YOU’VE probably seen some of the headline findings of the 2021 census over the last couple of weeks: we’re an increasingly multicultural society, we’re decidedly irreligious, and the millennial generation is overtaking the baby boomers as the dominant age group. The usefulness of the census is…
THOSE do-good wowsers will stop at nothing in their never-ending quest to control our lives. They’ve made us wear seatbelts and bike helmets, taken all the fun out of a good old bake in the sun and now they want to stop fast-food institutions from advertising to little children. Fortunately, somebody…
MORE than 3000 students around the country have just started taking their first steps on the long road to a medical career, with all the excitement and trepidation that entails. There’s no doubt we need them, but will our struggling health system be able to give these young people the education they…
It’s been a privilege to write for Insight+ these past 12 years, exploring that rich vein. To all who have read and engaged with what I’ve written, thank you. WHAT do Gwyneth Paltrow’s jade vaginal eggs, the wisdom of Socrates, and the multiple foreskins of Jesus have in common? They’ve all…
Medicare: You have been in close contact with someone who has Omicron. Please follow the link below to order your PCR kit… WHEN I received this text last week, there was a microsecond of anxiety. “Oh no, here we go again” was my first thought, swiftly followed by the realisation that Medicare…
A DECADE ago, a new genre of speculative fiction began to be featured at writers’ festivals: “cli-fi”, dystopic stories set against a backdrop of catastrophic climate change. More recently, a novelist told me the term was no longer useful: “All fiction is climate fiction now,” they said. The…
MUCH has been written about the potential long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including potential cardiovascular risks, the impact on mental health and of course long COVID. But an increase in facial dysmorphia, along with the resulting demand for cosmetic procedures, might not be the first…
HISTORIANS of the future may find Australia’s 2022 election campaign somewhat puzzling. They’ll see lots of talk about the cost of living – and fair enough – as well as plenty of chest thumping about national security. Climate change is there too, although I’d be prepared to bet our future…