Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re going…
Why scrapping the term ‘long COVID’ would be harmful for people with the condition
The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that it’s time to stop using the term “long COVID” has made waves in Australian and international media over recent days. Gerrard’s comments…
The government wants to fast-track approvals of large infrastructure projects – that’s bad news for NZ’s biodiversity
In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to be of national or regional significance….
The ‘digital divide’ is already hurting people’s quality of life. Will AI make it better or worse?
Today, almost a quarter of Australians are digitally excluded. This means they miss out on the social, educational and economic benefits online connectivity provides. In the face of this ongoing “digital divide”,…
Mentorship is key to improving social and economic outcomes for Black youth
Black youth in Canada experience poorer educational achievement than other children and youth, which leads to subsequent poor economic outcomes. A series of problems and barriers contribute to poor educational outcomes. These…
Study links microplastics with human health problems – but there’s still a lot we don’t know
A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study involved patients in Italy who had a condition called carotid…
Do you have 7,513 unread emails in your inbox? Research suggests that’s unwise
How do you manage your emails? Are you an “inbox zero” kind of person, or do you just leave thousands of them unread? Our new study, published today in the journal Information…
how Australia’s environment fared in the world’s hottest year
Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year and numerous weather disasters occurred as climate…
Cheers to health? Uncovering myths around the health benefits of moderate drinking
The notion that enjoying a casual beer or sipping on your favourite wine could not only be harmless but actually beneficial to one’s health is a tantalizing proposition for many. This belief,…
Floating crystals slow stellar aging — for some stars, this can delay death by billions of years
Imagine the embers of a campfire, slowly dimming over time. That is the fate most stars in the universe face. After their nuclear fuel is spent, 98 per cent of stars —…