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Today we’ve got some fascinating new research that confirms old suspicions – if you allow X (formerly Twitter) to determine the content you read, in just a few weeks you’ll likely end up being quite a bit more right-wing than you would if you decided what to follow for yourself. And unlike much of what you read on X, this finding is based on rigorous research.
Social media platforms’ notoriously opaque algorithms are increasingly deciding the news and content we see, all managed and decided by tech bosses in other countries, such as X’s owner Elon Musk.
And now we know what is served up to users goes on to affect their real-world views, often stoking the division and outrage that has come to define so much of the public discourse.
At The Conversation we only publish academic experts, rigorously fact-checked by editors, and we strive to be politically non-partisan. Our aim isn’t to brainwash anyone: quite the opposite, we simply want to arm you with the best available information and let you make up your own mind.
Since we launched in 2011 we’ve been building a global network of evidence-based news platforms and last week we launched a new edition in the Catalan language. We are now publishing in six languages: English, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Portuguese and Catalan.
It’s a significant milestone as we work to build a constructive alternative to conflict-driven media models.
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Misha Ketchell
Editor-in-chief
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Timothy Graham, Queensland University of Technology
Elon Musk’s social media platform is boosting conservative content – and it’s having long-lasting effects on how users see the world.
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Amin Saikal, Australian National University; The University of Western Australia; Victoria University
Israel’s actions are forcing Palestinians out of their lands at an unprecedented rate.
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Christopher Hoy, The University of Melbourne
By 2025, 45% of full-time workers in Australia had six-figure earnings. But years of high inflation mean cracking this threshold doesn’t mean what it used to.
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César Albarrán-Torres, Swinburne University of Technology; Jessica Balanzategui, RMIT University
Blind boxes rely on the same mechanisms of seduction as loot boxes in video games – and so demand the same scrutiny.
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Yuting Zhang, The University of Melbourne; Charles Kemp, The University of Melbourne; Stephen Duckett, The University of Melbourne
Knowing in advance what your specialist will charge is a good step forward. But we need fairer fees to start with.
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Troy McEwan, Swinburne University of Technology; Benjamin L Spivak, Swinburne University of Technology; James Ogloff, Swinburne University of Technology; Michael Trood, Swinburne University of Technology
A new study of nearly 40,000 family violence reports shows more than 99% of people with risk factors for killing a family member don’t go on to do so.
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Tim Langlois, The University of Western Australia; Charlotte Aston, The University of Western Australia; Matt Navarro, The University of Western Australia
New research found this approach meant an increase in spawning fish. This is good news for fishers.
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Thomas Moran, Adelaide University
Frederick Wiseman has died at 96. He is known for films including Titicut Follies, Hospital and Welfare.
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Politics + Society
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Matevz (Matt) Raskovic, Auckland University of Technology
New Zealand remains among the ‘cleanest’ countries in the world for perceived corruption. But a deeper trend suggests government action is needed.
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Health + Medicine
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Terence C. Cheng, Monash University
The government has allowed private health insurers to raise premiums by an average of 4.41% from April. How are these set? And why is it higher than inflation?
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Eleonora Feletto, University of Sydney; Karen Canfell, University of Sydney
Bowel cancer is uncommon in those aged under 50, but rates are rising. Here’s how you can reduce your risk.
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Hunter Bennett, Adelaide University ; Lewis Ingram, Adelaide University
A new review suggests exercise might not help osteoarthritis after all. But don’t write off exercise just yet. Here’s what you can do to ease the pain.
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Business + Economy
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Sharlene Leroy-Dyer, The University of Queensland
New research examines the barriers faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women at work – and what they’re doing to challenge them.
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Lisa Marriott, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Max Rashbrooke, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Despite the harm it can cause, gambling is often defended because it returns money to the community. So why is the racing industry largely exempt?
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Gaala Watson, The University of Queensland
The federal government is spending more on contracts for Indigenous business, while finally tackling ‘Black cladding’ fraud. But those reforms don’t go far enough.
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Science + Technology
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Alex Fuerbach, Macquarie University
Researchers say a palm-sized piece of glass could store the equivalent of 2 million books for over 10,000 years.
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Gregory Radisic, Bond University; Samantha Lawler, University of Regina
Cultural, spiritual, and most environmental impacts aren’t taken into account when launching thousands of satellites.
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Books + Ideas
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Nanda Jarosz, University of Sydney
The essays in a new anthology offer two distinct ways of interpreting the Promethean legacy of scientific progress.
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Alexander Howard, University of Sydney
The ‘vile’ side of humanity William Golding saw in World War II haunts his famous novel. He later came to dislike the book, dismissing it as ‘boring’ and ‘crude’.
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A third kind of inflation
“Luke Hartigan mentioned cost-push inflation and demand-pull inflation in his article, however, another cause of inflation that would be beneficial for the lay person to understand is profit-push inflation by businesses that maintain monopolistic market power. Arguably, this is what Australians have experienced from Coles and Woolworths. Market power and a lack of competition leads to inflationary pressure, which is fixed via fiscal policy and maintaining market competition. I feel that this would have been an important concept for people to know and understand. Why is this point of view so often neglected?”
Kyle Martelle, Adelaide SA
Should the shingles vax be for under 50s?
“While we’re talking about vaccines, I had shingles last September, I’m 47. The nerve pain is still with me. I’m surprised that no one ever considers that the younger folk who are coming down with shingles now are part of the generation of children who grew up without the chicken pox vax. How about, if you’ve had shingles and you’re not in the auto-vax category, you can have it by default before you’re 50.”
Catherine Mayer, Canterbury VIC
Does intermittent fasting help weight-loss?
“At the end of 2013 I decided to try the 5:2 diet as I had been a yo-yo dieter for many years and felt I could follow restricting my food for just 2 days per week. I ate plenty of protein which helps to make you feel fuller and cut back on 'empty' foods. It took me 2 years to achieve my goal and then I went to 6:1. I thought I would have to do 1 diet day per week for the rest of my life, but after a few years I also cut back on alcohol and I have eaten normally every day since. You need to be determined, but I have now kept the weight off for over 10 years.”
Caroline Craig, Toongabbie NSW
We'd love to hear from you. You can email us with your thoughts on our stories and each day we'll publish an edited selection.
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The Conversation AU/NZ
Melbourne VIC, Australia
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