Law & society

01 September 2020

Humans' construction 'footprint' on ocean quantified

Thirty thousand square kilometres of our ocean has been developed, a new study led by the University of Sydney has found. Development is predicted to rapidly increase over the next decade.

25 August 2020

COVID-19 disrupting clinical trials, changing ‘essential’ cancer treatments

Suspended research and testing, the rise of telehealth, and new economic considerations are among the effects of COVID-19 on cancer care in Australia and the US.

21 August 2020

Apple, Google and Fortnite's stoush is a big tech arm wrestle

There has been a clash of clans in mobile gaming, with angry birds Apple, Google and Epic Games in a saga over in-app payments. Dr Marcus Carter and Dr Kyle Moore, our Fortnite experts, explain why.

20 August 2020

Drilled Alaska: experts comment on Trump's oil and gas plan

The US Department of the Interior has approved oil and gas drilling in Alaska's pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. University of Sydney experts comment on the possible impact on the environment, Native Peoples and animal populations.

19 August 2020

4 ideas for the Pacific's most pressing humanitarian issues

This is what happened when 200 of the most inventive Australian students got together - virtually - for a weekend of humanitarian innovation hacking.

11 August 2020

Feeling glum? 10 positive stories you may have missed

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still some good happening in the world. Here are ten of the University of Sydney's most promising and positive stories that you may have missed.

10 August 2020

How the shady world of the data industry strips away our freedoms

Practices of big technology companies pose threats to our privacy and democracy, writes Professor Uri Gal from the University of Sydney Business School.

07 August 2020

Virgin Australia on life support

The private equity takeover of Virgin offers a lifeline to the struggling airline, but is unlikely to amount to more than that, writes Associate Professor of Economics, Mark Melatos, for The Conversation.

05 August 2020

"I'm not addicted!" Kids have a right to play - even digitally

Children adopt the word "addicted" to describe a game as fun or to say how long they played it. But adults use it as a pathology - and that can harm kids.

03 August 2020

What is a 'state of disaster' and what powers does it confer?

Constitutional law expert Professor Anne Twomey explains the legal mechanisms that underpin the 'state of disaster' in Victoria.

03 August 2020

More people travelling for social reasons since initial COVID-19 restrictions

A rising number of Australians are travelling for social and recreational reasons since the initial coronavirus travel restrictions, according to initial findings of a survey by the University of Sydney's Institute of Transport & Logistics Studies.

28 July 2020

5 reasons why the age of criminal responsibility should be raised

Professor Judy Cashmore, from the University of Sydney Law School, outlines five urgent reasons why we must raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 now. "It's time to make the change," she says.

14 July 2020

Groundbreaking autism intervention gets green light

An autism spectrum disorder treatment that addresses child behaviour and parent wellbeing has received government funding, enabling broader delivery to the public.

09 July 2020

Learning languages opens our minds

Vice-Chancellor and Principal at the University of Sydney, Dr Michael Spence, recently graduated with a Diploma of Languages (Korean Studies) at the very university he leads.

26 June 2020

10 ways an arts degree can change the world

Passion, new perspectives, and an understanding of the past and the future are some of the best ways to make a difference to our world, writes Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Duncan Ivison.  

23 June 2020

Virtual and augmented realities: six thorny questions you need to ask

A vast literature review of the ethics of virtual and augmented reality technologies has revealed dilemmas across six key areas.

22 June 2020

Expert witness bias largely unchecked in Australian courts

Transforming procedure is a way to enhance objectivity in our courts, new research shows. Led by Dr Jason Chin, it also explores the failings of the legal system status quo with regard to expert witnesses.

22 June 2020

From HAL 9000 to Westworld’s Dolores: the pop culture robots that influenced smart voice assistants

Two media scholars analysed how Siri, Alexa and other smart voice assistants got their distinctive voices. Their work reveals the consequences of this on consumers, and ultimately, society at large.

19 June 2020

Popular doesn't mean influential among Cambodian farmers

Does being popular make a person influential? Not always. A social network analysis by Sydney researchers found that less popular farmers in Cambodia were in fact more influential than their more popular peers.

18 June 2020

Why Pokémon Go's plan to 3D-scan the world is dangerous

Marcus Carter and Ben Egliston canvass the implications of gaming companies harvesting users' data - including their real-world surroundings - for profit.