Hack

Have you heard of Grok? It’s an AI bot that lives inside X, which you might still know as Twitter. Grok has come under fire in the last few days for 'undressing' women against their consent in response to prompts from X users.  On Friday Grok started to limit the ability of users to generate AI images, due to concerns about non consensual sexual imagery. So, why was the bot able to make those imag...

It's been a crazy few days in Venezuela. On Saturday, the US dropped bombs on the country's capital Caracas while US special forces descended on a compound where the president Nicolás Maduro was staying, capturing him and his wife and flying them both to the US. Then a few days later, Maduro appeared in court in New York, charged with drug trafficking and terrorism crimes. The reaction has been a...

According to Uber drivers, it's the "oldest trick in the book": gaming the system to charge you more. In some cases, it could mean you end up paying 2 or 3 times the normal cost of a trip. So how does the trick work? Well, triple j hack has been speaking to drivers about how they create artificial surge prices, leaving passengers out of pocket. And even more remarkably, the union representing them...

It's the social season in Australia — barbecues, festivals, long nights out. And with it often comes alcohol and drugs, which are woven into how we celebrate and connect. But what about the costs to your health, your bank account, and your headspace? And while more people are cutting back, others are realising they can't have a healthy relationship with booze, opting for sobriety instead. So how d...

It's something drummed into Australians before they can even walk or talk.  To beat our strong Aussie sun, you've gotta put on sunscreen.  We all know the jingles and slogans: Slip Slop Slap, There's Nothing Healthy About A Tan.  But is the sunscreen we've been told is so vital... actually working?  Consumer group CHOICE tested 20 popular sunscreens this year, and found most of them weren't provid...

When she was just 14 years old, Molly Burke lost her vision, and with it the way she understood the world.  But Molly refused to let losing her sight mean giving up what she loved: beauty.  For Molly, makeup isn't just an interest, it's a passion, and today she's a hugely influential beauty creator with millions of followers.  So how does someone who can't see choose an outfit, apply makeup, and b...

There are certain things in life that we don't question too much. Like kissing, for example.  Snogging, making out, even just a peck... but why? Why is swapping saliva something all human societies have normalised? So where did it originate?  Well, it turns out kissing isn't just a human thing: all sorts of species appear to kiss, and new research now suggests Neanderthals did it too, possibly eve...

Horror, anger and intense grief have gripped Australia in the days since two gunmen opened fire on Bondi Beach targeting those gathered to mark the start of Hanukkah. But many young Jewish Australians are telling us while they were shocked, they weren't surprised. In this chat, Sam and Jas sit down with hack to explain why they've felt like a target for a long time. We hear what it's like experien...

Australia has changed in the past 24 hours, after a shocking act of terrorism targeted at the Jewish community left 15 people dead on Sydney's Bondi Beach. The attack happened during a community event to mark the first day of Hanukkah on Sunday, with a 10-year-old girl, two rabbis and a holocaust survivor among those who were killed. Amid the devastating pain there have also been stories of herois...

Been at a festival lately? You might have spotted more people using walking sticks.  But it's not a traditional accessibility aid. So is it Australia's growing ketamine obsession that's fuelling the trend? In the hack deep dive this week, we're unpacking the "ket stick" thing. We speak with young Aussies who are on the walking stick bandwagon, and chat with a disability advocate who's worried the...

It's our last show on the radio for the year. So from Labubus and a heist at the Louvre to a court trial in a small Victorian town that captivated the world, we're unpacking the biggest moments of 2025.  From the fun moments to the intense, we hear your Ins and Outs from this year, and what you're looking forward to next year. Host Dave Marchese is joined by comedian Anthony Locascio and Gemma Don...

Albo stayed but Dutton and Bandt were booted, as Aussie voters handed Labor more control than ever: 2025 was a big year in politics.  And it's been fiery: from cost-of-living rage to heated fights over immigration, government spending and political stunts, punters have been questioning whether politicians are actually acting in their best interest.  And in the US, the assassination of Charlie Kirk...

When Big Brother contestant Abiola introduced herself on the show as a "fat black lesbian", she instantly gained fans around Australia for her disarming honesty.  And with cameras, microphones and even a 24/7 TikTok live stream capturing the contestants' every move, Abiola found herself at the centre of some big conversations inside the house.  From discussing the meaning of "pretty privilege" to...

From Gout Gout's meteoric rise to Sam Kerr's big return to the Matildas and Oscar Piastri's F1 saga, it's been a massive year in sport. But it wasn't just huge achievements: 2025 was also the year a lot of sporting codes were forced to grapple with tough questions on everything from gambling and misogyny, to homophobia and racism. For this special episode of The Shakeup, we upack the highlights an...

Australia's world first social media ban for teens under 16 is kicking in tomorrow. So how are teenagers prepping, and what will they turn to instead?  Plus, do Anika Wells' travel expenses pass the pub test?  And spotted a walking stick prop at a festival this summer? We get into why disability advocates are concerned about risks to accessibility.  Also, with revamped Big Brother wrapping up, we...

The first week of summer has already seen deadly bushfires raging from WA to Tassie and NSW. So what's it going to take to get more young volunteers to sign up to spending their summer fighting fires? And a WA coroner examining the death of Cleveland Dodd in a notorious youth detention facility has handed down his findings, recommending Perth's Unit 18 be closed 'as a matter of urgency'. Plus, it...

In most of Australia, people using medicinal cannabis can't legally drive - even if they're unimpaired.  But now the NSW government is thinking about bringing in a medical exemption to change that. So, how does cannabis affect your ability to drive? And do you think the laws need an update?  On this week's hack deep dive, we hear from young people trying to navigate medicinal cannabis use and driv...

It's Spotify Wrapped time. But with all the controversy surrounding the music streaming giant this year, are attitudes towards this cultural tradition changing?  And TikTok has apologised after several Black creators reported racism at its awards event. What does this all say about how the media treat people of colour?  Also, we're asking if arguing is a healthy part of a relationship after Travis...

The live music scene is in trouble, with Park Waves this week becoming the latest festival to announce its Australian cancellation. So why does this keep happening? And is the federal government's main plan to fix it working? And if you're getting served up stuff in your social feeds that you never asked for, this one's for you: Chanel Contos from Teach Us Consent has a plan, and she wants Austral...

If you could quit your own algorithm and start again, would you be happier? And if everyone could do it: would it make the world a better place? Chanel Contos thinks so, and she wants Australia to do something nobody else has tried yet: make algorithms opt-in. A petition she's set up already has the names of some of Australia's most powerful people on it. So can we fix our feeds?  And what would a...

It's the biggest fight in the smallest state. So how do people in Tassie feel about the new AFL stadium, now it has the votes in the Parliament to happen? And Bruce Lehrmann's had another loss, this time in trying to challenge his failed defamation suit. So with the full federal court now backing the original ruling that on the balance of probabilities he raped his then colleague Brittany Higgins,...

Getting a mate a job is great for the mate, obviously. But what if the mate isn't the best candidate, and the job is on a government board that pays $300k? A report into nepotism in Australia was finally released today, and its findings are scathing. Plus, Australia is getting an inquiry into sexual assaults in the defence force. We speak with victim-survivors. Also, what can artists do to make mu...

Almost 10 years after medicinal cannabis was legalised in Australia, driving laws in many parts of Australia haven't changed. So how does cannabis affect your ability to drive, and do laws need an update?  And we hear from tourism operators on WA's Ningaloo Reef who feel forgotten and "out of sight" after mass coral death from this year's marine heatwave.  Plus, we unpack how weight loss drugs are...

In the big cities, they deliver everything from pizza and pad thai to booze and groceries, but are delivery riders and drivers earning enough to make it worth their while? A lot reckon no — but could that be about to change? This week, two of Australia's biggest apps, Uber Eats and DoorDash, announced they'd agreed on a minimum level of pay. So what could this mean for drivers? On this week's hack...

From sandwich press steaks and the burka stunt to last-minute laws, we unpack the serious and silly moments of the last week of Parliament for 2025.  And has flight etiquette gone out the window? A US transport official who is asking flyers to "dress with respect" seems to think so.  Also, 'tis the season... for taking things too far — we hear your Christmas party horror stories.  Host Dave Marche...