Jason Thompson

Shutterstock

March 14, 2024

Large old trees are vital for Australian birds. Their long branches and hollows can’t be replaced by saplings

Alex Holland, The University of Melbourne; Jason Thompson, The University of Melbourne; Philip Gibbons, Australian National University, and Stanislav Roudavski, The University of Melbourne

We scanned the tree canopy with lasers and found birds much prefer the branches of big old trees.

Darren England/AAP

September 21, 2023

Are Australia’s roads becoming more dangerous? Here’s what the data says

Mark Stevenson, The University of Melbourne and Jason Thompson, The University of Melbourne

Road deaths have remained stubbornly high in Australia over the past decade. Do we have the right strategies in place to address the problem?

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December 22, 2020

The ghost of Christmas yet to come: how an AI ‘SantaNet’ might end up destroying the world

Paul Salmon, University of the Sunshine Coast; Gemma Read, University of the Sunshine Coast; Jason Thompson, The University of Melbourne; Scott McLean, University of the Sunshine Coast, and Tony Carden, University of the Sunshine Coast

Imagine an advanced artificial intelligence took over from Santa. What could go wrong?

People expect drivers to stop for them at pedestrian crossings, but what if they know autonomous vehicles will stop any time someone chooses to step in front of them? Varavin88/Shutterstock

April 28, 2019

Nothing to fear? How humans (and other intelligent animals) might ruin the autonomous vehicle utopia

Jason Thompson, The University of Melbourne and Gemma Read, University of the Sunshine Coast

How will people respond once they realise they can rely on autonomous vehicles to stop whenever someone steps out in front of them? Human behaviour might stand in the way of the promised ‘autopia’.

Nearly half of female tertiary students surveyed in Melbourne say they ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ feel safe on public transport after dark. KN/Shutterstock

March 5, 2019

Students don’t feel safe on public transport but many have no choice but to use it

Carolyn Whitzman, The University of Melbourne; Jason Thompson, The University of Melbourne, and Rewa Marathe, The University of Melbourne

As they return to classes, a survey finds nearly half of female tertiary students in Melbourne don’t feel safe using public transport at night. And 79% have been sexually harassed or victimised.

Road trauma is already the ninth leading cause of death worldwide. AAP/Alan Porritt

August 28, 2017

Rethinking the causes of road trauma: society’s problems must share the blame

Paul Salmon, University of the Sunshine Coast; Adam Hulme, University of the Sunshine Coast; Gemma Read, University of the Sunshine Coast; Jason Thompson, The University of Melbourne, and Roderick McClure, University of New England

Wider societal issues are driving road user behaviour, which cannot be fixed by taking a traditional road safety approach.

Australia has a series of transport injury insurance, compensation and rehabilitation schemes. AAP/Alan Porritt

July 25, 2017

Personal injury insurers are at risk of crashing in the transport systems of tomorrow

Jason Thompson, The University of Melbourne

It’s time for Australia’s personal injury insurance schemes to start preparing for change.

The heavy vehicle freight system predictably produces avoidable deaths and misery on a grand scale. Can we expect an inquiry into who’s responsible? AAP/Adrian Munn

September 4, 2014

Tragic accidents by design: finally, a finding of systemic blame

Jason Thompson, Monash University

The damning report of the Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program (HIP) was released on Monday. It cites multiple failures of ministers and public servants to foresee and prevent circumstances…

Beautiful machines? Or deadly waste of time? Flickr/RMhowie

July 3, 2013

The dream of the car is over