National Science Week kicks off this weekend, and we're all being urged to don the safety glasses and get involved. If you haven't touched a bunsen burner since high school, never fear — there are plenty of ways for those of us with limited scientific knowledge to take part. 'Citizen science' sees ordinary people collecting...

Referendums have become synonymous with failure in Australia, even when initial polling shows great support for a proposed change. Regardless of whether the stigma is warranted, this history is having a negative impact on the push to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution. The figures are well known: 44 referendums have been put to the...

What makes a good national flag? That's the question the Flag Consideration Panel in New Zealand is currently trying to answer, as the country edges closer to settling on a new national emblem. A panel of culture, history, art and design experts are considering alternative designs to replace the current flag, which features the British...

Big Ideas examines the role of our watchdog agencies. Generally, they only draw public attention when they show someone up: corrupt behaviour by a government official, a waste of public money or maladministration. Less dramatic but just as important is another side of the agencies’ work: monitoring and improving standards and processes. Hear from the...

They create copycat 'science journals', exploit academic authors and publish junk 'peer reviewed' science. Hagar Cohen investigates one of the biggest of the alleged 'predatory' publishers, and the dubious tactics used in this growing sector. Predatory publishers are exploiting academics by getting them to pay fees—sometimes thousands of dollars—to publish their papers in low-grade journals...