Younger and older American men tend to identify more with being religious ‘nones’ than women of the same age, but between 35 and 45 the rates merge. A data and religion expert probes why.
Early voting is underway in the US presidential election. Will the outcome reflect the polls?
EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
Given the failure of British polls to predict the outcome of Brexit, is it possible Donald Trump could produce a surprise result of even greater proportions?
“Hi! Is that the 1980s? I’ve got your phone. You can have it back.”
Computex e Forum
In the world of hi-tech devices, it is imperative to keep your finger on the pulse. Some of the most successful companies of our times, such as Apple and Google, are those that understand the power of…
3D printed hat - just the thing for Melbourne Cup.
Flickr/ Hindrik S
The future of 3D printing is firming up as it moves from do-it-yourself tinkerers to key players selling complete consumer solutions. This shift brings important ecological and socio-economic implications…
Wine is increasingly becoming the drink of choice for Australians.
isante_magazine
Think of alcohol in Australian life and you probably think of beer: a “hard-earned thirst” and all that. Yet our national drinking taste is undergoing a dramatic change. Not only are we drinking less overall…
Technology such as the iPad has been found to affect our wellbeing both positively and negatively.
AAP/Tracey Nearmy
Digital technologies have made their way into all aspects of our lives that influence our wellbeing - affecting everything from social relationships and curiosity to engagement and learning. Psychologists…
Protesters march against the torture at Abu Ghraib; we use social psychology to help understand why people commit such acts.
Shrieking Tree
Social psychology addresses many of the important questions that concern us as human beings. It’s also the subject of newspaper editorials on most days: why is there conflict between groups? How can it…
Despite its association with totalitarian societies of the left and right, indoctrination is also a common feature of societies that describe themselves as free: those where the coercive powers of the…
In a world of 24/7 news cycles and prejudice masquerading as insight, it is often very difficult to communicate the deeper analyses based on social science research. Surprising then that a program based…
Celebrities Jay-Z and Beyonce called their newborn child Blue Ivy. But can the rest of us get away with less orthodox names?
AAP
American rock band Modest Mouse’s song Black Cadillacs (2004) has a particularly wonderful opening: And it’s true we named our children / After towns that we’ve never been to Inside a song filled with…
Curtis Stone and Normie Rowe in a Coles ad that has attracted the ire of a fake Chopper Read.
It is a very 21st century story. A Twitter account purporting to be that of noted Australian criminal Mark Brandon “Chopper” Read takes offence to an ad featuring ageing singer Normie Rowe and uses his…
Australians willingly helped their neighbours when it was needed during the Queensland floods of 2011.
Flickr/RaeAllen
Neighbours are a source of growing aggravation in Australia and we are lodging more official complaints about each other than ever before. Excessive noise or odour, inadequate levels of property maintenance…
Australian actor Hugh Jackman is the subject of persistent speculation about his sexuality.
AAP/Tracy Neary
Straights, gays, and those vacillating somewhere on the periphery, have equally demonstrated a penchant for the game. Sitting back, stroking one’s chin and speculating on sexuality. Who’s gay? Who’s confused…
The upcoming SBS documentary Scarlet Road follows sex worker Rachel Wotton and her relationships with her disabled clients.
Health care, fair trials and education are things we readily accept as human rights. Unlike fresh air and food, we can actually live without school or a due process trial for a whole lot longer than without…
“Hipsters” are mocked at the moment, but do we even know who they really are?
Wikimedia Commons/Jack Newton
The term “hipster” has become increasingly prominent in Australia’s urban lexicon this year. Even the Sydney Morning Herald has caught on, writing about “Hipster Housing”, featuring a young bespectacled…
High blood pressure in pregnancy may itself cause birth defects rather than a type of drug used to treat the condition in early pregnancy, a study published today suggests. Researchers led by Dr De-Kun…
aapone italy world politics economy protest europe original.
The Occupy Wall Street protests that started in New York have proved contagious. Sit-ins and attempted occupations have spread to other major American cities including Chicago, Boston, Seattle, and Atlanta…
Men who live alone are up to 4.9 times as likely to die of alcohol-related liver disease than men who live with a partner, a Finnish study has found. The study supports theories that socialising can help…
Global Director of Research, International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and Research Associate, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ), University of Oxford