Research stories
Aussies above 50 are living longer, while younger people are suffering
Australians under 50 are experiencing stagnating life expectancy while older cohorts, especially men, are living longer, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU). The study examined longevity trends and patterns in six English-speaking countries (Australia,…
Kapow! ANU researcher uses comic books to explain green finance
By Luis Perez It wasn’t until she found herself lining up for a 300-metre head-to-head race on horseback that Associate Professor Caroline Schuster truly understood the meaning of financial speculation in rural Paraguay. By the time she was ready to gallop bareback atop Cohete – the…
The language universe is shrinking – can we stop it?
Languages across the planet are disappearing at an alarming rate. ANU psycholinguist Evan Kidd believes multilingual societies are key to reversing this trend. Before 1788, the number of languages spoken in Australia was at least 300 – though experts estimate there may have been more than 700…
A gap in health sector regulation is leaving Australian care workers unprotected from gendered violence
Gendered violence is widespread in the Australian healthcare system, according to new ANU research. The findings reveal that there are currently no regulatory guidelines designed specifically to protect practitioners from patients. This has left one in four Victorian healthcare workers unprotected…
What is a trained clown and what does the training look like?
Written by Anna-Sophie Jürgens, Senior Lecturer in Science Communication (Pop Culture Studies), Australian National University Where do clowns come from? In popular culture, they may come from alien worlds, such as Killer Klowns from Outer Space, peer out from drains like Pennywise from…
Social media negatively impacting teens’ life satisfaction
Social media is negatively impacting the life satisfaction of Australian high school students, according to the latest findings from Australia’s largest survey of young people. The study found non-binary students who regularly use social media reported the lowest levels of life satisfaction.…
Picture book aims to teach kids how to stay safe around bushfire smoke
By Kyle Mackey-Laws Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) are behind new children’s books aimed at raising greater awareness and understanding for children around bushfire smoke. As the east coast of Australia became engulfed in fires and smoke during the 2019-20 “…