By Mark Kirby, Construction Industry Consultant, Auckland University of Technology
Building defects and rework silently drain millions from construction budgets. Catching those mistakes earlier could be key to faster builds and cheaper homes.
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By Joëlle Gergis, Honorary Associate Professor of Climate Science, The University of Melbourne
Jarrad Rowe, PhD Candidate, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne
Linden Ashcroft, Senior Lecturer, Climate Science and Science Communication, The University of Melbourne
On the first day of winter, southwest Western Australia was pummelled by a damaging storm. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) described it as the most intense weather system to hit the region in almost 50 years. Although severe storms can be devastating, they’re also important for delivering rain in a part of Australia that is drying out.
As the planet…
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By Deepro Roy, PhD Candidate, Centre for Theory and Criticism, Western University
From a Cyberpunk stunt team to a Japanese superhero, Montréal’s Fantasia Film Festival reveals that media evolutions can start with scrappy ideas and budgets.
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By Olena Onishchenko, Senior Lecturer in Finance, University of Otago
Murat Ungor, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Otago
NZ has ruled out an outright ban on crypto ATMs. Overseas experience suggests targeted safeguards could protect users from fraudsters.
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By Amy McAuliffe, Visiting Distinguished Professor of the Practice, University of Notre Dame
A key question remains over the landmark U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal announced with much fanfare on July 22, 2026: Will it allow a nation long suspected of having nuclear weapons ambitions to enrich uranium?
U.S. President Donald Trump has already shifted the sands of the agreement, adding…
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By Jeannie Marie Paterson, Professor of Law (consumer protections and credit law), The University of Melbourne
AI can work for you while you sleep. But if your chatbot or AI agent gets it wrong, you could be the one who pays the price.
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By Matthew Ahmadi, Associate Professor of Digital Health, Monash University
Joanne Caldwell Odgers, Senior Lecturer in Physiology, Monash University
Nicholas Koemel, Senior Research Fellow, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University
Your bed is warm and it’s cold outside. Besides, you have a tickle in your throat. Should you go for that run?
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By Nikolai Hampton, School of Science, Edith Cowan University
Paul Haskell-Dowland, Professor of Cyber Security Practice, Edith Cowan University
You’re probably familiar with the idea that in the world of big tech, “we” are the product.
Our data is the currency being traded every time we navigate our social media feeds. Tech giants such as Apple, Google and Microsoft offer valuable services, but it comes at a price. They host our email, photos, backups, files, calendars, reminders and contacts.
If you also include all the smaller startups and niche solutions, you’ll quickly see your security cameras, electronic locks, home appliances and even your toothbrushing schedules are all online – far removed from any physical…
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By Christopher Auricht, Visiting Research Fellow in Natural Resources Management, Adelaide University
Peatlands are the unsung heroes of nature.
These ancient wetlands form when dead and decaying plants partly decompose in wet, low-oxygen conditions. Over thousands of years, this plant material builds up and turns into a dark, soil-like substance known as peat.
Brazil,…
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By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato
Rice is the most popular food in the world, providing sustenance to more than 3.5 billion people each day.
Rice is deeply embedded in food, daily rituals, language and spirituality. It is easy to take it for granted.
But where did rice come from? And how did it spread to become the foundation of global food security?
Early origins in China and India
In the lower…
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