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

Mushroom murderer Erin Patterson has lost her appeal and received a harsher sentence. Legal experts explain why

‘What we leave behind is not as important as how we’ve lived’: remembering actor Patrick Stewart

Actor Patrick Stewart waves to the crowd

Actor Patrick Stewart waves to the crowd

View from The Hill: Albanese puts cat among One Nation pigeons with staff offer

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

I’ve been talking to MAGA supporters for years, and here’s why some are sticking with Trump — and others are not

A group of people standing among bleachers, raising arms and cheering.

A group of people standing among bleachers, raising arms and cheering.

Israel election by the numbers: who might form the next government?

An election billboards for the campaign of Yashar Party leader Gadi Eizenkotof with the message in Hebrew: "Our wish is change!"

An election billboards for the campaign of Yashar Party leader Gadi Eizenkotof with the message in Hebrew: "Our wish is change!"

Josh Frydenberg’s autobiography might be one of the longest job applications in history

Bald man in a suit and tie seated in an empty theatre, looking up.

Bald man in a suit and tie seated in an empty theatre, looking up.

Knocking on strangers’ doors? How to help your kids have a safe Halloween

Children trick or treat in a suburban street.

Children trick or treat in a suburban street.

‘Uncontrolled warrior culture’: Australia’s special forces under fire in new inquiry

Australian soldiers work together in southern Afghanistan.

Australian soldiers work together in southern Afghanistan.

Using ChatGPT before a medical appointment? How to get the best support for your health questions

A woman looks thoughtfully at her laptop

A woman looks thoughtfully at her laptop

Editor's picks

What would happen if the internet went down?

Close-up of high speed internet cables plugged into a server.

Close-up of high speed internet cables plugged into a server.

Milking it: 5 tricks from the supermarket playbook

A woman in a supermarket looking confused and food products flying around her.

A woman in a supermarket looking confused and food products flying around her.

Can a ‘civility pledge’ really help lower the temperature of Australia’s political debate?

Anthony Albanese, Chris Bowen, Pauline Hanson and Angus Taylor with angry expressions

Anthony Albanese, Chris Bowen, Pauline Hanson and Angus Taylor with angry expressions

How is access to UTI treatment and the pill changing? And is the policy backed by evidence?

A patient talks to her pharmacist.

A patient talks to her pharmacist.

Who cares series

Labor came to power promising a big care agenda. Four years on, how has it fared?

Australia has many older people but not enough young people to care for them. What can we do?

A green composite image of a bar chart with the bars increasing from left to right

A green composite image of a bar chart with the bars increasing from left to right

Parents have one of Australia’s most important jobs, so why don’t we have policy for them?

A composite image of two children drawing with empty adult silhouettes behind them

A composite image of two children drawing with empty adult silhouettes behind them

Governments have turned care into a commodity. It’s failing us all

More top stories

A huge pile of small lollies

A huge pile of small lollies

Halloween is typically a massive lolly fest for kids – but it doesn’t have to be

Looking for bats after dark can help science – and change how we see them

Four variously-coloured bats, including a Gould's wattled bat, lesser long-eared bat, large forest bat and little forest bat, in front of a white background.

Four variously-coloured bats, including a Gould's wattled bat, lesser long-eared bat, large forest bat and little forest bat, in front of a white background.

Grattan on Friday: an embattled government tells Australians the pain they feel won’t end any time soon

Mortgage holders aren’t alone in paying for rate hikes. Here’s how the RBA spreads the pain

Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock speaks to media

Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock speaks to media

Spain’s high-speed train network is plagued by old signalling systems. They may have caused the deadly crash

Amasijo de hierros del tresn siniestrado

Amasijo de hierros del tresn siniestrado

King Charles’ visit to the Caribbean evokes specter of British slavery – and local demands for justice

A man in a suit gestures to someone sitting to his side.

A man in a suit gestures to someone sitting to his side.

Friday essay: forget Big Brother, propaganda is now a form of hybrid warfare

A building engulfed in bright orange flames

A building engulfed in bright orange flames

Is high-speed rail generally safe? What can Australia learn from Spain’s accident?

A train partially derailed with a crane and people in high-vis attending the scene.

A train partially derailed with a crane and people in high-vis attending the scene.

Flying-foxes are starving. Why are we still responding one crisis at a time?

grey-headed flying fox pups upside down in tree.

grey-headed flying fox pups upside down in tree.

A road sign is seen with a billboard with two men in the background.

A road sign is seen with a billboard with two men in the background.

Israel election: was the vote a referendum on Netanyahu?

Buried cats, exorcisms and a sunken Colonel Sanders – the strange world of sporting curses

A composite image shows several black cats, Babe Ruth and Colonel Sanders against a red backdrop.

A composite image shows several black cats, Babe Ruth and Colonel Sanders against a red backdrop.

A wise woman who turned fish eggs into beasts: meet an ancient witch from Mesopotamia

A carved relief from Mesopotamia detailing a winged naked woman standing on lions, with large owls on either side.

A carved relief from Mesopotamia detailing a winged naked woman standing on lions, with large owls on either side.

Unlike anything I’ve seen: why this whale season has marine scientists puzzled

A humpback whale surfaces in the waters off Bahía Solano, Colombia.

A humpback whale surfaces in the waters off Bahía Solano, Colombia.

Who mapped Africa? Debunking the myth that Europeans alone plotted the continent

A map of Africa

A map of Africa

A hand in front of computer screen to depict pornography.

A hand in front of computer screen to depict pornography.

How porn became so extreme – and how it’s shaping the sex lives of young people

Odyssey screenshot: A man orates on a boat.

Odyssey screenshot: A man orates on a boat.

Grok can launch a thousand ships – but this AI remake of the Odyssey can’t make us feel

Victorian state election: what’s at stake for treaty and Indigenous self-determination?

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and fellow dignitaries during the official commencement of Treaty event

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and fellow dignitaries during the official commencement of Treaty event

70 years ago the Suez crisis exposed British relative decline. Today, the Iran conflict could be doing the same for the US

huge shipping vessel navigating the suez canal guided by a small pilot boat with another big tanker in the background.

huge shipping vessel navigating the suez canal guided by a small pilot boat with another big tanker in the background.

Putin hopes hardship will force Ukrainians to sue for peace – polling suggests it won’t work

Three people walk outside a partially destroyed building.

Three people walk outside a partially destroyed building.

You’re supposed to turn Bluetooth off when you don’t need it – how risky is it really?

A young woman with earbuds in looks at her phone, in front of the sea.

A young woman with earbuds in looks at her phone, in front of the sea.

Why Republicans are on the back foot ahead of US midterm elections

Exempting pensioners from private health rebate changes won’t make it fairer. Here’s what would

A retired couple review their finances

A retired couple review their finances

Climate change is killing the plants of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa. Aṉangu traditional owners are concerned

The red rock of Uluru

The red rock of Uluru

The deep ocean’s protection against warming started to change in 2016. Nobody knows what happens now

Floating 'pancakes' of sea ice

Floating 'pancakes' of sea ice

Creative arts enrolments are dropping for Year 12. Here’s what parents and students should know

Young people rehearse dance moves in a studio.

Young people rehearse dance moves in a studio.

Indonesia’s El Niño-driven peat fires are choking the region – and releasing centuries of stored carbon

People riding scooters through reddish haze

People riding scooters through reddish haze

Why do we find certain things beautiful? A psychologist’s new book offers a bold answer

John A. Scott’s The Boy Who Loved Dolls is a surreal tale of figurative dismemberments

An arrangement of disembodied dolls' heads, mostly bald, some without eyes.

An arrangement of disembodied dolls' heads, mostly bald, some without eyes.

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Joe Hockey on how Trump would handle defeat in the midterms

More news + analysis

Unwelcome nature series

Calling species ‘invasive’ – and culling them – isn’t done lightly. But it matters to Australia’s threatened species

fox in grassland in Australia.

fox in grassland in Australia.

From ‘gentle’ and ‘graceful’ to the ‘cane toad of the sky’: how Australia turned on the common myna

common myna bird on branch against blurred out background

common myna bird on branch against blurred out background

Why the humble rabbit might be Australia’s worst introduced species

swarm of feral rabbits at a waterhole in Australia

swarm of feral rabbits at a waterhole in Australia

Feral – and threatened? Endangered camels, banteng and hog deer have found an unexpected refuge in Australia

herd of wild camels in Australian bush.

herd of wild camels in Australian bush.

Read the entire series

Food Futures series

Milking it: 5 tricks from the supermarket playbook

A woman in a supermarket looking confused and food products flying around her.

A woman in a supermarket looking confused and food products flying around her.

Food insecurity is on the rise in Australia. We need more effective responses

Picture of fresh food with price tags in a market

Picture of fresh food with price tags in a market

Replacing just 10% of ultra-processed foods with whole foods linked to drop in bowel cancer rate

A woman reaches for fruits and vegetables at a market.

A woman reaches for fruits and vegetables at a market.

Will El Niño send food prices soaring this summer?

produce is seen in the fruit and vegetables section of a supermarket

produce is seen in the fruit and vegetables section of a supermarket

Read the entire series

New research

The phantom lighthouse: new research explains one of Australia’s strangest illusions

Lady Elliot Island lighthouse

Lady Elliot Island lighthouse

‘It’s pretty toxic… but just a little, I want to be like that’: what young men think of manosphere content

A young man wearing black uses a smartphone

A young man wearing black uses a smartphone

Unlocking the secrets of the ‘Dragon Man’ skull – and what it reveals about human evolution

Footprint in the sand

Footprint in the sand

Honey bee hives have ‘living immune systems’ which defend against disease

Four bees seen on a hive.

Four bees seen on a hive.

More new research

Life

Women with camel’s feet and ass’ teeth: Halloween costume inspiration from medieval England

Manuscript with illustration of a half man half bird.

Manuscript with illustration of a half man half bird.

There are risks when children use AI chatbots. Does Australia’s new ‘digital duty of care’ address them?

Teenage boy relaxing on a couch using a smartphone.

Teenage boy relaxing on a couch using a smartphone.

Seeing a psychologist is becoming more unequal – and our map shows the gap

Not enjoying being a parent? You’re not alone. Here’s how to handle this complicated feeling

A mother holds her young child, who sucks on a dummy.

A mother holds her young child, who sucks on a dummy.

Arts and reviews

The female scream is now an all-powerful cry in horror films

David Hockney: the celebrated artist is bigger in this immersive digital spectacle, but not closer

A large room with benches and people sitting on them. The walls and floor are covered in a digital projections of a painting of a man swimming in a pool.

A large room with benches and people sitting on them. The walls and floor are covered in a digital projections of a painting of a man swimming in a pool.

Is Ali G racist?

Film still: Julie and Ali G walk down the street.

Film still: Julie and Ali G walk down the street.

Guide to the classics: Machiavelli’s ‘audaciously honest’ The Prince reveals how politics works

World

Israel has voted – but the results will be messy. Here’s how its next government will be formed

Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot gesturing to supporters during the Israel 2026 election.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot gesturing to supporters during the Israel 2026 election.

What Lula’s stunning comeback means for the future of the far right in Brazil

A man wearing a blue business shirt is seen frowning among a group of people.

A man wearing a blue business shirt is seen frowning among a group of people.

Lula wins a ‘miracle’ election in Brazil. Now comes the hard part: putting the country back on the right track

Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, surounded by supporters, makes his victory speech in the 25 October 2026 presidential election

Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, surounded by supporters, makes his victory speech in the 25 October 2026 presidential election

Israeli election: why nobody has been talking about Palestinian statehood

A billboard in Tel Aviv with Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US president Donald Trump.

A billboard in Tel Aviv with Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US president Donald Trump.

Federal politics

View from The Hill: heat rises around Albanese, as Haines’ concern about golf club grant rumbles on

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

Anthony Albanese seated at the desk in Question Time.

Anthony Albanese seated at the desk in Question Time.

View from The Hill: Sombre and well-behaved House focuses on the unifying figure of Helen Haines

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

Coalition surges to big lead in a Victorian Newspoll

Hughesy, Karl and co: what happens when celebrities turn political?

A composite image shows Australia's Parliament House in the background, with Karl Stefanovic, Dave Hughes and Luke McGregor in front.

A composite image shows Australia's Parliament House in the background, with Karl Stefanovic, Dave Hughes and Luke McGregor in front.

More federal politics

New Zealand

After three years of relentless reform, what lies beyond the election for education in NZ?

After three years of relentless reform, what lies beyond the election for education?

Can a new government solve NZ’s local council crisis? Why a royal commission could help

Typical NZ town main street with no traffic and housing on hills in the background

Typical NZ town main street with no traffic and housing on hills in the background

Most New Zealanders worry about AI’s risks, even as many expect to use it – new survey

More New Zealand

Climate

Snowy 2.0 was never going to be cheap. But it will be much cheaper than relying on batteries for storage

worker standing in front of tunnelling machine

worker standing in front of tunnelling machine

While some eucalypts are hard to kill, climate change may test the ability of others to survive

A forest with green shrubs in the foreground and blackened, smoking eucalypts in the background.

A forest with green shrubs in the foreground and blackened, smoking eucalypts in the background.

We must prepare entire cities for extreme heat. Our new study reveals how

People watch the sun set while standing on a bridge, with only their silhouettes visible.

People watch the sun set while standing on a bridge, with only their silhouettes visible.

The High Court looked at coal climate emissions overseas. But what about emissions at home?

An aerial view of a large open-cut coal mine

An aerial view of a large open-cut coal mine

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Podcasts

America’s death penalty: why executions are rising again

A phone showing an image of Christa Pike, the death row inmate who survived an execution attempt.

A phone showing an image of Christa Pike, the death row inmate who survived an execution attempt.

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Ed Husic urges brakes on data centres ‘swamping’ Australia

In Alberta, far-right populism fuelled by conspiracy theories and alienation drive bid to separate from Canada

A separatist supporter with an Alberta flag.

A separatist supporter with an Alberta flag.

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

All episodes of Politics with Michelle Grattan

All episodes of The Conversation Weekly

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