The Latest Breaking News from Australian Research Council

We analysed 35,000 Wikipedia entries about Australian places. Some of them sanitise history

Wikipedia articles related to Australia are overwhelmingly centred on cities, new research has found, with negative aspects of a place sometimes “sanitised” in articles by editors – avoiding mention of discriminatory Australian government policies or violence against First Nations peoples.

The Conversation · Oct 27, 2024

We tried a different preschool curriculum to prevent youth crime. Checking in 20 years later, it worked

There’s been an increased political and media focus recently on so-called youth crime waves, particularly in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

The Conversation · Oct 23, 2024

We discovered a new fossil species of prehistoric fish

What do the ginkgo (a tree), the nautilus (a mollusc) and the coelacanth (a fish) all have in common?

The Conversation · Oct 23, 2024

Australia’s child support system can put single mothers at risk of poverty and financial abuse

Australia’s child support system can not only increase women’s poverty, but can actually facilitate financial abuse, according to our recent research.

The Conversation · Oct 10, 2024

Yes, nature is complex. But saving our precious environment means finding ways to measure it

Nature loss directly threatens half the global economy. The rapid destruction of biodiversity should alarm the many Australian businesses dependent on nature, such as those in agriculture, tourism, construction and food manufacturing. Yet nature considerations are often ignored in business decision-making.

The Conversation · Oct 9, 2024

Our new study shows life expectancy is stagnating for Australians under 50

Global life expectancy has increased dramatically over the past century, with Australia among the best performing countries.

The Conversation · Oct 9, 2024

Building companies feel they must sacrifice quality for profits, but it doesn’t have to be this way

The Australian construction industry has long been facing a crisis of serious defects in apartment buildings. In the past, alarming incidents such as the Sydney Opal Tower evacuation and the Melbourne Lacrosse fire signalled systemic problems in construction.

The Conversation · Oct 9, 2024

700 million plastic bottles: we worked out how much microplastic is in Queensland’s Moreton Bay

When it rains heavily, plastic waste is washed off our streets into rivers, flowing out to the ocean. Most plastic is trapped in estuaries and coastal ecosystems, with a small fraction ending up offshore in the high seas.

The Conversation · Oct 8, 2024

An unbroken night’s sleep is a myth. Here’s what good sleep looks like

What do you imagine a good night’s sleep to be?

The Conversation · Oct 8, 2024

The ‘world’s mayor’ – how Michael Bloomberg uses philanthropy to change the way cities are run

Since the end of his three-term New York City mayoralty in 2013, Michael Bloomberg hasn’t shied away from public attention. Presidential ambitions and global climate policy advocacy have kept him busy.

The Conversation · Sep 30, 2024