By Melissa Lee, Senior Lecturer, School of Mathematics, Monash University
Yet another longstanding mathematical question has been resolved by AI – and it feels a little different from the ones that have come before
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By Jessica Holloway, Senior Research DECRA Fellow, Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University
For some families, NAPLAN results will confirm what they already know. For others, they may contain surprises or raise concerns.
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By Jake Brooker, Research Associate in the Department of Biology, Utrecht University
Zanna Clay, Professor in the Department of Psychology, Durham University
During an eight-month-long research trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, we studied consolation: the way bonobos and chimpanzees comfort each other after conflicts and distress. But early on, we kept noticing something that didn’t quite fit.
The animals were exchanging a lot of friendly physical contact, embracing, touching and kissing, in competitive situations before any clear conflict or distress signals had broken out. We…
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By Steve Schifferes, Honorary Research Fellow, City Political Economy Research Centre, City St George's, University of London
The UK’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, laid out a radical agenda in his short speech upon taking office. He called for a long-term strategy to reverse 40 years of Thatcherism, and the privatisation and centralisation that resulted. Wisely, he put a ten-year horizon on these objectives and it is now up to his new chancellor, John Healey, to realise his ambitions.
Sensibly, Burnham has also announced less costly but limited measures to deal with the cost of living and the housing crisis – intended…
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
If his impressive academic record is any measure, Andrew Charlton might lay claim to one of the highest IQs in the parliamentary Labor party. Now, with his central role in the government’s AI policy, he’s…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Members of the Nigerian police force are seen outside the Federal High Court, in Abuja, Nigeria, on October 21, 2021. © 2021 Kola Sulaimon / AFP via Getty Images The Nigerian authorities’ prosecution of Boko Haram suspects does not advance justice for serious international crimes, as the cases continue to target primarily low-level suspects and raise significant fair trial concerns.Trials were conducted without witnesses or circumstantial evidence, prosecutors dropped some seemingly serious charges, while many plea-driven convictions were for aiding armed groups…
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By Russell Mullett, Traditional Custodian — Kurnai, Indigenous Knowledge
Bruno David, Professor, Australian Research Council Industry Laureate, Monash University
Elle Grono, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Culture, History & Language, Australian National University
Deeply etched into a cliff face in GunaiKurnai Country, near the township of Buchan in East Gippsland in rural Victoria, is a large limestone cave that hosts an extraordinary story.
Today, the area outside Cloggs Cave is mainly grassland and open woodland, with eucalypt forests further behind the cave. But this was not always so.
The environment changed as the last ice age came and went, and as the Old GunaiKurnai Ancestors managed Country through cultural burning and daily activities on the land. Photographs from the 19th century, as well as regional…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Minoru Kihara, bows to members of the House of Councilors after lawmakers passed a law prohibiting desecration of the national flag, Tokyo, July 17, 2026. © 2026 Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo (Tokyo) – The Japanese Diet on July 17, 2026, adopted a flag desecration law that criminalizes damaging Japan’s national flag, a violation of the right to freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said today. Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner Japan Innovation Party, and three opposition parties supported the bill during…
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By James Martin, Associate Professor in Criminology, Deakin University
Edward Jegasothy, Senior lecturer, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Paul Kelaita, Postdoctoral fellow, Drug Policy Modelling Program, Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW
Last week, new data were released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) suggesting daily smoking prevalence has dropped to a record low of 5.6% in 2025 – down from 8.3% in 2022-23.
Taken at face value, this is the best news in the history of tobacco control in Australia.
But there are reasons for caution. The figures come from a self-report survey, and as the AIHW has previously…
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By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne
Since her press club address, media coverage of the One Nation leader has shifted from fawning to more sober – and revealed some dubious ethics in the process.
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