AQ: Australian Quarterly

For over 90 years AQ: Australian Quarterly has been packing its pages with the debates that have shaped Australia and the world, tackling the big topics in science, politics and society. Grounded in evidence, yet written in a style accessible to everyone, AQ is unique in Australia’s publishing landscape, pushing back against the trends of subjective truth and media spin. If it matters to Australia then it matters to AQ.

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AQ: Australian Quarterly

Science Misinformation: An ancient problem with a new twist • Fork-tailed drongos are small South African birds that not only mimic other birds, but can also mimic the cries of other animals. When the bird sees a meerkat with food, it can let out the high-pitched warning bark of a panicked meerkat, causing the hapless animal to drop its food and dive for cover, allowing the drongo to swoop in and steal whatever the meerkat was eating.1

Tackling Misinformation on the World Stage – the Global SMC network. • Dr Helen Jamison, Science Media Centre Global Network Coordinator

Beyond the Health Ministry Climate Policy Is Now Health Policy • In 2023, the Australian Government released its first National Health and Climate Strategy. The strategy represents a milestone. Its full implementation is imperative for the benefit of every Australian, however achieving this relies on a more integrated approach to governance and decision-making, recognising that our health and wellbeing depend on collective efforts and coordination across government departments and sectors.

Sparking Connection: Mobilising Communities to End Loneliness • Social connection is a fundamental resource for human survival. We know this both scientifically and intuitively. Yet amid a growing global epidemic of loneliness and social isolation1, it is sobering to recognise how fragile social connection can be. Over time, many of the institutions, and everyday rituals that once fostered belonging have weakened or disappeared, often replaced by trends that offer convenience and comfort and require less engagement with others.

Have Universities Lost Their Social Licence? • As a concept, ‘social licence’ is both hard to quantify and yet also very powerful. It is an amorphous and ambiguous sense of the trust and credibility an organisation builds through responsible behaviour; a compact that underpins its right to function within society. It is the democratisation of feeling and in many ways the currency of a healthy society – is our university sector at risk of losing its social approval to function?

Preparing to Grow: Proactive Risk Mitigation in the Hemp Textile Industry • Australia’s hemp industry is maturing, transitioning from cottage industry origins and emerging as a nationally significant sector. This is due to hemp’s diverse array of applications, spanning from textiles, industrial, building and construction applications, through to food, therapeutics, carbon sequestration, and phytoremediation. However, as the hemp sector scales up, occupational and environmental health risks are emerging faster than the research, development, and extension funding needed to investigate and manage hazards.

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