Handkerchief or tissue? Which one's better for our health and the planet?

ShutterstockMaybe you have hay fever, COVID, a cold or the flu, and are reaching for a tissue or handkerchief.But which one’s better at stopping infections spreading? Which h...
'I hope eventually to become a woman' – trans life in Australia from the 1940s to 1970s

TroveReaders are advised that this essay contains historical terms which are now generally considered outdated and offensive.In December 1952, former American GI Christine Jo...
Lions to roar or Magpies to soar? It's a remarkable revival story either way on grand final day
Saturday’s premiership tussle between Collingwood and Brisbane features the two top-ranked teams from 2023. Hopefully, unlike last year’s final, it will be a gripping m...
pregnant women, bushfire smoke and the impossibility of safety
Smoke covered large swathes of Australia during the catastrophic summer fires of 2019-2020. You could see the plumes from space. Over 20% of Australia’s forests went up in sm...
A search for links between two of the universe's most spectacular phenomena has come up empty – for now

Carl Knox / OzGrav, CC BYEvery so often, astronomers glimpse an intense flash of radio waves from space – a flash that lasts only instants but puts out as much energy in a mi...
In the second half of this term Albanese will need to concentrate on delivery
Labor’s national landscape is changing. Daniel Andrews’ abrupt exit from the Victorian premiership this week is the latest development in a wider picture. Just a few mo...
What causes lithium-ion battery fires? Why are they so intense? And how should they be fought? An expert explains

ShutterstockPicture this: you’re cruising down the Great Ocean Road in your brand new electric vehicle (EV), the ocean to your left and the wind in your hair. But what if I t...
Australian universities have dropped in the latest round of global rankings – should we be worried?
Every year, Times Higher Education – a global higher education publication – ranks universities around the world. This one of three prominent international ra…
The green energy surge still isn't enough for 1.5 degrees. We'll have to overshoot, adapt and soak up carbon dioxide
ShutterstockIt was a rare bit of good news on climate. The International Energy Agency this week released its latest net zero roadmap, showing it was still just possible …
The Dictionary of Lost Words makes its wonderful stage debut
Sam Roberts/State Theatre Company of South AustraliaThe Dictionary of Lost Words follows Esme as she navigates the patriarchal world of Victorian England. While her fathe…
Beyond the PwC scandal, there’s a growing case for a royal commission into Australia’s ruthless corporate greed
ShutterstockAccounting and consulting group PwC has been front page news ever since its chief executive Tim Seymour stepped down “effectively immediately” in …
4 ways to support someone with dementia during extreme heat
ShutterstockOur ability to adapt our behaviour to changes in temperature takes a significant amount of thought and decision making. For example, we need to identify suita…
We should use Australia's environment laws to protect our 'living wonders' from new coal and gas projects
ShutterstockFrom Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef in the North, to the Snowy Mountains in the Southeast, and jarrah and marri forests in the Southwest, Australia is home…
latest poll trends show the left regaining some ground and NZ First as possible kingmaker
Yesterday’s 1News-Verian poll, and the Newshub-Reid Research poll reported earlier in the week, both show flattening trend lines – but they are still moving t…
Ukraine and Russia traded barbs in the UN's top court over the legality of the invasion. What could happen next…
In the days immediately following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian government filed a case against Moscow in the UN’s highest cour…
The disability royal commission delivers its findings today. We must all listen to end violence, abuse and neglect
The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability will hand its final report and recommendations to the Australian governor ge…