Can a person identify as Aboriginal based on a DNA test?

Editor's note

US Senator Elizabeth Warren has come under fire for releasing genomic data that suggests she has Native American ancestry. Anthropologists Elizabeth Watt and Emma Kowal explain why information revealing Indigenous ancestry would likely have been received differently in Australia. While both the US and Australia are grappling with what DNA testing means when it comes to identity and culture, Indigenous communities in Australia are generally more accepting of people who discover their heritage later in life, due to the Stolen Generations.

Shelley Hepworth

Section Editor: Technology

Top story

US Senator Elizabeth Warren recently released the results of a DNA test to support her claim to Native American ancestry. AAP/MICHAEL REYNOLDS

Why DNA tests for Indigenous heritage mean different things in Australia and the US

Elizabeth Watt, Deakin University; Emma Kowal, Deakin University

The question of whether a person can "become" Aboriginal after discovering ancestry through a DNA test is more complicated in Australia.

Health + Medicine

Dental tourism: things to consider before going that extra mile for your smile

Madhan Balasubramanian, University of Sydney; Alexander Holden, University of Sydney

With the often prohibitive costs of dental treatment in Australia, travelling overseas to have dental work done is increasingly common. But it's important to exercise caution.
What causes multiple sclerosis? What we know, don’t know and suspect

Trevor Kilpatrick, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

Young women are disproportionately affected by multiple sclerosis, a disease where the body attacks the brain, scrambling communication to the rest of the body. Here's what we know about the causes.

Politics + Society

Why Australia needs a Religious Discrimination Act

Renae Barker, University of Western Australia

Australians already enjoy a relatively high level of religious freedom. However, discrimination and vilification on the basis of people's faith still exists.
Former Home Affairs officer calls for all refugees to be brought to Australia

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

In a paper being sent to all federal MPs, Shaun Hanns argues that current policy is based on an unfounded belief that resettlement in Australia would lead to an out-of-control influx of boat arrivals.
The fair go is a fading dream, but don’t write it off

Garry Barrett, University of Sydney; Stephen Whelan, University of Sydney

This is the first article in a series, Reclaiming the Fair Go, to mark the awarding of the 2018 Sydney Peace Prize to Nobel laureate and economist Joseph Stiglitz.
New Zealand politics: foreign donations and political influence

Simon Chapple, Victoria University of Wellington

An evolving controversy brewing in New Zealand's opposition National Party has raised questions about political party donations and foreign influence on New Zealand’s democratic system.

Business + Economy
The best way to boost the economy is the best way to improve the lives of disadvantaged students Richard Holden, UNSW Lifting the standards of rural and remote students to the those of urban students could boost the economy by 3.3%

FactCheck
Victorian election 2018: how to spot and suggest a fact check Lucinda Beaman, The Conversation With just over four weeks to go until the Victorian state election, we'd like to know which topics matter to you, and what you'd most like to see fact-checked. Here's how you can get involved.

Arts + Culture

Sabrina the teenage witch is back, with a darker look for our times

Emma Quilty, University of Newcastle

The new Sabrina joins a host of other witches in pop culture, a witch revival that reflects more radical feminist politics.
Boy Erased is a safe and predictable take on the horrors of gay conversion

Stuart Richards, University of Melbourne

While queer movies don't necessarily have to be made by queer filmmakers, Boy Erased is a safe film. It is finely made albeit heavy-handed in its melodrama.

Cities
Here’s how to design cities where people and nature can both flourish Georgia Garrard, RMIT University; Nicholas Williams, University of Melbourne; Sarah Bekessy, RMIT University Australian cities are home to many threatened species but are also where biodiversity is being destroyed by development. But what if planning and design processes built nature into the urban fabric?

Science + Technology
Tweaking just a few genes in wild plants can create new food crops – but let’s get the regulation right James Hereward, The University of Queensland; Caitlin Curtis, The University of Queensland Gene editing of wild plants can help us tap into new sources of food. But we need to make sure it's safe – and that demands some careful regulation.

Environment + Energy
Curious Kids: Why is a magpie’s poo black and white? Gisela Kaplan, University of New England Like reptiles, birds do not have two separate exits from the body. They have one, called the cloaca. It is quite similar to the human anus but the cloaca expels both indigestible bits and toxins.