Explainers
Explainer
Evolution
No more ‘Homo stupidus’: Why Neanderthals are getting a makeover
They were shrewd, complex and creative, and we shared the planet with them (and other types of humans) for thousands of years. So why did the Neanderthals die out and not us?
- by Angus Holland
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Explainer
Healthcare
‘Disorders of consciousness’: The million-dollar question and the mysteries of coma
An “acute brain failure” jettisons a patient, their doctors and families into an anxious twilight zone. How aware is a person in a coma? And how are decisions made in the face of uncertainty?
- by Jackson Graham
Explainer
Quantum Computing
Chandeliers, ‘qubits’ and Schrödinger’s cat: Inside the bizarre world of quantum computing
In the quantum realm, the laws of physics are different. Now its mind-bending tech could soon transform our lives. How does it work?
- by Angus Holland, Jackson Graham and Angus Dalton
Explainer
US Votes 2024
‘The Kennedy dream’: Inside Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s run for the presidency
Vaccine critic RFK Jr has gone from ‘troubled life’ to candidate for the top job. Here’s why his rivals are paying attention.
- by Angus Holland and Jackson Graham
Explainer
Science
Trees have biological clocks too. Here’s how their leaves change colour
A red-golden carpet is unfurling across the more temperate corners of our continent. Here’s what trees – and ‘leaf peepers’ – do in autumn.
- by Jackson Graham and Angus Holland
Explainer
Oral health
‘A prevailing fixation’: Why do we love straight, white teeth?
Teeth are essential to everyday life – and they carry our secrets long after we’re gone. What do they know? (And what makes a “perfect” smile?)
- by Angus Holland
Explainer
Public speaking
He’s best man but is dreading the wedding. Here’s how he’s beating his fear of public speaking
It’s anxiety-inducing even for confident types. Why the fear that goes with talking in front of others? How can you overcome it?
- by Jackson Graham
Explainer
Retirement living
‘Starting older’: Why we need a new word for retirement
Retire these days and you’re not so much crawling to a finish line as embarking on a new chapter. Is there a right time (given it’s not just about money) and what should you expect? We ask retirees for their insights.
- by Angus Holland
Explainer
Real life
‘Crucial for memory’: Why facts stick when you write them down
It might not be a window to your soul but it’s better for your brain. Why writing – once an ancient “handicraft” – is still worth doing well.
- by Angus Holland
Explainer
World politics
Despot, radical … peacemaker? The millennial prince and the Middle East ‘moonshot’
Reformer, tyrant or both? Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is reshaping his kingdom. What does it mean for the world? And how might he be key to a ‘moonshot’ Israel-Palestine peace deal?
- by Sherryn Groch
Series
Science
Brain worms, dark matter and stranger things. We explain
We put the natural world under a microscope, from rogue waves and zombie fungus to colliding atoms and meteors.