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The government argues its industrial relations bills are necessary to deal with widespread corruption uncovered by the trade union royal commission. AAP/Joel Carrett

Explainer: what are the ABCC and Registered Organisations bills?

To what extent would the ABCC and Registered Organisations bills actually deal with union corruption or criminality if passed?
It’s difficult to sleep when your legs are tap dancing under the sheets. from www.shutterstock.com.au

Explainer: what is restless leg syndrome?

Restless leg syndrome is a common affliction characterised by uncomfortable feelings in the legs accompanied by an irresistible urge to move the legs to relieve the sensations.
Sleep problems can also create a loop of mental illness. Alyssa L. Miller/Flickr

Explainer: what’s the link between insomnia and mental illness?

The relationship between insomnia and mental illness is bidirectional: about 50% of adults with insomnia have a mental health problem; up to 90% of adults with depression have sleep problems.
Birthmarks are not scuff marks caused by the physical process of birth. Ben Crowe/Flickr

Explainer: what are birthmarks and why do we get them?

Birthmark is the term used to describe common skin marks that are present at birth or appear soon afterwards. It doesn’t mean they were caused by the physical process of birth.
It’s important to remember the symptoms of a panic attack are “just” caused by anxiety and are not life-threatening. from www.shutterstock.com.au

Explainer: what are panic attacks and what’s happening when we have them?

A panic attack is a sudden, intense feeling of fear or discomfort. For some people, a panic attack can come out of nowhere, like a sudden thunderstorm from a clear blue sky.
One in three adults have smoked pot at some point in their lives. Philippa Willitts/Flickr

Does cannabis cause mental illness?

The potential harms associated with using cannabis depend, above all others, on two things: the age at which you first begin to use cannabis and the frequency, dose and duration of use.
A book about Aedes aegypti mosquitoes is seen next to larvae in a laboratory conducting research on preventing the spread of the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, at the Ministry of Public Health in Guatemala City. Josue Decavele/Reuters

Zika: Aedes aegypti mosquitoes love biting humans, and that’s why they spread viruses so well

Aedes aegypti is adapted to live in close proximity with humans, and this close association likely contributes to the severity of the Zika outbreak.
If you or someone in your family has suffered with severe eczema, you’ve probably tried all sorts of remedies to alleviate the itching. Africa Studio/Shutterstock

Explainer: what is eczema and what can you do about it?

People with eczema essentially have sensitive skin that is easily irritated.
Visitors look at the painting The Visit from 1939 by Paul Delvaux during the 2011 exhibition Surrealism in Paris. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

Explainer: Surrealism

As the longest-running avant-garde movement of the 20th century, Surrealism’s scope and richness is perhaps unparalleled in its influence of modern art and culture.
The foot is the basic unit for what we consider to be romantic and beautiful: poetry. Khánh Hmoong

Explainer: poetic metre

Poetic terminology can be alienating, off-putting. Whispering “dactylic hexameter” in people’s ears won’t necessarily tempt them into reading heroic verse. But there is hope – and poetry – for us all.
Some voters in New South Wales may be forced to vote in a different electorate at the next federal election following a recent redistribution. AAP/Paul Miller

Explainer: how do seat redistributions work?

Any redistribution of electoral boundaries may significantly impact how parties are represented in the parliament. But how does Australia’s system of changing seat boundaries actually work?

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