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As we begin to assess the fire damage in Victoria, we must not overlook these hidden costs

Bushfires disproportionately expose disadvantaged communities, and a one‑size‑fits‑all recovery can deepen those inequalities.

latest 4

The Conversation

Sonia Akter

Why the Heated Rivalry TV series understands gay men better than the book

Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry doesn’t quite capture all of the nuances of a gay male relationship. Jacob Tierney’s adaptation does.

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The Conversation

Harry Stewart

What’s cooler than sex, drugs and pashing models? I found out from 3 rock memoirs

A former rock journalist reviews memoirs by Lemonhead Evan Dando, teen Rolling Stone writer Cameron Crowe and feminist punk legend Kathleen Hanna.

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The Conversation

Liz Evans

What’s the difference between a sprained ankle and a twisted ankle?

As you step out, you trip and land awkwardly. You think you’ve twisted your ankle. Or is a sprain? What’s the difference anyway?

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The Conversation

Hunter Bennett

From bolts to blue jets, lightning comes in many strange forms

Lightning also influences our environment in ways scientists are only beginning to understand.

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The Conversation

Andrew Dowdy

NZ’s health data hack needs a proper diagnosis – and a transparent treatment plan

Two cyber hacks have highlighted the vulnerability of New Zealand’s digital health systems – and the vast volumes of patient data we rely on them...

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The Conversation

Dylan A Mordaunt

Yes, those big touchscreens in cars are dangerous and buttons are coming back

In recent years, the way drivers interact with cars has fundamentally changed. Physical buttons have gradually disappeared from dashboards as more...

yesterday 100

The Conversation

Milad Haghani

What is the global water cycle and how is it amplifying climate disasters?

Floods, droughts and heatwaves continue to dominate headlines around the world and in Australia. In the past few days, hundreds of bushfires have...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Albert Van Dijk

What causes ‘extreme morning sickness’? What we know, don’t know and suspect about hyperemesis gravidarum

Most women experience some nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Although this is called morning sickness, it can happen at any time of day. Up...

yesterday 30

The Conversation

Karin Hammarberg

Could Heated Rivalry bring a whole new fanbase to ice hockey – and can the sport embrace them?

Heated Rivalry has taken the world by a storm. The series tells the story of rivals-to-lovers hockey players Japanese-Canadian Shane Hollander...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Kasey Symons

How do airlines set bag and weight limits? An ex-pilot explains new changes on the way

You arrive at the airport in plenty of time to check in. You reach the departure gate early. You board, walking down to your seat – and that’s when...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Natasha Heap

The Pout-Pout Fish visually exemplifies contemporary animation – but something is lost in translation

Adapting the much beloved and best-selling picture book series The Pout-Pout Fish is no easy feat. Staying core to the source material, the new...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Ari Chand

It takes many ghosts to make a story: how Maggie O'Farrell’s Hamnet takes from – and mistakes – Shakespeare

In her eighth novel Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell imagines the short life and tragic death of Shakespeare’s only son, aged 11, in 1596. Although it is...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Kate Flaherty

Did NZ’s sweeping health reforms deliver on their promise? 3 years on, the verdict is mixed

When the former Labour-led government unveiled the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) reforms in 2022, it billed them as the biggest shakeup of New...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Arshad Ali

A centuries-old debate on how reptiles keep evolving skin bones is finally settled

Our bones did not begin deep inside the body. They started in the skin, not long after the first complex animals took shape. Ever since, skin bones...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Roy Ebel

View from The Hill: Kevin Rudd, a controversial energy ball as ambassador to US, quits early

Kevin Rudd’s premature departure in March from his post of Australia’s ambassador to the United States is a surprise, but perhaps not as...

yesterday 30

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

This is the playbook the Iranian regime uses to crack down on protests – but will it work this time?

In late December, Tehran’s bazaar merchants began protesting against Iran’s theocratic rulers over the sharp collapse of the currency. These...

yesterday 5

The Conversation

Amin Naeni

‘Masterclass in poor governance’: what was the board’s role in the end of Adelaide Writers Week?

This afternoon, Adelaide Writers Week was cancelled for 2026 – less than a week after Palestinian-Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah was...

yesterday 30

The Conversation

Kim Goodwin

Why do educated people fall for conspiracy theories? It could be narcissism

If there are two things the internet loves talking about, it’s conspiracy theories, and who may or may not be a narcissist. Misinformation and...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Tylor Cosgrove

Three early January polls have Labor down, but disagree on One Nation’s vote

Three early January national polls have Labor sliding to between 52–53% two party preferred against the Coalition, down from around 55% to Labor...

yesterday 20

The Conversation

Adrian Beaumont

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

In virtually every piece of land on Earth – from near the summit of Mount Everest to Antarctica to caves nearly 2,000 metres underground – live...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Mark Stevens

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

Two new Australian novels imagine how we might live in a climate‑changed future. Bri Lee’s Seed explores antinatalism in an Antarctic seed vault....

previous day 10

The Conversation

Caitlin Macdonald

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

For decades, we have heard a familiar story about why New Zealand’s firms choose to stay small. Business owners prefer comfort, control and...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Rod Mcnaughton

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

When Labor was returned to power in 2022, the China-Australia relationship began to stabilise after what had been a rocky few years. So, where do...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Guangyi Pan

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

US President Donald Trump has insisted the United States will now be “running” Venezuela after US forces bombed the capital on January 3 and...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Luis Gomez Romero

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

On January 10 1926, Yanagi Sōetsu and the potters Hamada Shōji and Kawai Kanjirō sat talking excitedly late into the night at a temple on Mt Kōya,...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Penny Bailey

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

Today, trans people face politicisation of their lives and vilification from politicians, media and parts of broader society. But in some of...

previous day 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...

previous day 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...

previous day 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...

previous day 10

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...

previous day 10

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,...

previous day 1

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...

09.01.2026 30

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...

09.01.2026 7

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...

09.01.2026 9

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...

09.01.2026 9

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...

09.01.2026 5

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...

09.01.2026 10

The Conversation

Josh Roose