In the Age of AI, Why Do Australian Company Boards Have so Few Technology Experts?
Australian research of the 500 largest ASX‑listed firms shows that only 13% of board seats are held by directors with STEM expertise, up from just 8% in 2007. Traditional backgrounds—accounting, law and finance—still dominate, occupying roughly 75% of board positions. Companies with greater technical representation invest more in innovation and enjoy higher market valuations, while the lack of such expertise heightens cyber‑risk exposure. The findings arrive as Australia ramps up AI infrastructure and attracts global tech investment, highlighting a critical skills gap at the board level.
How to Enjoy Easter Chocolate without Wrecking Your Sleep
Easter brings a surge of chocolate consumption, but the sugar, caffeine and theobromine in these treats can disrupt sleep. Sugar spikes cause temporary energy boosts followed by rapid drops that undermine sleep continuity. Even modest caffeine levels in multiple chocolate...
Apps Pressure Delivery Riders Into Courting Danger – Here’s What Needs to Change
A new study of Sydney food‑delivery riders reveals that platform design forces couriers to check their phones while cycling, creating dangerous “time‑trial” conditions. Serious injuries rose from two in 2017 to 75 in 2020, and at least 18 riders have...
Australia Is Tightening the Rules on Children’s Privacy – Here’s How It Will Work
Australia is overhauling its privacy framework with the 2024 Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act, tasking the OAIC with a new Children’s Online Privacy Code. The draft, now open for public comment until June 5, extends to all digital services that...
How Your Health (and Genetic Results) Affects Your Life, Travel and Health Insurance
The Australian Parliament is set to pass legislation that will prohibit life insurers from using predictive genetic test results in underwriting, taking effect in about six months for all new life‑insurance contracts. The ban covers death, income protection, disability and...
A High-Risk Bird Flu Strain Is Circling the Globe. How Prepared Is NZ?
The highly pathogenic H5N1 2.3.4.4b avian influenza strain has spread across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, now edging toward New Zealand after five years of isolation. The virus now infects hundreds of bird species and an expanding list of mammals,...
Ontario Is Closing Its Supervised Consumption Sites, Calling Them a Failure. So What Counts as ‘Success?’
Ontario will cut provincial funding for seven supervised consumption sites in Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara, Peterborough and London, giving them 90 days to wind down. The $378 million CAD (≈$280 million USD) will be redirected to 19 Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART)...
Public Health Providers Have to Obey Strict Cyber Security Rules – so Should Private Contractors
New Zealand’s recent cyber‑security strategy follows high‑profile health data breaches that exposed over 120,000 patients’ records. The government argues that existing privacy legislation does not impose enforceable cyber standards on private IT contractors supporting public health providers. It calls for...
NT Rock Art Thousands of Years Old Sheds New Light on the Mysterious Tasmanian Tiger
Researchers have documented 14 newly identified rock paintings of the extinct thylacine and two of the Tasmanian devil in north‑west Arnhem Land, adding to a growing catalog of Indigenous depictions. The artworks span a remarkable time range, with the oldest...
Focusing on How and Why You Eat – Not Just What – May Be the Key to Healthy Eating
Recent research argues that healthy eating should focus on how and why we eat, not just what we consume. By emphasizing intuitive eating—listening to hunger, fullness, and cravings—people experience better physical and mental health, lower BMI, and higher diet quality....
Why Does Chocolate Cost so Much This Easter, when Cocoa’s Price Is at a 3-Year Low?
Chocolate prices remain stubbornly high this Easter despite cocoa prices falling to roughly US$3,200 per ton in March 2025. Consumers are seeing smaller Easter eggs and premium‑priced treats, while the commodity that drives chocolate costs has dropped from a 2024...
Meet ‘Voices From the South’, The Conversation Brazil’s Podcast on Science and Climate in Brazil and Australia
The Conversation Brazil released its inaugural podcast, “Voices from the South,” a six‑month, cross‑continental project with Australia, the Federal University of Pará and COALAR. Journalists spent weeks in the Amazon, Minas Gerais and Australian research hubs, recording more than 40 hours of...
Truth, or Misinformation? A Statistician Explains the Challenge of Assessing Evidence
A statistician highlights the difficulty of judging scientific evidence, contrasting p‑values and e‑values that can lead to opposite conclusions about the same data. He argues that thresholds for significance are subjective, turning gray‑area findings into binary claims. The piece warns...
The Economics of War Extend Far Beyond Energy Prices and Stock Markets
The article argues that the economics of war reach far beyond energy prices and stock market swings, encompassing democratic war initiation, the military‑industrial complex, and Big Oil’s profit motives. It highlights recent research showing that populist nationalism in advanced democracies...
Trading Rights for Efficiency: Why Bill C-12’s Restrictive Asylum Measures Will Likely Backfire
Bill C-12, passed to curb “unfounded” asylum claims, promises a one‑third reduction in new applications. The government argues that limiting procedural rights will cut costs and speed processing. However, a study of the 2012 Designated Countries of Origin policy shows...
Why Forest Loss Is Making Our Watersheds Leak Rain
A new global analysis of 657 watersheds shows that forest loss speeds up the passage of recent rain through streams, raising the Young Water Fraction by about 0.17% for each 1% of canopy removed. The effect is amplified by how...
COVID-19 Variant BA.3.2 Is Spreading Quickly Across US – a Doctor Explains What You Need to Know
The BA.3.2 "Cicada" variant, a heavily mutated offshoot of Omicron, is now spreading rapidly across the United States, with detections in 29 states and wastewater signals confirming its growth. It carries roughly 70‑75 changes in the spike protein, making it...
A Flesh-Eating Fly Is Advancing Towards the US Border – Can It Be Stopped?
The New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) has been confirmed in the Mexican states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, bringing the parasite within a few hundred miles of the Texas border. Decades‑old eradication using the sterile insect technique (SIT) has unraveled...
Sex Pistols at 50: How Punk’s Most Notorious Band Became Part of the Mainstream
The Sex Pistols’ 1976 debut at London’s 100 Club sparked the British punk explosion, leading to a rapid rise that saw them signed to EMI, released “Anarchy in the UK,” and issued the controversial “God Save the Queen,” which was...
Airlines Are Facing yet More Turbulence. An Expert Assesses What It Will Take to Survive
The ongoing Middle East conflict has wiped about $53 bn off the market value of the world’s 20 largest airlines in just three weeks, while jet fuel prices have jumped from $87 to $150‑$200 per barrel, doubling one of the sector’s...
New Study Measures Titanium in Apollo Rock to Uncover Moon’s Early Chemistry
Researchers using cutting‑edge electron microscopy have detected trivalent titanium (Ti³⁺) in ilmenite from an Apollo 17 lunar rock, with roughly 15% of the titanium showing a lower oxidation state than the usual Ti⁴⁺. This finding ties the presence of Ti³⁺ to...
More People Are Dying on Australian Roads. This Program Could Make Drivers Safer
Road deaths in Australia climbed to 1,317 in 2025, a 1.9% rise from the previous year, extending a trend of annual increases since 2020. The surge undermines the government’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating fatalities by 2050. Researchers propose a...
Need to Parent Differently Now Your Kid’s a Teen or Tween? 5 Techniques that Actually Work
The Conversation outlines five evidence‑based parenting techniques designed for teens and tweens, shifting from childhood rules to strategies that nurture emotional regulation, communication, and independence. Techniques include emotion coaching, active listening, non‑judgmental responses, clear boundaries, and guided problem‑solving, each backed...
Australia’s New Military AI Policy Comes at a Crucial Time. The Challenge Is Turning It Into Practice
Australia’s Department of Defence has issued a new policy governing the use of artificial intelligence across all military functions, from chatbots to advanced general‑purpose models. The framework sets three core requirements: compliance with Australian law and international obligations, human accountability...
Is Your ‘Sustainable’ Super Funding Fossil Fuels or Weapons? How to Check the Fine Print
Australia’s A$4.5 trillion (≈$3 trillion USD) superannuation pool often contains holdings in fossil fuels, weapons and gambling, despite many funds marketing "sustainable" options. Each super fund sets its own screening criteria, ranging from outright bans to revenue‑percentage thresholds, leading to wide variation...
We Showed a 20% Tax on Junk Food Would Save More Lives than a Sugar Tax
New Lancet Public Health research models a 20% tax on unhealthy foods in Australia. The model predicts 212,000 premature deaths avoided and about A$14.9 bn (≈ $9.8 bn USD) saved in health‑care costs. If the tax revenue funds fruit and vegetable subsidies, prices could...
Hospital Audit Finds Siblings of Children with Serious Conditions Are Overlooked, Lack Support
A recent audit of major children’s hospitals in New Zealand and Australia reveals that sibling‑focused resources are scarce, with only a handful of sites offering material directly aimed at siblings of chronically ill children. In New Zealand, only Starship Children’s Hospital returned...
War in Iran: Why Destroying Cultural Heritage Is Such a Foolish Strategic Move in Any Conflict
The United States‑Israeli air campaign against Iran has begun to damage several UNESCO‑listed monuments, including Tehran’s Golestan Palace and Isfahan’s Ali Qapu Palace. International humanitarian law, especially the 1954 Hague Convention, obliges warring parties to spare cultural property unless absolutely...
South Africa’s Gig Economy Workers Set to Get More Protection Under Planned Labour Law Reforms
South Africa’s Minister of Employment has tabled sweeping amendments to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Employment Equity Act and National Minimum Wage Act, aimed at modernising labour law and extending core protections to gig‑economy workers. Amendment 50A broadens the...
Iran War Could Add to Nigeria’s Security Troubles. What to Watch Out For
The escalating war between Iran, Israel and the United States is already disrupting global oil markets and is poised to affect Nigeria’s security landscape. Analysts warn that Iranian‑aligned militants could launch attacks on Western targets within Nigeria, while heightened sectarian...
Winnie-the-Pooh at 100: This Much-Loved Classic Illustrates How Books Can Boost Our Wellbeing
The centenary of A.A. Milne’s Winnie‑the‑Pooh highlights the book’s role as an early example of bibliotherapy, a practice that began in the 19th century and gained traction after World I. Milne’s wartime experience shaped the gentle, comforting narrative that has soothed readers for...
Could a Gut Microbe Influence Muscle Strength?
A recent investigation identified the gut bacterium Roseburia inulinivorans as being linked to greater muscle strength in humans, with younger participants showing higher levels of the microbe. Parallel mouse experiments demonstrated that introducing the bacterium boosted grip strength, enlarged muscle...
How the US Copied a Cheap Iranian Kamikaze Drone and Used It to Bomb Iran
The United States reverse‑engineered Iran’s cheap Shahed loitering‑munition drone to create the Low‑Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (Lucas). By December 2025 a squadron of Lucas drones was operating in the Middle East, targeting Iranian sites. Each Lucas unit costs roughly...
Attacks on Hospitals Are Surging in War Zones. What Do the Laws of War Say About Protecting Them?
Attacks on hospitals have surged worldwide, with the WHO confirming 27 strikes in Lebanon alone and MSF reporting 1,348 incidents in 2025, double the previous year. High‑profile cases include a Pakistani airstrike on a Kabul drug‑rehab centre and an Israeli...
Remote Communities Are More Vulnerable to Fuel Price Shocks – Could Microgrids Help?
Australia’s remote communities, home to about 500,000 people, rely on diesel generators for electricity, making them highly vulnerable to global fuel price shocks. Recent federal actions—temporarily relaxing fuel standards and releasing domestic reserves—aim to ease supply pressures for regional farms,...
Australia’s New Physical Activity Guidelines Won’t Shift the Needle – Here Are 4 Better Ideas
Australia released its first 24‑hour movement guidelines for adults, adding sleep recommendations and step targets. The guidance emphasizes 7‑9 hours of quality sleep and 7,000 daily steps but stops at advice without funding or regulatory changes. Critics argue that without...
South Australians Have Truth in Political Advertising Laws. Why Doesn’t Everyone Else?
South Australia’s Electoral Act includes a truth‑in‑political‑advertising provision that makes it an offence to publish authorised election ads containing materially misleading facts. The state electoral commissioner can order withdrawals, publish retractions, impose fines or even void an election if the...
The Iran Crisis Is Hitting KiwiSaver Balances – but Market Volatility Can Work for You Too
New Zealanders watching their KiwiSaver balances see declines as oil prices jump above $100 per barrel following the US‑Israeli attack on Iran. Higher oil costs drive inflation, interest‑rate hikes and reduced corporate profits, pushing global equity markets lower, including the...
Largest Ever Parkinson’s Study Shows How Symptoms Differ Between Men and Women
A new Australian study of 10,929 Parkinson’s patients – the largest cohort worldwide – reveals pronounced gender differences in symptom patterns and risk exposures. Non‑motor symptoms dominate, with 96% reporting sleep disturbances and two‑thirds experiencing pain, memory changes, or dizziness....
How the Menstrual Cycle Can Make or Break an Athlete’s Performance
The link between the menstrual cycle and elite sport performance is shifting from anecdote to science. Estrogen and progesterone fluctuate across follicular, ovulatory and luteal phases, acting as neurotransmitters that modulate attention, memory and risk‑taking. Studies show some women react...
Should I Take Vitamin C to Ward Off Colds, Lower Blood Pressure or Reduce Cancer Risk?
Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis, antioxidant protection and iron absorption, but its health‑boosting claims are frequently overstated. Systematic reviews show that daily supplementation of 200 mg or more does not lower the incidence of the common cold, and only...
Power Cuts Are the New Normal in Kenya – What Went Wrong and How to Fix It
Kenya is experiencing daily load‑shedding as peak demand outstrips firm capacity, leaving a razor‑thin reserve margin of just 2.3% in early 2026. The crisis stems from a four‑year moratorium on new power plants, rapid demand growth from industry, electric vehicles...
Africa Needs 50 Million New Homes, but Building Is Bad for the Environment: How to Finance ‘Green’ Solutions
Africa must build 50 million homes by 2050, yet construction generates roughly 39% of global carbon emissions, with concrete alone accounting for 8%. Green housing—using energy‑efficient designs, recycled resources, and low‑water fixtures—offers a climate‑friendly alternative, but financing options are scarce across...
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Middle East War Set to Push Inflation Higher than Forecast, Warns RBA Deputy Governor
RBA Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser warned that inflation in Australia is likely to run above the bank’s June projection of 4.2% because of surging oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict. The central bank’s board will meet next week,...