Opinion

Royal commission must address the epidemic of violence and abuse against people with disability

19 Feb 2019

The terms of reference need to cover schools, prisons, homes, hospitals, mental health facilities as well as disability support institutions.

A state actor has targeted Australian politics – but that shouldn't surprise us

19 Feb 2019

For many, an attempted hack on Australian political parties seems to have come out of the blue. But cyber measures targeting Australian government infrastructure are the 'new normal'.

Drug dog policies should catch dealers, not low-level users at public events

18 Feb 2019

It's ineffective to use drug dogs at festivals and in public places because they're much more likely to catch small-time users than suppliers.

Australia is well placed to join the Moon mining race... or is it?

18 Feb 2019

Australia has a well-earned reputation as a mining nation. Now we're moving towards mining 'off world', on the Moon.

Vital Signs: When watchdogs become pets – or the problem of 'regulatory capture'

15 Feb 2019

Do regulators act in the public interest, or in the interest of those they are meant to regulate?

Electronic waste is recycled in appalling conditions in India

15 Feb 2019

For as little as $4 a day Indian workers process dangerous, toxic waste by hand. This unregulated, highly polluting industry is hidden away from police eyes.

Economists' poll says we can fix the banks. But that doesn't mean we will

14 Feb 2019

There are things we can do, but the Economic Society's poll finds that not all of them are part of the traditional economists' toolkit.

Why we should (carefully) consider paying kids to learn

14 Feb 2019

Research shows small financial incentives for doing maths homework can increase maths achievement. But this raises some tricky ethical questions.

Male teachers are most likely to rate highly in university student feedback

14 Feb 2019

A study of more than 500,000 surveys shows university students demonstrate bias against women teachers, and particularly women from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Having a sense of meaning in life is good for you. So how do you get one?

13 Feb 2019

Don't pursue happiness as a goal. Instead make sure what you do from day to day provides a sense of meaning in life.

Opinion

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