A brief history of time – as told by a watchmaker

I once restored a 1950s timepiece for a customer who waxed lyrical about the intricacies of my work – all the while refusing to pay. They...

Selfies and social media: how tourists indulge their influencer fantasies

A town in the US state of Vermont closed its roads to tourists in September 2023 after a social media tag sparked a swarm of visitors...

Keeping a streak alive can be strong motivation to stick with a chosen activity

Dick Coffee attended 781 consecutive University of Alabama football games. Meg Roh surfed through illness, storms and nightfall to maintain a seven-year daily surfing streak. Jon...

The curious joy of being wrong – intellectual humility means being open to new information and willing to change your mind

Mark Twain apocryphally said, “I’m in favor of progress; it’s change I don’t like.” This quote pithily underscores the human tendency to desire growth while also...

Seeing a lot of mobile speed cameras on your summer road trips? Here’s how they work

  As you’re driving around this summer holidays, there’s every chance you’ll see a strange-looking white or yellow box on the side of the road. It...

You can’t reverse the ageing process but these 5 things can help you live longer

At this time of year many of us resolve to prioritise our health. So it is no surprise there’s a roaring trade of products purporting to...

Why does alcohol make my poo go weird?

As we enter the festive season it’s a good time to think about what all those celebratory alcoholic drinks can do to your gut. Alcohol can...

Relax – having different sleeping arrangements over the holidays probably won’t wreck your child’s sleep routine

What are the origins of Santa Claus?

We’re all familiar with the jolly, white-haired and bearded overweight man who sneaks down chimneys on Christmas Eve delivering presents to children. But where did this...

Australian beachgoers are told to always ‘swim between the flags’ – but what if there aren’t any?

This summer, millions of people will flock to Australia’s beaches – and tragically, not all will survive. Last summer, 54 people drowned along the Australian coast....