The Latest Breaking News from The Conversation

Can Australia build one of the world’s largest data centres?

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The Conversation · Feb 9

Autistic people seem to feel joy differently – here’s what it can tell us about neurodivergence

When people talk about autism, they often think about a child who is different and may be distressed by their surroundings. Or if the conversation moves beyond childhood, the focus might be about an autistic adult with analytical superpowers, such as The Good Doctor or Patience, who still has difficulty…

The Conversation · Feb 9

The workplace wasn’t designed for humans – and it shows

Input. Output. Targets met. Value created. Performance delivered. Strip work down to its essentials and for many people, this is what remains: a machine-like focus on producing, performing and optimising.

The Conversation · Feb 9

Can a bird be an illegal immigrant? How the White Australia era influenced attitudes to the bulbul

In early January, authorities from South Australia’s Department of Primary Industries took to the streets of Adelaide on the hunt for a suspicious individual.

The Conversation · Feb 5

How the UK government plans to limit ‘forever chemical’ pollution – and what’s missing

The UK government has published its first national plan to deal with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as Pfas or “forever chemicals”. These chemicals have been used for decades in products such as firefighting foams, non-stick cookware, clothing, electronics and many industrial processes. Because many Pfas do not break…

The Conversation · Feb 5

Milan Cortina Winter Olympics: history, new events and Australian medal chances

This year’s Winter Olympics will be held in northern Italy, starting on Friday.

The Conversation · Feb 5

City skylines need an upgrade in the face of climate stress

When structural engineers design a building, they aren’t just stacking floors; they are calculating how to win a complex battle against nature. Every building is built to withstand a specific “budget” of environmental stress – the weight of record snowfalls, the push of powerful winds and the expansion caused by…

The Conversation · Feb 4

Lüften sounds simple – but ‘house-burping’ is more complicated in Pittsburgh

Recently, the German term “lüften” has been circulating on social media and trending on Google. The term refers to the practice of opening windows and doors to replace stale indoor air with outdoor air, a longtime practice in many European homes. Americans have dubbed it “house burping” in many videos…

The Conversation · Feb 4

How to keep plant-based foods on the table now that Veganuary is over

Campaigns like Veganuary (an initiative that encourages people to eat a plant-based diet in January) have been hugely successful in raising awareness about the climate and the health benefits of eating this way. However, making the switch longer term is not always easy – especially when there are usually limited…

The Conversation · Feb 3

Is cracking your neck bad? And why can it feel so good to crack your back, knuckles and knees?

Joint cracking is one of those habits most of us acquire without thinking about it. A knuckle popped mid-sentence. A back twisted as we stand up. A neck gently crunched while the kettle boils. It is common, oddly satisfying and, for anyone sitting nearby, faintly alarming.

The Conversation · Feb 3