By Jason Kennedy, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar of Animated Performance, Auckland University of Technology
The play symbol is one of the world’s most recognisable icons. Across languages, writing systems, and cultures, a single right-pointing triangle is widely understood as “start”.
Yet there’s nothing about this simple geometric icon that inherently suggests the start of something. So why does it carry this meaning?
The emergence of such universal media symbols is relatively recent in design history.
An early case study
From the 1960s, consumer audio and video technologies became internationally widespread. In 1963, the Philips…
(Full Story)
|
By Christine Barry, PhD Candidate, Marine Movement Ecology, Murdoch University; Australian Institute of Marine Science
Luciana C. Ferreira, Research Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) – the world’s biggest fish – are one of the most charismatic marine species. They connect with the hearts of anyone lucky enough to encounter them, making people deeply curious about their lives and invested in their conservation.
Yet most of what researchers know about the behaviour of whale sharks comes from snorkelling or watching them from boats at the sea surface – only a small part of their entire habitat. Much of their lives below the surface remains a mystery.
Whale sharks live in tropical oceans where food is often sparse…
(Full Story)
|
By Nic Rawlence, Associate Professor in Ancient DNA, University of Otago
As Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, Sam Neill portrayed a scientist who was authentic, normal and relatable. For many budding paleontologists, it was life changing.
(Full Story)
|
By Joyce Siette, Associate Professor | Deputy Director, The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University
A new study looked at almost one million married couples and found dementia clustered among couples. Shared lifestyle doesn’t explain everything.
(Full Story)
|
By Sam Bennett, Disability Program Director, Grattan Institute
Owain Emslie, Senior Associate, Disability Program, Grattan Institute
The government wants to make these short-term cuts to shore up the budget bottom line. But there’s a fairer way to repair the NDIS.
(Full Story)
|
By Kris Iyer, Senior Lecturer in Finance and Economics, Torrens University Australia
Trump has pointed to the Australian retirement system as a model. But the $1,000 baby accounts are not designed to do the same job.
(Full Story)
|
By Lisa M. Given, Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University
The Victorian government has announced it will introduce “nation-leading” laws to make technology companies accountable for preventing hate and keeping children safe.
The announcement comes as governments around the world grapple with how best to mitigate online harms, including emerging ones associated with artificial intelligence (AI).
So what are the new laws? And how will they work in practice?
Unmasking trolls
The state will…
(Full Story)
|
By Simon Copland, Honorary Fellow in Sociology, Australian National University
Masculinism, an extreme version of men’s rights, is led by very different far-right figures, from Andrew Tate to the leader of Pete Hegseth’s church.
(Full Story)
|
By Tony Jan, Professor of Information Technology and Director of Artificial Intelligence Research and Optimization (AIRO) Centre, Torrens University Australia
Earth’s orbit is getting crowded.
About 16,000 satellites currently circle our planet, supporting everything from GPS navigation and weather forecasting to banking, emergency services and internet communications.
Dozens more are launched every few weeks. Some estimates suggest the total number of satellites could exceed 100,000…
(Full Story)
|
By Marina Yue Zhang, Associate Professor, Technology and Innovation, University of Technology Sydney
If producing electric vehicles (EVs) was an Olympic sport, China would be dominating the medals podium.
China now leads the world in the sale and export of EVs, a term encompassing everything from battery-powered cars to plug-in hybrids. Chinese companies also produce the lion’s…
(Full Story)
|