Julie Blakey Articles - Griffith News

10 July 2023

Unearthing humanity’s origin story

Professor Michael Petraglia has always been drawn to the distant past. Growing up, he pored over copies of National Geographic and books about Ancient Egypt that his family – particularly his older sister – would gift him every Christmas. So it seems only natural that he would pursue a career in archaeology that’s taken him around the world, from teaching at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in the UK to directing field projects in Africa and Asia that have reframed our understanding of ancient human migration. Professor Petraglia, now the Director of Griffith University’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution (ARCHE), and he talked to Griffith Review Editor Carody Culver about the origin story of our species – which, like humanity itself, is constantly evolving. This is an excerpt.

Society + Culture

25 April 2023

Time to do time for a fairer future?

Professor Susan Harris Rimmer contemplates the charges against a group of Queenslanders who protested against coal and gas in the parliament and were charged with disturbing the legislature, which carries a three-year jail sentence. She questions if getting arrested is the only meaningful way to achieve intergenerational justice.

Environment + Sustainability

20 March 2023

Assessing the 4-day work week

A recent UK trial of a four-day work week produced largely positive results, with over 90% of the organisations involved planning to continue the experiment. Some organisations found the experiment difficult to achieve with staff shortages already intensifying workloads for many employees, making it difficult for to increase work intensification even further. Decent, respectable work should focus on work-life balance, reducing workloads, and providing sufficient resources while engaging workers in direct discussions about their working preferences says Professor Paula Brough.

Business + Government

20 March 2023

The false promises of the “15 Minute City”

Griffith University’s award-winning urban planner, Dr Tony Matthews, applies his professional insights to the the "15 Minute City". The 15 minute city concept is designed to ensure that most daily necessities are close by our homes and purports to return residents to a more local way of living but will fail to realise its promise for a broad section of the community.

Environment + Sustainability

14 March 2023

C.S.I. My Plate!

Poor diet has been shown to be one of the largest risks to health. But when it comes to changing eating patterns – are we too focussed on an individual M.O. (method of operation) and not enough on the M.M.O. (means, motive and opportunity) to eat well? asks Dr Julia Cairns.

Health + Wellbeing

7 March 2023

Superannuation: The rules of the game keep changing

Considerable recent attention has been drawn towards Australia's superannuation system, and the potential need for legislative and regulatory amendments. Australian Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers wants to limit concessions and benefits to taxpayers with over $3 million in superannuation funds. Professor Rob Bianchi takes a look at the impacts and implications of these likely changes.

Business + Government

22 February 2023

The risks and returns of cryptocurrencies

The cryptocurrency ecosystem continues to grow and attract more interest across the globe. It is becoming progressively intertwined with traditional financial markets, evidenced by a steady increase in the number of managed funds holding cryptocurrency assets on their balance sheets. FinTech expert Will Banks looks at the risks and returns.

Business + Government

22 February 2023

Australia needs crypto-asset reform

In Australia, crypto-assets do not fall within the existing regulatory perimeter of financial products and services and are generally unregulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). However, crypto-assets have been classified as a commodity by major global regulators and industry for years. Will Banks looks at how to address this regulatory confusion and strengthen Australia as a serious crypto destination.

Business + Government

21 February 2023

Chatting about ChatGPT

In November 2022, the release of ChatGPT, a free-to-use chatbot based on GPT-3, brought powerful language models to the public. The educational sector faced a dilemma as the bot's ability to assist in writing essays and passing exams sparked debates on whether to embrace or ban its use.

Society + Culture

20 February 2023

A Theory of Place

Griffith University's Chancellor Andrew Fraser asks us to consider our our provenance. He asks us about place, posits questions of patriotism, of people with a fidelity, about loyalty, connection of place, and of belonging.

Society + Culture

Julie Blakey

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