By Alex Burchmore, Senior Lecturer, Art History and Curatorial Studies, Australian National University
Displays of artworks from the permanent collections of state and national galleries are often overlooked. Critics tend to flock to a crowded calendar of blockbusters and temporary shows. These may offer greater novelty and relevance for current events. But this isn’t always true.
New Asian Art at the National Gallery of Australia is a case in point. Tucked away on the second floor, it would be easy to miss this showcase for new acquisitions and collection highlights.
But the culturally, stylistically and materially diverse display is a welcome treat for those who take the…
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By James Renwick, Professor of Physical Geography (Climate Science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Wellington’s extreme deluge was caused by an unfortunate combination of weather factors. But a warming climate is upping the odds of more of these events in future.
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By Kevin Morrison, Industry Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
During the 1973 oil shock, Queensland promised to open a huge oilfield. History is repeating as Australia searches for secure supplies of fuel.
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
To rein in spiralling costs, the government aims to cut the scheme’s growth rate from 10% to about 5% annually.
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By Guest Contributor
The data-labelling industry relies heavily on workers in Kenya and Nigeria to annotate what AI systems learn. Those same workers rarely see their languages reflected in the systems they help train.
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By Justin Bergman, International Affairs Editor, The Conversation
Over the past several days, there have been conflicting reports about the Strait of Hormuz. It’s difficult to know what’s happening from one moment to the next.
Iran said the waterway was open to commercial shipping again, then turned around and said it was closed.
Iran then fired at two Indian-flagged ships going through the strait, forcing them to turn around.
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By Kevin John Brophy, Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing, The University of Melbourne
Mohammed Massoud Morsi is a master storyteller and it is no surprise that the manuscript of his new novel won the prestigious 2025 Dorothy Hewett Award. He brings stories to light that unsettle stereotypes and show unremittingly the fault lines, hypocrisies and ethical dilemmas of lives lived under theocratic systems amid bloody political conflicts.
The Hair of the Pigeon – Mohammed Massoud Morsi (UWA Publishing)
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By Allen Cheng, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Monash University
We all know the risks of influenza and COVID for older people. But a third virus, RSV, can also land you in hospital. A free vaccination aims to reduce this risk.
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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
Has One Nation reached its polling peak? That’s the intriguing question from the latest batch of polls.
On Friday I covered a DemosAU poll that was one of Labor’s worst since the 2025 election. Newspoll and Resolve give Labor clear leads, and both have the combined vote for One Nation and the Coalition at 45% (down two in Newspoll and down one in Resolve). That’s four points lower than in DemosAU.
There is disagreement between these polls on Angus…
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By Kate Kersey, Research Fellow, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Antonia Lyons, Professor of Addiction Research, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Women are highly aware of alcohol’s immediate effects, but, in a culture that promotes drinking as self-care, dangers down the track aren’t front of mind.
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