Episodes
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23andMe launched in 2016 to widespread excitement from Silicon Valley evangelists. It promised a simple and fun way to explore our genetic makeup.
Eight years on, 15 million people are now left wishing they had dug deeper into the T&Cs and understood what they were actually signing up for.
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This year’s European summer saw an unprecedented influx of tourists flocking to idyllic holiday destinations. Tourists faced longer lines, fully booked accommodations, and soaring prices. But what is the cost for the locals who call these places home, and how did these once peaceful spots become overrun with visitors?
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Missing episodes?
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If you're in a relationship with someone in the same profession as you, you're not alone. Most people are, and there are stats to prove it. So why do we end up with people just like us, and what does this say about us as a society?
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The US election is around the corner, and the polls are neck and neck. Both candidates are zeroing in on key voter groups that could win them the election.
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How much should inner peace cost? For the people selling the idea of mindfulness and inner peace the price tag can be limitless. Apps, retreats, balms and oils, mindfulness is now something you can buy. So how did a practice with ties to an ancient religion turn into a mindfulness industrial complex?
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Around the globe, governments have been shifting across the political spectrum. Have some leaders exploited the public's desire for change, and are we seeing an increase in dictators and demagogues?
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The advent of dating apps gave a whole new meaning to the phrase 'plenty of fish in the sea.' Suddenly, you could cast your search for 'the one' into the limitless depths of the internet. So why are people ghosting the apps and instead looking for love IRL?
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The prince of Saudi Arabia has a vision for a sci-fi like city in the middle of the desert called NEOM and he wants you to move in.
The futuristic sci-fi city is being spruiked online by influencers and if you've seen the marketing you might think it's too good to be true. So will the prince's sci-fi dreams turn into reality and why does he want to get people to move to the middle of the desert in Saudia Arabia?
Guest: Matt Bevan for If You're Listening
If you liked this episode you might like this one Your cheat sheet for the US Presidential election or this one on why we don't have driverless cars yet.
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How much is that doggy in the window impacting climate change? And do we need to take paws for thought before buying a pet?
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Amidst the culture wars and identity politics stirred up during the election campaign, can Kamala Harris secure the presidency and make history?
And if history is made do her policies align with the progressive youth base that have memed her into a lime green oval office, or are these voters not seeing the forest for the coconut trees?
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The whole world is moving towards a cashless future. So what does our digital money future look like and is it for the best?
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Sex tech conjures up images of hot robots sent from the future and while that might be where this multi million dollar industry is headed - for now a big slice of the demand is from people hoping to enjoy their own body so why do we make that so hard for people living with disabilities? And who are the inventors and engineers breaking down the taboos to create the products that suit their needs?
Guest - Rebecca McLaren for the Health Report
If you liked this episode of Quick Smart you might enjoy our chat with Lucy Sweeney about the neuroscience of singing in a choir or our episode with James Purtill on why we still don’t have driverless cars.
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Linguists have discovered that teenage girls play a significant role in shaping our future vocabulary.
But how do 16-year-old girls end up being the arbiters of what we will and won't say?
Guest: Fiona Pepper for Future Tense
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Where is the case now and when will mushroom murder-accused Erin Patterson face trial? We find out and get into the weeds about the legality and ethics of making a true crime podcast happening in real time.
If you liked this episode of Quick Smart you might like this other episode we did about The truth behind reality TV villains or this one about The mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie
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When you fall asleep do you dream of falling Tetris pieces? There’s a name for this – the Tetris Effect. Scientists have been investigating its use in boosting creativity and productivity and brands are trying to figure out how to monetise it. So just how malleable does playing video games make our minds? And is it possible for companies to use this research to hijack our dreams? Guest: Shelby Traynor for All In The Mind
If you liked this episode of Quick Smart you might like this other episode we did about whether we're all too addicted to our phones or this one about how to find out whether you're in introvert or an extrovert
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Cryptocurrency and block chain technology has dramatically shifted the way criminals launder money - so what are the techniques some criminals are using to clean dirty money and what does it have to do with a video game about salamanders? Guest: Nick Baker for The Money and ABC Digital
And if you liked this episode check out some of the other episodes we've made with The Money like this one about how the RBA wants you to lose your job, or this one about how the Australian housing crisis got so bad.
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If you’re a woman between 25 and 45 on Instagram there’s a good chance you’ve seen ads for egg freezing. And in recent years, the popularity of IVF clinics has sky rocketed - so much so that the clinics are are actually starting to run out of storage space. So what has led to the huge uptick in people wanting to freeze their eggs and is it actually the insurance policy that people think it is?Guest: Sophie Kesteven for ABC News
And if you liked this episode check out our episodes about office romances with Zoe Ferguson or the woman who got a Pap smear everyday for 21 years with Belinda Smith.
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The Olympic Games are about to kick off and athletes from all over the world will make their way to France to compete. The event is watched by billions, there's a massive increase to local tourism and of course an eye watering amount of advertising dollars at stake so it’s wild to think that at one stage - the Olympics was almost cancelled for good. Guest: Jack Schmidt for God Forbid
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In the back of our minds we all know that there’s very little that’s real about reality TV… but you might be shocked to discover just how deceptive – and ethically questionable – some of the television tactics really are. So are the humans behind these characters we love to hate really so awful? And how does being cast as a TV villain impact a person’s mental health and life outside the show?
And a content note: this episode contains discussion of suicide and mental health. Guest: Annika Blau for Background Briefing
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Social media is a huge part of our lives. We use it to talk to friends, to read about what’s happening in the world, and to find out whether or not something is cake. But recently there’s been talk of banning people under the age 16 from using social media because of the negative impact on their mental health and to protect them from harm. So is the government’s plan for age restriction really the best way to tackle this crisis? And will it actually improve the wellbeing of kids or will it just push their social media use underground?
Guest: Ange Lavoipierre Technology Reporter for ABC News
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