The Conversation

As climate changes, what does future hold for Winter Olympics, Paralympics

Except the snowy cold winter that comes to mind when you picture the Olympic Games may not be tenable for much longer

Social media fuels rising mental disorders, suicidal thoughts among teens

Social networks exploit young people's vulnerability and actually help boost certain disorders that they are prone to

How mental health has changed in baby boomers, Gen X across their adulthood

In both cohorts, mental health was generally at its best during a person's 30s; but, from middle age, average levels of psychological distress began to increase

Genes play bigger role in lifespan now than they did a century ago: Study

Heritability isn't a fixed biological property but a measure that depends entirely on the population and circumstances you're looking at

Why Trump's new pick for US Fed chair hit gold and silver markets

After months of record highs and stretched valuations, spot prices for gold and silver dropped 9 per cent and 28 per cent respectively after the announcement

ChatGPT Health promises personalised care, but it comes with many risks

OpenAI says it has worked with more than 260 clinicians in 60 countries, to give feedback on and improve the quality of ChatGPT Health outputs

Ending duty-free tobacco sales would benefit public health and budgets

Numerous studies show that when tobacco prices rise, people smoke less and try to quit more often, and fewer young people take up smoking

Do meat eaters really live longer than vegetarians, as new study suggests?

On the surface, this appears to contradict decades of research showing that plant-based diets are good for your health

What are postbiotic supplements and do you really need them for your gut?

Postbiotics are beneficial compounds produced when gut bacteria, including probiotics, break down prebiotics. In other words, they are not live bacteria, but substances those bacteria produce

OpenAI to add ads in ChatGPT, raising concerns over influence on users

The company proposes not to show ads 'near sensitive or regulated topics like health, or politics', yet offers little clarity about what counts as 'sensitive,' how broadly 'health' will be defined

Why 'unwinding' with screens may increase stress and what to try instead

Evidence suggests that mental relief comes not from adding new coping strategies, but from reducing the number of demands placed on the brain

Truth about detoxes and why the liver does not need a reset by a specialist

If you are generally healthy, your body does not need a reset as the liver works best with time and consistency, meaning fewer repeated stresses and enough recovery time to heal and function properly

Australia can rein in health spending with stronger focus on prevention

Australia's spending on health and social care is growing as a share of the economy and now makes up five of the top seven fiscal pressures facing the federal budget

How US withdrawal from WHO may affect global health powers, disease threats

The withdrawal is set to take effect this week, although WHO officials may not officially accept it because the US has unpaid dues from the last two years

AI agents: Here is what happened in 2025 and the challenges ahead in 2026

In 2025, AI agents shifted from theory to practice, redefining how humans collaborate with artificial intelligence across products and platforms

People are getting their news from AI - and it's altering their views

Studies show that large language models do more than simply pass along information. Their responses can subtly highlight certain viewpoints while minimizing others, often without users realizing it

Disrupted body clock could raise risk of dementia later in life: Study

Disrupted circadian rhythms are often associated with poor sleep. For decades, poor sleep has been suspected to contribute to both dementia and heart disease

Tumour vs cancer: What's the difference and why these terms confuse many

Misusing the words cancer and tumour can be confusing and misleading. This may be because the word "cancer" carries a stigma of sickness and death, even though many cancers have a good outlook

How short-form online videos may be harming children's developing minds

These apps feel lively and intimate, offering quick routes to humour, trends and connection, yet their design encourages long sessions of rapid scrolling that can be difficult for young users to manag

Dementia at 24: Britain's youngest sufferer donates brain to aid research

Dementia is usually associated with old age. However, some forms of dementia can strike astonishingly early and move frighteningly fast