Is Your Phone Listening to You? What the Evidence Shows
You mention a holiday to Fiji over dinner, and the next morning your feed is full of Fiji resorts. You say you need new tyres, and suddenly every second ad…
How Did Cane Toads End Up in Australia? The 1935 Mistake
If you live in Queensland, you know the scene: a warm, wet summer night, the porch light on, and a fat, warty cane toad squatting on the path like it…
The Lark Quarry Dinosaur Stampede Near Winton: What Really Happened?
On a recent camping trip out to Winton, in central-west Queensland, I found out that this small outback town sits close to an extraordinary fossil site. Out in the jump-ups…
Are Drop Bears Real? The Truth About Australia’s Tall Tale
If you visit Australia, sooner or later someone will warn you about drop bears. It usually happens around a campfire or at the start of a bushwalk, delivered with a…
Why Do Koalas Sleep So Much? (Hint: They Are Not Stoned)
Anyone who has visited a koala sanctuary hoping to see one in action knows the feeling: a grey, furry ball wedged in the fork of a tree, fast asleep. So…
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?
Every summer barbecue seems to have one: the person slapping their ankles all night while everyone else barely notices a mozzie. So why do mosquitoes bite some people more than…
Does the Toilet Really Flush the Other Way in Australia?
It is one of the first things some overseas visitors want to check when they land in Australia: does the toilet really flush the other way down here? The theory…
Why Does Your Phone Battery Drain Faster in Heat and Cold?
Leave your phone on the dashboard on a 35-degree day and it might greet you with a black screen and a warning that it needs to cool down. Take it…
Why Do Magpies Swoop? And How to Avoid Getting Hit
If you grew up in Australia, you probably know the feeling: a sudden rush of air behind your head, the sharp clack of a beak, and a frantic dash down…
Why Octopuses Have Three Hearts, and Why One Stops When They Swim
Octopuses are strange animals. They change colour in a blink, squeeze through gaps barely wider than their eyes, and their arms seem to have minds of their own. But one…