Lists
Australia has long viewed the Pacific as a place of threats that must be contained. It's time for this mindset to change
Since its early history, Australia has seen the Pacific as a vast, empty region where foreign powers threatened its security. This focus has undermined our effectiveness in the region.
A new theory linking evolution and physics has scientists baffled – but is it solving a problem that doesn't exist?
‘Assembly theory’ aims to explain evolution without biology. Is it a dazzling breakthrough or an attempt to answer questions nobody asked?
Grattan on Friday: When Labor states don't dance to the Albanese government's tune
Infrastructure is always a vexed issue. The program is full of pork barrelling, whoever is in power. Even when that’s not involved, what to build and when it should be built is often contested.
Explainer: what is the 'core network' that was crucial to the Optus outage?
As communications networks grow, they become incredibly complex. The concept of “three-layer architecture” helps to make sense of it all - and understand what can go wrong.
41 US states are suing Meta for getting teens hooked on social media. Here’s what to expect next
The plaintiffs claims features such as ‘infinite scroll’ leave users less likely to be able to exercise self-control.
How to never get a speeding fine again — and maybe save a child's life
Most drivers admit to speeding and it’s causing an increasing number of deaths on our roads. Using intelligent speed assist technology can reverse this deadly trend.
Interlinking tunnels, hidden explosives and civilian casualties: the Israel-Hamas war enters a precarious new phase
Though Hamas has the advantage of fighting on its territory, Israel has developed one of the most effective urban fighting militaries in the world.
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Former climate minister Greg Combet on Australia's mission to reach net-zero
In this podcast, former Labor climate change minister Greg Combet joins The Conversation to discuss net-zero, and Australia's future as a "renewable energy superpower".
The words that helped wrongly convict Kathleen Folbigg
The meanings we carry around in our heads seem so natural and inborn that we fail to realise other people can have quite different understandings.
Optus blackout explained: what is a ‘deep network’ outage and what may have caused it?
Optus suffered one of the largest telecommunications outages in Australian history today. Here are the factors that can cause such events.
Who will write the rules for AI? How nations are racing to regulate artificial intelligence
How can the world regulate AI? Europe’s comprehensive approach, China’s tightly targeted laws, and America’s dramatic executive order hint at three ways forward.
By reviewing the name of the Baden-Powell Award, Scouts Australia is grappling with its colonial past
Like many other institutions, Scouts is caught in an awkward gap between tradition and modernity, as society grapples with colonial figures who were heroes to some, but not others.
Researchers warn we could run out of data to train AI by 2026. What then?
When it comes to training high-performing AI models, the quality of the data is just as important as the quantity.
Both the US and Australia are adamant the Pacific "matters". But only one is really moving the dial
While the US is still primarily focused on countering Chinese influence in the region, Australia is making a real impact with its Pacific Engagement Visa.
How Phar Lap’s skin, bones and heart became ‘holy relics’ in colonial Australia and New Zealand
Phar Lap’s famous 1930 Melbourne Cup victory united Australia and New Zealand in celebration. Almost a century on, people still flock to visit his remains, on display at three different museums.
Albanese and Labor slump to worst position in Newspoll since 2022 election
The slumping polls show how damaging the heavy defeat of the Voice referendum and continuing cost of living pressures have been to the prime minister and Labor.