The Conversation: In-depth analysis, research, news and ideas from leading academics and researchers.

View from The Hill: A primal scream from Farrer throws Liberals into deeper crisis

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

UK elections: experts react to the Reform surge and Labour losses

Nigel Farage and Reform UK supporters

Nigel Farage and Reform UK supporters

One Nation wins Farrer byelection as Liberal vote crashes

Adrian Beaumont, The University of Melbourne

Ignore the polls: One Nation is the unofficial opposition

Pauline Hanson holding an Australian flag, superimposed over a sepia-toned graph with a rising line

Pauline Hanson holding an Australian flag, superimposed over a sepia-toned graph with a rising line

Hackers just stole data from 9,000 schools and unis around the world. How can we protect student privacy?

Two young people on a university campus look at a phone.

Two young people on a university campus look at a phone.

Israel’s destructive actions in Lebanon are normalising war without rules

IS-linked women are facing a raft of criminal charges. A legal expert explains the laws at play

A woman in a burqa is flanked either side by female police officers with their faces blurred out

A woman in a burqa is flanked either side by female police officers with their faces blurred out

What’s next for the ISIS families? This is how ‘de-radicalisation’ programs work in Australia

A group of supporters surround an Islamic State-linked family as they arrive at Melbourne international Airport.

A group of supporters surround an Islamic State-linked family as they arrive at Melbourne international Airport.

Grattan on Friday: the Farrer result will set off a willy willy. The budget already has

A woman walks next to a mural painted on a wall in Tehran depicting Iranians holding their country's national flag.

A woman walks next to a mural painted on a wall in Tehran depicting Iranians holding their country's national flag.

Trump administration claiming a ‘win’ against Iran – here’s a report card

View from The Hill: Jim Chalmers on justifying broken promises

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

A portrait of an older Aboriginal women with white hair, standing, against a bright orange background.

A portrait of an older Aboriginal women with white hair, standing, against a bright orange background.

Richard Lewer wins Archibald Prize with radiant portrait of traditional healer Iluwanti Ken

What is the ‘grey rock’ method for dealing with narcissists or difficult family members?

A woman sits on a grey rock.

A woman sits on a grey rock.

Higher-strength medicinal cannabis may be linked to a disturbing pattern of side effects, our study shows

Red cannabis gummy containing with THC content warning

Red cannabis gummy containing with THC content warning

Squeak up! I can’t hear you: pilot whales are shouting to hear themselves over ship noise

A pod of black whales swimming in blue water near a large ship.

A pod of black whales swimming in blue water near a large ship.

Gas and coal have long tied Japan to Australia. It’s time for a new climate and green industry partnership

Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

From fossicking for fossils to a champion for life on Earth: Sir David Attenborough at 100

man sitting on a rock next to a coral reef, trees and beach behind him.

man sitting on a rock next to a coral reef, trees and beach behind him.

Fenian: the anti-Irish history behind Kneecap’s defiant new album title

A person is shown against a dark background wearing a red jacket and a knitted face covering in the colours of the Irish flag, green, white, and orange. Their eyes are covered by a white blindfold with the word “FENIAN” written across in black letters.

A person is shown against a dark background wearing a red jacket and a knitted face covering in the colours of the Irish flag, green, white, and orange. Their eyes are covered by a white blindfold with the word “FENIAN” written across in black letters.

Family and business trusts could soon have to pay more tax – with a few likely exceptions

A woman working at a laptop with a golden piggybank beside her

A woman working at a laptop with a golden piggybank beside her

I’ve investigated a hantavirus outbreak. Here’s what I can tell you about the cruise ship cluster

Aerial view of a cruise ship

Aerial view of a cruise ship

Part of the stern of a cruise ship, as seen from above.

Part of the stern of a cruise ship, as seen from above.

Hantavirus, COVID, norovirus, legionnaires’: why are cruise ships so prone to disease outbreaks?

Choosing a high school can seem enormous. How do you know if one is right for your child?

A teenage girl in school uniform and backpack holds a folder and smiles.

A teenage girl in school uniform and backpack holds a folder and smiles.

Australian gas exporters will be forced to set aside local supply for domestic users

An aerial shot of a gas expert tanker.

An aerial shot of a gas expert tanker.

Friday essay: why has philosophy ignored motherhood?

Russia doesn’t have much to celebrate on Victory Day, as Ukraine brings the war home to Putin

‘Fed up, fired up, and finally heard’: inside the political earthquake brewing in Farrer

Apps such as Stremio let you stream for free. How do they work? And are they legal?

Landlords pay almost $7 billion a year more in tax than home owners, pushing rents higher

A for lease sign on a Melbourne street

A for lease sign on a Melbourne street

Does 432Hz tuning improve your wellbeing? A music psychologist unpacks the evidence

A woman lying on the grass in sunshine, listening to music through headphones.

A woman lying on the grass in sunshine, listening to music through headphones.

Can houseplants really purify the air in your home? What the science actually says

Illustartion of a woman sitting at home surrounded by house plants, holding a watering can, with a cat sitting on the table

Illustartion of a woman sitting at home surrounded by house plants, holding a watering can, with a cat sitting on the table

Less trusting, more financially stressed: new data show how Australians feel about their lives

A crowd of people cross the street in the centre of Sydney

A crowd of people cross the street in the centre of Sydney

Minister Anika Wells repays more than $10,000 after four travel claims found to have breached rules

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

Donations, access and secrecy: 3 tactics tobacco companies use to influence smoking laws

Cigarette burns on a wall

Cigarette burns on a wall

Increasing JobSeeker is long overdue. Here’s how we could do it, without breaking the budget

Cyclone Gabrielle exposed the risks of forestry slash. New research suggests little has changed

Humid heat may increase the risk of premature birth. But aspirin could help

Pregnant woman looks at her stomach while standing next to a road.

Pregnant woman looks at her stomach while standing next to a road.

More than 1 in 3 Australian adults are functionally illiterate. How can we fix this?

a person looking at a form

a person looking at a form

Game. Set. Match. is a love letter to truth-telling. It is nothing short of brilliant

A man and woman stand in a tennis club house.

A man and woman stand in a tennis club house.

Do we absorb information better on paper, rather than screens? It depends on the screen

The government’s plans to bolster Australia’s fuel stores are sensible – but 5 years too late

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference in Sydney.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference in Sydney.

NDIS changes

Tightened eligibility and cuts to plans: what the NDIS changes mean for participants

Disabled woman talks to a friend while drinking tea in her patio

Disabled woman talks to a friend while drinking tea in her patio

NDIS eligibility will be based on ‘functional capacity’, not diagnostic labels. But what does that mean?

Man wearing headphones looks at laptop.

Man wearing headphones looks at laptop.

What do the proposed NDIS changes mean for people with disability living in supported accommodation?

Man smiling eating lunch at home.

Man smiling eating lunch at home.

The Coalition wants NDIS reform to focus on 3 things. Here’s what this would mean for users – and the budget

Vision impaired person leaves the supermarket

Vision impaired person leaves the supermarket

More news and analysis

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New research

A new survey of 10,000 migrants reveals exploitation at work is the norm

Close up of a chef's hands preparing food in a kitchen

Close up of a chef's hands preparing food in a kitchen

The lost koala: new fossil species was hiding in plain sight for 100 years

Drawing of a dimpled koala gripping a branch of a leafy tree. Another koala in the background walks across a branch with a joey on its back.

Drawing of a dimpled koala gripping a branch of a leafy tree. Another koala in the background walks across a branch with a joey on its back.

Hostage‑taking by rogue states is on the rise. New research provides fresh ways to tackle it

‘I’m mad at the people who could have solved the problem’: what kids told us about eco-anxiety

Children walk outside at dusk.

Children walk outside at dusk.

More new research

Federal politics

Albanese announces $10.7 billion fuel security package, including government-owned reserve

View from The Hill: Would Pauline Hanson really risk a tilt at the lower house?

Budget provides for new counter-terrorism centre to fight online threat

Is Australian democracy eroding?

More federal politics

World

US declares war in Iran ‘over’ to avoid row with Congress over whether it was legal

US president Donald Trump and his defense secretary Pete Hegseth and Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a press conference, April 6

US president Donald Trump and his defense secretary Pete Hegseth and Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a press conference, April 6

China has played a key role in the Iran war – and will continue to do so

Wang Yi holds talks with Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.

Wang Yi holds talks with Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.

‘No fear of roaring lions’: Iran has a long history of standing firm against outside aggressors

Iran’s closure of Strait of Hormuz echoes a centuries-old Danish ‘tollbooth’ system the US also opposed

The shadow of a man in seen pointing at a map

The shadow of a man in seen pointing at a map

Life

Need to see a psychologist? How to find one that’s right for you

Female counsellor, therapis or psychologist with female client

Female counsellor, therapis or psychologist with female client

Fashion is Art: 10 stars who met the brief at the Met Gala

The 2026 Met Gala dress code is ‘Fashion is Art’. But is it?

A young women in a large, black flowy dress poses for cameras at a celebrity event.

A young women in a large, black flowy dress poses for cameras at a celebrity event.

How to talk to your kids about separating and managing the change

Mum kisses her kid.

Mum kisses her kid.

Climate

Urban trees cool the world’s cities more than we thought – but we can’t rely on them alone

densely tree lined street after tropical downpour.

densely tree lined street after tropical downpour.

Warming seas can threaten the hidden relationship that supports seagrass meadows

Heat and cold alter how animals fight disease. As the climate changes, this knowledge may be vital

camel standing on sand dune against blue sky.

camel standing on sand dune against blue sky.

Is oil king again? China’s surging cleantech exports show the opposite is true

aerial view of a container ship being loaded at port.

aerial view of a container ship being loaded at port.

Reviews

5 great podcasts parents can listen to with children – backed by research

A child and a parent in a car, smiling at the camera.

A child and a parent in a car, smiling at the camera.

Romy Ash’s novel imagines the next pandemic as an eerily beautiful mushroom disease

a glowing mushroom in a forest

a glowing mushroom in a forest

Sororicidal: this witty sisterhood novel knows children can be awful

Dignity and resolve: Francesca Albanese’s When the World Sleeps humanises Palestinian lives

Podcasts

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Alan Kohler says Labor’s tax changes probably won’t lower house prices

One Nation: built by the media, supercharged by the algorithms

Sepia-toned image of Pauline Hanson surrounded by microphones

Sepia-toned image of Pauline Hanson surrounded by microphones

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Antony Green on how Farrer’s ‘breakout’ by-election will make history

How Israel’s history has shaped the way it wages war

An Israeli soldier.

An Israeli soldier.

All episodes of Politics with Michelle Grattan

All episodes of The Conversation Weekly

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