Why don't people get it? Seven ways that communicating risk can fail

Jan 03, 2017 00:40 am UTC| Life Politics

Many public conversations we have about science-related issues involve communicating risks: describing them, comparing them and trying to inspire action to avoid or mitigate them. Just think about the ongoing stream of...

The violent, post-truth 2017 predicted in The Running Man? We're living in it

Jan 01, 2017 16:40 pm UTC| Insights & Views Entertainment Politics

Welcome to a world where fake news stories are used to manipulate public opinion. Dissent is no longer tolerated and all your communications are monitored; the economy is not functioning and reality TV is used to distract...

Policy uncertainty discourages innovation and hurts the environment

Dec 30, 2016 08:01 am UTC| Insights & Views Law Politics

Large-scale changes are anticipated for U.S. environmental policies heading into 2017. The new administration has promised a comprehensive review of all federal regulations, which include policies aimed at carbon dioxide...

Global Geopolitics Series

Berlin: who will stand up for liberalism and tolerance now?

Dec 30, 2016 07:00 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Poor Angela Merkel. Given Germanys history and her own cautious nature, its not been easy being the defacto leader of the European Union at the best of times. But these are far from the best of times, either for Germany or...

As Republicans ready to dismantle ACA, insurers likely to bolt

Dec 29, 2016 22:02 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Theres a joke among insurers that there are two things that health insurance companies hate to do take risks and pay claims. But, of course, these are the essence of their business! Yet, if they do too much of either,...

When it comes to election campaigns, is the gambling lobby all bark and no bite?

Dec 29, 2016 12:50 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics Law

The gambling lobbys influence in overriding popular opinion and the public interest in Australia is well-known. But is its electoral power exaggerated? A look at this years ACT election suggests that perhaps the gambling...

So you think 2016 was a bad year? There were plenty worse

Dec 29, 2016 12:33 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

As early as January, when David Bowie departed the scene, some were already looking dubiously at 2016. Bowie was an icon of the 1970s, the era when what is now the dominant section of the population in most Western...