Prime time for cicadas: what a once-in-1,547-year bug population surge tells us about the nature of reality

By Sam Baron

Its a big year in America for wildlife as well as for politics. Im talking about periodical cicadas. These curious creatures spend most of their lives in the ground, emerging after 13 or 17 years to eat, breed, die and...

New study suggests weight loss drugs like Ozempic could help with knee pain. Here’s why there may be a link

By Giovanni E. Ferreira Et Al

The drug semaglutide, commonly known by the brand names Ozempic or Wegovy, was originally developed to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. However, researchers have discovered it may help...

Supreme Court hears case on Canada’s prostitution laws

By Debra M Haak

The Supreme Court of Canada is currently hearing arguments about the constitutionality of Canadas prostitution laws. The case, R v. Kloubakov, is the first time Canadas highest court will consider whether Canadas...

Why the metaverse isn’t ready to be the future of work just yet

By Victoria (Vicky) McArthur Et Al

The COVID-19 pandemic radically changed how many Canadians work. According to Statistics Canada, remote work rose to 40 per cent in April 2020 and fell to 18.7 per cent as of May 2024. While telework allows employees to...

US election pollsters were actually a lot closer than people think – John Curtice

By John Curtice

Polling of the US election has been widely criticised following the outcome of last Tuesdays ballot. For weeks in the run-up to polling day the polls were widely reported as saying that the result was too close to call....

A new plan aims to fix the UK’s ‘broken’ food system –but here’s what the strategy overlooks

By David Benton

Two-thirds of the UK population are either overweight or obese a crisis that costs billions each year in healthcare and lost productivity. Yet, in a 2021 review of nearly 700 obesity-related policies in England,...

Dyslexia can actually be an advantage for university researchers

By Dr Edward Ademolu

Many people may think of dyslexia as a reading difficulty, or the occasional embarrassing mix-up of letters. For years, I thought that too. But as a dyslexic academic who has spent much of my life wrangling with academic...

Israel: Yoav Gallant’s sacking could have devastating consequences both for Palestinians and Israelis

By John Strawson

When Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, on November 5, he was settling accounts with the only well-qualified and experienced member of his cabinet. The war is still...

10 privacy violations in the federal government’s proposed changes to the Canada Elections Act

By Sara Bannerman

Bill C-65, currently before Parliament, would make changes to the Canada Elections Act. According to the Liberal government, it aims to engage more people and increase the confidence of Canadians in elections. But by...

Trump tariffs: What the president-elect’s rhetoric tells us about how Canada could be affected — again

By Vivek Astvansh

Donald Trump is known for his often outlandish rhetoric. The president-elect of the United States regularly makes public statements that are exaggerations, or vows to take action but fails to do so, which is not...

Canada’s immigration strategy: How reduced targets can preserve positive attitudes

By Victoria Esses Et Al

The Government of Canada recently announced plans to lower immigration targets for the next three years. The new targets are 395,000 new permanent residents for 2025, 380,000 for 2026, and 365,000 for 2027. This is a...

Authoritarian fossil fuel states keep hosting climate conferences – how do these regimes operate and what do they want?

By Ellie Martus Et Al

For the third year in a row, the United Nations Climate Change Conference will be hosted by an authoritarian state that sells fossil fuels. This week the 29th conference of the parties, COP29, is being held in Baku,...

The ‘Lost Boys’ of Gen Z: how Trump won the hearts of alienated young men

By Kate Scott

Generation Z was supposed to be a vanguard of progressive politics more queer, ethnically diverse and environmentally conscious than previous generations. Spurred on by climate protests, racial equality campaigns and...

Meta now allows military agencies to access its AI software. It poses a moral dilemma for everybody who uses it

By Zena Assaad

Meta will make its generative artificial intelligence (AI) models available to the United States government, the tech giant has announced, in a controversial move that raises a moral dilemma for everyone who uses the...

Child sexual abuse by women is on the rise. We don’t have the support services to cope

By Larissa Christensen Et Al

Sexual offending perpetrated by females is probably much more common than people think. In Australia, we have seen an almost 208% increase in the number of women in the criminal justice system for sexual offences from...

Beyond Ukraine and Gaza: five consequences of overlooking other conflicts

By Patricia Justino Et Al

The years since 2020 have been one of the most violent periods since the end of the second world war. The war in Ukraine and the escalating violence in the Middle East have dominated global headlines and captured the...

Trump voters said they were angry about the economy – many of them had a point

By Don Leonard

Inflation has slowed down, and real incomes typical wages adjusted for inflation have bounced back to levels last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. Democrats campaigned in 2024 on the overall strength of the economy....

Why does everything look flat even though the Earth is round?

By Kelly R. MacGregor

Ever since the ancient Greeks first made observations of the circular Moon and the skies, scientists have known that the Earth is a sphere. Weve all seen beautiful images of the Earth from space, some photographed by...

Restricting cars in cities: a cost-benefit analysis of Low Emission Zones

By Ricard Gil

Faced with unmanageable traffic and health-threatening air quality, hundreds of cities across Europe are adopting measures to reduce the number of vehicles clogging their streets, with the aim of lowering air pollution...

Jobs of the future: South Africa has major gaps in skills needed to shape the green economy

By Sean Kruger

Globally, theres a shortage of people with the expertise and skills needed to drive the transition towards a green economy known as green talent. The pool of green talent needs to be doubled by 2050 if the world is to...

Most businesses won’t pay more national insurance. But the UK’s small employers still need support

By Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada

There are nearly 5.5 million businesses in the UK. It may come as a surprise, however, to learn that most of these (about 4.1 million) are not employers. They might be, for example, the sole traders we call to fix our...

Fitness apps can reveal your location – updated laws would help plug this hole in our personal security

By Pin Lean Lau

Fitness apps have revolutionised the way we approach health and exercise. They provide users with the ability to track their workouts, monitor their progress towards fitness goals and share achievements with a like-minded...

The election is over − but what is a ‘lame duck’ anyway?

By Jordan Cash

The 2024 election has finally ended. What happens now? Theres a 2½-month period between Election Day and Inauguration Day. Its commonly known as the lame-duck period, when the outgoing president still holds...

What do people think about smartglasses? New research reveals a complicated picture

By Fareed Kaviani Et Al

Smartglasses, a type of wearable device, have evolved rapidly since the pioneering yet ill-fated Google Glass received social backlash in 2013. Early adopters were nicknamed Glassholes, and the product never reached...

Pending updates to Canada’s Copyright Act bring consumers closer to the ‘right to repair’ your devices

By Anthony D Rosborough

On Oct. 31, the Senate completed its third reading of two bills that make enormous progress toward establishing a meaningful right to repair in Canada. Bills C-244 and C-294 are complementary private members bills that...

How Trump won Pennsylvania − and what the numbers from key counties show about the future of a pivotal swing state

By Daniel J. Mallinson

Pennsylvania was for months considered the key swing state that would decide the 2024 election. Candidates, political parties and advocacy groups spent over US$1 billion courting the commonwealths small number of...

World Update: Trump’s global shockwaves

By Rachael Jolley

The world was definitely watching as the US went to the polls on Tuesday. Many people turned to YouTube to view the latest figures as states turned in their votes, where an apparent 84 million hours of presidential...

UK interest rates cut – here’s the outlook for property owners and home buyers after the budget

By Alper Kara

The main thrusts of the UK governments budget in October 2024 was more borrowing, more tax and more spending. And within those broad goals lie substantial implications for the housing market. One of the immediate...

Why China is worried about a second Trump presidency

By Chee Meng Tan

Donald Trump will return to the White House having set out his foreign policy approach for the next four years. US voters have chosen a leader who adheres to an America first principle, where US interests come first,...

Electric vehicles in Africa: what’s needed to grow the sector

By MJ (Thinus) Booysen Et Al

In sub-Saharan Africa, high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution from vehicle tailpipe emissions cause poor health, developmental stunting, and even death. Vehicle emissions also contribute to global...

What a Trump presidency will mean for Europe’s economy

By Mike Rosenberg

Following Donald Trumps victory in the US presidential elections, Europe now has to prepare for a new era of economic protectionism. Trumps policies during a second term will undoubtedly have major consequences for the...

What can sport fans do if their team, or league, is being sportswashed?

By Dr Paul Bowell

As sport and politics are ever more intertwined in 2024, so too are the number of nations and organisations turning to sportswashing. Sportswashing uses sport to improve the reputation of an authoritarian regime,...

Iran’s currency was already tumbling − and then news of Trump’s victory broke

By Nader Habibi

As the world absorbed news of Donald Trumps comeback victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential race, concern in Iran turned to the impact of the election on its own economy amid escalating regional tensions. Irans currency,...

Anti-immigrant politics is fueling hate toward South Asian people in Canada

By Reena Kukreja

The Canadian government recently announced that it is making significant cuts to the number of immigrants admitted into Canada. The number of new permanent residents is expected to be cut by nearly 20 per cent next year,...

Donald Trump poised to become next US president, likely sweeping all the seven key states

By Adrian Beaumont

Donald Trump is set to accomplish the rare feat of winning the US presidential election after losing an earlier one. The New York Times Needle gives Trump a 95% chance to win the Electoral College. Hes estimated to have...

What poll watchers can − and can’t − do on Election Day

By Mollie J. Cohen Et Al

When most people think of their experience of voting in person, they may remember other voters at the polls, or the hardworking election officials checking people in and helping people submit their ballots. But in many...

US election: how does the electoral college voting system work?

By Richard Hargy

On November 5, millions of Americans will cast their votes for president, with the vast majority deciding between Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump. This historic election, however, is not determined by a...

US election: what time do the polls close and when will the results be known?

By Richard Hargy

In November 2020, when Americans last went to the polls to elect a president, it took four days after voting closed for Joe Biden to be declared the winner. This was largely due to razor-thin margins in the crucial...

Building Resilience: How Entrepreneurs Can Harness Mental Health, Discipline, and Spirituality for Lasting Success

By Kenny Au

For entrepreneurs, mental health is often overlooked, yet its crucial for long-term success. The pressures of decision-making and responsibility can lead to burnout if not managed properly. Addressing mental health...

Choices made nearly a century ago explain today’s housing crisis

By Raphaël Fischler

Housing is an important political issue. Politicians and experts now talk about it as a major crisis that could threaten our economic and social well-being. But this is nothing new. Another housing crisis raged at the...

What is necro-branding? And what’s it got to do with Elvis, Princess Diana and Taylor Swift?

By Chris Baumann

Do you own any memorabilia depicting Elvis, Princess Diana, David Bowie, Prince or Michael Jackson? Perhaps a beloved t-shirt, a favourite mug, a special keyring or a novelty plate? You might not know it, but you are...

At $300m, Jules Verne-inspired Nautilus is the most expensive Australian-made show. But Disney+ was right to dump it

By Ari Mattes

Investing in film and TV productions is a risky venture. Even the best directors and producers are just a flop away from ruining their careers. So if a company owns the intellectual property to a popular material, or if...

Wrongly convicted of a crime? Your ability to clear your name can come down to your postcode

By Kylie Lingard

If youre found guilty of a crime, its a basic principle of Australian law that you have a right to appeal. But having a right and being able to exercise it are two different things, especially when it comes to fresh...

Why do I get so anxious after drinking? Here’s the science behind ‘hangxiety’

By Blair Aitken Et Al

You had a great night out, but the next morning, anxiety hits: your heart races, and you replay every conversation from the night before in your head. This feeling, known as hangover anxiety or hangxiety, affects around...

What is stereotactic radiation therapy for prostate cancer? How does it compare to other treatments?

By Sathana Dushyanthen Et Al

Prostate cancer is Australias most commonly diagnosed cancer. One in six men will be diagnosed by the time they turn 85. Cancers are abnormal groups of cells that grow uncontrollably and start invading neighbouring...

Party season is coming. Here are 2 ways to make small talk less awkward

By Nick Enfield

Most people will tell you they hate small talk. It can feel awkward, especially when it steers to that blandest of topics, the weather. We turn to the weather when we cant think of anything else to talk about. This is...

Astronomers just found complex carbon molecules in space – a step closer to deciphering the origins of life

By Maria Cunningham

A team led by researchers at MIT in the United States has discovered large molecules containing carbon in a distant interstellar cloud of gas and dust. This is exciting for those of us who keep lists of known...

For type 2 diabetes, focusing on when you eat – not what – can help control blood sugar

By Brooke Devlin Et Al

Type 2 diabetes affects 1.2 million Australians and accounts for 85-90% of all diabetes cases. This chronic condition is characterised by high blood glucose (sugar) levels, which carry serious health risks. Complications...

Most Republican states have made voting harder since 2020. Our research shows how successful they’ve been

By Kathryn Schumaker Et Al

In late September, the governor of the state of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, boasted that election officials had removed 453,000 people from the states voter rolls since 2021. In a state with only 2.3 million registered voters,...

Silence speaks volumes: How mental health influences employee silence at work

By Kyle Brykman Et Al

What happens when the loudest voice in the room suddenly falls silent? Consider a woman named Isla who is known in her office as the idea generator. She regularly participates in meetings, offers opinions about new...