analytica scandal....

17.12.2024 30

The Conversation

Katharine Kemp

Hugh Marks is the new managing director of the ABC. Is he the right person for the job?

Aspects of Hugh Marks’s record as chief executive of the Nine Entertainment Company raise questions about his suitability for the position of...

17.12.2024 20

The Conversation

Denis Muller

The government is spending millions on news, but crucial community media remains underfunded

The Australian government has launched its News Media Assistance Program, throwing a lifeline to public interest journalism and local news. The...

17.12.2024 2

The Conversation

Bridget Backhaus

Australia’s latest brush with extreme heat shows just how good weather forecasting really is

As a dome of heat developed over north and central Australia last weekend, parts of the country braced themselves for their first taste of summer...

17.12.2024 20

The Conversation

Ailie Gallant

‘What is it about shaking that’s so disempowering?’ A memoir of a lifelong tremor dissects modern medicine and an uncertain world

In this gripping new memoir by New South Wales journalist and author Sonya Voumard, a rare neurological condition becomes a way to examine the...

17.12.2024 30

The Conversation

Chloe Green

Harold Holt is a meme today, but when the prime minister went missing in December 1967, it was no laughing matter

At some point, Australians stopped grieving Harold Holt’s death and many started to laugh about it instead. The sudden disappearance of a prime...

17.12.2024 8

The Conversation

Joshua Black

Should non-disclosure agreements be restricted in cases of workplace sexual harassment? Here’s what reforms need to get right

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are again in the spotlight – mostly because of how they can affect the way companies deal with sexual harassment...

17.12.2024 1

The Conversation

Lisa Heap

More Australian families are choosing private schools – we need to understand why

The shape of Australia’s school system is undergoing a significant change. Enrolments in independent schools are growing, while fewer students...

17.12.2024 9

The Conversation

Sally Larsen

An imaging company gave its patients’ X-rays and CT scans to an AI company. How did this happen?

Australia’s biggest radiology provider, I-MED, has provided de-identified patient data to an artificial intelligence company without explicit...

17.12.2024 7

The Conversation

Stacy Carter

NZ’s government may ask the public to underwrite the risk of fossil fuel exploration – this could be unlawful

After reversing the ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration permits, New Zealand’s coalition government is now considering whether to share...

17.12.2024 10

The Conversation

Nathan Cooper

We now know ‘troubled teen’ memoirs like Go Ask Alice were a Mormon wife’s fiction – so why are we still treating them as truth?

In 1971, an extraordinary book appeared. Published by an “anonymous” author, Go Ask Alice documented the story of an ordinary American girl and...

17.12.2024 9

The Conversation

Kate Cantrell

Fantasia 2000: celebrating 25 years of a concertless film in search of a concert

Imagine attending a concert including excerpts from Ludwig van Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome, George Gershwin’s...

17.12.2024 2

The Conversation

Will Jeffery

When you wish upon a star, is it already dead? An astronomer crunches the numbers

When you wish upon a star, Jiminy Cricket told us, your dreams come true. But according to an idea doing the rounds on social media, that may not...

17.12.2024 10

The Conversation

Laura Nicole Driessen

5 things to know before boarding your dog or cat this summer

Around this time of year, pet owners across the country are scrambling to finalise holiday care arrangements. Some lucky animals go to the home of...

17.12.2024 1

The Conversation

Melissa Starling

Chalmers unveils new look Reserve Bank, with women in the majority on both its boards

A person with long experience in the financial services sector, Marnie Baker, and a distinguished academic economist, Renée Fry-McKibbin, have...

16.12.2024 10

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

What is a dark comet? A quick guide to the ‘new’ kids in the Solar System

In 2017, NASA discovered and later confirmed the first interstellar object to enter our Solar System. It wasn’t aliens. But artist impressions of...

16.12.2024 2

The Conversation

Rebecca Allen

More coal and gas, less renewables: what a nuclear power plan for Australia would really mean

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s plan for nuclear power in Australia has provoked a great deal of discussion and analysis – most of it...

16.12.2024 10

The Conversation

John Quiggin

FIFA has a human rights policy, so how could it award Saudi Arabia the 2034 soccer World Cup?

Last week, FIFA officially awarded Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup. The Gulf Kingdom was the sole bidder after the Asian Football Confederation...

16.12.2024 10

The Conversation

Keith Rathbone

Naloxone can reverse opioid overdose. Here’s why you might need some at home or in your bag

Opioids are some of the most widely used and misused drugs in the world. Opioids are central nervous system depressants, meaning they slow down...

16.12.2024 10

The Conversation

Shane Darke

Superpower rivalry is making Pacific aid a bargaining chip – vulnerable island nations still lose out

The A$140 million aid agreement between Australia and Nauru signed last week is a prime example of the geopolitical tightrope vulnerable Pacific...

16.12.2024 2

The Conversation

Sione Tekiteki

Why did Indonesia release the Bali Five now? Its new leader wants to send a strong message to the world

Following weeks of intrigue about a possible deal, the remaining members of the Bali Nine have been released from prison in Indonesia and returned...

16.12.2024 2

The Conversation

Tim Lindsey

Remembering Brenda Walker

Vale Brenda Walker, 1957–2024 I first met Brenda Walker in 1995 at Varuna Writers’ House in Katoomba, where she was working on her third novel and...

16.12.2024 10

The Conversation

Delia Falconer

Everyone will want to see Yayoi Kusama at the NGV. Those who don’t will spend a lifetime regretting it

Now aged 95, Yayoi Kusama for many decades has been considered one of the most influential contemporary artists. She works across a wide range of...

16.12.2024 9

The Conversation

Sasha Grishin

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