Editor's note

Today there will be marches for science in several Australian capitals and worldwide. Many people will greet this news with a yawn and shrug. Until recently, professing support for science seemed about as vital as coming out in favour of world peace or declaring your unflinching admiration for adventurous kittens.

But, as Nobel laureate Peter Doherty argues in a speech he will deliver today, things have changed. A whacky coalition of conspiracy theorists and vested interests have long sought advantage by attacking science, arguing tobacco really won’t kill you or climate change isn’t a looming global catastrophe.

What’s different is now they are winning – an ascendancy Doherty says presents a threat to the global culture of science. The perceived anti-science stance of the Trump administration sparked today’s marches, but it’s not occurring in a vacuum. Distrust of experts in on the rise globally.

In public debate, partisan ramblings are increasingly given nearly as much credence as real research. A couple of years ago, Janet Napolitano, the president of the University of California, warned that when the voices of scientists are not heard in the public square there is a price to pay. Now we are staring at the bill.

It’s why the March for Science is a good idea, and it’s why we should count ourselves lucky to have the likes of Doherty and his many colleagues to stand up for something that we know deep down should require no defence. Science is global. Its detractors know this and act accordingly. We should get to the marches if we can and support the public-spirited Australian scientists who today are taking up the fight.

Misha Ketchell

Editor

Science + Technology

March for Science events will be held across the world on April 22 2017. from www.shutterstock.com

Peter Doherty: why Australia needs to march for science

Peter C. Doherty, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity

In its broadest sense, the March for Science aims to cause US legislators to reflect a little and understand what they risk if they choose to erode their global scientific leadership.

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Jonti Horner, University of Southern Queensland

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John Hadley, Western Sydney University

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Queen Elizabeth II meets with Australian Defence Force personnel and veterans at the Australian War Memorial in 2011. Graham Tidy/AAP

Friday essay: King, Queen and country – will Anzac thwart republicanism?

Mark McKenna, University of Sydney

As Australians once found spiritual communion through allegiance to the British monarch, they find similar virtues in Anzac today. Can the republican movement connect with a large enough number of people in a similar way?

Cities

Barnaby Joyce and Scott Morrison have channelled 1940s-era debates in their comments on housing affordability. AAP/Sam Mooy

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For renters, making housing more affordable is just the start

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Education

The aim of all reading is comprehension. from www.shutterstock.com

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Misty Adoniou, University of Canberra

Four tips for teaching reading.

Companies relaxing degree requirements raises new questions about the value of a university education. Shutterstock

Degrees of separation: companies shed degree requirements to promote merit over qualifications

Joshua Krook, University of Adelaide

While more people than ever are graduating from universities, some companies are abandoning degree requirements altogether.

Politics + Society

A cohesive multicultural society such as Australia requires a core level of integration among its members. AAP/Lukas Coch

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Alex Reilly, University of Adelaide

There is a risk that if Australian citizenship is too hard to attain, it will create a two-tier system of permanent residency.

North Koreans react as they march past the stand with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a military parade. Reuters/Damir Sagolj

Trump and North Korea: military action will be a disaster, so a more patient, thoughtful solution is required

Benjamin Habib, La Trobe University

Any intensification of the military tension between North Korea and the United States would be calamitous, and requires a patient, innovative and informed approach by policymakers.

Environment + Energy

Humans have burned 420 billion tonnes of carbon since the start of the industrial revolution. Half of it is still in the atmosphere. Reuters/Stringer

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Global warming and carbon emissions, left unchecked, could cause rising sea levels and displace almost 200 million people. But we can still prevent the worst case scenario if we act now.

Wollemia pine pollen cone. Wollemia pines (found in the wild only in Australia) are one of the most ancient tree species in the world, dating back 200 million years. Velela/Wikipedia

Where the old things are: Australia's most ancient trees

Cris Brack, Australian National University; Matthew Brookhouse, Australian National University

Australia is home to some of the oldest trees in the world. But how do they live so long?

Business + Economy

The new GST laws will force Ebay and other online marketplaces to pay GST on goods sold by overseas sellers. Beck Diefenbach/Reuters

Imposing GST on low-value imports doesn't level the playing field

Kathrin Bain, UNSW

The governments move to include low-value online bought goods in the GST doesn't treat overseas and local sellers in the same way.

The Conversation/Emil Jeyaratnam

Curious kids: where does money come from?

Fabrizio Carmignani, Griffith University

Millie, aged 5, wants to know where money comes from. We asked n economist to explain.

Health + Medicine

Open wide … the mouths of crocodiles like this contain bacteria that cause potentially lethal infections in people they bite. from www.shutterstock.com

If a croc bite doesn't get you, infection will

Simon Smith, James Cook University

Until recently we didn't know much about which antibiotic is best for people who have been attacked by a crocodile.

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after dementia. from shutterstock.com

From blood letting to brain stimulation: 200 years of Parkinson's disease treatment

Lyndsey Collins-Praino, University of Adelaide

2017 marks the 200th anniversary since the 1817 publication of Dr James Parkinson’s seminal work on what he called the "Shaking Palsy".

 

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