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Editor's note
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In sport there’s a famous phrase, “go hard or go home”. When it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps it should be “go hard, and stay home”.
A new analysis reveals in stark detail the differing fortunes of countries that were prepared to go hard and early on social isolation measures in response to the epidemic, and those that fatally hesitated.
Australia, thankfully, has fallen into the former camp, reports Hassan Vally, who presents a series of graphs showing how six different nations have fared. Australia’s border controls and social distancing helped us rapidly reduce the virus’s spread below the threshold needed to flatten the curve. Contrast that with Italy, the US and the UK, all of which were slow to act and are suffering the consequences.
But one example, Singapore, went hard early but then relaxed, after which the virus rebounded, showing there’s no room for complacency.
Singapore’s coronavirus outbreak is overwhelmingly concentrated in the dormitories where its foreign migrant workers live – and the crisis is shining a light on their deplorable living conditions.
Sallie Yea spent a year talking to these workers about their lives in Singapore, and here, she takes an inside look at their living conditions: 20-30 men sharing a room and up to 80 men sharing one toilet, no air conditioning or proper ventilation, night and day workers having to take shifts in the same bed. The spread of disease has long been a problem.
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Michael Hopkin
Science + Technology Editor
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Top story
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James Gourley/AAP Image
Hassan Vally, La Trobe University
Countries aiming to flatten the coronavirus curve have one crucial aim: reduce the "effective reproduction number" of the virus to below 1. This means the spread is slowing, rather than accelerating.
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Wallace Woon/EPA
Sallie Yea, La Trobe University
Singapore, once a success in containing coronavirus, now has the most cases in Southeast Asia. One of the main reasons: the government's neglect of its 300,000 foreign migrant workers.
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Shutterstock
Michelle Bishop, Macquarie University
Many teachers want to teach Indigenous perspectives but often lack confidence or know-how. Teachers must be willing to confront the ongoing effects of colonialism in and outside the classroom.
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DAVID CROSLING/AAP
Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation; Phoebe Roth, The Conversation; Sophia Morris, The Conversation
The way Australia has commemorated Cook's arrival has changed over time – from military displays in 1870 to waning interest in Cook in the 1950s, followed by the fever pitch celebrations of 1970.
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Environment + Energy
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Hugh Forehead, University of Wollongong
Researchers built cheap air quality monitors using parts found at hardware and electronics scores. The results have big implications for anyone who travels outside near busy roads.
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Cris Brack, Australian National University; Aini Jasmin Ghazalli
Humans have an innate affinity with nature. Embracing this in your home while locked down may improve your productivity and health.
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Science + Technology
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Alistair Evans, Monash University; David Krause, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York); Simone Hoffmann, New York Institute of Technology
This ancient cat-sized animal lived millions of years ago and had features not found in any of today's mammals.
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Lotti Tajouri, Bond University; Mariana Campos, Murdoch University; Rashed Alghafri, Bond University; Simon McKirdy, Murdoch University
At least two thirds of mobile phones are contaminated with bacteria or viruses, but most people never clean them.
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Arts + Culture
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Scott Beattie, CQUniversity Australia
Board game Pandemic is providing more than entertainment in lockdown – helping players think through problems creatively, focus, adapt and reflect on serious issues.
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Politics + Society
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Maria Nugent, Australian National University
Indigenous story-telling of Cook's landing has transformed the way we understand his legacy in Australia. And the way he came ashore set some of the terms for future colonial-Indigenous relations.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
On this episode of Politics with Michelle Grattan, Katy Gallagher joins the podcast to discuss the recently formed select committee into COVID-19
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Business + Economy
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Roger Wilkins, University of Melbourne; Jeff Borland, University of Melbourne
Jobkeeper is far from perfect and open to abuse. On the face of it, it supports 6.6 million wages to save 1 million jobs.
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Rachel Morrison, Auckland University of Technology
The open-plan, shared office may be a thing of the past if physical distancing and stricter hygiene become the new normal.
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Health + Medicine
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Ahmad Nurhasim, The Conversation
Democracies such as the United States, Italy and Spain, as well as Indonesia, have so far failed to control the spread of the virus.
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Sophie Lewis, UNSW; Karen Willis, La Trobe University
Drop, suspend, downgrade or keep? Many people are feeling the pinch and wondering if private heath insurance is worth keeping during the coronavirus pandemic. Here's what to consider.
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Gorica Micic, Flinders University; Branko Zajamsek, Flinders University
Whether our brain decides to wake us or let us keep sleeping depends on the loudness and type of sound, our depth of sleep and sensitivity to noise.
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Education
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Jen Jackson, Victoria University; Sarah Pilcher, Victoria University
Even before COVID-19, use of the ATAR for university entry was contentious. Now it's even more so, and universities need to rely on other ways to admit students.
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