Our stories

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

Hate salad or veggies? Just keep eating them. Here’s how our tastebuds adapt to what we eat

by Dr Emma Beckett, Academic in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences

Do you hate salad? It’s OK if you do, there are plenty of foods in the world, and lots of different ways to prepare them.

Arts, Culture and Society 4 min read

As Aussie as vanilla slice

by Garritt Van Dyk - Lecturer at the School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences (History)

In 1998, Victorian premier Jeff Kennett visited a town in regional Victoria and said he had discovered, in his opinion, the best vanilla slice in Australia at the local bakery.

Health and Wellbeing 3 min read

Curious Kids: why do some farts smell and some don’t? And why do some farts feel hot?

by Professor Clare Collins, Professor of NHMRC Investigator Fellow in the School of Health Sciences (Nutrition and Dietetics)

Why do some farts smell and some don’t, and some feel hot? – Kian, age 6, from Maleny in Queensland

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

Thinking of trying a detox? Here’s what you need to know first

by Professor Clare Collins, Professor of NHMRC Investigator Fellow in the School of Health Sciences (Nutrition and Dietetics)

What is a “detox”? It’s a process that involves using particular products, diets or other detoxification methods to try and rid the body of so-called “toxins”.

Arts, Culture and Society 11 min read

Young Catholics seek new ways to ‘do church’

by Gemma Wolk

During a time of promising reformation in the Catholic church, unparalleled new insight into the thoughts and feelings of Catholic women has revealed a hunger for radical change.

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

‘That’s getting a bit wild, kids!’ Why children love to play-fight and why it is good for them

by Emily Freeman

"That’s getting a bit wild, kids! Why don’t you play something quieter?" How often have you found yourself saying something like this to your children as they’re rolling around on the lounge room floor?

Health and Wellbeing 5 min read

What does having a ‘good relationship with food’ mean? 4 ways to know if you’ve got one

by Clare Collins, Tracy Burrows

Travelling on a train recently you couldn’t help but overhear two women deep in conversation about a mutual obsession with food, including emotional triggers that pushed them towards chocolate and pizza.

Arts, Culture and Society 5 min read

Not just a youth movement: history too often forgets older protesters

by Effie Karageorgos

Recent sustained anti-coal action by Blockade Australia in the Hunter Valley has brought public protest back into the news cycle. Activists have occupied trains, railway lines and machinery in an attempt to obstruct coal production and broadcast their message about the climate crisis.

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

The cost of living is biting. Here’s how to spend less on meat and dairy

by Clare Collins

The cost of groceries has risen substantially over the last year. Food and non-alcoholic drinks rose by 7.9% in the year to May, with biggest increases in dairy products (15.1%), breads and cereals (12.8%) and processed foods (11.5%).

Health and Wellbeing 4 min read

How burgers and chips for lunch can worsen your asthma that afternoon

by Evan Williams

Certain foods or dietary patterns are linked with better control of your asthma. Others may make it worse. Depending on what you’ve eaten, you can see the effects in hours.

Business, Law and Politics 5 min read

Australia will soon have its first Islamic bank. What does this mean, and what are the challenges?

by Abdul Shamsuddin, Md Safiullah (Safi)

Islamic banks have become an integral part of the financial system in many Muslim-majority countries, as well as in nations with sizeable Muslim minorities such as the United Kingdom, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Environment 4 min read

What has the Nobel Prize in Physics ever done for me?

by Karen Livesey

Each October, physics is in the news with the awarding of the Nobel Prize. The work acknowledged through this most prestigious award often seems far removed from our everyday lives, with prizes given for things like “optical methods for studying Hertzian resonances in atoms” and “elucidating the quantum structure of electroweak interactions”.

Load more stories