By Dan Dixon, Adjunct Lecturer, English and Writing, University of Sydney
In an interview with The Paris Review, novelist Don DeLillo said, “I’m completely willing to let language press meaning upon me”. That’s not to say the sound of a sentence should be given priority over its meaning, but that meaning finds its full expression – is discovered – in the aesthetically elegant or stylistically forceful sentence.
This is the feeling one gets reading Robert Dessaix, the 81-year-old Australian novelist, essayist, journalist and memoirist. In his…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A view of the damage surrounding Al-Shaab Teaching Hospital following intense clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 29, 2025. ©2025 Mohammed Nzar Awad/Anadolu via Getty Images (Nairobi) – Leaders gathering in London on April 15, 2025, should urgently work to protect civilians and guarantee safe, unfettered aid provision as the conflict in Sudan enters its third year, Human Rights Watch said today. The conference, co-hosted by the United Kingdom, the European Union, France, and Germany, takes place as…
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By Dylan Irvine, Outstanding Future Researcher - Northern Water Futures, Charles Darwin University
If you scoop a bucket of water out of the ocean, does it get lower?
–Ellis, 6 and a half, Hobart
This is a great question Ellis! The short answer is yes, but the change in water level will be extremely tiny. You can actually test this idea at home.
For starters, you’ll need a glass of water and a teaspoon. Fill the glass almost to the top, and take note of the water level. Now, carefully remove a teaspoon of water. Can you see the difference in the water level? Maybe you can, but maybe not.
You could repeat this…
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By Heather Douglas, Professor of Law and Deputy Director of the Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW), The University of Melbourne
Kyllie Cripps, Director Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, CI ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEVAW), School of Philosophical, Historical & International Studies (SOPHIS), School of Social Sciences (SOSS), Faculty of Arts, Monash University
Samantha O'Donnell, Research Fellow, the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW), The University of Melbourne
The family law system is crucial for protecting women and children nationwide. With its combination of judicial oversight, counselling and alternative dispute resolution, the family court can offer meaningful support to parents in complex situations. But First Nations families may be missing out.
We partnered with Women’s Legal Services Australia to prepare a new review.…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A Tibetan Buddhist monk and a woman share a mobile phone outside the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, on June 1, 2021. © 2021 Kevin Frayer/Getty Images (New York) – China’s government has arrested dozens of people in Tibetan areas since 2021 for politically motived phone and internet-related offenses, Human Rights Watch said today. Tibetan journalists in exile report that these arrests typically target Tibetans accused of keeping “banned content” on their phone or contacting people outside China, including relatives.The full scale of such…
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By Helen Hodgson, Professor, Curtin Law School and Curtin Business School, Curtin University
Several options are available for meaningful tax reform, that would make Australia a fairer place for all generations. All it will take is some political courage.
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By Blair Williams, Lecturer in Australian Politics, Monash University
Australian politics has historically been a male domain with an overwhelmingly masculine culture. Manhood and a certain kind of masculinity are still considered integral to a leader’s political legitimacy.
Yet leadership masculinity changes along party lines. We are now halfway through the election campaign and can already see differences in the masculine performances of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
State Daddy versus Strongman Tough Cop
In a recent open-access study,…
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By Lachlan Vass, Fellow, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Why have we seen so little action on productivity reform, one of the biggest drivers of increasing living standards? And what can you do about it?
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By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, The University of Melbourne
Chenhao Liang, Foundation Fellow and Data Analyst, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne
Specialists’ fees are high, vary across specialties and across geographical regions. And you can search for who’s charging what near you.
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By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne
A wave of restrictions on protesting has been rippling through Australia’s top universities.
Over the past year, all of Australia’s eight top research universities (the Group of Eight) have individually increased restrictions on campus protests.
The changes include bans on indoor protests and restrictions…
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