Discovering Humanities

This series is a celebration of humanities research and discovery. Born out of our 50th anniversary in 2019, it covers just a small fraction of the many advances within the humanities since the Academy was first founded.

We’ve called it Discovering Humanities because words like ‘discover’ and ‘discovery’, like no other terms, convey the excitement of new findings, new ideas, new views of the world. Discoveries in the humanities take many forms; from those that fundamentally recalibrate our understanding of the world to others that are more a process of accumulation over time leading in the end to a new view of society. Despite their differences, all are full of the excitement of uncovering something new.

This series is not a list of the most important research in the humanities over the last 50 years. Rather, it is an attempt to present a range of discoveries across all the areas of the humanities showing something of the rich contribution the humanities have made to Australia and the wider world. Learn more about the series’ background from the Editor.

For many of us, loneliness has been a by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, research reveals the concept of loneliness only began with nineteenth-century Romantic thinkers (though that doesn’t make it any easier for us today!). Learn how our conceptualisation of emotions has changed over time.

Thanks to the pioneering work of Australian researchers, we now have a greater understanding of how the humanities can tackle urgent environmental issues: from the degradation of the Great Barrier Reef to the bushfires that ravaged our nation. Welcome to the Environmental Humanities.

The history of the human species has taken many twists and turns over millennia, with new discoveries challenging our understanding of migration and evolution. The journey has even included a “hobbit” discovery that shook the science world and triggered intense controversy.

About the series

Stories in this series were chosen from nominations by Fellows of the Academy and recipients of its various awards. They have been commissioned and produced under the overall guidance of Academy Fellow and Editor, Emeritus Professor Graham Tulloch and have been brought to life by the hard work of Walkley Award-winning journalist Kathy Marks, author and researcher Dr Saskia Beudel, and the Academy’s Communication and Awards Coordinator Elizabeth Bradtke.

>> Learn more about the series’ background from the Editor

The development of this series was supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.

Copyright Agency Cultural Fund

Acknowledgement of Country

The Australian Academy of the Humanities recognises Australia’s First Nations Peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of this land, and their continuous connection to country, community and culture.