The Conversation

Fri Oct 7

The US used foreign investment to develop a new car industry, a lesson Australia hasn't learned

Written by Timothy Minchin, Professor of North American History, La Trobe University, La Trobe University

In Australia, car makers have come to be seen by many as more of a cost than a benefit, a failing industry that was too reliant on government handouts. But in the United States, many state governments have attracted foreign investment that has provided ongoing economic security.

Now the end of car manufacturing in Australia is fast approaching....

Fri Oct 7

'Don't feed the trolls' really is good advice – here's the evidence

Written by Evita March, Lecturer of Psychology, Federation University Australia

Just try not to get annoyed.Darren Woodward/Shutterstock.com

Almost half the population of the planet now has access to the internet, with about one in three of those people regularly active on social media.

But this increased opportunity to socialise and communicate in a virtual environment has offered new avenues for antisocial behaviour.

The...

Fri Oct 7

We don't know why South Australia's wind farms stopped working, so hold off on the blame game

Written by Dylan McConnell, Research Fellow, Melbourne Energy Institute, University of Melbourne

Australia’s energy ministers are meeting today in an emergency gathering following South Australia’s recent state-wide blackout.

The blackout, following wild weather across the state, has seen an extraordinary response from politicians and media, implicating the state’s wind energy in the fault.

On Wednesday the Australian Energy...

Fri Oct 7

Friday essay: the sound of fear

Written by Lawrence English, PhD Candidate in Music, Queensland University of Technology

Sonic weapons usually leave no physical marks but can be devastating psychologically.Vikash Kumar/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

Common idioms such as “seeing is believing” give our eyes the central role in our engagement with the world. But there is little doubt that listening plays a critical part in how we navigate and understand our...