Talking with people who hold different political views doesn’t have to be an exercise in futile rage. Here are some tips to help you peacefully and fruitfully discuss spicy topics.
Starting this year, teaching students won’t be able to register as teachers unless they pass a literacy and numeracy test.
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Imagine this situation: a person has no medical illness but wishes to end his or her life purely because he or she no longer wishes to live. Should they be eligible for euthanasia or assisted suicide?
A controversial editorial has questioned whether saturated fats really clog up your arteries and put you at risk of heart disease. But can it really overturn decades of research?
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We need to eat a healthy diet, do some exercise and avoid stress rather than blame saturated fat for heart disease, says a recent editorial. But does the evidence stack up?
We’ve long heard we can’t blame people for their addiction because it’s a disease, but is it?
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Some think labelling it a disease is a helpful way to think about addiction; others think this makes the addict helpless in their fight against addiction. Two academics debate both sides of the coin.
The banking sector has problems, but a Royal Commission isn’t the answer.
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Paul Komesaroff, Monash University and Ken Harvey, Monash University
The University of Sydney’s announcement of a role funded by the Blackmores Institute raises perennial questions about whether industry-funded research can be truly independent.
A World Health Organisation report says e-cigarettes should be regulated, but they are banned in Australia.
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The World Health Organisation has just released a report on electronic nicotine delivery systems that calls for their global regulation in the interests of public health. The most well-known such devices…
Investors around the world use ratings from agencies like S&P, Moody and Fitch to make investment decisions. But if all goes wrong, are the agencies to blame?
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One of the world’s largest ratings agency, Standard & Poor’s, is back in court appealing the Federal Court’s landmark decision that it was responsible for the losses incurred by 13 New South Wales…
Tony Abbott has claimed penalty rates force businesses to close their doors
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With a major review of workplace awards underway, the Federal Government has asked the Fair Work Commission to consider whether penalty rates and other minimum conditions are still relevant. In this Viewpoints…
If we’re fit, does it matter what we weigh?
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Anna Peeters, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and Tim Olds, University of South Australia
Australians are getting heavier and, as a result, are more likely to suffer life-threatening illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes. But should we be worried about a bit of excess weight…
Three-parent IVF is about allowing women who carry genetic diseases in their mitochondria to avoid passing them on to their children.
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Far from creating designer babies, three-parent IVF is about allowing women who carry genetic diseases in their mitochondria to avoid passing them on to their children. The process involves replacing the…