Analysis
Science
Can sleeper trains replace air travel? I tested the Melbourne-Sydney route
Sleeper trains are having a moment in Europe. Could they be a solution to the climate crisis in Australia?
- by Liam Mannix
Latest
To some, ‘tapping’ therapy is a cure-all. To others, it’s pseudoscience
A type of energy psychology also known as “emotional freedom techniques”, tapping is an alternative therapy with a growing number of adherents, but critics say it lacks any scientific basis.
- by Liam Mannix
The calming nerve that could be key to opening up a new medical frontier
New relief for people with conditions like Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis may be possible via an implant aimed at replicating an old Eastern medicine technique.
- by Liam Mannix
Analysis
Childcare
What the evidence says about whether we should send kids to childcare
Many parents feel guilty about outsourcing the care of their children, but it turns out childcare may actually help child development.
- by Liam Mannix
To treat an incurable illness, he quit science – and took up Qigong
What happens when science can’t offer a solution or a cure? The story of how one researcher took things into his own hands.
- by Liam Mannix
How a controversial medical explanation for difficult kids blew up online
So-called PDA – which offers a medical explanation for why a child will not do as told – has taken off among overwhelmed parents. But it’s a source of contention.
- by Liam Mannix
Analysis
Pill Testing
Pragmatism, morality and the social science of pill testing
Critics of pill testing fear it will create a false sense of security that leads to more people taking more drugs. But the evidence says otherwise.
- by Liam Mannix
How Victoria’s pill tests will work – both in the lab and at music festivals
Legislation to allow a pill-testing trial will be introduced to Victorian parliament on Tuesday. The government wants the first mobile sites up and running for the summer festival season.
- by Liam Mannix and Rachel Eddie
Her stomach ached. A subconscious suggestion helped it heal
Hypnosis is often associated with silly stunts, but medicine is now starting to embrace it, spurred on by studies showing it can help with chronic pain – even if we don’t understand why.
- by Liam Mannix
Mice follow their noses. To stop them damaging crops, farmers are turning to smell
What if a mouse couldn’t smell the wheatgerm it feeds on? What if a feral cat couldn’t smell the native bird it hunted?
- by Liam Mannix
Exclusive
Science
Concerns raised over Australians doing research on ethnic minorities in China
Australian researchers have collaborated with Chinese colleagues on several studies involving Uyghurs in Xinjiang, but this has thrown up questions about consent and ethics.
- by Liam Mannix