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Explainers

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They ‘see’ music, smell colours, feel flavour. What’s it like to have synaesthesia?
Explainer
Science

They ‘see’ music, smell colours, feel flavour. What’s it like to have synaesthesia?

Zinia is a composer who literally sees her music take shape. But it’s not just artists who experience this rare “crossover of the senses”. How does it work?

  • by Jackson Graham

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Why is North Korea sending trash balloons into the South?

Why is North Korea sending trash balloons into the South?

K-pop is blasting into North Korea once more as bizarre tactics ratchet up tensions on the peninsula. We explore what’s behind this “tit-for-tat” in an Explainer updated from earlier this year.

  • by Angus Holland and Jackson Graham
Why can’t the world’s peacekeeper stop the fighting in Gaza and Ukraine?

Why can’t the world’s peacekeeper stop the fighting in Gaza and Ukraine?

Two regional conflicts are threatening global peace. Could the United Nations step in – and, if so, why hasn’t it?

  • by Angus Holland
Trump jokes he will be dictator for a day. But could it happen?
Explainer
US election

Trump jokes he will be dictator for a day. But could it happen?

They can pardon a turkey and order a nuclear strike – but could a sitting US president really sweep away all checks and balances on power and rule unchallenged?

  • by Jackson Graham and Angus Holland
No more ‘Homo stupidus’: Why Neanderthals are getting a makeover
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
‘Disorders of consciousness’: The million-dollar question and the mysteries of coma
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
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Chandeliers, ‘qubits’ and Schrödinger’s cat: Inside the bizarre world of 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
‘The Kennedy dream’: Inside Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s run for the presidency
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
Trees have biological clocks too. Here’s how their leaves change colour
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
‘A prevailing fixation’: Why do we love straight, white teeth?
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
He’s best man but is dreading the wedding. Here’s how he’s beating his fear of 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