This is part of a major series called Advancing Australia, in which leading academics examine the key issues facing Australia in the lead-up to the 2019 federal election and beyond. Read the other pieces in the series here. We need nature. It gives us inspiration, health, resources, life. But we are
Author: The Conversation
We asked five experts: is vegetarianism healthier?
Five gifs that explain how hydro actually works
By Roger Dargaville, Monash University PEOPLE HAVE USED moving water to create energy for thousands of years. Today, pumped hydro is the most common form of grid-connected energy storage in the world. This technology is in the spotlight because it pairs so well with solar and wind renewable energy. During the day,
Mums fashion-brand their children, why?
Friday essay: family as 'brand' – the rise of the digital mumpreneur “TAYLEN HAS BECOME a brand,” says Angelica Calad, the mumpreneur behind the #influencer account #taylensmom. Taylen Biggs, age five, has more than 150,000 followers. In an era of advertising ennui, #influencers like Taylen’s mother can collect more than 3,000
Video-of-the-week: Shopping bag options, what are the best?
So, what are the best replacements for single-use plastic bags? GIVEN THAT REUSABLE bags are much sturdier, how many times must we use them to compensate for their larger environmental impact? The simple answer is that there is no simple answer. However, a kind of research called “life cycle assessment” can help
Ten of Australia’s best literary comics
The Turnbull government is all but finished
and the Liberals will now need to work out who they are. A RELATIONSHIP OF mutual convenience between Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the federal Liberal Party is drawing to a close. Each used the other for practical purposes. Turnbull used the Liberal Party as his vehicle to enter parliamentary politics and
Crunch time for Turnbull’s energy plan
Two articles from The Conversation examine the federal government's domestic energy landscape Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull dearly needs a political win, especially after the July ‘Super Saturday’ by-election results, but his proposed national energy guarantee (NEG) is looking shaky heading into crucial talks with the States and Territories in August. Victorian minister
Bees get stressed at work too (and it might be causing colony collapse)
By Amélie Cabirol, University of Trento and Andrew Barron, Macquarie. EVER BEEN OVERWORKED, tired and felt muddle-headed? Research now shows honey bees suffer from the same thing – and we understand why. A honey bee’s life is hardly relaxing. Every day forager bees make many trips, travelling long distances, to gather vital
Tongue-tied horses
THE WIDESPREAD USE of tongue-ties in horse racing in Australia has recently come under fire. Proponents of the tongue-tie – a strap that immobilises a horse’s tongue – argue that it prevents breathing issues during races, increasing performance and improves the rider’s control of the horse. Over 20% of Australian horses race