By Charlotte Markowitsch, PhD Candidate in Popular Music Studies, RMIT University
“I’m not a nice boy and I never was,” Angry Anderson sang on Rose Tattoo’s 1978 debut album. It was an effective mission statement for one of Australian rock’s most recognisable vocalists.
Gary “Angry” Anderson became a well known figure in Australian popular culture. As frontman of Rose Tattoo, he was central to the hard edged Oz Rock tradition that grew from Australia’s pub circuit. In my research as a rock sociologist, Anderson is a key reference point for how listeners define Australian rock and its values.
Much of that influence came from how successfully Anderson…
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By Alison Garden, Senior Lecturer and UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, School of Arts, English and Languages, Queen's University Belfast
The following story is runner up in The Conversation Prize for writers 2026, a competition run in partnership with Faber and Curtis Brown. Read more about the competition here.
A woman is handing out paper cups of squash and flat lemonade at the back of a parochial hall in Belfast. This woman – I’ll call her Charlotte* – is there with her husband, helping out at a disco for the Catholic Church’s teenage congregants.…
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By Emily Robinson, Professor in British Studies (Politics), University of Sussex
A medieval island that was home to a wealthy city continues to fascinate 800 years after it disappeared beneath the waves.
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By Prachatai
“If you’re a bad student in your school, maybe it’s because you’re rebellious. Maybe it’s because you’re brave enough to question your teacher or challenge their power.“
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By Dennis B. Desmond, Lecturer, Cyberintelligence and Cybercrime Investigations, University of the Sunshine Coast
Earlier this week, the ABC reported a cybersecurity expert hacking a BYD Shark 6 hybrid ute. The expert gained control of the Chinese-made vehicle’s locks, headlights, and audio and video, saying the task “was easier than we were expecting”.
The ABC also reported concerns that cars made by BYD and
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Tuesday, September 22, 2026
The first generation to grow up with AI may also be the last one anyone thinks to ask about it – and that has to change, the UN's top human rights official said on Tuesday.
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By Adam Andreotta, Lecturer, School of Management and Marketing, Curtin University
WA’s live facial recognition technology was deemed successful. But what happens when it fails, and who bears the burden when it does?
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By Adrienne Matthys, Casual Academic (Gerontology and Human Services) and Research Assistant, Charles Sturt University
What do Australians with dementia think about voluntary assisted dying? Until recently, no researchers had thought to ask.
Our two small studies change that. These are the first to include Australians with dementia in research about voluntary assisted dying.
We found Australians with dementia who are frightened of what’s ahead, and who want a choice in how they…
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By Francesca Kurghan, PhD Candidate, University of Waikato
Holly Thorpe, Professor in Sociology of Sport and Gender, University of Waikato
For countless people, social media has become a go-to source of advice on how to look, eat and exercise.
On Instagram and TikTok, wellness influencers push their own strict diet and workout regimens, while peddling everything from activewear to protein powders.
Invariably, they’re young, beautiful, thin and toned. Influencers such as Sommer Ray, Tammy Hembrow and Kayla Itsines have attracted
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By Olivia Maurice, Cognitive Neuroscientist, Western Sydney University; University of Sydney
Every morning, millions of people wake up hoping to look, think and feel younger than they did yesterday.
The anti-ageing industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars, promising everything from “miracle” supplements to gene therapies. Few people embody this pursuit more visibly than entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, whose quest to slow ageing…
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