Law & society

27 October 2021

What should we make of COP26?

What must world leaders do to secure the future of humanity? University of Sydney experts suggest the existential threat of climate change won't be solved by targets of 'net zero by 2050' - much more must be done.

27 October 2021

New research shows how hard it is for 'flying grannies' to care for their Australian grandkids

A new study shows how migrant families struggle to get the childcare they need and how an easier visa system would help, write Myra Hamilton, Elizabeth Hill and Angela Kintominas.

07 October 2021

Lift in restrictions: Sydney experts on what we can expect

Experts in health, psychology and pandemic modelling comment on what Australians can expect as the nation emerges from pandemic restrictions.

28 September 2021

Climate change warning from collapsed ancient cities

Why did some ancient Khmer and Mesoamerican cities collapse between 900-1500CE while their rural surrounds continued to prosper? Intentional adaptation to climate changed conditions may be the answer, suggests a new study, which offers lessons for today.

27 September 2021

Researchers develop 'safe' quarantine monitoring system

A School of Computer Science researcher is collaborating with the NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN) and the University of Technology to deliver a quarantine monitoring system that could be used by arrivals once state and national borders reopen.

27 September 2021

Finger tracing enhances learning: evidence for 100-year-old practice

A practice used by education pioneer Montessori in the early 1900s has received further validation, with studies showing that finger tracing makes learning easier and more motivating. Imagining an object after tracing it can generate even faster learning, for children and adults alike.

23 September 2021

COVID, lockdowns, tax time: scammers pose triple threat

The pandemic, ongoing lockdowns and tax return time are leading to a perfect scam storm, says Dr Suranga Seneviratne from the School of Computer Science.

23 September 2021

Sydney student tackles master's degree from home in Delhi slum

Tushar Joshi has won the Sydney Scholars India Equity Scholarship, commencing a Master of International Relations. Due to COVID-19, he is studying remotely from the one-room home he shares with his family of four.

10 September 2021

Experts reflect on the 20th anniversary of 9/11

Tomorrow, it will have been 20 years since Al Qaeda hijacked and crashed aeroplanes into the World Trade Centre towers in New York and the Pentagon, fundamentally shifting geopolitics in the 21st century. University of Sydney experts reflect on the events that transpired and the lessons learnt as a result.

02 September 2021

Civic engagement strongest in young from culturally diverse families

Civic engagement - one of the Sydney Policy Lab's guiding principles - is higher in people from younger, multicultural backgrounds, a new poll shows.

26 August 2021

Pandemic peak in sight - but we must brace for an infection surge

National modelling led by Centre for Complex Systems researchers shows that a pandemic peak is in sight, but we must brace for a surge of infections upon reopening when 80 percent of the adult population is vaccinated and restrictions are lifted.

16 August 2021

#FreeBritney: do we have conservatorships in Australia?

Australian states have schemes analogous to US conservatorships and they're far from perfect, write Professor Cameron Stewart and Dr Linda Steele for The Conversation.

30 July 2021

Social distancing up but still inadequate to control outbreak

University of Sydney model released today finds if even 40 percent of the Greater Sydney population is vaccinated by mid-September, a stricter lockdown must continue until then.

30 July 2021

What psychology says about COVID non-compliers

People who purposefully breach COVID-19 regulations tend to share certain characteristics, finds a study of attitudes and behaviours in Australia, the UK, the US and Canada.

28 July 2021

Do search engines influence you more than you think?

The Australian Search Experience is a citizen science project calling on Australian Internet users to help solve search engine secrets. Why do search engines order and display information the way they do? Help us find out.

15 July 2021

Far more social distancing needed to control Sydney outbreak

For Sydney to see a sufficient drop in COVID-19 case numbers after one month, social distancing must be observed by over 80 percent of people, a model published today by Professor Mikhail Prokopenko reveals.

15 July 2021

Tokyo 2021: our experts on the Games and the impact of COVID-19

Tokyo 2021 will be unusual in many ways. Sydney researchers discuss the COVID-19 Games, and why the Olympics (mostly) go on, even in the toughest of circumstances.

14 July 2021

Defence awards engineers $2m extension funding

Thanks to $2million in funding awarded by the Department of Defence, Sydney researchers will co-lead a truly global R&D collaboration, involving nine universities, on frontier materials science challenges in advanced manufacturing.

08 July 2021

How children can help Aboriginal Elders during lockdown

Mutual caring between Kinship and foster carers and the children in their custody emerged as a silver lining during last year's lockdown, a new report finds.

07 July 2021

Voluntary betting controls are a bad gamble

Voluntary gambling harm-reduction tools generally don't work as people don't use them, a new study finds. Though mandating that people set deposit limits - or opt-out of setting them - is a promising mechanism to curb problem gambling.