The Normal Heart: the early years of the fight against AIDS in an articulate, but fierce, cry of angerHuw Griffiths, University of Sydney
Who is the new face of China’s Year of the Fire Horse? Draco Malfoy, of courseJustine Poplin, Southern Cross University
How bird poo fuelled the rise of Peru’s powerful Chincha KingdomJo Osborn, Texas A&M University; Emily Milton, Smithsonian Institution, and Jacob L. Bongers, University of Sydney
‘New Zealanders are inventive by necessity’: how the master clown Philippe Gaulier shaped NZ theatreHannah Joyce Banks, University of the Sunshine Coast
From Bridgerton to Heated Rivalry, what’s the secret to a good book-to-TV romance?Jodi McAlister, Deakin University and Jayashree Kamble, City University of New York
5 New Zealand music acts keeping te reo Māori alive and rockingRebecca J Evans, Auckland University of Technology and Thomas Watts, Auckland University of Technology
Unpacking Bad Bunny’s Superbowl show – an alternative joyful vision for AmericaConsuelo Martinez Reyes, Macquarie University
As beautiful as they were powerful: Jon Kudelka’s political cartoons were made with true convictionStephanie Brookes, Monash University; Richard Scully, University of New England, and Robert Phiddian, Flinders University
From ‘this machine kills fascists’ to ‘King Trump’s private army’: the art of protest musicPanizza Allmark, Edith Cowan University and Jon Stratton, Adelaide University
Communal bathing was a public good. Then it got hijacked by wellness cultureJennifer E. Cheng, Western Sydney University and Michelle O'Shea, Western Sydney University
How watching videos of ICE violence affects our mental healthLarissa Hjorth, RMIT University and Katrin Gerber, RMIT University
Taxi Driver at 50: Martin Scorsese’s film remains a troubling reflection of our timesAlexander Howard, University of Sydney
Funny, tender, goofy – Catherine O'Hara lit up the screen every time she showed upBen McCann, Adelaide University
A brief history of table tennis in film – from Forrest Gump to Marty SupremeJeff Scheible, King's College London
Dog parks are an unexploited arena for a television dramedy – so now we have ABC’s Dog ParkPhoebe Hart, Queensland University of Technology
To cry or not to cry: how moving the audience to tears can backfireSteve Waters, University of East Anglia
Olives have been essential to life in Italy for at least 6,000 years – far longer than we thoughtEmlyn Dodd, School of Advanced Study, University of London; Macquarie University
Bridgerton: why not knowing how to dance could ruin your reputation in Regency BritainHillary Burlock, University of Liverpool
From statement sleeves to the codpiece: 5 fashions which should come back from Tudor EnglandGrace Waye-Harris, Adelaide University
Rocket or arugula? How a salad vegetable mapped the Italian diasporaMatt Absalom, The University of Melbourne
Not an artefact, but an ancestor: why a German university is returning a Māori taongaMichael La Corte, University of Tübingen and Annika Vosseler, University of Tübingen
Rediscovered photograph sheds light on Jeanne Duval – Manet’s Lady with a FanMaria C. Scott, University of Exeter
Valentino shaped the runway – and the red carpet – for 60 yearsJye Marshall, Swinburne University of Technology
Uncanny, curious and awesome: an expert in psychology breaks down what we feel in the face of Ron Mueck’s sculpturesLisa A Williams, UNSW Sydney
Tracing the long history of Aboriginal-Chinese people in Australia, through archives and artAlex Burchmore, Australian National University
The backlash to Bad Bunny’s halftime show reveals how MAGA defines who belongs in AmericaGavin Furrey, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
What Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story tells us about MormonismBrenton Griffin, Flinders University
This TikTok star sharing Australian animal stories doesn’t exist – it’s AI BlakfaceTamika Worrell, Macquarie University
Could Heated Rivalry bring a whole new fanbase to ice hockey – and can the sport embrace them?Kasey Symons, Deakin University and Fiona Crawford, Queensland University of Technology
Who is Bad Bunny? Why the biggest music star in the world sings in Puerto Rican SpanishBeatriz Carbajal-Carrera, University of Sydney
AC/DC in surgery and lo-fi beats in the office: what the science says about working to musicEmery Schubert, UNSW Sydney
Men rule the Grammys as women see hard drop in wins at 2026 awardsLuba Kassova, University of Westminster
Rob Hirst was not the figurehead of Midnight Oil – but he was its backboneDavid Nichols, The University of Melbourne
Trump wants to shutter the Kennedy Center for 2 years – here’s what that portendsE. Andrew Taylor, American University
How NZ streaming costs and choices could change after the epic Netflix-Paramount battle for Warner BrosRachel Daniels, Auckland University of Technology
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard quit Spotify in protest, only for an AI doppelgänger to step inWellett Potter, University of New England
Netflix is buying Warner Brothers. Is this the end of the cinema?Liam Burke, Swinburne University of Technology
From grand harbour spectacular to intimate perfection: the varied dance at Sydney Festival 2026Erin Brannigan, UNSW Sydney
In a new production of Turandot, Opera Australia has found a star vehicle for Young Woo KimDavid Larkin, University of Sydney
Cowbois reimagines Hollywood’s Wild West – with a wonderful queer twistKaren Cummings, University of Sydney
How we created new Noongar song and dance for kworlak – the bull sharks of PerthTrevor Ryan, Edith Cowan University; Clint Bracknell, The University of Western Australia, and Jonathan W. Marshall, Edith Cowan University
