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Editor's note
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Can you imagine walking 14,000km? Trekking across wide savannas, down creek beds, along mountain chains in terrain that is new and home to foreign types of plants and animals. Can I eat this? What is that?
This is the sort of epic undertaking that human ancestors made as they emerged from Africa and into new lands. A new study published in the journal Nature has extended the start of hominid worldwide exploration back to beyond 2.1 million years ago, with the discovery of stone tools in Shangchen, China.
Scientist Michelle Langley explains where this new finding fits with our current understanding of the incredible adapabilty of early humans.
And if you’re off on holidays this week, will you be offline as well? New research suggests more of us want a “digital detox” holiday – and Australia’s tourism operators may stand to benefit.
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Sarah Keenihan
Section Editor: Science + Technology
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Top story
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Looking for food, water and maybe adventure?
Unsplash
Michelle Langley, Griffith University
Conquer the globe? You bet we did – but when did it start? A new paper shows early humans made tools in China two million years ago.
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Science + Technology
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Philip Lovell Pearce, James Cook University; Li Jing, James Cook University
People are increasingly seeking out retro-style holidays, where connectivity is an afterthought.
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Stephen Woodcock, University of Technology Sydney
If any game comes down to a penalty shootout then there's one spot a player should aim for to stand a better chance of scoring a goal.
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Arts + Culture
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GJ Breyley, Monash University
Australia is home to a diverse range of female hip hop artists. Here's our guide to five of the best.
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Riza Casidy, Deakin University
While some other churches are losing attendees, Pentecostal membership is growing. Good branding may be the key to their success.
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Politics + Society
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Luke Beck, Monash University
As Australian society changes, some religious groups are struggling to adjust to their new, less influential place in it.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
In a strong defence of the public broadcaster, its chairman has warned against clipping the ABC's digital wings and defended its place in preserving the nation's identity.
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Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, University of South Australia
Overtourism is driving a backlash among residents of many European cities, and concerns are rising in Australia, too.
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Business + Economy
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Vicky Comino, The University of Queensland
Restructuring might help manage conflicts of interest between offering advice and selling products, but it doesn't fix the culture that sacrifices customers' interests to the pursuit of profits.
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Michael Gilding, Swinburne University of Technology; Dean Lusher, Swinburne University of Technology; Helen Bird, Swinburne University of Technology
The only predictor of boards reaching 30% female directors is if it has a director who sits on another board that has already met the target.
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Environment + Energy
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Brett Bryan, Deakin University; Lei Gao, CSIRO
After cascading ecological catastrophes in the 90s, China spent 20 years seriously investing in sustainability. Now that effort is paying off.
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John Thwaites, Monash University; Tahl Kestin, Monash University
A new report reveals Australia is lagging behind most wealthy nations in working towards the globally agreed goals. It's performing particularly badly on climate and environmental indicators.
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Alistair Hobday, CSIRO; Beth Fulton, CSIRO; Gretta Pecl, University of Tasmania
Australia's oceans are warming faster than the global average, and fish are moving south as a result.
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Health + Medicine
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John Furness, University of Melbourne
The loud noise might be a warning that there is something falling nearby, or flying towards you. Our brain tells our eyes to quickly shut, to help protect them from any damage.
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Education
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Donna Starks, La Trobe University
Those four words have multiple layers of meaning. How young Aussies answered depended on multiple factors, such as the colour of their skin, family ties and where they live geographically.
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Simon Crook, University of Sydney
Many students in Australia don't have access to specialist teachers in science and maths, and the problem is only getting worse.
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Featured jobs
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University of New England — Armidale, New South Wales
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RMIT University — Melbourne, Victoria
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University of Melbourne — Parkville, Victoria
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Deakin University — Newtown, Victoria
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Featured events
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192 Wellington Parade, Melbourne, Victoria, 3002, Australia — Association for Sustainability in Business
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14-20 Blackwood St , North Melbourne, Victoria, 3051, Australia — Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation
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221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, 3125, Australia — Deakin University
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Deakin Downtown, Level 12, Tower 2 Collins Square, 727 Collins Street, Docklands, Victoria, 3008, Australia — Deakin University
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