The Conversation

The Conversation

The Conversation

The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, funded by the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public. The Conversation launched in Australia in March 2011.
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Can Fully Electric Homes Be Affordable And Efficient?

A heat pump gathers warmth from the outside for the winter. It can cool your home also. The reason more people don't use them is cost; in Europe it can be 10X the price of a natural gas boiler. Here's what needs to happen for all-electric to be viable.

Math Is Just The Tip Of The Generative AI Iceberg

Math Is Just The Tip Of The Generative AI Iceberg

A little over a week ago, artificial intelligence company OpenAI announced ten advances in mathematics and computer science made with their as-yet unreleased model Astra. The discoveries cover a wide range of mathematical fields, including geometry, cryptography and coding theory.

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Solitude Isn't Bad For Your Health But Loneliness Is

You can spend every day surrounded by other people and still feel lonely. You can also spend long periods alone without finding the experience distressing. That difference may help explain why loneliness affects health differently from social isolation.

Beatrix Potter, Naturalist

Beatrix Potter, Naturalist

The Tale of Peter Rabbit author illustrator got her start in science. Everything except astronomy. She had her limits.

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Music Salons Of The 1800s Are Still With Us Today

Why have public displays of piano playing become so compelling? At railway stations, shopping centres and airports, an instrument usually associated with concert halls bursts into everyday life.

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How Do Scientists Know Climate Change Made A Heat Wave Worse?

When a devastating heat wave, hurricane, flood or wildfire strikes, people often want to know: How much did human-caused climate change influence this event, if at all? For many years, scientists could answer that question only in general terms.

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PM10 In Wildfire Smoke Is A Killer - Here Is How To Protect Yourself

Wildfire smoke has been pouring across the U.S. border from fires in Canada again, turning skies an eerie shade of orange in several states in July 2026. In the West, smoke has also been spreading into communities in Colorado and neighboring states as more wildfires burn in hot, dry conditions.

Roman Farms Had Gender Parity

Roman Farms Had Gender Parity

Female farm managers are hidden in plain sight in ancient Roman texts, mentioned in laws, literature and grave inscriptions across five centuries.