Explainers
Explainer
Medicine
What is Ozempic and why is there a shortage of it?
A diabetes drug found to help with weight loss is now in short supply all over the world. Who should be using it – and is it a shortcut for shedding kilos?
- by Najma Sambul
Latest
Explainer
Illness
It’s not a headache and it can feel like a stroke. What happens in the brain during a migraine?
Auras. Electric waves. Strange food cravings. For a condition that affects so many of us, migraine remains mysterious (and under-researched). Now a better wave of treatment is finally emerging.
- by Sherryn Groch
Explainer
Skin cancer
‘Dead cells all over the place’: What happens when the sun hits your skin?
We know we should be sun smart but what does that mean? How does sun cause skin cancer? And isn’t sun good for vitamin D?
- by Samantha Selinger-Morris
Explainer
Water safety
Drowning can be quick and silent. Could you spot the signs?
Many drownings are not noticed until it’s too late. Who is most likely to drown? And how do you spot someone in trouble?
- by Julie Power
Explainer
Psychology
Being vain, self-centred or a jerk doesn’t make you a narcissist. So what does?
It’s a common putdown, but what does “narcissist” really mean – and what harm could a narcissist possibly do?
- by Samantha Selinger-Morris
Explainer
Remembrance Day
Why do we wear poppies on Remembrance Day?
It’s an awful paradox: the poppy, commemorating lives lost to war, flourished on the Western Front only after it became a battlefield.
- by Tony Wright
Explainer
Recycling
With no recycling, what should you do with your plastic bags and pasta packets?
After the collapse of Australia’s biggest plastic bag recycling program, hundreds of millions of soft plastic items are being stockpiled in warehouses instead. So what should you do with yours?
- by Laura Chung
Explainer
Industrial relations
More pay, more strikes? How new laws would affect you
The government says its proposed IR laws would help raise wages. Bosses say they could lead to strikes. What are the sticking points?
- by Angus Thompson
Explainer
Social media
Amid Twitter’s mass exodus, users are shifting to Mastodon. What do we know about it?
Amid the upheaval at Twitter, a lesser-known platform has moved into the spotlight. How does it work?
- by Jackson Graham
Explainer
Paris Agreement
The climate is a ‘mess’. Poor countries want money for loss and damage. But will the rich pay up?
The awkward issue of “loss and damage” is high on the agenda at climate talks in Africa. When does financial help become compensation?
- by Nick O'Malley
Explainer
Cyber warfare
A dozen undersea cables connect Australia to the internet. What happens if they get hacked – or cut?
Hundreds of undersea cables link up the worldwide web, with about a dozen connected to Australia. How does this little-known network work – and what happens if it’s sabotaged?
- by Sherryn Groch and Felicity Lewis