ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on December 19, 2025.
Should I pour this down the sink? (Probably not, and here’s why)
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Faisal Hai, Professor and Head of School of Civil, Mining, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Wollongong Mathias Reding/Unsplash, CC BY Ever been about to pour rancid milk down the sink and thought…“Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t…”? What about the tomato passata that’s gone off? Or the water
Will the ‘Scandinavian sleep method’ really help me sleep?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yaqoot Fatima, Professor of Sleep Health, University of the Sunshine Coast It begins with two people, one blanket, and two very different ideas of what’s a comfortable sleeping temperature. By midnight, one partner is hot and sweaty while the other is freezing. Sounds familiar? You’re not alone.
A virtual reality tool I developed is helping Indigenous people connect with Country
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Taylor, Senior Lecturer, School of Indigenous Studies, The University of Western Australia Quaranup, also known as Point Possession, in Western Australia. AndrewofBornholm/Wikimedia “It makes me feel like I am right there on Country”. This was the response of a student after they used a new virtual
Trump’s new security strategy exposes the limits of NZ’s ‘softly-softly’ diplomacy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago Getty Images President Donald Trump’s recently-issued National Security Strategy marks a decisive break in United States foreign policy. It also poses an uncomfortable challenge for New Zealand and other countries that have long depended on a rules-based
Dunedin’s inner-city greening project shows even small spaces can be wildlife havens
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Theis, PhD Candidate in Ecology, University of Otago Even small green spaces can bring nature back into cities, as our project in Ōtepoti Dunedin has shown. Over the past two years, Dunedin’s city centre has become greener and more biodiverse thanks to the installation of street-side
Australia’s roads are full of giant cars, and everyone pays the price. What can be done?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne You may have noticed — there’s a car-size inflation on Australian roads that some have nicknamed car “mobesity”. Most SUVs and utes from a decade or two ago look small next
What’s the difference between deodorant and antiperspirant? Quite significant, actually
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Eldridge, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, Swinburne University of Technology Kinga Krzeminska/Getty Images When summer hits, the combination of heat and activity often result in increased sweating. Sweat is great – it’s our personal evaporative cooling system. Most of us will sweat out at least half a
Just 2 in 3 patients are treated on time in emergency departments. Check how your public hospital performs
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anam Bilgrami, Senior Research Fellow, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University If you arrive at an emergency department (ED) today, you’ll be triaged. That’s a quick judgement about how urgently you need care. Those in crisis are seen quickly, while others may wait hours.
Uh oh, my child just discovered the truth about Santa
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cher McGillivray, Assistant Professor in Psychology, Bond University GettyImages ArtMarie/ Getty Images Christmas can be a magical time of year for kids. Writing wish-lists, seeing Santa at the shops, leaving carrots for the reindeer out on the porch. And then of course, the presents under the tree.
Inequality alone doesn’t cause civil unrest – but internet access adds the crucial spark
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan F. Gholipour, Associate Professor of Property, Western Sydney University The gap between rich and poor has reached historic highs. According to the World Inequality Report 2026, released in recent weeks, the richest 10% of the global population now receive 53% of all income and own a
Battleship Potemkin at 100: how the Soviet film redrew the boundaries of cinema
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney IMDB People crowd together in the sun. All smiles and waves. Joyous. Pandemonium erupts. Panic hits like a shockwave as those assembled swivel and bolt, spilling down a seemingly infinite flight of steps. Armed men
Sudan’s civil war: A visual guide to the brutal conflict
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Tounsel, Associate Professor of History, University of Washington Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty, Ebrahim Hamid, Getty, Hussein Malla/Getty, Anadolu/Getty, The Conversation Sudan’s brutal civil war has dragged on for more than 2½ years, displacing millions and killing in excess of 150,000 people – making it among
‘This year nearly broke me as a scientist’ – US researchers reflect on how 2025’s science cuts have changed their lives
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carrie McDonough, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University U.S. researchers are seeking the light at the end of a rough year for science. Westend61/Getty Images From beginning to end, 2025 was a year of devastation for scientists in the United States. January saw the abrupt suspension
Grattan on Friday: Anthony Albanese is forced into policy catch up after Bondi atrocity
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In an extraordinary personal censure, Australia’s Jewish community effectively denied Anthony Albanese the role of being the nation’s chief public mourner in this week of national tragedy. In such circumstances, a prime minister would normally attend the funerals of the
Hallyu! rides the Korean wave. It’s a fun exhibition with depth – but misses the Australian story
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Carroll, Senior Research Fellow, Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne National Museum of Australia As a K-drama tragic I have long wondered what qualities it has that make me marvel so. K-drama and K-pop are the clearest manifestations of the Korean cultural wave
Albanese announces new crackdown on hate, in sweeping initiatives to combat antisemitism
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a suite of legislative and other action to combat antisemitism including new measures against hate speech and extra power to reject visas. The package, unveiled after a meeting of cabinet’s national security committee on
How much does it cost to end rough sleeping? An Australian-first study may have just found out
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Raynor, Research associate, The University of Melbourne Jon Tyson/Unsplash Homelessness is a growing issue in Australia. Data released last week by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare show 350 requests for support go unmet every day due to a lack of resources. Most of those
How misreading Google Trends is fuelling Bondi attack conspiracy theories
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacques Raubenheimer, Senior Research Fellow, Biostatistics, University of Sydney Google Trends, Facebook, The Conversation, CC BY-SA In the wake of Sunday’s tragic Bondi shooting, conspiracy theories and deliberate misinformation have spread on social media. Many social media posts suggested the name Naveed Akram was searched before the
Don’t talk – listen. Why communities affected by forever chemicals in water must be heard
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Kearnes, Professor of Environment & Society, UNSW Sydney 97s/Unsplash, CC BY-NC-ND Until recently, Australia’s efforts to tackle “forever chemical” pollution focused on highly polluted firefighting and defence sites. But last year, elevated levels of some of these chemicals were detected in the untreated water supply for
ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for December 18, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on December 18, 2025.
