By Nicholas Jacobs, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Chair in American Government, Colby College; Institute for Humane Studies
Graham Platner’s Senate campaign has imploded amid credible accusations of rape. A Maine political scientist looks at what happened and how the populist Platner resembles Donald Trump in key ways.
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Wednesday, July 8, 2026
UN investigators have urged Syria’s Government to trace thousands of missing detainees and hold perpetrators to account after a week-long visit that took in bomb attacks in Damascus, prison visits in the northeast and reports of vigilante violence in Homs.
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By Philip Anderson, Associate Professor of Biology and Biomechanics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Most people probably aren’t thinking about the complexity of nature when they get stung by a bee or prick their thumb on a rose. They are probably just thinking, “Ouch, that hurts!”
Even at this level of interaction, however, it is obvious not all things in nature that poke you are created equal. The rose prickle may draw blood, while the bee sting can leave an itchy rash.
The act of puncture – stabbing something with a sharp tool – is incredibly widespread in the natural world. Examples of puncture tools…
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By Fron Jackson-Webb, Deputy Editor and Senior Health Editor, The Conversation
Matt Garrow, Editorial Web Developer, The Conversation
Dementia is now the leading cause of death, overtaking heart disease. The Conversation’s experts explain how Australians’ health has changed – both good and bad.
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By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland
A woman born in 2024 could expect to live in ‘full health’ for an average of 73.8 years, despite an average life expectancy of 85.1 years.
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By Louisa Jones, Lecturer and Discipline Lead (Migration), Thomas More Law School, Australian Catholic University
The government has increased the cost of applying for partner visas by 25%. It’s a system that ensures migration revenue while worsening the burden on couples.
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By Benjamin D. Muir, Casual Academic, School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University
Accurate adaptations of canonical texts are few and far between – but these films and miniseries stand out for their fidelity to the source material.
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By Bronwyn Reid O'Connor, Lecturer in Mathematics Education, University of Sydney
Ben Zunica, Lecturer in Mathematics Education, University of Sydney
Students may think they’re just choosing a maths subject, but they are also shaping the university courses and careers most immediately available after school.
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By Matthew Sharpe, Associate Professor in Philosophy, Australian Catholic University
For many centuries, the writings of Plutarch of Chaeronia (c.46-119CE) were at the heart of elite humanistic education in the West. We can see the influence of his Lives of Eminent Greeks and Romans and the philosophical essays in his work Moralia in early modern authors from Michel de Montaigne and
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By Hoani Smith, Lecturer in Sport Management and Sport Science, Lincoln University, New Zealand
Dion Enari, Associate Professor, Ngā Wai a Te Tūī (Maori and Indigenous Research Centre) and School of Healthcare and Social Practice, UNITEC Institute of Technology
Phil Borell, Senior Lecturer (Above the Bar), Aotahi School of Maori and Indigenous Studies, University of Canterbury
Retired male elite rugby players have higher rates of osteoarthritis, mild cognitive disorders, depression and hazardous alcohol use than non-contact sport players.
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