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

A man in a Firmus high vis vest and helmet

A man in a Firmus high vis vest and helmet

After Firmus shelved the biggest ASX listing in 30 years, what does it say to investors about AI hype?

Albanese government partially retreats on credit card issue after small business revolt

Jim Chalmers speaks at a press conference

Jim Chalmers speaks at a press conference

‘We will not be sacrificed’: Pacific climate voices were clear and strong this week – and we’re listening

Fijian dancers perform at the Pre-Cop meeting in Nadi, Fiji.

Fijian dancers perform at the Pre-Cop meeting in Nadi, Fiji.

Is this the ‘mathocalypse’? Why OpenAI’s latest results dump has left mathematicians in shock

Grattan on Friday: Unless you’re Pauline Hanson, the migration debate can be a dangerous sinkhole

People in Afghanistan dance during a celebration after the Taliban's fall in 2001.

People in Afghanistan dance during a celebration after the Taliban's fall in 2001.

The war on terror failed Afghanistan. But the people’s hopes for democracy live on

Anne Carson, a grey-haired woman with glasses and a maroon neck scarf, looks to the side, in front of a curtain

Anne Carson, a grey-haired woman with glasses and a maroon neck scarf, looks to the side, in front of a curtain

Anne Carson has won the Nobel Prize for Literature for her bold, inventive, breathtaking work

Some small businesses are paying tax bills with credit cards. What will happen when they can’t?

A woman holds a credit card over a laptop keyboard while typing with the other hand.

A woman holds a credit card over a laptop keyboard while typing with the other hand.

The American mood is turning dark, and Republicans are likely to pay the price at the midterms

Many are shocked by the domestic violence charges against Sam Wood, but we shouldn’t be

A man in workout clothes sits on the front steps of a house

A man in workout clothes sits on the front steps of a house

From bogong moths to Christmas beetles – how to slow down and spot more insects

Close-up of a brightly-coloured Australian Christmas beetle on a gum leaf.

Close-up of a brightly-coloured Australian Christmas beetle on a gum leaf.

Editor's picks

Can data centre company Firmus live up to its blockbuster $43 billion listing value? Why some investors doubt it

Construction on Firmus Technologies' AI data centre in Launceston.

Construction on Firmus Technologies' AI data centre in Launceston.

Apple’s new age verification is a game-changer for kids’ safety online. We need the rest of big tech to follow

Person holding yellow iphone.

Person holding yellow iphone.

Australia’s top court puts fossil fuel developers on notice

Community members stand outside the High Court of Australia in Sydney, holding placards about coal mining.

Community members stand outside the High Court of Australia in Sydney, holding placards about coal mining.

Three years after October 7, global attention on Gaza has receded. The real test will come after Israel’s election

View of destroyed buildings and rubble-strewn street

View of destroyed buildings and rubble-strewn street

Nobel Prizes

Nobel laureate Karl Deisseroth on how light is changing what we know about the brain

Karl Deisseroth after winning the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology.

Karl Deisseroth after winning the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology.

IceCube is built on decades of research into tiny ‘ghost particles’ – but it was the first to find neutrinos coming from deep space

The IceCube research station, a rectangular building with three pillars attached, sitting on snowy ground.

The IceCube research station, a rectangular building with three pillars attached, sitting on snowy ground.

Nobel prize in chemistry awarded for work on mirror-image molecules

Molecule 3D representation.

Molecule 3D representation.

How pond algae led to a Nobel prize and a new way to study the brain

Green algae on a purple background.

Green algae on a purple background.

More Nobel coverage

More news and analysis

A smiling woman with short, greying hair, wearing a black jumper, by a plant, hands clasped.

A smiling woman with short, greying hair, wearing a black jumper, by a plant, hands clasped.

‘A hard, hard book to write’: Magda Szubanski on trauma, cancer and the cost of coming out

What makes an Olympic emblem memorable – and does Brisbane’s new design fit the bill?

Crowds of people attend an emblem reveal event at night.

Crowds of people attend an emblem reveal event at night.

Which is more filling, protein or fibre?

Hand holds a plate of chopped bananas, carrot, watermelon and other fruit and veg.

Hand holds a plate of chopped bananas, carrot, watermelon and other fruit and veg.

Why do runners get so many injuries? And does strength training really make a difference?

Man runs along harbour at sunset.

Man runs along harbour at sunset.

Grief, community and memory: Log Boy is a wickedly intelligent post-AIDS play

Production image: a 'leather daddy' holding a log emerges from red smoke.

Production image: a 'leather daddy' holding a log emerges from red smoke.

Politics with Michelle Grattan: why Victoria’s unpredictable election matters nationally

New stage adaptation of A Room with a View is shimmering, irrepressible joy

Production image: a woman stands, joyous, with her hands outstretched.

Production image: a woman stands, joyous, with her hands outstretched.

Friday essay: space was once a place of wonder – now it’s being bought and sold by powerful men

Hoping for a ‘new normal’ climate is pointless. We must learn to adapt

aerial view of flooded village, water filling streets. tropical trees.

aerial view of flooded village, water filling streets. tropical trees.

Photograph of the location of the fast radio burst taken by the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera. The host galaxy is shown by an inset along with a white cross marking the location where the radio signal originated from.

Photograph of the location of the fast radio burst taken by the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera. The host galaxy is shown by an inset along with a white cross marking the location where the radio signal originated from.

Astronomers pinpoint the origin of a 10 billion-year-old millisecond signal from space

Once the envy of the world, where has Australia’s batting talent gone?

A composite image featuring Australian batsmen Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne and Beau Webster.

A composite image featuring Australian batsmen Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne and Beau Webster.

My son goes to the gym a lot. How can I tell if this is healthy or a sign something is wrong?

A teenage boy holds a dumbbell while sitting on a bed.

A teenage boy holds a dumbbell while sitting on a bed.

Three of the UK’s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?

Leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, Leader of Plaid Cymru and First Minister of Wales, Rhun ap Iorwerth, Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald and Sinn Fein Vice-President and First Minister for the North of Ireland Michelle O'Neill

Leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, Leader of Plaid Cymru and First Minister of Wales, Rhun ap Iorwerth, Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald and Sinn Fein Vice-President and First Minister for the North of Ireland Michelle O'Neill

Pacific people pay exorbitant prices for energy. Rich countries should back their renewable transition

Two workers wait for customers at a petrol station in Honiara, the Solomon Islands capital.

Two workers wait for customers at a petrol station in Honiara, the Solomon Islands capital.

People walk past several tobacco shops on a busy city street.

People walk past several tobacco shops on a busy city street.

Queensland is leading Australia’s fight against illicit tobacco. Should other states follow suit?

A woman shields her eyes after a bad night's sleep

A woman shields her eyes after a bad night's sleep

Thinking of taking melatonin to help you sleep? Here’s what you need to know

Almost 300,000 people now live in flood-prone areas in the Nepalese Himalayas – new research

Aerial view of flood damage in Nepal

Aerial view of flood damage in Nepal

School protests focus attention on the chequered history of public order policing in France

Protesters hold up signs as they are confronted by police.

Protesters hold up signs as they are confronted by police.

New comedy horror series Gnomes understands just how delightfully daggy good Aussie TV should be

Luke McGregor pulls an awkward face at a gnome.

Luke McGregor pulls an awkward face at a gnome.

Big political donations in NZ have hit $7.4m this election year. Are the rules tight enough?

An ominous digital robot face looming over a small silhouette of a person.

An ominous digital robot face looming over a small silhouette of a person.

What happens to language when machines start talking back?

Yemen is spiralling into another civil war that could swiftly engulf in the entire region

The migration debate has a big blind spot: much of regional Australia is shrinking

An empty road lined with eucalyptus trees leads to wind turbines in the distance.

An empty road lined with eucalyptus trees leads to wind turbines in the distance.

Why a Greens’ plan for 624 public supermarkets to take on Woolies and Coles just doesn’t add up

A grocer holding an EFTPOS machine up for a woman to pay for a basket of groceries

A grocer holding an EFTPOS machine up for a woman to pay for a basket of groceries

Why most health apps are biased even before their first lines of code are written

Man checking fitness tracker on wrist

Man checking fitness tracker on wrist

Colonisation, not climate change, first primed these forests to burn

Orange-tinted bushland with ominous fire clouds in the background.

Orange-tinted bushland with ominous fire clouds in the background.

Truth, evidence and controversy: Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion at 20

Catherine Chidgey’s The Starving Bride exposes the extremes of our always-performing world

A woman sleeps in a glass box while people watch greedily.

A woman sleeps in a glass box while people watch greedily.

Beige tones and knit throws? No, we’ve got Scandinavian design all wrong

A young woman sits casually on a couch in a very blandly-coloured lounge.

A young woman sits casually on a couch in a very blandly-coloured lounge.

More news + analysis

Data centres

What does a good data centre future look like? And how do we get there?

Stacked 3D blocks with rockets in the background

Stacked 3D blocks with rockets in the background

Unsustainable – or manageable? We don’t yet know how data centres will impact Australia’s environment

Stacked 3D blocks with water and smoke coming out the edges

Stacked 3D blocks with water and smoke coming out the edges

Data centres have existed for decades. So why are they so controversial now?

3D blocks and building cranes on a textured background

3D blocks and building cranes on a textured background

Data centres in Australia: your questions answered

3D blocks and speech bubbles on a textured background.

3D blocks and speech bubbles on a textured background.

Read the whole series

New research

Our research found a new reason to keep teachers happy – it’s linked to how well students do

A woman stands in front of a whiteboard, smiling and looking off to the side.

A woman stands in front of a whiteboard, smiling and looking off to the side.

Where are the best places for life in the cosmos? A universe in a supercomputer yields the answer

Computer-generated imagery of white and red filaments on a purple background with energetic red spots

Computer-generated imagery of white and red filaments on a purple background with energetic red spots

Why old dogs might be able to teach Alzheimer’s researchers new tricks

Close-up of dog's face as a person cups its jaw with their hands and kisses the top of its head.

Close-up of dog's face as a person cups its jaw with their hands and kisses the top of its head.

A new study finds that to counter misinformation online, we need to copy its style

More new research

Life

Microdramas are booming. AI could make it even harder to stop binge-watching

Slow down, reminisce if it feels right: practical tips for talking to people with dementia

Smiling older woman having a cup of tea outside.

Smiling older woman having a cup of tea outside.

The ‘Cornell 7’ reported rape shows why we need to rethink sexual violence prevention

A woman walks past a large sign saying Cornell University

A woman walks past a large sign saying Cornell University

Are right-brained people really more creative? Here’s what the science really tells us

Arts and reviews

Avant-garde abundance: the deeply infectious art of Australian artist Justene Williams

A colourful wall of crazy objects and mannequins.

A colourful wall of crazy objects and mannequins.

Eliza, a theatrical thriller about the first chatbot, feels emotionally distant. That’s the point

A man in a suit stands on a darkened stage with a grid of computer banks stretching out across the stage behind him.

A man in a suit stands on a darkened stage with a grid of computer banks stretching out across the stage behind him.

Aboriginal historian Barry Corr vividly investigates colonisation – but is less convincing on politics

Psychedelic drugs were once considered ‘revolutionary rocket fuel’, but could they be life-changing medicines?

World

Sudan’s death toll in 2025 could be as high as 100,000: how we did the count

A view of a few empty homes and burnt out vehicle in a field

A view of a few empty homes and burnt out vehicle in a field

Republicans continue to slide in US polls, four weeks before midterm elections

Spain’s snap election: will Pedro Sánchez’s latest gamble pay off?

Pedro Sánchez speaking into a microphone on a lectern.

Pedro Sánchez speaking into a microphone on a lectern.

Christa Pike’s botched execution exposes the deep contradictions of a ‘painless’ state-imposed death

A long walkway between prison cells.

A long walkway between prison cells.

Federal politics

It’s true, Australia won’t ban ‘sock puppet’ accounts on social media. Here’s why

A sseries of silhouetted people behind fluted glass.

A sseries of silhouetted people behind fluted glass.

The Coalition’s migration policy rests on a series of false premises

Angus Taylor grimaces in the middle of a press conference

Angus Taylor grimaces in the middle of a press conference

Andrew Charlton flags requiring AI companies to run tough ‘risk management’ systems

Taylor would hold net overseas migration at annual 100,000 for two years in plan hitting students, refugees

More federal politics

New Zealand

NZ’s nursing squeeze is an election issue. Is it time for compulsory patient ratios?

We need to stop asking if NZ can afford its superannuation scheme. It’s the wrong question

Older person's hands holding New Zealand banknotes

Older person's hands holding New Zealand banknotes

NZ election poll watch: Opportunity holds as potential kingmaker in tight race

Beehive building in Wellington with flag flying against blue sky

Beehive building in Wellington with flag flying against blue sky

NZ’s next government could be a four-party coalition. Get used to the new normal

Politicians Michael Bradley, Chris Hipkins, Winston Peters and other New Zealand candidates on a dark red and blue background

Politicians Michael Bradley, Chris Hipkins, Winston Peters and other New Zealand candidates on a dark red and blue background

More New Zealand

Climate

Electric long-haul trucks could become a reality sooner – if there’s no driver

Electric truck prime mover at car show in Germany.

Electric truck prime mover at car show in Germany.

In a year of record-breaking heat, Australia and Pacific leaders meet to sharpen climate goals

Tuvaluans watch as the high tide inundates their island home on funafuti due to global warming.

Tuvaluans watch as the high tide inundates their island home on funafuti due to global warming.

Conservationists are discovering ‘bright spots’ around the globe. Here’s why they matter

Why are new wind farms stuck in the doldrums in Australia?

wind farm on a hillside covered in shrubs and bush.

wind farm on a hillside covered in shrubs and bush.

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Podcasts

Could a former IDF chief break Benjamin Netanyahu’s grip on power in Israel?

An advertisement featuring Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the opposition leader of the Yashar centrist political party Gadi Eisenkot

An advertisement featuring Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the opposition leader of the Yashar centrist political party Gadi Eisenkot

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tim Wilson says government is borrowing from the future to spend today

Government hacks, rogue agents and no transparency: can we ever fully trust AI?

Person with a laptop and illustration of AI with cogs projected in front.

Person with a laptop and illustration of AI with cogs projected in front.

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Jim Chalmers warns rising debt bills are set to hit the budget

Jim Chalmers speaking at a podium

Jim Chalmers speaking at a podium

All episodes of Politics with Michelle Grattan

All episodes of The Conversation Weekly

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