Do high-impact sports damage our brains?

Whether it’s watching your kids play their local club fixtures or gathering around the telly for the grand final, sport brings Australians together more than almost anything else. But there’s a hidden – and potentially deadly – cost.  Associate Professor Michael Buckland studies the brain, and thr…

What happens when you send a child to jail?

When Professor Jioji Ravulo speaks at conferences overseas, he knows one piece of information about his work will shock just about everyone. He tells them that in some parts of Australia, children as young as 10 years old can be charged as adults for particular crimes. As predicted, jaws drop.  …

Could a text message save you from a heart attack?

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide – thankfully, we’re getting better at treating it, and more people than ever are surviving major events like heart attacks. But it’s a double-edged sword: with more people living for longer with cardiovascular disease, our hospi…

Reset your body clock – how light affects your mood everyday

Our bodies have an innate ability to tell the time – it evolved so that we were inclined to rest when it was safe, and were keener on travelling or hunting and gathering when food was plentiful. The sun and our body’s ability to perceive its light kept our internal clocks ticking along consistently…

Can robots save Australia’s agriculture industry?

Growing food is one of our most fundamental human activities, and it’s the core puzzle underlying our societies. As more people are freed up from farm work, our societies grow and we need yet more food.   Today, that tricky equation also includes robots. Australia faces a labour shortage in the ag…

The parasocial power of Taylor Swift

Can you be friends with someone who doesn’t know you exist? It’s a legitimate question for members of fandoms – groups of people brought together by a shared passion for an artist, sports team, celebrity or piece of media. At the centre of these groups is a parasocial relationship: a one-sided con…

Why you should be eating like an animal

Your biology’s been hacked. Your naturally evolved appetite would allow you to eat exactly the right amount of food every day, except that most of us live in highly industrialised food environments today. Two of nutrition’s most productive scientists explain how we ended up here, and how you can …

Why is the most connected generation the loneliest?

Loneliness is becoming more common, and it’s making us sick. But why? Professor Melody Ding studies loneliness from a public health perspective, and she wants us to design communities where everyone has access to a flourishing social life. ~~~ There have never been more people living on the plane…

What makes a childhood good?

What makes a childhood good? Every parent wants their kids to be safe, and for their childhoods to set them up for a productive and fulfilling adulthood. But what about the childhood itself? How do we make sure every child in Australia gets to truly be a kid? Universal childcare might be the answer…

Treating addiction is complicated – could cravings be the key?

The widespread problem of substance abuse has plagued humans throughout history. It robs potential, ruins lives. Yet nothing we’ve tried has ever solved addiction. Professor Michael Bowen wants to change this. He went looking for a solution not in the human body, but in the brain.  And what he’s f…