Business View More
Melbourne’s second lockdown spells death for small businesses. Here are 3 things government can do to save them
Melbourne’s second lockdown spells death for small businesses. Here are 3 things government can do to save them John Vaz, Monash University The reimposition of…
The death of the open-plan office? Not quite, but a revolution is in the air
“What will it take to encourage much more widespread reliance on working at home for at least part of each week?” asked Frank Schiff, the…
How our universities can turn the international student crisis into an opportunity
The impact of COVID-19 on New Zealand’s international education sector can hardly be overstated. Almost overnight, the global travel ban thwarted the plans of thousands…
Why China believed it had a case to hit Australian barley with tariffs
China’s landmark investigations into Australian barley led to the imposition of “anti-dumping” and “anti-subsidy” tariffs of 80.5% in May, threatening an Australian export market worth $A600 million a year.…
About that spare room: employers requisitioned our homes and our time
Working from home during COVID-19 appeared to cost us little. Yet employers effectively requisitioned part of those homes. While necessary, it was far from costless…
Fashion View More
Wedding Budget
Oh the budget. What started out as a small intimate affair has suddenly become bigger than Ben Hur and you don’t know how you are…
Shoppers are open to making the switch – retailers must seize the moment
Even before the pandemic, the UK fashion retail industry was struggling. John Lewis, M&S and Debenhams had all announced losses, job cuts and store closures, while…
How sportswear fashion is indebted to Indigenous and African American cultures
While reading this, you may be comfortably dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Perhaps you prefer sweatpants, hoodies and your favourite sneakers.…
Muslim women who cover their faces find greater acceptance among coronavirus masks – ‘Nobody is giving me dirty looks’
Americans began donning face masks this week after federal and local officials changed their position on whether face coverings protect against coronavirus. This is new terrain for many, who find themselves…
Arts & Culture
Tokenised, silenced’: new research reveals Indigenous public servants’ experiences of racism
‘Tokenised, silenced’: new research reveals Indigenous public servants’ experiences of racism Lukas Coch/AAP Debbie Bargallie, Griffith University The Morrison government has just announced a plan…
Trauma, resilience, sex and art: your guide to the 2020 Miles Franklin shortlist
Trauma, resilience, sex and art: your guide to the 2020 Miles Franklin shortlist Becca Tapert/Unsplash Jen Webb, University of Canberra It seems sometimes literary fiction…
Guide to the Classics: The Leopard
Aridly undulating to the horizon in hillock after hillock, comfortless and irrational, with no lines that the mind could grasp, conceived apparently in a delirious…
HBO From HAL 9000 to Westworld’s Dolores: the pop culture robots that influenced smart voice assistants
Last year, nearly one third of Australian adults owned a smart speaker device allowing them to call on “Alexa” or “Siri”. Now, with more time…
Science & Tech View More
China could be using TikTok to spy on Australians, but banning it isn’t a simple fix
China could be using TikTok to spy on Australians, but banning it isn’t a simple fix Shutterstock Paul Haskell-Dowland, Edith Cowan University and James Jin…
Reddit removes millions of pro-Trump posts. But advertisers, not values, rule the day
Reddit removes millions of pro-Trump posts. But advertisers, not values, rule the day Simon Copland, Australian National University and Jenny L. Davis, Australian National University…
What makes pepper spray so intense? And is it a tear gas? A chemical engineer explains
In recent weeks, the world has looked on as governments use chemical irritants to control protesters and riots. Whether it’s tear gas, pepper spray, mace…
We’ve discovered how these deadly bacteria use a common sugar to spread
Although bacteria are single-celled and microscopically small, they still need energy to survive, just like us. One of the most efficient ways of acquiring energy…
What can go wrong when governments let algorithms make the decisions
Algorithmic decision-making has enormous potential to do good. From identifying priority areas for first response after an earthquake hits, to identifying those at risk of…
Politics View More
Scott Morrison set to slow the arrival home of Australians amid coronavirus fears
Scott Morrison set to slow the arrival home of Australians amid coronavirus fears Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra Scott Morrison will take a proposal to…
Lidia Thorpe wants to shift course on Indigenous recognition. Here’s why we must respect the Uluru Statement
Lidia Thorpe wants to shift course on Indigenous recognition. Here’s why we must respect the Uluru Statement Luis Ascui/AAP Dani Larkin, University of Newcastle and…
Brazil’s Bolsonaro has COVID-19 – and so do thousands of Indigenous people who live days from the nearest hospital
Brazil’s Bolsonaro has COVID-19 – and so do thousands of Indigenous people who live days from the nearest hospital Satere-mawe Indigenous men in face masks…
Lockdown returns: how far can coronavirus measures go before they infringe on human rights?
Lockdown returns: how far can coronavirus measures go before they infringe on human rights? DANIEL POCKETT/AAP Stan Winford, RMIT University As of this morning, ten…
How Rio Tinto can ensure its Aboriginal heritage review is transparent and independent
Rio Tinto has committed to an internal review of its heritage management processes in the wake of its destruction of a 46,000-year-old Aboriginal heritage site in Western…
Pauline Hanson built a political career on white victimhood and brought far-right rhetoric to the mainstream
The Conversation is running a series of explainers on key figures in Australian political history, looking at the way they changed the nature of debate,…
View from The Hill: Senate committees are one of the few bright spots in the battle to hold government to account
It mightn’t sound much, but it had big consequences. Fifty years ago this week, the Senate voted to set up a system of committees to…
Dismantling the police: lessons from three places that tried it
The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers sparked protests across the US and brought the Black Lives Matter movement back to the forefront…
Tear gas and pepper spray are chemical weapons. So, why can police use them?
In the ongoing protests over the killing of George Floyd and the broader issue of racial injustice, we have been bombarded with images of demonstrators being hit…