The Quicky

Just when you thought talking about viruses was a thing of the past, a new illness spread through mosquito bites has resurfaced in Australia amid all of the wet and humid weather. Japanese Encephalitis was first discovered over 100 years ago, but its sudden resurgence particularly down the east coast is causing some concern among the scientific community and the public, but how worried should you...

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, you might have started hear more and more about a group of super-rich men referred to as 'oligarchs' who are increasingly being targeted with sanctions. But who are these billionaires, what is their relationship with Putin, and could we be unknowingly helping to fund the war in Ukraine through them? The Quicky speaks to an expert in Russian politics and...

In the past two weeks, three well known Australians all aged 52 have suffered serious heart attacks, tragically leaving two of those people deceased and the third needing to undergo a life-saving operation. Is it just a coincidence that Shane Warne, Senator Kimberley Kitching and former AFL player Dean Wallis all suffered similar medical episodes at the same age, or are there things we can learn f...

The recent flooding in New South Wales and Queensland has left thousands of people homeless, as entire towns were enveloped by rising floodwaters, with many still at risk. While floods and extreme weather are not uncommon in Australia, they are happening more frequently and with greater intensity, so it is time to re-think how we rebuild and recover from these disasters? The Quicky speaks to a reg...

For thousands of years women have had a unique relationship with cats in many different cultures, often associated with fertility and protection, yet somehow in modern representations, women with cats are often portrayed as sad and lonely. So how did we go from revering women with cats, to pitying and stereotyping them as 'crazy'? The Quicky speaks to two experts of cats and the history of the 'cr...

You might have seen a new ad on TV targeting women telling us that we should stop drinking alcohol as soon as we start trying for a baby, which goes beyond the traditional advice that we need to abstain from booze once we actually become pregnant. So what has brought about this new campaign, and why is it that the opinions and advice about how much alcohol is safe to consume during pregnancy and w...

It's been nearly two weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine, and already there are reports that thousands of people have died, and numerous efforts to end the conflict peacefully through diplomatic talks between the two nations have failed. Everyone witnessing the violence is desperate for the devastation to stop and the conflict to end once and for all, but how can peace be achieved when Russian Pres...

Today is International Women's Day and this year's theme is Break The Bias, in which we imagine what a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination would look like, but do you know just how many bias' impact you on a daily basis? And what should you say when  that guy inevitably gets in your face to ask, "Oh well, what about International Men's Day?!", how can you respond to that? The Q...

When Australia's international border finally reopened in November, many of us started immediately planning and booking that much longed for trip overseas, feeling relieved that we'd finally be able to see loved ones and the world once again. But with the emergence of conflict in Ukraine, which is impacting many countries in Europe, airlines had to urgently start diverting planes away from the who...

It feels like every year we're told that the Australian property bubble is about to burst and we should all be poised to rush out and buy our dream home at a bargain price, but could this actually be a reality in 2022 and beyond? Philip Lowe, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia has hinted that record low interest rates could finally rise later this year, but while that should slow down h...

For weeks rain has continued to pour down across much of the east coast of Australia, causing floods of historic proportions in many towns and cities, cutting people off from communities and help. Tragically several people and countless animals have died, and while flood waters in some areas are starting to recede, the danger is far from over. The Quicky speaks to a woman trapped in Lismore with h...

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is front and centre in news headlines as his country continues its efforts to repel the Russian military following the invasion late last week, but how much do we really know about him? You might have heard that he used to be a comic and actor, who almost lucked his way into the top job after playing the Ukrainian President on TV, but is that true? And has he...

If you are or have ever been a woman aged anywhere between about 16 and 50, no doubt you will have been asked at some point whether you're pregnant, or when you're planning to have a baby, but why does anyone think it's their business to ask? It can be not only incredibly annoying, but also upsetting if it impacts your body image, triggering if you have struggled with fertility, and just downright...

Have you ever received an unsolicited dick pic? If you said yes, you're not alone. Millions of women and men all over the world are being sent pictures of someone's junk every day and despite many of us saying we don't want to receive them, men continue to send them.  In this episode we look at the psychology of dick pics, why men send them and what they're hoping to get in return. CREDITS&nb...

Late yesterday afternoon our time, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a live televised address, saying Russia had no intention of occupying Ukraine. Then minutes after that TV appearance authorised a military operation in the country’s Donbas region. So what does this mean for the world? What does this mean for Ukraine? And is there anything that can stop Vladimir Putin from starting a po...

Last week a video of a man being fatally attacked by a shark in Sydney went viral. Hundreds, if not thousands of people were viewing and sharing this video on various social media platforms.  But before social media there were shockumentaries, before them, public executions where people would go to watch a person's final moments, so why are some of us so interested in watching someone die? In...

Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the UK - what do these countries have in common? They're all winding back or removing their Covid restrictions completely, despite the virus case numbers still rising each week. And now it seems Australia might start joining them, with some states looking to remove a number of restrictions or having done so already, but are we ready to really live with covid? In today's ep...

Before the pandemic hit, some of us dreamt of the day we could roll out of bed, skip the morning commute and work from the comfort of our homes. But, two years into the pandemic, that dream has become a reality for so many of us and it may have come with some unforeseen consequences.  With DIY office's hastily set up in kitchens on couches and some even from bed, our work set ups may have end...

It's that time again. The time when the politicians go out into the community, shaking hands, kissing babies, flipping sausages and drinking beers - all in an effort to appear like 'one of us'.  Politicians have done some weird and wacky things in the lead up to elections. From dancing the Macarena on national TV, to biting into an onion like an apple, and just last week, Scott Morrison was w...

It seems everyone is talking about Netflix's The Tinder Swindler right now. Before that, it was The Puppet Master and Inventing Anna. Before them it was Dirty John and Who The Hell Is Hamish, TV shows and podcasts about con men and women are everywhere.  When we hear about the elaborate schemes con artists use to scam money from innocent victims, we all wonder how the hell they pull it off an...

It's one of the most famous and controversial love triangles in history.  Prince Charles and Camilla have been dominating the headlines for four decades now. She has faced an onslaught of abuse from the tabloids & Royal Family alike - but this month, on the eve of the Queen's 70th Jubilee, it seems all may have been forgiven when Her Majesty gave her daughter in law a title upgrade. ...

Is there a good way to break up with someone? Should we be looking to celebrity breakups as inspiration to our own relationship breakdowns? We’ve seen Chris Martin & Gwyneth Paltrow “consciously uncouple” & have since remained harmonious, often seen on holidays together with their kids. More recently, we’ve seen Kim Kardashian & Kanye West split – followed...

How many times since the world was struck with a Global Pandemic have you thought to yourself ‘I’ve probably already had Covid?’ Have you tested negative, despite that tickle in your throat that wouldn’t go away, or a fever that you couldn’t shake. Did you know you can get tested to see if you’ve ever had Covid? But what’s the benefit? In this episode we e...

This Valentine's Day we ask ourselves who really are our soulmates? Is it the person we choose to have a physically intimate relationship with? Or is it the people we have collected as part of our chosen family over time? In this episode we explore whether it's ok that the most important person in your life is not your spouse or your partner but your bestie for life. CREDITS  Host: Claire Mur...

We all know that feeling, when you or someone you're with hasn't eaten for hours and stress and anger starts to take over, as you becoming irrationally enraged with everything and everyone, and you know it won't stop until that need for food is satisfied. But is being 'hangry' a real emotion, or just an excuse for bad behaviour? The Quicky speaks to an expert in human science, and a celebrity who...