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

We know texting while driving can kill – but research shows touchscreen controls in a car can be just as distracting.

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The Conversation

Milad Haghani

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

Behind flood and bushfire disasters is a less visible influence: changes in the planet’s water cycle. Rainfall and temperature shifts are...

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The Conversation

Albert Van Dijk

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

This is not just a bit of nausea and vomiting – it’s a debilitating condition with serious health effects.

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The Conversation

Karin Hammarberg

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

Heated Rivalry depicts a sporting world where queer joy, acceptance and belonging is not only possible, but is enthusiastically embraced.

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The Conversation

Kasey Symons

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

As more airlines crackdown on carry-on limits, see how the rules for flying within Australia and beyond are changing.

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The Conversation

Natasha Heap

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

The much beloved and best-selling picture book series The Pout-Pout Fish comes to the big screen, with mixed results.

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The Conversation

Ari Chand

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

Was the premature death of Shakespeare’s only son really the inspiration for Hamlet?

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The Conversation

Kate Flaherty

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

2022’s once-in-a-generation health reset improved much about the system – yet everyday access to primary care has become harder for many New...

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The Conversation

Arshad Ali

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

Reptile armour has a wild backstory.

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The Conversation

Roy Ebel

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

New research shows highly educated people are just as likely to believe conspiracies as those with less education if they have these psychological...

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The Conversation

Tylor Cosgrove

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

Rudd is leaving his post as Australian ambassador to the US early to return to his previous role of president of Asia Society.

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The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

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

Iran’s clerical leaders have long tried to control the narrative when protests break out. So far, protesters are continuing to risk their lives for...

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The Conversation

Amin Naeni

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

While Labor’s support has flagged since the Bondi terror attacks, support for One Nation appears to be continuing to rise.

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The Conversation

Adrian Beaumont

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

Just-resigned Adelaide Writers Week director Louise Adler calls the cancellation of the event ‘no surprise’. What went wrong?

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The Conversation

Kim Goodwin

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...

yesterday 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....

yesterday 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...

yesterday 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...

yesterday 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...

yesterday 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,...

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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...

yesterday 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...

yesterday 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...

yesterday 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...

yesterday 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...

yesterday 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,...

yesterday 10

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 6

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 10

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 4

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 8

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...

09.01.2026 9

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...

09.01.2026 2

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...

09.01.2026 7

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...

09.01.2026 4

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...

09.01.2026 6

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,...

09.01.2026 5

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 10

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 7

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 2

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 5

The Conversation

Digital Storytelling Team