|
On Tuesday, Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 hit a patch of “extreme turbulence” and plummeted almost 2 kilometres in the space of a few minutes. Dozens of people were injured, and one died of what is presumed to have been a heart attack.
As aviation expert Doug Drury writes, the incident is a dramatic reminder of the risks of turbulence. While airlines do everything they can to avoid patches of rough air, they can sometimes be unavoidable.
Some routes – especially those near mountains – are inherently prone to turbulence. And a growing body of research suggests climate change may already be making severe turbulence more common. The message for travellers? Buckle up.
Conversely, when we hear about incidents like this, it’s entirely natural to have a strong emotional reaction. We might imagine the terror we would feel if we were on the plane at the time.
But our emotional response alters our perception of the risk and leads us to think these incidents are more common than they are. In reality, air travel is safer than other forms of transport, as Hassan Vally from Deakin University explains.
If you value this kind of journalism, consider donating to The Conversation today. We know the cost of living is biting, but every little bit helps.
|
|
Michael Lucy
Science Editor
|
|
Doug Drury, CQUniversity Australia
With severe injuries from turbulence on a recent Singapore Airlines flight, questions abound over why airplanes encounter this phenomenon and whether climate change really will make it worse.
|
Hassan Vally, Deakin University
Air travel is safer than you might think, despite the publicity surrounding the recent Singapore Airlines incident. Here’s what’s going on to distort your perception of risk.
|
Peter McDonald, The University of Melbourne
Slashing the permanent migration intake will do little to help manage population growth and may well make building more homes even harder.
|
Claire Charles, Deakin University; Lucinda McKnight, Deakin University
New UK research goes against previous studies that suggest it does not matter if students attend single sex or co-ed schools.
|
Clive Hamilton, Charles Sturt University; Myra Hamilton, University of Sydney
We crunched the numbers and found when it comes to top awards, Rhodes scholarships and High Court appointments, the dominance of elite private school alumni has grown over the past 40 years.
|
Justine Humphry, University of Sydney; Catherine Page Jeffery, University of Sydney; Jonathon Hutchinson, University of Sydney; Olga Boichak, University of Sydney
We asked young people and parents what they thought about age-verification tools to restrict access to certain online content. We found their voice isn’t being reflected in broader debates.
|
Elizabeth Westrupp, Deakin University; Gabriella King, Deakin University; Jade Sheen, Deakin University
Children and adolescents may experience perfectionism in relation to school work, sport, performance in art or music, or in relation to their own body. Here’s how parents can tackle it.
|
Ruth Morgan, Australian National University
The phrase ‘net zero’ has a long history.
|
Pamela Hanrahan, UNSW Sydney
Regulators, investors and climate advocates will be able to monitor what impact businesses are having on the environment under new accountability laws.
|
Mike W. Morley, Flinders University; Ceri Shipton, UCL; Kasih Norman, Griffith University; Shimona Kealy, Australian National University; Sue O'Connor, Australian National University
New evidence from Laili rockshelter on Timor hints at a rapid, large-scale human arrival 44,000 years ago.
|
Politics + Society
|
-
Adrian Beaumont, The University of Melbourne
Queensland Premier Steven Miles is falling behind his Liberal counterpart as preferred premier. Federally, Labor and the Coalition remain tied, according to Freshwater polling.
-
Stephen Sherlock, Australian National University
A troublesome parliament would be a major impediment to the new president. This is why ministerial positions are so important.
|
|
Science + Technology
|
-
Katharine Kemp, UNSW Sydney
A new ACCC report shows 74% of Australians are uncomfortable with their personal data being shared or sold. Yet this is happening every day, and the privacy law isn’t being enforced.
|
|
Environment + Energy
|
-
Michelle Wille, The University of Melbourne
Migratory birds could bring the lethal bird flu variant that is assailing the rest of the world’s birds.
|
|
Arts + Culture
|
-
Timothy Byron, University of Wollongong
When you sample speech and put it on a loop, we stop paying attention to the meaning of the words. We start paying attention to the sound, the rhythm and the melody. We hear speech as music.
-
Catherine Strong, RMIT University; Bianca Fileborn, The University of Melbourne; Paige Klimentou, RMIT University
How Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ actions are framed and responded to can send a powerful message about our tolerance of men’s violence.
|
|
Business + Economy
|
-
Mark A Gregory, RMIT University
The telecommunications giant is looking to meet its own cost-cutting targets as it faces increasing competition in a maturing market.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
The Conversation AU
Melbourne VIC, Australia
•
Full Time
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
| |
Featured Events, Courses & Podcasts
|
View all
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
