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Meet the springtails: little-known fantastic beasts that live everywhere on Earth

These tiny critters have shaped the health of our planet for hundreds of millions of years.

latest 10

The Conversation

Mark Stevens

An Antarctic ‘polar thriller’ and a neurodivergent novel imagine a climate changed future

Bri Lee’s Seed and Rose Michael’s Else approach our uncertain future from opposite directions – one considers refusing care, while the other is...

latest 10

The Conversation

Caitlin Macdonald

NZ’s low productivity is often blamed on businesses staying small. That could be a strength in 2026

Globally, specialised small firms are demonstrating the power of being better, not bigger. NZ could capitalise on the trend if it adjusts some...

latest 10

The Conversation

Rod Mcnaughton

Can the China-Australia relationship stay on track in 2026? This is how experts in China see it

Some Chinese scholars say a stable relationship does not necessarily mean a friendly one. Yet, most agree Australia is viewing ties with China more...

latest 10

The Conversation

Guangyi Pan

Venezuela’s leader may be gone, but his regime remains – with a new chief in Washington

The interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, is consolidating her power and has signalled a willingness to work with the Trump administration.

latest 8

The Conversation

Luis Gomez Romero

Beauty in ordinary things: why this Japanese folk craft movement still matters 100 years on

Yanagi Sōetsu’s call to value simple, well-made objects feels especially relevant in our current disposable culture.

latest 10

The Conversation

Penny Bailey

Not just ‘eunuchs’ or sex workers: in ancient Mesopotamia, gender-diverse people held positions of power

Ancient evidence tells us these people held positions of power because of their gender ambiguity, not despite it.

latest 10

The Conversation

Chaya Kasif

The antisemitism debate is already a political minefield. The royal commission must rise above it

What we currently know about antisemitism in Australia is pieced together from a fragmented body of information produced by community...

latest 10

The Conversation

Matteo Vergani

Why eating disorders are more common among LGBTQIA+ people and what can help

When people picture someone with an eating disorder, many think of a thin, teenage girl with anorexia nervosa. This stereotype is so pervasive it...

latest 10

The Conversation

Kai Schweizer

Modern rock wallabies seem to survive by sticking together in small areas. Fossils show they need to travel

Today, rock wallabies are seen as secretive cliff-dwellers that rarely stray far from the safety of their rocky shelters. But the fossil record...

latest 9

The Conversation

Christopher Laurikainen Gaete

The epic novel runs amok in Omar Musa’s Fierceland

Omar Musa’s new book, Fierceland, ranges across five distinct geographies and covers a period of some 170 years. It is told from at least ten...

latest 9

The Conversation

Giacomo Bianchino

Rain one minute, heatwave the next. How climate ‘whiplash’ drives unpredictable fire weather

After a weekend of extreme heat and windy conditions, more than 30 blazes were still burning in Victoria and New South Wales as of Sunday evening,...

latest 9

The Conversation

David Bowman

As authors abandon Adelaide Writers’ Week after cancelling of Randa Abdel-Fattah , is free speech in tatters?

The decision by the Adelaide Festival Board to exclude Palestinian Australian author and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah from Adelaide Writers’ Week on...

friday 20

The Conversation

Denis Muller

Pets suffer in extreme heat. An animal welfare expert explains how we can help them

The multi-day heatwave conditions have arrived this summer, with temperatures soaring past 45°C in some regions. While we may head to shopping...

friday 2

The Conversation

Mia Cobb

View from The Hill: Albanese’s backflip on royal commission is a humiliating own goal

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prides himself with being in tune with the public mood. But in holding out for weeks against a royal commission...

friday 7

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

How to protect yourself from bushfire smoke

The distinctive smell of smoke in summer is often all you need to know there is a bushfire burning. Even if the fire is many kilometres away, the...

friday 8

The Conversation

Brian Oliver

When bushfires make their own weather

Bushfires are strongly driven by weather: hot, dry and windy conditions can combine to create the perfect environment for flames to spread across...

friday 2

The Conversation

Jason Sharples

These are the 6 key questions the antisemitism royal commission needs to answer

After weeks of mounting pressure, the government has called a royal commission to look into antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia. Prime...

friday 5

The Conversation

Josh Roose

4 pivotal elections around the world that will pose a test to democracy in 2026

Amid increasing polarisation, disinformation and economic anxieties, the health of representative democracies will be tested in elections across...

friday 3

The Conversation

Jean-Nicolas Bordeleau

Despite new tariffs on beef, China is far from closing the door on trade with Australia

Australia has been reminded once again that China isn’t always a reliable trading partner. Last week, on New Year’s Eve, Chinese authorities...

friday 1

The Conversation

James Laurenceson

Geoffrey Robertson believes international law is failing us – but the solutions are unclear

World of War Crimes: Eyeless in Gaza … and Beyond, the latest book by barrister and human rights advocate Geoffrey Robertson, quickly establishes...

friday 3

The Conversation

Paul Taucher

How Bluey uses religious parables to teach lessons we all need

Bluey is a smart show that draws on all kinds of inspirations for its charming stories, including religious ones. My newly published research looks...

friday 1

The Conversation

Sarah Lawson

Can we use bees as a model of intelligent alien life to develop interstellar communication?

Humans have always been fascinated with space. We frequently question whether we are alone in the universe. If not, what does intelligent life look...

friday 1

The Conversation

Scarlett Howard

We discovered microbes in bark ‘eat’ climate gases. This will change the way we think about trees

We all know trees are climate heroes. They pull carbon dioxide out of the air, release the oxygen we breathe, and help combat climate change. Now,...

friday 1

The Conversation

Luke Jeffrey

Thermal drones can track dolphin health without having to touch or disturb them

Marine mammals are sentinels of the sea. When dolphins and whales show signs of stress or illness, it often signals deeper problems in the ocean...

08.01.2026 20

The Conversation

Charlie White

My home is in a district facing extreme or catastrophic fire danger. What should I do?

Across Australia there are a number of fire districts facing extreme or catastrophic fire danger ratings in this ongoing heatwave. As of late...

08.01.2026 7

The Conversation

Sarah Mccoll-Gausden

Older people are more vulnerable in heatwaves. Here’s why – and how to stay safe

Southeast Australia is enduring a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures rising above 40ºC in many areas. For vulnerable people, particularly...

08.01.2026 2

The Conversation

Aaron Bach

Roads can become more dangerous on hot days – especially for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists

During heatwaves, everyday life tends to feel more difficult than on an average day. Travel and daily movement are no exception. But while most of...

08.01.2026 4

The Conversation

Milad Haghani

Victoria bushfires at a glance

Victoria is bracing for potentially catastrophic bushfire conditions on Friday, with temperatures expected to top 40°C for the third day in a row...

08.01.2026 2

The Conversation

Digital Storytelling Team

Kate Mildenhall’s fast-paced thriller The Hiding Place skewers middle-class pretensions

Eight old friends and a gaggle of kids. A weekend away in the group’s recently purchased rural retreat. Simmering tensions, old and new. And the...

08.01.2026 2

The Conversation

Jessica Gildersleeve

Why grieving a pet can be as hard as grieving a person

For many of us, pets are more than just animals. They are family. So, when a beloved pet dies, the grief can feel overwhelming. For some, like me,...

08.01.2026 1

The Conversation

Erin Smith

Cyclones get names but deadly heatwaves don’t. Should Australia personalise severe weather?

Australia’s climate is changing rapidly due to rising global greenhouse gas emissions. Extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, east coast...

07.01.2026 20

The Conversation

Samuel Cornell

Inflation cooled more than expected in November. But rate cuts remain unlikely anytime soon

Annual inflation cooled in November. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) consumer price index (CPI) report, released on Wednesday,...

07.01.2026 6

The Conversation

John Hawkins

As Australia bakes through an extreme heatwave, even insects aren’t immune to its impact

Australia is baking through another extreme heatwave, with temperatures forecast to reach above 45°C for multiple days in a row across large...

07.01.2026 3

The Conversation

Caitlyn Forster

X is facilitating nonconsensual sexual AI-generated images. The law – and society – must catch up

X (formerly Twitter) has become a site for the rapid spread of artificial intelligence-generated nonconsensual sexual images (also known as...

07.01.2026 2

The Conversation

Giselle Woodley

Who’s going to the ballot box this year? Here’s the election state of play

This article covers the March South Australian state election and November Victorian state election. The United States will hold midterm elections...

07.01.2026 3

The Conversation

Adrian Beaumont

Why does mint make water taste so cold? A scientist explains

You’ve just cleaned your teeth, you’re feeling minty fresh and ready to climb into bed. You take a sip of water, but the water is icy cold, and...

07.01.2026 1

The Conversation

Christopher Stevens

Where will the next megafire break out? Climate change is making it tougher to predict

Much of south-eastern Australia is currently in the grip of a heatwave, which is expected to peak over the next two days. Heatwaves often trigger...

07.01.2026 2

The Conversation

Rachael Helene Nolan

Trump wants Greenland. Europe’s tepid response is putting NATO and global security at risk

Europe stands at a precipice. Following the US military operation in Venezuela, President Donald Trump and his close advisers have reiterated that...

07.01.2026 20

The Conversation

Shannon Brincat

What is a royal commission? Could one into the Bondi attack create meaningful change?

Less than a month on, Australia is still grappling with the consequences of the Bondi attack, in which 16 people were killed (including one of the...

07.01.2026 10

The Conversation

Michael Mintrom