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Explainers

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It starts as an itch then the urge grows: What’s it like to have Tourette’s?
Explainer
Health

It starts as an itch then the urge grows: What’s it like to have Tourette’s?

Most people with Tourette’s actually don’t swear, but their tics can be hard to control. Still, many succeed in reframing Tourette’s as just one part of who they are. What’s it like to live with this disorder?

  • by Jackson Graham

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The magnetic appeal of induction cooktops (plus other ways to go electric)
Explainer
Renewables

The magnetic appeal of induction cooktops (plus other ways to go electric)

With gas now on the nose, householders are switching to green electricity. Where do you start? And how far can you go?

  • by Angus Holland
Never heard of ‘drip pricing’? You’ve probably still fallen for it
Explainer
Advertising

Never heard of ‘drip pricing’? You’ve probably still fallen for it

They pop up just before you hit pay – fees and other add-ons that eat away at your “bargain”. How does drip pricing work?

  • by Angus Holland
What’s the fastest way to board passengers on a plane?
Explainer
Air travel

What’s the fastest way to board passengers on a plane?

And what about getting off at the other end? Astrophysicists and mathematicians have turned their minds to the question.

  • by Angus Holland
The world’s biggest actors are still on strike. What are the sticking points?

The world’s biggest actors are still on strike. What are the sticking points?

US film and TV production has come to a standstill as Hollywood’s actors and writers go on strike. They say this is a moment of truth. What do they want?

  • by Karl Quinn
Why is cancer so hard to cure?
Explainer
Cancer

Why is cancer so hard to cure?

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, despite big breakthroughs in treatments. What makes it so very tough to treat?

  • by Kate Aubusson, Jackson Graham and Felicity Lewis
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What’s yawning for – and is it really contagious?
Explainer
Sleep

What’s yawning for – and is it really contagious?

People who study yawning, known as chasmologists, say just hearing about a yawn can trigger one. How come? The question has puzzled us for millennia – and is still wide open.

  • by Jackson Graham and Lachlan Abbott
Victoria is being squeezed, literally. Is it now an earthquake hotspot?
Explainer
Earthquakes

Victoria is being squeezed, literally. Is it now an earthquake hotspot?

There seem to have been more earthquakes than usual lately. Why?

  • by Liam Mannix
Why is the Voice referendum on a knife-edge?

Why is the Voice referendum on a knife-edge?

The Yes campaign for a Voice to parliament is gathering momentum. What do its critics say? What do its supporters hope it will achieve? What are the next steps?

  • by Angus Holland
Everything you need to know about Wagner, the ‘shadow army’ behind Putin uprising

Everything you need to know about Wagner, the ‘shadow army’ behind Putin uprising

The Ukraine invasion launched “Putin’s private army” into the spotlight – then they launched an extraordinary coup against the Russian army itself. Who are Wagner Group, the most notorious mercenaries in the world?

  • by Sherryn Groch
Another week, another suspension: Behind the AFL’s crackdown on dangerous tackles
Explainer
AFL 2023

Another week, another suspension: Behind the AFL’s crackdown on dangerous tackles

Why are a record number of tackles, once just “part of the game”, ending up before the AFL tribunal – and how’s it changing footy?

  • by Michael Gleeson