The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts Just when in history did the nebulous notion of ‘pop culture’ as we know it actually begin? And what particular person or event kicked it off? Were there any D-list celebrities…

Amateur furniture restoration is a social media phenomenon – with DIY enthusiasts showing how to save mid-century and other antique furnishings from the dump A coffee table lies discarded on a grassy kerb. Thick black paint obscures how chipped and decrepit the wood underneath might be. Passing by, the best thing for it seems like…

Celebrities are now injecting salmon sperm into their faces, while gen Z buys into ‘prejuvenation’. But I’m hopeful the tide may soon turn Totally neutral question, no right or wrong answer: how do you feel about salmon sperm? It’s not a Nordic culinary microtrend or a sex thing, but a beauty treatment, in which “Polydeoxyribonucleotides…

In Guardian Australia’s weekly interview about travel, the actor shares her secret beach hideaway and her obsession with packing cubes Read more Away with interviews Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email There are a few travel rules Rachel Griffiths swears by. Don’t drink on the plane. In fact, don’t eat on the plane. Get…

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts Why are bananas so cheap to buy in the UK? In a big supermarket, a single banana costs about 15p, but presumably it has been shipped thousands of miles at some…

Keeping warm in winter, celebrating all we love about food and bidding adieu to an old friend In this issue we say a fond farewell to Jay Rayner, who has written his final OFM column. After 15 years of wit, wisdom and enthusiasm for all things porcine, it is no exaggeration when I say he…

What started as curiosity would turn into an emotional investment – and eventually, a lifeline A few nights ago, my phone lit up with a TikTok notification: “WE’RE PREGNANT”. The message wasn’t from a friend. It was from an Australian couple, complete strangers. But social media knows me well because I felt something sharp and…