What do the royal commission into union corruption’s terms of reference, as released by the Abbott government, suggest about the scope of its inquiry?
AAP/Dan Peled
The terms of reference for a royal commission into allegations of corruption and misconduct in the unions were lodged earlier this week by the federal government. The remit of the royal commission is both…
Most biologists argue viruses aren’t alive because they can’t replicate by themselves.
Tom Thai/Flikr
It may seem like a fairly fundamental question, but there is still debate over whether viruses should be considered a form of life. The diversity of viral infections is immense. Viruses cause everything…
Should companies with large cash reserves buy back shares from investors? It’s not that simple.
EPA/Gino Domenico
Only a few hours after announcing he had purchased nearly US$2.5 billion of Apple shares, investor Carl Icahn was demanding the company buy back US$150 billion of its own shares. Now the company has done…
2013 Oscar Winners (L-R) Daniel Day-Lewis, Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway and Christoph Waltz
EPA
The first thing to understand about the Oscars is that, as a measure of the aesthetic value of films, they are completely unreliable. To understand why this is the case, we need to know what exactly “The…
It’s not an allergic reaction to the fish itself, so there is no need to avoid scombridae fish species such as mahi-mahi.
Chewy Chua Flickr
Preliminary autopsy results have revealed the tragic deaths of Queensland woman Noelene Bishcoff and her daughter Yvana in Bali last month were likely caused by scombroid fish poisoning. Though not common…
Around 20,000 chickens were culled in Hong Kong last week after the virus was detected in birds imported from mainland China.
Alex Hofford/AAP Image
Australia’s federal Department of Health has advised general practitioners to be on the lookout for potential cases of the H7N9 strain of influenza A, or bird flu, following a spate of deaths in China…
Under the current tax regime, investors and cashed up owner occupiers are bidding up the cost of housing.
Dean Lewins/AAP
In an ideal (and economically efficient) world, tax policy would not influence the investment or consumption choices taxpayers make. In reality, this neutrality is rarely achieved. External factors influence…
Crystallography: from a handheld experiment in 1912 to the size of many football fields today.
Diamond Light Source
Around 100 years ago a father and his son in north England conducted an experiment that would revolutionise the way scientists study molecules. A refined version of their method still remains one of the…
In the light of Friday’s guilty verdict in the case of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, the Italian criminal justice system is once again under the magnifying glass. Foreign scrutiny of the case has…
There’s been plenty pumped: how much more is there?
Arne Hückelheim
Despite the arguments that once raged and the considerable volumes written to advocate certain viewpoints and disparage others, interest in peak oil is at an all time low. Indeed some commentators have…
** **We’re all, it seems, familiar with the terms “Dreamtime” and “The Dreaming” in relation to Aboriginal Australian culture, but – as I noted in the first part of this series – such terms are grossly…
Big Data, as the name implies, relates to very large sets of data collected through free or commercial services on the internet. This massive amount of data arises from sensors, posts to social networking…
It all comes down to egg supply.
Image from shutterstock.com
We’ve known for over 50 years that reproductive ageing results in a gradual loss of fertility until about age 37, when the rate of decline accelerates dramatically. The loss of fertility is accompanied…
Rosie Tasman Napurrurla, Warlpiri 2002, Ngurlu Jukurrpa (‘Grass Seed; Bush Grain Dreaming’), line etching on Hahnemuhle paper.
Warnayaka Art Centre, Lajamanu, and Aboriginal Art Prints Network, Sydney
In 2002, Jeannie Herbert Nungarrayi, formerly a Warlpiri teacher at the Lajamanu School in the Tanami Desert of the Northern Territory, where I worked for many years first as a linguist and then as school…
The navy is permitted to intercept vessels in Australian waters, but the high seas or Indonesian waters are a different matter, as are tow-backs to another country.
AAP/Scott Fisher
Australia has been engaging in “tow-backs” of asylum-seeker boats. This has involved intercepting boats carrying asylum seekers at sea, before they reach Australia, and forcing them to return to Indonesia…
How keen are Australians to see locally made films such as The Sapphires?
AAP Image/April Fonti
Around 25 new Australian feature films are released into the market each year – so who’s watching them, when and how are they watching, and what makes them choose home-grown films over imported blockbusters…
Campaigns tell us to eat red meat to keep our iron levels up – but what if we have too much?
tarale
Many people are aware that low levels of iron in their body can lead anaemia, with symptoms such as fatigue. But few realise that too much iron can result in a potentially fatal condition. Normally, if…
‘Success Kid’ – with its various slogans – has been an enduring meme of recent years.
Know Your Meme
Nothing defines our use of the internet as clearly as the concept of the meme (pronounced “meem”). Every day, millions of people laugh at LOLcats, dog shaming, and music videos without music, while others…
The immune system is often the reason we feel unwell when we have an infection.
Flickr/uneduex
The immune system is an integral part of our body, keeping us safe from diseases – from the common cold to more severe illnesses such as cancer. The immune system is often the reason we feel unwell when…
It seems that South Sudan is falling apart amidst political conflict, but what is actually behind the violence?
EPA/Phillip Dill
Over the past few weeks, crisis has gripped the world’s newest nation, South Sudan, after an internal political conflict spilled into violence which has left thousands dead. So far, there have been reports…