ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on September 19, 2025.
What you might not know about the AFL’s Brownlow Medal
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania The Brownlow Medal is the most prestigious individual award in the Australian Football League (AFL). It has been awarded to the fairest and best player in the AFL – and previously, the Victorian Football League
Does ASMR really help with anxiety? A psychology expert explains the evidence
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Shepherd, Associate Professor of Psychology, Auckland University of Technology PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Most of us have experienced tingling or “goosebumps” at some point, especially when we feel a strong positive emotion such as awe or excitement. But some people have this response when they listen
Political witch hunts and blacklists: Donald Trump and the new era of McCarthyism
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Brincat, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast A modern-day political inquisition is unfolding in “digital town squares” across the United States. The slain far-right activist Charlie Kirk has become a focal point for a coordinated campaign of silencing critics that
Is it OK to sit on public toilet seats?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lotti Tajouri, Associate Professor, Genomics and Molecular Biology; Biomedical Sciences, Bond University If you’re a parent or have a chronic health condition that needs quick or frequent trips to the bathroom, you’ve probably mapped out the half-decent public toilets in your area. But sometimes, you don’t have
Most donor-conceived children are told about their origins, but many parents wish they had more support
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karyn Anderson, Research Fellow in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Most parents (86%) of donor-conceived children tell them about their origins, but same-sex and single parents are more likely to share that information than heterosexual parents, according to our new anonymous
Fewer friends, more time stress: the essential charts from this year’s HILDA survey
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Inga Lass, Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra/Unsplash, The Conversation, CC BY-SA Every year, one of Australia’s biggest longitudinal surveys provides a range of insights on how the nation is changing. The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, released today,
Who gets to do science? A demand for English is hurting marginalised researchers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tatsuya Amano, Associate Professor, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland Nikita Palenov/Unsplash Despite growing calls for diversity, equity and inclusion in science, a new study reveals how deep-rooted disparities continue to shape who gets to contribute to science. We surveyed 908 environmental scientists from eight
Australians are losing more of their income to tax than in decades, new report shows
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Wilkins, Professorial Fellow and Co-Director, HILDA Survey, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne chinaface/Getty Australians are now paying the highest average rate of income tax in more than two decades, raising concerns too much of the tax burden may be
1 in 3 Australians in their late 60s are still working, new HILDA survey shows
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kyle Peyton, Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne Jeff Overs/Getty Images Australia has seen a dramatic transformation of retirement over the past 20 years, with more Australians delaying retirement than ever before, reshaping expectations for later life. This shift matters because it marks a fundamental change
Instant ramen: a short history of a long noodle
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato Christian Dala/Unsplash Food prices remain high even as inflation eases, and instant noodles are at the top of the list of cheap options. More than 100 billion servings of instant ramen are consumed each year, making
Friday essay: I loved being a ‘90s rock journalist, but sometimes it was a boys’ club nightmare
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Evans, Adjunct Researcher, English and Writing, University of Tasmania Liz Evans interviewing Ozzy Osbourne in Paris. In the 1990s, I was a rock journalist striving to assert myself as a young woman, working at the heart of the United Kingdom’s male-dominated music press. I loved my
Australians are in more pain – and our new data shows it’s not just due to ageing
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ferdi Botha, Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne The degree of bodily pain reported by Australians has grown over the last two decades, and this increase cannot be attributed only to an ageing population. Pain is a serious
Kate Sheppard’s kitchen: an old recipe sheds new light on the feminist pioneer’s life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Pickles, Professor of History, University of Canterbury Kate Sheppard National Memorial, Christchurch. Michal Klajban via Wikimedia Political and social reformer Kate Sheppard is famous for leading the campaign that saw New Zealand women become first in the world to gain the right to vote on September
Soil erosion is tearing DRC cities apart: what’s causing urban gullies, and how to prevent them
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthias Vanmaercke, Associate professor BOF Faculty of Science, KU Leuven In fast-growing cities like some in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), heavy rains are carving huge scars into the land. Known as urban gullies, these deep erosion channels can swallow homes, destroy roads and displace entire
Grattan on Friday: Albanese government’s 2035 target range is aimed at multiple audiences
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government is hoping it can successfully juggle multiple audiences with its 2035 emissions reduction target. With a specific number, no single set of stakeholders could have been fully satisfied without alienating another. In opting for a range, and
Kmart broke privacy laws by scanning customers’ faces. What did it do wrong, and why?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margarita Vladimirova, PhD in Privacy Law and Facial Recognition Technology, Deakin University Steve Christo – Corbis / Getty Images Today the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner found retail giant Kmart breached Australians’ privacy. The company had collected personal and sensitive information through a facial recognition technology
Cut emissions 70% by 2035? There’s only one policy that can get us there
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod Sims, Professor in Public Policy and Antitrust, The University of Melbourne Hulton Archive/Getty Australia’s new emission reduction target of 62–70% by 2035 is meant to demonstrate we are doing our part to hold climate change well below 2°C. The new target can just about do this
If I use SPF50+ sunscreen every day do I need to take vitamin D?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Neale, Professor and Senior Group Leader, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Cavan Images/Kathleen Carney/Getty What does wearing SPF50+ sunscreen every day do to your vitamin D levels? Our study, recently published in the British Journal of Dermatology, provides some answers. We found using SPF50+ every day,
Could an Apple watch really tell you if you have high blood pressure?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ritu Trivedi, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney Apple has announced a package of health features, alongside the launch of the new Apple Watch Series 11, including an alert that the wearer may have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Around 1.3
From a naked rider to icon of resistance, the legend of Lady Godiva lives on
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Reid Boyd, Senior Lecturer School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University Lady Godiva – an icon of protest, myth and sensual defiance – has galloped through centuries of our cultural imagination. She is most widely known for the legend of her naked horse ride, in
