• Society

    Speak free or die


    Mark Taylor |  June 29, 2024


    Free speech is not merely about the right to speak; it is about the right to think. It is about the fundamental human dignity that comes from being treated as a rational agent capable of processing information and forming one’s own conclusions. To deny this right is to deny our very humanity.


  • Environment

    Safe havens for wildlife


    Open Forum |  June 29, 2024


    In a groundbreaking new article, a coalition of conservationists and researchers have shown how we can protect Earth’s remaining biodiversity by conserving just a tiny percentage of the planet’s surface.


  • Artificial Intelligence

    Beyond the hype


    Ridoan Karim |  June 27, 2024


    Is AI development is on an unstoppable exponential trajectory that we humans can’t control, or is the technology stagnating as its insatiable hunger for power and training data outstrips its commercial potential.


Latest Story

  • Trade rules should encompass digital trade

    John Denton     |      June 28, 2024

    The shift to digital technology calls for the movement of data and information across borders, with all stakeholders depending on seamless and uninterrupted information flows across companies and countries.

  • Flat Earth society

    Anders Furze     |      June 28, 2024

    Although every piece of evidence says the Earth is a sphere orbiting the Sun, there are still some people who think our planet is flat, and they all have YouTube channels.

  • Rolling back ransomware

    Erza Aminanto     |      June 28, 2024

    Criminals around the world use malicious software to lock access to a victim’s data and demand a ransom for its recovery, so what can we do to protect ourselves?

  • What the experts say…on pharmacy vapes

    Open Forum     |      June 27, 2024

    Vapes will only be sold over the counter in pharmacies after the government agreed to amend its vaping legislation to secure the support of the Greens. What do the experts say?

  • We must defend Taiwan

    Asha Clark     |      June 27, 2024

    A clear commitment by the West to defend Ukraine would have spared Europe three years of war, and its time for a similar pledge to protect Taiwan from China’s imperial ambitions and deter a war in the Pacific.

  • Fighting disease with AI

    Open Forum     |      June 27, 2024

    Fully automated diagnostic techniques, including liquid handling robots, are poised to improve the lives of millions of people living with inflammatory diseases around the world.

  • High-speed rail must include the regions

    James Whitten     |      June 26, 2024

    Even after four decades of studies and debate, Australia is yet to develop a plan that integrates regional cities into a high-speed rail network

  • A world on fire

    Open Forum     |      June 26, 2024

    Extreme bushfires have more than doubled in frequency and intensity around the world over the past two decades, according to a global study from the University of Tasmania.

  • Xi charm offensive bombs in Europe

    David Camroux     |      June 26, 2024

    Chinese President Xi Jinping’s European tour in May 2024 aimed to improve relations with the European Union and weaken transatlantic ties but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has united, rather than weakened, the democratic world.

  • Melbourne’s big build

    Janet Stanley     |      June 25, 2024

    Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop aims to help the city become more equitable – but better integration of land use and transport could deliver more benefits for less money

  • OK Computer

    Emma Baillie     |      June 25, 2024

    Australia’s live music scene is already suffering in the wake of COVID and the inflation crisis, but AI-generated muzak could put the industry under even greater pressure.

  • Walk back to health

    Tash Pocovi     |      June 25, 2024

    The recurrent nature of low back pain places a major burden on the health service as well as individuals but a combination of gentle walking and education can help many people recover.