Should the shingles vaccine be free for all adults? We asked 5 experts Shingles (herpes zoster) is often thought of as an older person’s disease. The Conversation · Aug 9
Mental illness is up in young people, dementia is now the biggest killer: Australia’s health in 2026 Australians’ life expectancy has increased steadily over time but dropped during the COVID pandemic, according to a new report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The Conversation · Jul 8
The government has blocked funding to 13 research projects for security reasons. What happens now? Late last week, the Australian Research Council quietly made an announcement that sent shockwaves through the academic community. The Conversation · May 19
Community radio drives $153m into Australian music – new study Australia’s community radio sector contributes an estimated A$153.1 million to the country’s struggling music industries each year. The Conversation · May 19
When we took 37 strangers into the urban bush, their loneliness began to ease One in three Australians says they are lonely. To be lonely is to feel a lack of adequate social connection. Loneliness is about feeling disconnected from others or unable to form the kinds of relationships people need to feel seen and supported. The Conversation · May 17
Australian teens impacted by the social media ban are getting less news: new research In the months leading up to the implementation of Australia’s social media ban in December 2025, there was much discussion about the possible negative consequences. The Conversation · May 17
370 billion crickets are farmed for food every year. Scientists have discovered they may feel pain You’re cooking dinner, distracted, and your hand brushes a hot pan. Nerve signals race to your spinal cord and back to yank your arm away in a fraction of a second, with no thought required. The Conversation · May 12
Can Australia green its heavy industry? It’s hard – but necessary Australia is rich in minerals, metals, sun and wind. Iron ore, copper and critical minerals are all mined here and largely exported overseas to be turned into products such as steel, fertiliser, fuel and infrastructure. Mining and heavy industries create jobs and wealth. But their emissions are some of the… The Conversation · May 5
Lake mud reveals 7,000 years of Kangaroo Island’s complex fire history During the summer of 2019–2020, half of Australia’s third largest island was on fire. Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga or Karti in local mainland Aboriginal languages, was one of the worst-hit places during the Black Summer fires. Two people lost their lives and almost all the remnant vegetation… The Conversation · May 4
How Britain’s housing crisis contributes to its declining healthy life expectancy People in the UK are now spending fewer years in good health than they did a decade ago, according to a new analysis by the Health Foundation. The UK now sits near the bottom of a 21-country comparison, ahead only of the US. The Conversation · May 1
What do the proposed NDIS changes mean for people with disability living in supported accommodation? Amid major reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), unveiled last week, NDIS minister Mark Butler announced the government’s plans to commission supported independent living services for people with disability, “rather than relying on a market that isn’t working”. The Conversation · Apr 30
Possums and gliders are pushing a native bird to extinction. What can we do? From brightly coloured birds to the much-loved sugar glider, Australia’s native animals are a sight to behold. The Conversation · Apr 28
What does disadvantage look like in Australia? New research shows who’s struggling most The Australian government just released the 2026 report of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. The Conversation · Apr 24
Our efforts to halt global forest loss aren’t working: new research The loss of our forests is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. The Conversation · Apr 21
The Conversation · Apr 16 A new minister in Victoria will tackle the manosphere. Here’s what they should do Victoria has its first minister for men and boys. Part of a cabinet reshuffle, the role was given to Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke.
The Conversation · Apr 14 The beloved emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal are now officially endangered. Here’s what can be done In 1902, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott spotted a large group of large black and white birds at Ross Island, Antarctica. This was among the many milestones of Scott’s famous Discovery expedition: the first breeding colony of emperor penguins.
The Conversation · Apr 2 ‘Small and underwhelming’: Albanese’s gambling reforms won’t do much to reduce harm More than 1,000 days after the release of the Murphy report, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has finally announced decisive action on tackling gambling advertising in Australia.
The Conversation · Mar 31 First Nations rehabilitation programs aren’t keeping people out of prison. Here’s what would help There are unprecedented numbers of First Nations people in prisons. In Australia, 37% of adults and 60% of young people aged 10-17 behind bars are First Nations, despite making up 3.4% and 6.2% of the Australian population respectively.
The Conversation · Mar 30 NT rock art thousands of years old sheds new light on the mysterious Tasmanian tiger Extinct animals have long fascinated people around the world – from dinosaurs, to giant kangaroos, to enormous flightless birds and almost unimaginable sea creatures.
The Conversation · Mar 30 Rapists’ lawyers are using their victim-survivors’ counselling notes in court. This needs to stop Sexual violence causes profound trauma and many victims seek counselling and support in its wake. Access to counselling is crucial to promote recovery for victim-survivors.
The Conversation · Mar 29 Women in the Pacific are increasingly subject to digital abuse: new research Gender-based violence is a global issue, but studies consistently show the Pacific has among the highest rates in the world. Up to 79% of women in the region experience some form of abuse over the course of their lives.
The Conversation · Mar 29 Why do men sexually harass women at work? Science offers two explanations – but only one of them holds up What causes workplace sexual harassment? How can we continue to better understand it? And what can be done to prevent it?
The Conversation · Mar 27 Ancient bones show dogs have been woven into human life for nearly 16,000 years Odin was a kelpie. Attentive and protective, with a happy smile and an endless hope for food, he succumbed to a terminal disease late last year. At his death, a deep sense of grief ripped through the household of one of us (Andrew): while Odin was not human, he was…
The Conversation · Mar 25 What can Australia do about reports of child criminal exploitation? Across Australia, there is growing concern about young people not offending independently but allegedly being recruited, coerced and manipulated by adults into committing crime. Recent examples include:
The Conversation · Mar 25 ‘Manners for machines’: how new rules could stop AI scrapers destroying the internet Australians are among the most anxious in the world about artificial intelligence (AI).