Pursuit
Cutting-edge research and insightful commentary by world-leading experts
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More about usHealth & Wellbeing
Healthcare has a waste problem, but we can achieve net zero
Climate change is the biggest health issue facing the planet. Healthcare professionals deal with the outcomes, but can also be part of the solution
Learning & Teaching
Australian teachers shouldn’t be afraid to teach Indigenous Knowledge
The Australian Curriculum’s deeper engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures is a matter of national importance
Inside Business
People or planet? We must invest in both for a sustainable future
Environmental and social issues need to be considered together for sustainable finance reforms to contribute positively to the wellbeing of the planet and its people
I’ve seen war and beyond the horror lies a shared humanity
Being a humanitarian worker in conflict exposes you to the worst and best of humanity says University of Melbourne expert on International Women's Day.
Dodging disease and death in the first US presidential debate
A University of Melbourne expert says the first US presidential debate didn’t have a winner but was a testimony to dire political discourse without compassion.
Pioneering nurse-led cancer care
The University of Melbourne's Professor Mei Krishnasamy has worked to improve the evidence for cancer nursing care, particularly for people with rarer cancers.
What the Bondi Junction tragedy tells us about compulsory treatment
A University of Melbourne expert explores the balance between public safety and rights of people with a mental illness to make decisions about their own care.
Healthcare has a waste problem, but we can achieve net zero
Healthcare professionals deal with the outcomes of climate change but can also be part of the solution say University of Melbourne experts
Australian teachers shouldn’t be afraid to teach Indigenous Knowledge
Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures curriculum priority needs well resourced teachers says University of Melbourne expert
Health & Wellbeing
Too many people die after leaving prison
The high rate of death soon after release from jail is tragic, but also avoidable. This urgently needs a coordinated, whole-of-government response
Science Matters
How whales struggle to navigate in a sea of noise pollution
New modelling shows that as noise from shipping and other human activities surges, whales will find it increasingly harder to successfully migrate
Science Matters
Understanding how fire shapes plants will help protect them
A new approach predicts how plants respond to fire, helping scientists, land managers and the community protect thousands of species from biodiversity loss
Science Matters
Chocolate that brings joy to your gut health and your tastebuds
As well as being a mood-boosting treat this Easter, chocolate can also be good for us, and researchers are working to make it even better for gut health
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Discussion & Debate
Public Affairs
Are think tanks undermining democracy?
The growing influence of think tanks could deeply transform the foundations of Australian education, particularly in policy development
Health & Wellbeing
Why are we so vulnerable to bad information?
Identifying misinformation is difficult for all of us, but we can make it easier by being aware of our biases and wary of strong emotions
Public Affairs
Liberal Democracy: Why we may be losing it
A study of worldwide data on public support for liberal democracy shows its foundations are brittler than we think
Legal Affairs
Should Australia have a Bill of Rights?
When considering the merits or otherwise of a bill of rights in Australia, there is much to learn from America’s constitutional amendments, even if there are newer models elsewhere
Humanities
Why fake news is anything but new
News has been falsified for as long as it’s been sold and can be traced as far back as the concept of news itself
Politics & Society
Design
‘Bumping spaces’ build community – when they are within reach
Social connection needs time and effort, but crucially it also needs meeting places, and our Map of the Month highlights that not all Melburnians have equal access to these ‘bumping spaces’
Design
Is this the world’s coolest street? Or is the system rigged?
Melbourne, Australia – or at least one of our streets – has topped yet another global ranking, but what does it mean to be officially ‘cool’ and who decides?
Legal Affairs
I’ve seen war and beyond the horror lies a shared humanity
Being a humanitarian worker in conflict zones exposes you to the worst and best of humanity, showing us there’s more that unites us than divides us
Design
‘Forcing’ workers into the office misses the point
In 2024, there is still a place for physical workspaces – but employers need to think carefully about when and how to use them
Legal Affairs
The Facebook trick online gambling is using to target Australians
New research has found some overseas online casinos are illegally targeting Australians using Facebook ads – and it’s a big problem
Humanities
A new Australia Day for everyone
26 January is a divisive and illogical date to celebrate our country. An alternative date acknowledges Indigenous history while also reflecting modern Australia
Environment
Humanities
Australia’s media isn’t accurately reporting all sides of the Murray-Darling Basin debate
A lack of balance in media reporting may have harmed public perception of environmental water allocations in the Murray-Darling – and Indigenous custodians barely get a look in
Humanities
When Australia’s first Environment Ambassador helped save Antarctica from mining
Australia has had a special Ambassador for the Environment since 1989, and without that first appointment, Antarctica might’ve been open to commercial mining
Science Matters
Do you have a chorus of crickets in your backyard? Here’s why
There’s an explosion of crickets and other insects in Melbourne, here’s why we should embrace these swarms as a cycle of nature
Science Matters
Fighting to save our Aussie bees – one bee hotel at a time
Wattle Fellow Clancy Lester is on a mission to save Australia’s native bees by working with Indigenous communities and spreading the word about bee hotels
Health & Wellbeing
We aren’t all equal when it comes to climate vulnerability
A new index measures the social vulnerability of communities in the face of climate change in Australia – and finds inequalities across the country
Arts & Culture
Humanities
Lunar New Year is all about food, family, food, peacebuilding and food
Lunar New Year brings people together, but it’s the food that connects them
Humanities
What remains of a performance when the curtain goes down?
Archives are an incomplete but important record of dance and theatre, and the history and artistry of University of Melbourne students is being revisited through these ‘remains’
Engineering & Technology
‘Anti-hero’: A philosophical take on Taylor’s existential authenticity
Taylor Swift fans adore her authenticity, but what does it actually mean to be ‘authentic’ when you are a mega-celebrity in the digital age?
Humanities
‘The Man’: Taylor’s feminism could go so much further
Taylor Swift’s ‘The Man’ promotes the idea of women being given the same standards as men, we should instead focus on not making ‘alpha male’ the standard
Humanities
‘...Ready for it?’: How Taylor is changing modern society
Celebrities – like Taylor Swift – are increasingly lending their fame to socio-political issues, taking their fans with them and blurring the line between celebrity and activism
Legal Affairs
‘Picture to burn’: The law probably won’t protect Taylor (or other women) from deepfakes
Legal redress is hard if you fall victim to an AI-generated pornographic and abusive deepfake
Sciences & Technology
Science Matters
Once just a speck of light, now revealed as the biggest known galaxy in the early Universe
Detailed pictures of one of the first galaxies show growth in the early Universe was much faster than first thought
Go Figure
Are you a mosquito magnet? Here’s why and what you can do about it
Some people just seem to attract mosquitoes, but what’s the science behind it? Beer might have something to do with it
Science Matters
Victoria’s new habitat law fails to protect a tiny endangered species
A critically endangered wingless stonefly in Australia could face extinction after the government went against scientific advice
Science Matters
Diverse role models and mentors are helping women in STEM succeed
To mark International Women’s Day, a chemist and a physicist discuss the challenges of careers in male-dominated fields and the women who inspire them
Science Matters
From ‘honey laundering’ to fake free-range: food fraud costs billions
Deception in our food chains is on the rise and often hard to detect. Here are some things consumers can look for, but we still need earlier interventions
Health & Medicine
Health & Wellbeing
Sorry, those blue-blocking lenses probably won’t help your digital eye strain
Eye strain from extended screen time is a growing problem, but evidence suggests that blue light is not the cause, and blue-blockers are not the solution
Health & Wellbeing
Non-binary people have hormone therapy and surgery more often than you might think
New research finds that a growing number of non-binary people have or want to affirm their gender medically
Health & Medicine
What you need to know about new treatments for children with peanut allergies
Three in 100 Australian kids have a peanut allergy. New research is investigating the quality-of-life benefits of new treatments and their value for money
Health & Wellbeing
Could your GP prescribe a Parkrun instead of a pill?
‘Social prescribing’ is a growing area where health professionals connect patients to non-medical services and activities to benefit their wellbeing
Go Figure
Why is there a shortage of oestrogen patches in Australia… again?
Many people rely on hormone replacement therapy during menopause or gender-affirming hormone therapy – but the recurring national shortages of patches look set to continue
Health & Medicine
A new monitoring tool is making vaccine rollouts safer
Researchers are using large datasets to investigate rare vaccine side effects and respond to community concerns faster
Business & Economics
Inside Business
By investing in women now, we will accelerate progress
This year’s International Women’s Day underscores the enormous potential return on investment from backing women
Legal Affairs
Three ways to avoid mega projects going way over budget
Big projects are almost always over budget, but in Australia they too often have massive cost blowouts. There are ways to fix this.
Inside Business
How a First Nations’ approach in marketing is helping to decolonise healthcare
Marketing, traditionally associated with branding and sales, now holds immense potential as a catalyst for social change
Inside Business
It’s time for boards to get serious about impact
While many corporate boards see the need to engage with environmental and social issues, they’re falling short on reforms that put people and the planet first
Inside Business
More Australian adult children are living with their parents longer
Australian parents are waiting longer for an empty nest as their adult children are living under the same roof for longer, finds the annual HILDA survey
Education
Health & Wellbeing
Three things schoolkids need to succeed
The keys to school readiness are hearing, vision and communication, and early intervention can make all the difference
Engineering & Technology
Australian universities must prioritise Indigenous engineers
Indigenous ingenuity has all the hallmarks that modern engineers strive for – and Australia universities must shift their higher education paradigm
Learning & Teaching
Blind faith in Australia’s education ‘system’ is failing our kids
To improve Australia’s education system, we need to move away from the idea that the basic features of education are fixed
Learning & Teaching
Do on-screen teachers help or hinder real-life recruitment?
The government’s ‘Be That Teacher’ campaign aims to help address Australia’s teacher shortages, but film and TV stereotypes tell a different story
Inside Business
Changing the cost of some uni degrees didn’t change students’ minds
New research finds that hikes in the cost of some university degrees had limited impact on students’ choices
Learning & Teaching
Helping more students ‘see themselves’ in the classroom
Increasing the diversity of Australia’s teaching workforce hasn’t been a policy priority. It’s time for a rethink