Editor's note
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This week we’re challenging our experts to the impossible task of nominating their favourite albums. David McCooey bravely starts us off with Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love, one the most “thrilling, literate and ambitious works of popular music”. We’ve got some great pieces of music in store, and we expect plenty of strong opinions.
Also tell us what your favourite is by emailing myfavouritealbum@theconversation.edu.au. We’ll be compiling the best responses at the end of the week.
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James Whitmore
Editor, Arts + Culture
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Arts + Culture
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David McCooey, Deakin University
In Hounds of Love, Kate Bush’s extraordinary vocal performances are the musical equivalent of speaking in tongues. There are few more thrilling, literate, and ambitious works of popular music.
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New technologies are taking books and libraries to places that are, as yet, unimaginable.
Shutterstock
Camilla Nelson, University of Notre Dame Australia
The history of the library is replete with mechanical marvels. More than collections of books, libraries are social, cultural and technological institutions that house the very idea of a society.
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Environment + Energy
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The critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum lives within a single federal electorate. Their local MP has a responsibility to be their voice.
Zoos Victoria
James Watson, The University of Queensland; April Reside, The University of Queensland; Brooke Williams, The University of Queensland; Hugh Possingham, The University of Queensland; Martine Maron, The University of Queensland; Michelle Ward, The University of Queensland; Richard Fuller, The University of Queensland; Scott Consaul Atkinson, The University of Queensland; Stephen Kearney, The University of Queensland
Just a handful of federal members of parliament represent hundreds of Australia's threatened species.
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The Liddell power station in the Hunter Valley near Newcastle.
AAP Image/Dean Lewins
Frank Jotzo, Australian National University; Zeba Anjum, Australian National University
Government payments to keep Australia's oldest coal plant running amounts to a carbon subsidy. It's worth looking at the financial – and carbon –
cost.
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FactCheck
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Many of the studies on this question examine the outcomes for children in same-sex parented families where both parents are women.
Shutterstock
Jennifer Power, La Trobe University
Discussing his opposition to same-sex marriage, Liberal MP Kevin Andrews said children who are brought up with a mother and father are 'better off than those who are not'. Let's look at the research.
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Health + Medicine
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Hedonism isn’t all about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. It can be about savouring the pleasure in a cup of tea at the end of a hard day.
from www.shutterstock.com
Desirée Kozlowski, Southern Cross University
Savouring the pleasures in life is linked to better health and well-being. And no, that doesn't necessarily mean binge drinking or all-night wild parties.
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Is this actually a possible future?
Screenshot, IMDB
Shaun Roman, University of Newcastle
The release of TV program The Handmaid's Tale and a study on male sperm numbers have left some worried about the future of human fertility.
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Politics + Society
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North Korea is more likely to use nuclear weapons if backed into a corner where the perpetuation of the Kim regime was directly threatened.
Reuters/KCNA
Benjamin Habib, La Trobe University
The North Korea nuclear crisis is exposing the reality of US decline and the growing limitations of its ability to shape the strategic environment in northeast Asia.
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Marriage reform of any kind has been historically slow to take hold.
Shutterstock
Timothy W. Jones, La Trobe University
Changes to marriage around the world have, historically, met with strident opposition, so it's no surprise that same-sex marriage in Australia has had its own tough road to hoe.
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Cities
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So much for context – authorities are allowing large out-of-place buildings in the higher-density retrofitting push.
Linley Lutton
Linley Lutton, University of Western Australia
Planners wish to correct past errors by increasing densities, discouraging car dependency and mixing land uses. But imposing imported strategies on Australian cities is producing unhappy results.
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City mayors have taken on a prominent role in committing to action on climate change through forums such as the C40.
Henry Romero/Reuters
Brendan F.D. Barrett, RMIT University; Andrew DeWit, Rikkyo University
It's a good thing that cities aspire to lead the way in acting on climate change in the absence of stronger national action. But a closer look reveals the limitations of current city-based efforts.
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Science + Technology
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Cassini makes the first radio occultation of Saturn’s rings producing this simulated image with green for particles smaller than 5cm and purple where particles are larger.
NASA/JPL
Tanya Hill, Museum Victoria
The Cassini space probe took us up close and through the beautiful rings of Saturn. It captured some amazing images, and even the sound of the rings during its mission.
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Police operations online sometimes have shaky legal grounds.
U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS
Ian Warren, Deakin University; Adam Molnar, Deakin University; Monique Mann, Queensland University of Technology
Without proper checks, police could have significantly expanded scope to search homes and computers around the world.
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Education
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The federal government announced an independent review into regional, rural and remote education in March this year.
AAP Image/Lukas Coch
Philip Roberts, University of Canberra; Natalie Downes, University of Canberra
Staffing rural schools has been an issue in Australia for at least 113 years. We need a fresh approach to tackle this persistent problem.
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Education is recognised in a number of the SDGs, particularly SDG 4 which calls for “inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann
Tahl Kestin, Monash University; John Thwaites, Monash University; Katie Ross, University of Technology Sydney; Leanne Denby, Macquarie University; Marjan van den Belt, Victoria University of Wellington
Universities can contribute to the goals through education, research, innovation and leadership, but they need to get started now.
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Business + Economy
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Shipping constraints are costing Australian exporters.
AAP
Peter Robertson, University of Western Australia
New modelling shows that Australia’s distance from Europe and the United States hurts our exports, but this will change as Asia develops.
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Imported goods could be partly to blame for low wage growth.
Julian Smith/AAP
Ross Guest, Griffith University
There are two ways that international competition can reduce wages. Both are effects of globalisation.
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Featured jobs
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La Trobe University — Ghan, Northern Territory
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University of Western Australia — Perth, Western Australia
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RMIT University — Melbourne, Victoria
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University of Melbourne — Parkville, Victoria
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Featured events
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Level 6, 14–20 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3051, Australia — Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation
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35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia, 6000, Australia — University of Western Australia
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Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, 4217, Australia — Arts Centre Gold Coast
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Sydney Law School, University of Sydney, Australian Capital Territory, 2006, Australia — University of Sydney
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