Our stories from 2023

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

We got some key things wrong about long COVID. Here are 5 things we’ve learnt

by Peter Wark

In late 2020 as we hid from COVID behind the moat of “fortress Australia”, we started to hear that in some people, COVID symptoms persisted for months. They were called “long haulers” or had “long COVID”.

Environment 4 min read

Why El Niño doesn’t mean certain drought

by Abraham Gibson, Danielle Verdon-Kidd

The Bureau of Meteorology released its latest climate driver update on Tuesday, saying the current La Niña has weakened and is “likely near its end”. Most climate models now point to neutral conditions – neither El Niño nor La Niña – through autumn and a trend towards El Niño in early spring

Environment 5 min read

‘Forever chemicals’ have made their way to farms. For now, levels in your food are low – but there’s no time to waste

by Ravi Naidu

They stop your food from sticking to the pan. They prevent stains in clothes and carpets. They help firefighting foam to extinguish fires. But the very thing that makes “forever chemicals” so useful also makes them dangerous.

Health and Wellbeing 5 min read

6 reasons why it’s so hard to see a GP

by Louise Stone, Jennifer May

The recently released Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report found more people are delaying care or attending emergency departments because they can’t get in to see a GP.

Business, Law and Politics 5 min read

Putin is now implicated in the downing of flight MH17 – so why is the investigation shutting down?

by Amy Maguire

The investigation into the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 has found “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised the supply of the missiles used by separatists to shoot down the plane.

Arts, Culture and Society 10 min read

‘No home to go to, and no means of living’: how colonial vagrancy laws punished the poor

by Catharine Coleborne

Vagrancy – being found in the street without any visible means of support – was a crime in many parts of Australia right up to the final decades of the 20th century. In some jurisdictions, vagrancy laws were only repealed in the early 2000s.

Health and Wellbeing 5 min read

Can chewing help manage stress, pain and appetite? Here’s what the science says

by Clare Collins

Ever feel a bit stressed or need a concentration boost? Research suggests one remedy may be right under your nose. Chewing has benefits for brain function, stress, anxiety, exam performance, pain perception, as well as hunger and food intake.

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

Nope, coffee won’t give you extra energy. It’ll just borrow a bit that you’ll pay for later

by Emma Beckett

Many of us want (or should I say need?) our morning coffee to give us our “get up and go”. Altogether, the people of the world drink more than two billion cups of coffee each day.

Arts, Culture and Society 4 min read

NGARRAMA – Newcastle’s largest reconciliation event

by Shahni Wellington

How one conversation became a community movement

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

Want your child to eat more veggies? Talk to them about ‘eating the rainbow'

by Emma Beckett

Parents of young children today were raised during some of the most damaging periods of diet culture. From diet and “lite” foods and drinks, to expensive “superfoods”, one constant across these changing trends has been the moralisation of food as “good” or “bad”.

Environment 5 min read

Photos from the field: our voyage investigating Australia’s submarine landslides and deep-marine canyons

by Hannah Power, Kendall Mollison, Michael Kinsela, Tom Hubble

Environmental scientists see flora, fauna and phenomena the rest of us rarely do. In this series, we’ve invited them to share their unique photos from the field.

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

I’ve indulged over the holidays. If I’m healthy the rest of the time, does it matter?

by Emma Beckett

The holidays are often called the “silly season” – a time when we eat, drink and be merry. But these holiday indulgences can lead to feelings of guilt and fear that we’ve undone all the healthy habits from the rest of the year. But how much do you really need to worry about the impacts of holiday overeating?

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