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Editor's note
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The banking royal commission says mortgage brokers are part of the problem. It wants to deny them commissions from lenders, and require them to act in their customers’ best interests (which, oddly, they are not legally required to do at the moment). Yet their customers seem supremely happy. Half of all new mortgages are provided by mortgage brokers, up from hardly any before the industry took off 25 years ago. This morning Mark Humphery-Jenner
asks whether there is a problem at all. Yes it is true that they are paid by the sellers rather than the buyers, but so are refrigerator salespeople, and most of them give pretty good service.
Also today is the next instalment in our series Hidden Women of History. The life cycle of a butterfly might seem fairly obvious to most of us but this seemingly basic bit of biology was once hotly debated, writes Tanya Latty. It was the meticulous observations of a pioneering 17th century naturalist, Maria Sibylla Merian, that conclusively linked caterpillars to butterflies, “laying the groundwork for the fields of entomology, animal
behaviour and ecology”. But this scientific superhero was erased from science history for centuries. As an artist and mother with no formal scientific training, Merian’s work was sidelined by sexism - until recently.
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Peter Martin
Section Editor, Business and Economy
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Top story
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Most mortgage brokers provide good service.
Shutterstock
Mark Humphery-Jenner, UNSW
The push against brokers might be right in theory, wrong in practice.
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A colour portrait of Maria Sibylla Merian by Dutch artist Jacobus Houbraken, circa 1700.
Wikimedia Commons
Tanya Latty, University of Sydney
Maria Sibylla Merian's meticulous observations laid the groundwork for the fields of entomology, animal behaviour and ecology. But the legacy of this scientific superhero has been sidelined by sexism.
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One of these people is on a wanted list for theft. A super-recogniser may pick them at a glance.
from www.shutterstock.com
Alice Towler, UNSW; David White, UNSW
Even the world’s best available training – used to train police, border control agents and other security personnel – does not compensate for natural talent in face recognition.
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Politics + Society
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Helen Vatsikopoulos, University of Technology Sydney
Soft power is a country's ability to gain influence through attraction. Australia's soft power in the Pacific began waning when it axed the Australia Network in 2014. And China is filling the gap.
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David Belgrave, Massey University
New Zealand's decision to block Huawei from its 5G cellular networks due to security concerns is likely to be just the first of many that challenge Wellington's relationship with Beijing.
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Andrew Beer, University of South Australia
Research shows there are now more ministers responsible for regional issues across Australian governments than ever before.
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Health + Medicine
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James Dunn, Western Sydney University
Thousands of Australian men have vasectomies each year. These surgeries are successful in more than 99% of cases.
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Nicholas T. Van Dam, University of Melbourne
There can be many benefits in practising mindfulness. But it's not a way to relax or escape from your problems.
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Cities
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Leila Mahmoudi Farahani, RMIT University; Billie Giles-Corti, RMIT University; Cecily Maller, RMIT University; Melanie Lowe, Australian Catholic University
Much of the growth in our cities is in the outer suburbs, now home to around 5 million people. And that creates problems like traffic that detract from the advantages residents see in living there.
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Arts + Culture
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John Clark, University of Sydney
The first major loan to Australia from a repository of canonical art works of Chinese culture deserves to be seen by all those interested in Chinese art.
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Education
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David Roy, University of Newcastle
There are systemic problems with the way mainstream schooling treats students with disabilities. A Royal Commission would shed light on these issues and give us a way forward to a more equal future.
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Featured jobs
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La Trobe University — Bundoora, Victoria
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UNSW Sydney — Sydney, New South Wales
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University of Tasmania — Hobart, Tasmania
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University of Melbourne — Parkville, Victoria
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Featured events
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31 Constitution Ave, Canberra ACT , Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia — Universities Australia
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Institute Building, City Road, University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia — University of Sydney
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The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia — University of Sydney
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Charles Perkins Centre Auditorium, John Hopkins Drive (off Missenden Road), Camperdown, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia — University of Sydney
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