By Elizabeth Mendenhall, Associate Professor of Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island
The Strait of Hormuz exists in the eye of the beholder.
While everyone agrees that, geographically speaking, it is a strait – a narrow sea passage connecting two places that ships want to go – its political and legal status is rather more complicated.
The United States and Iran both eye the strait – a choke point through which 20% of the world’s oil passes – very differently. Washington sees the Strait of Hormuz as exclusively an international waterway, whereas Tehran sees it as part of it territorial…
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By Claire Tanner, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Gender Studies, Monash University
Mor Vered, Senior Lecturer, Data Science & AI, Monash University
Sam Cadman, Research Fellow, Criminology, Monash University
The explosion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools has provoked both hopes and anxieties about the potential benefits and harms of this technology. In advanced economies, people are almost equally worried and optimistic about it.
This is perhaps unsurprising. AI consumes vast amounts of natural resources yet promises to save…
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By Philip C. Almond, Emeritus Professor in the History of Religious Thought, The University of Queensland
Donald Trump’s AI image of himself looking like Jesus has been widely derided as blasphemous. But what exactly is blasphemy?
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By Simon Francis Thrush, Professor of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Yuxi You, Research Fellow, Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Tiny seafloor creatures play a vital role in coastal ecosystems. New research suggests microplastics may now be interfering with that balance.
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By Lillian Krikheli, Lecturer in Speech Pathology, La Trobe University
Samantha Turner, Lecturer in Speech Pathology, La Trobe University
Babies do a lot of learning during mealtimes. Two speech pathologists explain how to introduce your little one to different textures and tastes.
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By Tim Kelly, PhD Candidate, Department of Design and Society., University of Technology Sydney
In September, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) excluded catalogue music (recordings more than two years old) from the Australian bestseller single and album charts.
From a marketing perspective this decision is logical, as it creates room to expose new recordings to the market. However, it also obscures the reality of the new music economy in Australia.
My latest research – which looks at…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Omar with his daughter, Amal, in 2018 before he went to Singapore. © Private (London, April 15, 2026) – The Singaporean government should immediately halt the execution of Omar bin Yacob Bamadhaj, scheduled for April 16, 2026, for trafficking cannabis, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP), and Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) said today.Singaporean authorities arrested Omar, a Singaporean national, now 41, on July 12, 2018, and a court later convicted him of importing just over one kilogram of cannabis,…
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By Andrew Whitehouse, Deputy Director, the Kids Research Institute Australia, Professor of Autism Research, The University of Western Australia
Research published earlier this year found the strongest evidence yet that the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has played a key role driving up autism diagnoses in Australia.
The study found evidence the increase may be due to clinicians lowering the threshold for an autism diagnosis, rather than a “catch up” in the diagnosis of historically under-diagnosed groups.
But major changes to the NDIS due to start…
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By Aayushi Badhwar, Lecturer in Enterprise and Technology, RMIT University
Fashion has always been a bit different to other industries. Consumers do not just buy because they need something. They buy because they are bored, influenced or simply browsing.
That makes it a perfect space for technologies designed to shape how we shop. Fashion sales are driven by cyclical trends and volume.
Much of the industry depends on overproduction, followed by constant cycles of discounting to clear stock. Sales are not just occasional events. They are built into how the…
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By Shane Rogers, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Edith Cowan University
Students’ mental health is one of the biggest challenges facing schools.
In Australia, half of all adult mental health challenges emerge before the age of 14. It is also estimated that more than 50% of children experiencing mental health challenges are not receiving…
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