The Latest Breaking News from Australian Research Council

Climate change the issue on which Australians do not want both sides of the argument: new research

Should journalists always treat an issue even-handedly? Our research reveals that when it comes to climate change, many Australians would prefer they didn’t. For general news, people want news outlets to reflect a range of views so they can make up their own mind about an issue. However, when it…

The Conversation · Jun 14, 2022

Edtech is treating students like products. Here's how we can protect children's digital rights

Schools’ use of educational technologies (edtech) grew exponentially at the height of COVID lockdowns. A recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report has exposed children’s rights violations by providers of edtech endorsed by governments in Australia and overseas.

The Conversation · Jun 10, 2022

Women’s probability of being in poverty more than doubles after separation

When a heterosexual relationship breaks down, women are at a much higher risk of falling into poverty than men – especially if they have children to care for.

The Conversation · Jun 8, 2022

How plate tectonics, mountains and deep-sea sediments have maintained Earth's 'Goldilocks' climate

For hundreds of millions of years, Earth’s climate has warmed and cooled with natural fluctuations in the level of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere. Over the past century, humans have pushed CO₂ levels to their highest in 2 million years – overtaking natural emissions – mostly by burning fossil…

The Conversation · May 25, 2022

Super co-contribution has cost $10 billion to help the wrong Australians – so let's scrap it

Concerned that many people won’t have enough retirement savings even with compulsory superannuation, since 2003 the Australian government has had a scheme to encourage low and middle-income earners to voluntarily put more into superannuation.

The Conversation · May 25, 2022

Planetary waves, cut-off lows and blocking highs: what's behind record floods across the Southern Hemisphere?

From February to May 2022, many places in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia have seen record-breaking daily and monthly rainfall. Repeated periods of persistent and intense rain have caused devastating and widespread floods.

The Conversation · May 25, 2022

'I want an orgasm but not just any orgasm': How To Please A Woman shifts the way we depict the sexuality of older women

Australian writer and director Renée Webster’s new film How to Please a Woman turns much of what we think we know about sexual desire – especially for older women – on its head.

The Conversation · May 24, 2022

Writing for our (digital) lives: war, social media and the urgent need to update how we teach English

The war in Ukraine is being described as the first social media war, even as “the TikTok war”. Memes, tweets, videos and blog posts communicate both vital information and propaganda, potentially changing the course of history. This highlights the importance of agile and critical social media use.

The Conversation · May 24, 2022

How well does the new Australian Curriculum prepare young people for climate change?

You’d be forgiven for not having heard about the long-awaited new Australian Curriculum, which was released with little fanfare in the midst of the election campaign. But this update to the national curriculum (9.0), for foundation to year 12 students, is hugely significant. It will guide the education of young…

The Conversation · May 23, 2022

Australia's cities policies are seriously inadequate for tackling the climate crisis

It will be impossible to tackle climate change unless we transform the way we build and plan cities, which are responsible for a staggering 70% of global emissions. Yet, Australia’s national policies on urban environments are seriously inadequate.

The Conversation · May 20, 2022