By Eloise Stevens, Host, The Conversation's Curious Kids podcast, The Conversation
Gemma Ware, Head of Audio, The Conversation UK, The Conversation
Have you ever stayed in the bath or swimming pool for ages and noticed that your fingers and toes went all wrinkly? Well, 11-year-old Maya from London wanted to know why that happens.
She joins our host Eloise to get the answer from biologist Tom Smulders on the first episode of season two of The Conversation’s Curious Kids podcast.
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By Toby Kovacs, PhD Candidate, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney
It’s surprising how easy it is to see a koala every day in Australia’s major cities.
The cute, grey marsupial can be found on t-shirts, hanging off people’s bags and pencils, and decorating any decent souvenir shop. But seeing a real koala in the wild has become increasingly tricky in some parts of the country. The iconic marsupial is now listed as endangered in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
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By Kayla Steele, Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist, UNSW Sydney
Emily Upton, PhD Candidate in Psychology, UNSW Sydney; Black Dog Institute
A scary thought that keeps on popping into your mind doesn’t mean it’ll come true or you’ll act on it. But some types of intrusive thoughts are worth listening to.
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By Emily Booth, Research fellow, University of Technology Sydney
Jooyoung Lee, Research Fellow, Behavioural Data Science Lab, University of Technology Sydney
Marian-Andrei Rizoiu, Associate Professor in Behavioral Data Science, University of Technology Sydney
Video essayists on YouTube are trying to beat the manosphere at it’s own game. Here are five insightful channels to watch.
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By Brett Mitchell, Professor of Nursing and Health Services Research, University of Newcastle
Allen Cheng, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Monash University
Nicole White, Associate Professor of Statistics, Queensland University of Technology
Peta Ellen Tehan, Senior Lecturer, Monas University, Monash University
Philip Russo, Professor, Director of Research, Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University
A toothbrush, some toothpaste and a few minutes of care can prevent a life‑threatening infection. That’s rare in modern medicine.
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By Melanie Stowell, PhD Candidate, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
As more services move online, a study based on interviews with over-65s reveals growing barriers to staying connected, informed and independent.
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image An Egyptian intelligence security detail member stands guard near a banner showing President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. © 2021 Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images In a living-room-sized hall of a political party’s Cairo headquarters, family members of prisoners gathered around a photo exhibition on May 12. There, they shared grievances and called on Egyptian authorities to release their loved ones.In the days that followed, the National Security Agency summoned several of the families for interrogation and detained a number of the event’s organizers. Three of the organizers—lawyers…
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Monday, June 8, 2026
As the Security Council met on Afghanistan, senior officials and civil society representatives delivered a clear warning Monday: despite relative security under the Taliban, worsening humanitarian conditions, restrictions on women and growing economic pressures are creating a fragile and uncertain future.
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By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
Anthony Albanese’s net approval slumped seven points to -24, a record low below his previous record low -21 in February 2025.
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By Catherine Gomes, Professor in the School of Media and Communication, RMIT University
Jing Qi, Associate Professor, Social Equity Research Centre, RMIT University
Wilfred Yang Wang, Senior Lecturer in Media & Communications Studies, The University of Melbourne
Chinese food heritage is diverse and vast, and embodies the distinct geographical and historical traces of various cultural identities.
As migrants in Australia, Chinese food features prominently in our everyday lives. Jing grew up eating regional cuisine from northern China; Wilfred grew up eating Cantonese food; Catherine grew up in Singapore enjoying home cooked Chinese food with a Eurasian twist.
The ways in which we understand, approach, enjoy…
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