Editor's note

This week the World Bank’s Paul Romer lost his job as head of research. (He’ll remain as chief economist). His crime: grammar pedantry. As Roslyn Petelin argues, pedants may be a maligned bunch, but should really be seen as upholders of the English language. And whether you are a grammar groover, a grammasseur, or just a grammond, pedants come in many shades.

And we’re part way through our annual reader donation campaign – so if you haven’t already, please make a tax-deductible donation.

James Whitmore

Editor, Arts + Culture

Arts + Culture

It’s really ok to be a grammar pedant. Shutterstock

In defence of grammar pedantry

Roslyn Petelin, The University of Queensland

Grammar pedantry recently contributed to the downfall of World Bank chief economist Paul Romer. But 'grammonds' are people to be celebrated not vilified.

For thousands of years, women’s tattoos have been permanent records of female power over adversity. Shutterstock

Friday essay: power, perils and rites of passage – the history of the female tattoo

Emily Poelina-Hunter, RMIT University

For thousands of years, tattoos have been indicative of the passage from girlhood to womanhood, of female power and female beauty.

Science + Technology

A simulation of the latest binary black hole merger detected by LIGO. Blue indicates weak fields and yellow indicates strong fields. Numerical-relativistic Simulation: S Ossokine, A Buonanno (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics) and the Simulating eXtreme Spacetime project Scientific Visualization: T Dietrich (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), R Haas (NCSA)

A new discovery of gravitational waves has black holes in a spin

Matthew Bailes, Swinburne University of Technology; Eric Thrane, Monash University; Paul Lasky, Monash University

Scientists have made a third detection of gravitational waves, again caused by the merger of two black holes. But they think there's something different about the black holes in this case.

It’s in the genes why some people find broccoli unpleasantly bitter, but others barely flinch when eating it. from www.shutterstock.com

The science of taste, or why you choose fries over broccoli

Ingrid Appelqvist, CSIRO

Your genes, your saliva and the bacteria that live in your mouth all shape how food tastes and what you prefer to eat.

Education

Labor must explain how its additional funding will benefit students. Mick Tsikas/AAP

Even for those who believe in 'the full Gonski', Labor’s $22 billion figure makes no sense

Peter Goss, Grattan Institute

Here's why Labor’s figure for school funding is too high.

Some in the Catholic community previously labeled the Safe Schools program as ‘controversial’. Mal Fairclough/AAP

Catholic schools' 'alternative' to Safe Schools isn’t all that alternative

Lucy Nicholas, Swinburne University of Technology

The new program for Catholic schools draws on the same research as Safe Schools (so perhaps it wasn't part of a 'Marxist agenda' after all).

Politics + Society

Margaret Court’s views on homosexuality do not reflect those of most Christians. The Conversation/Shutterstock

Note to Margaret Court: the Bible isn't meant to be read that literally

Robyn J. Whitaker, University of Divinity

There is nothing inherently Christian about the so-called traditional arrangement of the nuclear family.

Of those who have experienced homelessness, 62% cite family breakdown or conflict as the main reason for becoming homeless for the first time. shutterstock

Family break-up raises homelessness risk, and critical period is longer for boys

Julie Moschion, University of Melbourne

Parental separation substantially raises the risk of homelessness by the age of 30 for girls and boys, but only boys are affected by a break-up after the age of 12.

Health + Medicine

Social media allow us to feel closer to tragedies on the other side of the world. Nigel Roddis/EPA/AAP

Twitter's plan to help young people not get too overwhelmed by bad news doesn't go far enough

Peggy Kern, University of Melbourne

We know negative news has an impact on our mental health, especially if we are constantly being exposed to it. Twitter is trying to help young people cope with the stress, which is a good start.

Generally, people under 40 have reported a decrease in recent illicit drug usage since 2001, while people 40 or older have reported an increase in recent years. AAP Image/Paul Miller

Three charts on: Australia's changing drug and alcohol habits

Nicole Lee, Curtin University

The proportion of population who use legal and illegal drugs has remained stable or trended down. Fewer young people are using, but the proportion of older people using drugs and alcohol has grown.

Podcasts

Russian line guard march prior to a military parade in Moscow. Yuri Kochetkov/EPA

Speaking with: Tony Kevin on his return to Moscow and the new Cold War with Russia

William Isdale, University of Melbourne

William Isdale speaks to Tony Kevin about his experience living in Russia during the Cold War and what he found when he returned almost 50 years later.

Mick Tsikas/AAP

Politics podcast: Matt Canavan on Adani

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

Matt Canavan tells The Conversation this mine is only one part of a plan for 'opening up the Galilee Basin' to provide investment opportunities, exports, and employment.

Cities

The flat white experience is so ubiquitous that it could be anywhere. mavo from www.shutterstock.com

Flat white urbanism: there must be better ways to foster a vibrant street life

Timothy Moore, University of Melbourne

The ubiquitous cafes across Australian cities attract locals and tourists alike, but surely there's more to thriving neighbourhoods than a flat white.

Most Sydneysiders are concerned about the effects of foreign investment on the local real estate market. Dave Hunt/AAP

Sydneysiders blame foreign investors for high housing prices – survey

Dallas Rogers, University of Sydney; Alexandra Wong, Western Sydney University; Jacqueline Nelson, University of Technology Sydney

Only 18% of Sydneysiders think foreign investors should be able to buy property. They simply don't accept arguments that this investment improves housing affordability by increasing supply.

Environment + Energy

Disruptive technology, Ming Dynasty-style. Vmenkov/Wikimedia Commons

15th-century Chinese sailors have a lesson for Trump about climate policy

Dave Frame, Victoria University of Wellington

In pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, Donald Trump has turned his back not just on the world but on the low-carbon economy. He should pay heed to a very apt lesson from China's history.

A wide range of industrial processes have released greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Paulo Resende/Shutterstock.com

Global stocktake shows the 43 greenhouse gases driving global warming

Pep Canadell, CSIRO; Cathy Trudinger, CSIRO; David Etheridge, CSIRO; Malte Meinshausen, University of Melbourne; Paul Fraser, CSIRO; Paul Krummel, CSIRO

While the gases most responsible for global warming - carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide - continue to climb, other industrial greenhouse gases are being brought gradually under control.

Business + Economy

Japanese car part manufacturing company Yazaki was fined A$9.5 million for cartel conduct. But now the ACCC wants to increase this. Yuriko Nakao/Reuters

Cartels caught ripping off Australian consumers should be hit with bigger fines

Caron Beaton-Wells, University of Melbourne

The level of corporate fines for anti-competitive conduct in Australia is woefully below international benchmarks.

People disclosing their emotional responses to brands online, helps connect better with others. Facebook

Worshipping at the church of Ford: how modern brand devotion connects people online

Simon Pervan, Swinburne University of Technology

Research shows social media allows people to disclose all sorts of information about their love for these brands and to seek out like minded people.

 

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