Editor's note
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Once upon a time you would have found me on a netball court. Bouncing around in a bib with a big WA or C on it (a promotion from the wing defence I started out as). It was a far cry from the quality shown off by the Liz Ellis’ and Laura Geitzs I was watching on TV - I was clumsy and more excited about the post-game sausage sizzle than scoring.
This week we’ve been keeping a sharp eye on all things related to The Commonwealth Games - from detailing the origins of netball, to wondering how long it will take for Esports to feature at major competitions and discussing why the Commonwealth Games still matter at all?
If you’ve missed any of our Commonwealth Games pieces, you can find all our coverage here. Go Diamonds!
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Molly Glassey
Newsletter Editor
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Science + Technology
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Not so “ladylike” – the netball rivalry between Australian and New Zealand will continue at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Ross Setford/AAP
Rochelle Eime, Federation University Australia; Bob Stewart, La Trobe University
Commonwealth Games netball is an intensely physical and competitive affair. It's a far cry from netball's roots – the game was designed to shape women into model middle-class citizens.
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Motor racing has always had a close relationship with the media.
Jens Buettner/EPA
Mark Finn, Swinburne University of Technology
Electric vehicle racing is slower and quieter than conventional car racing. To make it interesting, organisers are allowing fans to choose by popular vote to give some drivers a power boost.
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Commonwealth Games
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Performers at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
AAP
Eddie Synot, Griffith University
Events like the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony present history as a simplistic story of progress and reconciliation.
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Esports do not have the same gender barriers as traditional sports.
AAP
Sarah Jane Kelly, The University of Queensland
The consumption of sport has already changed dramatically, and esports in major competitions is the next step.
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Health + Medicine
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Young people have reported cultural gains from drug use, such as strengthening social ties and gaining access to social networks.
from www.shutterstock.com
Jennifer Power, La Trobe University
A new study among gay and bisexual men living with HIV found those who were occasional or regular users of party drugs reported significantly better social outcomes than non-users.
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Antibiotic resistance is not new but recent developments increase the urgency for action.
Shutterstock
Mark Blaskovich, The University of Queensland
Superbugs used to pose the greatest risk to people with compromised immune systems and those who had surgery. But their sexual transmission means antibiotic resistance can spread much more widely.
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Listen
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Marco Verch/shutterstock
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Keating told The Conversation that taxation revenue will need to rise by another 3 percentage points of GDP in the next three decades.
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We’re used to hearing cries of “NIMBYism” and “money-hungry developers” on both sides of planning debates, but there’s actually more subtlety to interactions around urban planning that are worth exploring and understanding.
Joel Carrett/AAP
Dallas Rogers, University of Sydney
Dallas Rogers speaks with Western Sydney University's Cameron McAuliffe about leveraging conflict and informal processes in the urban planning process.
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Evidence isn’t always as straightforward as it might first seem.
Mai Lam/The Conversation NY-BD-CC
Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation; Madeleine De Gabriele, The Conversation
You've had an x-ray before but have you had an n-ray? Of course not, because they're not real. But people used to think they were. Today, on Trust Me, I'm an Expert, we're bringing you stories on the theme of evidence.
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Arts + Culture
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Thylacine joey, from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London.
Penny Edmonds
Penny Edmonds, University of Tasmania; Hannah Stark, University of Tasmania
More than 160 thylacine specimens lie in museum collections in the UK. The sight of their bodies is a shocking reminder of loss.
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Penelope and the Suitors, by J.W. Waterhouse (1912).
Wikimedia Commons
Marguerite Johnson, University of Newcastle
It may seem incredible that some 2,500 years since the Homeric epics, women are still silenced in public. But the myths of Archaic Greece resonate today in disturbing ways.
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Environment + Energy
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Solar photovoltaics are now the world’s leading source of new electricity generation.
US Air Force
Andrew Blakers, Australian National University; Matthew Stocks, Australian National University
Solar photovoltaics and wind power are on track to supplant fossil-fuel-based electricity generation by the 2030s. The only thing holding back the renewable revolution is politics.
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Like two peas in a pod, if the pod was an egg and the peas were chickens.
Gina Pina/Flickr.com
Maggie J. Watson, Charles Sturt University
Eggs are tiny wonders, but even wonders can go wonky sometimes. We look at everything from double-yolkers to eggs with no shell at all.
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Education
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Knowing how to ask for directions in another language is vastly different from studying and working using the language.
Photo by Sebastian Hietsch on Unsplash
Ingrid Piller, Macquarie University
Some learning apps promise to have you speaking a new language in two weeks. But truly learning a language requires considerable time, effort and commitment.
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Reading aloud to children can encourage a love of reading.
Shutterstock
Margaret Kristin Merga, Curtin University; Paul Gardner, Curtin University; Saiyidi Mat Roni, Edith Cowan University; Susan F Ledger, Murdoch University
Finding time to read to your children can be hard, but there are several ways you can make sure your child gets the most out of time for reading aloud.
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Cities
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Historic investments in green open space along the Yarra created a legacy of liveability in Melbourne.
Ispas Vlad/Shutterstock
Chris Chesterfield, Monash University
Australian cities are experiencing the third big wave of growth in their history. The response in the past was planning and investment in green infrastructure, and it's time to do the same again.
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The research shows that barring people with a history of drug offences from public housing won’t reduce the risks of harm as NSW minister Pru Goward argues.
Chris Pavlich/AAP
Kev Dertadian, Western Sydney University
The evidence is clear on the sort of support that is needed to reduce the harms of drug use. A punitive approach that denies people a second chance makes it more likely they will reoffend.
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Business + Economy
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Australian beef producers will be much more competitive in exporting to China as their American competitors have to grapple with the 25% tariff on their beef.
Dan Peled/AAP
Giovanni Di Lieto, Monash University
To be realistic, the US-China trade war gives Australia the unprecedented chance to expand its economic footprint.
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Funeral insurance is a financial product and not really any different from life insurance.
www.shutterstock.com
Sandra van der Laan, University of Sydney; Lee Moerman, University of Wollongong
It seems many Australians are over-insuring when it comes to funerals.
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Politics + Society
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Whether barriers to adoption are always a bad thing is up for debate.
shutterstock
Patricia Fronek, Griffith University
We often hear that adoptions in Australia should be easier and quicker. But many safeguards in the adoption process are in place for a reason.
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Flags of the Commonwealth on display at the opening ceremony of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
AAP/Dean Lewins
Kristyn Harman, University of Tasmania
As the Commonwealth Games get underway on the Gold Coast, what actually is the Commonwealth and is it still relevant?
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Featured jobs
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Griffith University — Bundall, Queensland
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James Cook University — Cairns City, Queensland
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Charles Sturt University — Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
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Featured events
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The Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia — University of Melbourne
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RMIT Activator (Level 2, Bldg 98), 102 Victoria St, Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia — Monash University
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Level 2 Kwong Lee Dow Building, The University of Melbourne, 234 Queensberry St Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, 3053, Australia — University of Melbourne
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101 Currie St, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia — University of South Australia
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