Editor's note

Alcohol awareness campaigns like Dry July might grab our attention, but do they really lead to better drinking habits? The evidence might surprise you. Not only can you benefit from an alcohol-free month, your friends do too. But the jury’s out on any longer-term benefits and whether these campaigns work for everyone.

And new guidelines unveiled at this weekend’s G20 meeting will force companies to disclose how climate change affects their businesses. Large investors are behind the new framework, but it will also give more information to ordinary investors who want to direct their money toward tackling climate change.

Anna Evangeli

Editor

Health + Medicine

Giving up alcohol for a month might help you feel better in the short term, but no-one knows if taking part in these campaigns promotes long-term healthy drinking habits. from www.shutterstock.com

Yes, alcohol awareness campaigns like Dry July can work, but not for everyone

Julie Robert, University of Technology Sydney

Many of us might be tempted to give up alcohol for a month as part of a highly publicised campaign, like Dry July. But how successful are these campaigns and how do you measure any long-term benefits?

Modern diets are changing the compositions of our gut microbiota, and with that, our personalities. from shutterstock.com

Essays on health: microbes aren't the enemy, they're a big part of who we are

Amy Loughman, RMIT University; Tarsh Bates, University of Western Australia

For most of the twentieth century, we were at war with microbes, leading to substantial changes in our body's ecosystem. This has changed our diets, disease profile, moods and even personalities.

Business + Economy

Michael Bloomberg will present new guidelines for reporting on the risks of climate change. AAP

The G20's new guidelines will help investors tackle climate change

Rosemary Sainty, University of Technology Sydney

The G20 will see new guidelines for how companies report the risks of climate change. This will allow investors to compare companies and make more informed decisions.

Dr. Benjamin Koh blew the whistle on former employee CommInsure in 2016 for their systemic program of denying valid insurance payments. AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Canada offers Australia a blueprint for protecting and motivating corporate whistleblowers

Janet Austin, University of New Brunswick

Australian authorities are considering offering financial incentives for would-be whistleblowers to motivate them to come forward with high quality information.

Arts + Culture

Madonna and fashion designer Jeremy Scott arrive at this year’s Met Gala in New York. Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Friday essay: double standards and derision – tracing our attitudes to older women and beauty

Michelle Smith, Deakin University

Why is Cher, 71, celebrated when she wears a near-nude costume while Madonna, 58, receives revulsion? 19th century women's magazines reveal how the double standards of beauty for older women came about.

Rosie Tasman Napurrurla, Warlpiri 2002, Ngurlu Jukurrpa (‘Grass Seed; Bush Grain Dreaming’), line etching on Hahnemuhle paper. Warnayaka Art Centre, Lajamanu, and Aboriginal Art Prints Network, Sydney

Jukurrpa-kurlu Yapa-kurlangu-kurlu

Christine Judith Nicholls, Flinders University; Mary Laughren, The University of Queensland

The theme of this year's NAIDOC week is "Our Languages Matter". Aboriginal languages under threat across Australia. Read a Warlpiri introduction to Dreamtime and The Dreaming.

Politics + Society

Kim Jong-un’s rhetoric and action against the US and others is framed domestically as the heroic defiance of an evil enemy. Reuters/KCNA

The West's hyperbole on North Korea will only fuel Kim Jong-un's propaganda

Nicholas R. Smith

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s rhetoric and actions is brinkmanship, aimed at maintaining his domestic grip on power.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, pictured here with French President Emmanuel Macron, has managed to keep centrists happy while holding on to her conservative base. Reuters/Fabrizio Bensch

How Angela Merkel has become – and remains – one of the world's most successful political leaders

Matt Fitzpatrick, Flinders University

Looking like a centrist, but governing as a conservative, Angela Merkel has cleared the decks before the coming German election.

Science + Technology

Ulysses butterflies (Papilio ulysses) in CSIRO’s Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra. CSIRO

It's not the science of tax, and five other things you should know about taxonomy

Kevin Thiele, University of Western Australia; David Yeates, CSIRO; Kym Abrams, University of Western Australia; Nerida Wilson, Western Australian Museum

Australian taxonomy resources number around 70 million specimens, valued at over AU$5 billion. That's big science.

Should we add emus to our diet? Jillian Garvey

The Australian palaeodiet: which native animals should we eat?

Jillian Garvey, La Trobe University

If Australians are to eat healthy, unprocessed meats while making sustainable choices, native animals would be an obvious choice.

Education

Even with higher fees, higher education will still be worthwhile for most young people. Shutterstock

Higher education fees are rising – so is it still worthwhile enrolling?

Ittima Cherastidtham, Grattan Institute

Earnings data suggest higher education remains financially attractive for most students, and the small proposed fee increases should not materially affect that.

When played in moderation, electronic games can be beneficial for children’s learning and development. shutterstock

Electronic games: how much is too much for kids?

Sue Walker, Queensland University of Technology; Susan Danby, Queensland University of Technology

Low-to-moderate use of electronic games may have a positive effect on children's later academic achievement, but overuse can be detrimental.

Multimedia

Editing DNA has the potential to treat disease by repairing or removing defective genes. Kyle Lawson/flickr

Speaking with: Professor Peter Koopman on CRISPR and the power of genome editing

William Isdale, University of Melbourne

William Isdale speaks with University of Queensland Professor Peter Koopman about CRISPR technology.

The mechanical shark used in the 1975 film Jaws. Tom Simpson/ flickr

The great movie scenes: Steven Spielberg's Jaws

Bruce Isaacs, University of Sydney

The 1975 film Jaws launched the career of a young Steven Spielberg. In this scene, the town's police chief Martin Brody witnesses the shark's brutal attack for the first time - taking the viewer along for the ride.

Environment + Energy

The crack along the Larsen C ice has grown significantly over the past few weeks. EPA/NASA/John Sonntag

Don't worry about the huge Antarctic iceberg – worry about the glaciers behind it

Chen Zhao, University of Tasmania; Christopher Watson, University of Tasmania; Matt King, University of Tasmania

A huge iceberg is set to break free from Antarctica. While the iceberg isn't hugely concerning, it could herald the breakup of the entire Larsen C ice shelf, which could trigger more sea-level rise.

This quenda seems to have been a victim of land clearing. Colin Leonhardt/Birdseyeviewphotography.com.au

Land clearing isn't just about trees – it's an animal welfare issue too

Hugh Finn, Curtin University

More than 50 million birds, mammals and reptiles are thought to be killed each year in New South Wales and Queensland by the removal of native vegetation, and planning laws are failing to protect them.

Cities

Cities suffer the planning consequences of rapid population growth while the federal government reaps the revenue. Gilad Rom/Flickr

City planning suffers growth pains of Australia's population boom

Glen Searle, University of Sydney

Financial benefits are behind the development industry’s push for a continuous rapid population growth. But our poorly planned cities are ill-prepared and already struggling.

At the Ashwood-Chadstone estate, Port Phillip Housing Association has built high-quality homes, with no visible difference between the 72 private and 206 community housing dwellings. PPHA

Community sector offers a solid platform for fair social housing

Terry Burke, Swinburne University of Technology

Concerns about the privatisation of public housing estates should not blind us to the benefits of the transfer of public housing to the not-for-profit community housing sector.

 

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