Hack

Cancelled headline acts, campers turned away, all-night bus lines and SO MUCH MUD.

The first Splendour in the Grass back after two years of COVID was absolute chaos. We heard of staff shortages on the day, and extended capacities, and there was that crazy and unavoidable weather, but what really happened? We speak to one of the organisers. 

Plus, psychedelics are still illegal in Australia, but people around the country are being drawn to the hope and hype that they can help treat a range of mental health illnesses, and are giving the drugs a shot. And some scientists say there’s heaps more work to do before these powerful drugs can be available to the masses. 

And, why are there so few queer clubs in Australia, particularly in regional areas? In Tassie, there are none, after the one standing gay club closed down during COVID.  

Live guests: 

• Jessica Ducrou, Co-CEO, Secret Sounds 
• Elise Worthington, journalist, Four Corners 
• Adele (delsi cat) Moleta, Queer inclusion specialist and owner of the LGBTQIA+ organisation, Unicorns

Did your period change after you got the vaccine? Or was it the bout of COVID? Finally, there's some science on this – we talk directly to one of the researchers, and it turns out, it's happened in the past, too.

Imagine having to save up to buy water. While it can be easy to take fresh water for granted when it's so readily available through much of Australia, that's not the case in many parts of the country. In some regions the taps run dry or the water source isn't clean. Some new research is paints a pretty concerning picture about how many Australians don’t have access to good drinking water.  

And, after closed boarders and isolation, festivals are back! And so is the joy of singing along with masses of people. We find out why it feels so damn good to yell a tune with strangers.

Live guests:

• Siouxsie Wiles, Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab, The University of Auckland 
• Astrid Jorgensen, Pub Choir 

Europe is experiencing wild heatwaves and crazy weather right now, and temperature records are tumbling.

France, Spain, Greece and Portugal have had been ravaged by forest fires, British authorities sent out a severe weather warning for the first time ever in summer (usually sent out just in winter), and the heat has caused hundreds of deaths already. 

Also, Australia's election saw a change of government, a 'greenslide' and a lot of new independents. Labor took a 43 percent climate target to the election which will soon be debated, but it needs to get voted through the senate, which now hosts more Green Senators than ever before. Will they vote it through? 

And, there’s some alarming news coming out from Tasmania that young people in detention are being kept in lockdown for up to 23 hours a day, for weeks on end. Live guests; - Adam Bandt, Greens Leader - Dr Ailie Gallant, Monash University - Greg Barnes, Chair of the Tasmanian Prisoners Legal Service

We've been hearing (and talking) about pill testing for ages. But today, the first pill testing clinic finally opened in Canberra, in a pilot program.

We sent reporter Claudia Long down to find out how it works and what to expect, and it's actually doing way more than just running tests on drugs.  

Plus, today a massive report was released to the public which laid out the state of the environment, and honey, it's not good. We take you through all the findings, from disappearing species to warmer temperatures. The Labor government has put the blame squarely on the former Coalition government but says it will start taking immediate action. 

Live guests: 

• Bridget Hayes, DanceWize and Harm Reduction Australia  
• Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Environment 
• David Pocock, Independent Senator 

Imagine if someone was going through your phone, looking at your calendar, your contacts, your location, photos and more, without you even realising — because that's what TikTok is doing.

A new report says TikTok's data harvesting abilities are even more expansive than previously realised.

Speaking of TikTok, how do we stop procrastinating? Because all these distractions make getting stuff done super difficult, with more and more distractions popping up. We get some hard tips on getting sh*t done.

Plus, even though Australia has about half a per cent of the world's population, we have about 20 per cent of the world's pokies. And the spread of poker machines is particularly high in regional areas, so it's no surprise that gambling issues are pretty bad — Victorians alone have lost $66 billion in 30 years.

Live guests:

• Dr Marisa Paterson, former director of the Centre for Gambling Research at ANU
• Ben Kenyon, Internet 2.0
• Megan Pozzi, Queensland University of Technology

It's the Shakeup and we're talking…

The backlash to a "random act of kindness" on TikTok, the decline of nightclubs, and why tech experts say passwords should be a thing of the past.Join Hack’s Dave Marchese with Junkee's Issy Phillips and The Daily Aus's Sam Koslowski.

What's it like to feel confused about your gender when you're growing up?

Australian artist G Flip, who is non-binary, has written a powerful and raw new single all about it. Today, on International Non-Binary People's Day, G shares what their childhood was like, and why there needs to be more diverse representations of gender in the media.

Plus, more young women than ever are identifying as bisexual. What's behind the rise in recent years, and what stigmas still remain about being bi in 2022?

And a drug that can save three lives in a day by reversing overdoses will now be free in pharmacies. We learn more about how Naloxone works, and what impact it could have in Australia.

Live guests:

• G Flip, musician

• Associate Professor Suzanne Nielsen, Deputy Director of the Monash Addiction Research Centre

If you don't know what foot and mouth disease is - sorry, but it's time to find out.

The viral sickness is spreading quickly in Bali and it has Australian authorities worried about our biosecurity.

Plus, giddy-up: we find out why rodeos are having a moment.

And there's heaps of new details from the hearings into the US Capitol riots, including Donald Trump's 'unhinged' meeting at the White House.

Live guests:

• Tony Mahar, National Farmers' Federation
• John Barron, host of Planet America

The intersex community has been speaking out about the medical interventions that are sometimes imposed on them without an opportunity to provide personal consent.

Now, the ACT is introducing world-leading legislation to ensure it stops happening. Plus, are you under 18 with a ticket to Splendour? Prepare to ask a big kid to come along with you, because new licensing requirements mean you’ll need someone over 25 to get in. We speak to a festival organiser to find out what’s up. Also, we got a whole new view into space this morning, and it’s a very big deal. An image from an EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE telescope has granted us a little look-see to the edge of the universe (kind of) and please excuse me while my brain explodes.  Live guests; 

• Morgan Carpenter, Intersex Human Rights Australia 
• Jess Ducrou, Festival in the Grass 
• Dr Vanessa Moss, CSIRO astronomer 
• Vishal Prassad, activist 

More than 100 clubs have closed down around Australia in the last couple of years. 

With lockdowns and lockouts, health kicks and Tinder, people have been hitting clubs way less, particularly in Sydney. So is clubbing a thing of the past? 

Plus, have you seen the historic photos of protesters taking over the Sri Lankan Presidential Palace? It's a massive moment for the country. We talk to former Hack host Avani Dias about what's going on, and what's led to this. 

And, Monekypox is not going away. The number of cases is slowly rising in Australia, and it's got some experts pretty worried. 

Live guest: 

• Mick Gibb, The Night Time Industries Association 
• Avani Dias, ABC South Asia correspondent 
• Dr Brad McKay